Zzzax
- For other uses of this name, see Zzzax (disambiguation).
Zzzax is a male comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Zzzax was the name of a monstrous being created when a group of terrorists caused a massive explosion in the Edison Power Plant in New York. The explosion caused a chain reaction in the atomic chamber, fusing all the available electrical power together into a semi-humanoid being that became known as Zzzax. Incinerating all humans in its path, he absorbed their electro-psionic fields to increase its own intelligence. As his intelligence grew, he went on a murderous rampage through New York. News of the walking disaster reached former Avenger Hawkeye who was looking for an opportunity to prove himself. While Hawkeye made his way through town, Zzzax stumbled across Dr. Bruce Banner. Figuring Banner was yet another mere human, he fired one of his electrical beams at Banner which stunned him. At the same time, Hawkeye arrived and fired one of his electrically operated arrows to see if he could disrupt Zzzax's body. Unimpressed Zzzax took down the building he stood on. The noise woke Banner up, as soon as he saw the creature he turned into the Hulk and attacked Zzzax. It wasn't until Hawkeye and Hulk combined their attacks that they seemed to slow down the monster. He was defeated when Hawkeye short-circuited his form by firing an arrow with a conducting wire through his form. As soon as the shaft hit the waters of the East River, the circuit was completed, ending in Zzzax's seeming destruction. (Incredible Hulk v1 #166) Zzzax's confrontation against the Hulk and Hawkeye was caught on television by famed superhero photographer Phil Sheldon and his assistant Martha. (Marvels v1 #4) The Avengers came to find out Hawkeye had returned to New York City after finding him watching Zzzax's fight with the Hulk on television. (Avengers v1 #114) After fighting Namor and Valkyrie, Hawkeye reminisced about the events that had led up to their confrontation, including the time he helped the Hulk against Zzzax. (Defenders v1 #7) After Hawkeye had fought Captain America dressed as the Golden Archer, he remembered how he had met other superheroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil and how he had fought Zzzax. (Captain America v1 #179)
Zzzax was reformed when a group of scientists at the Soul Star Research developed a mechanism capable of collecting and recording the scattered electrical brain waves of any human being alive or dead. When the group, accompanied by Dr. Bruce Banner, activated the machine it instead collected all the scattered energy of Zzzax, bringing the being back to life. Looking to expand its intelligence once again by absorbing that of those around him, he drained scientist Stan Landers. This was enough for Banner to lose control and turn into the Hulk. The green behemoth attacked Zzzax, who found himself influenced by the mind he had just taken. Landers was in love with his colleague Alexandria, forcing Zzzax to grab her. In a manner not unlike King Kong, Zzzax fled with Alexandria, climbing the top of the John Hancock Center with her. The Hulk pursued them, but while they fought on the roof Landers' last colleague Revel arrived on the scene by helicopter. Revel managed to short-circuit Zzzax by shooting a copper wire through it, and then flying straight into a thunderstorm and being struck by lightning, Zzzax was once again seemingly destroyed. (Incredible Hulk v1 #183)
During a meltdown in Illinois Edison's breeder reactor, Zzzax was once again reborn, though the consciousness of Stan Lander had survived as well and continued to influence Zzzax. Landers' feelings for Alexandria caused Zzzax to want to find her again. Before he left, he drained the brains of Will Robinson and a dozen other brilliant scientists. He soon materialized in Alexandria's living room through a lamp, but was faced by Power Man Luke Cage who was visiting the woman after having previously rescued her from a train wreck. Cage again rescued the woman from Zzzax who destroyed her home. Now fighting on the streets of New York, Zzzax finally managed to overpower Cage and knock him out. The creature took Alexandria back to the Illinois Edison's breeder reactor. Zzzax planned to transform her into a living electrical being like himself by directly reverting Alexandria into a basic atomic structure that he could then recreate in his own image. Cage and Alexandria's husband Mark Revel made their way to the breeder reactor and saw how Zzzax had shackled the woman to the paramagnetron grid. As Cage attacked Zzzax, Revel tried to sneak up on the creature with a special hose line, connected to the plant's reservoir of liquid helium and hit the creature with four hundred-thirty degrees below zero, turning it's leg to crystal. But as Cage managed to rescue the woman Zzzax had killed Revel. Outraged, Cage ran a steel collar through him, briefly slapping Zzzax on the paramagnetron grid Alexandria had been chained to previously. But that one moment was long enough for the freezing helium fog to disrupt the reactor's power controls, leading to a super explosion. In the aftermath, Zzzax was nowhere to be found. (Power Man v1 #47)
As part of the final construction work on Banner's Northwind Observatory in upstate New York, Stark International delivered a gamma ray power core which was supposed to power the facility. But when the core was activated, a sudden energy surge appeared which also released Zzzax. Stark International had purchased the power core from Soul Star Research where Zzzax's residue had been trapped. He was defeated after a brief battle with Banner, who in those days was in control of the Hulk. Banner ran power cables through Zzzax that were connected to a generator which drew its power from stellar and quasi-stellar sources. By reversing the generator's polarity, Zzzax was sent out into space. (Incredible Hulk v2 #285)
One of his most notable battles was when he was merged with the intellect of General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, and fought the Rick Jones Hulk. Ross' intellect eventually returned to his body (with a small portion of Zzzax's power). Zzzax went on to battle such varied foes as Iron Man, the Midnight Sons and Cable since that time.
Overview
Personality and attributes
Powers and abilities
Notes
- Zzzax was created by Steve Englehart and Herb Trimpe where he made his first appearance in Incredible Hulk v1 #166 (August, 1973).
In other media
Television
- In The Incredible Hulk, Zzzax appeared in the 1996 animated television series where he was voiced simultaneously by actors Michael Bell, Leeza Miller McGee, and Kevin Schon. This version was originally Mitch McCutcheon, a nuclear power plant worker who attempts to aid Bruce Banner in curing himself of the Hulk before being accidentally and temporarily turned into Zzzax after they are interrupted by security guards. Driven insane by the transformation, McCutcheon attempts to siphon energy to maintain his new form until being cured following a fight with the Hulk.
- In The Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Zzzax appeared in the setting of the animated television series. Zzzax was one of Hulk's personal enemies and one of the prisoners from the Cube until the Breakout. During the Breakout, he attacked Doc Samson and Banner who transformed into the Hulk to smash him long enough for him and Samson to escape. He somehow stayed behind the Cube to help the Leader in his plans of world domination. He attacked the Avengers along with other gamma mutant villains before being defeated.
Films
Video games
- In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, Zzzax appeared in the setting of the Facebook video game. Zzzax was created in an accident at a nuclear power plant. The psionic being incinerated everyone nearby, absorbing their collective intelligence. Zzzax sought to kill more people to increase its intelligence further, often conflicting with the Hulk.
Appearances
- Incredible Hulk v1: (1973)
- Power Man v1:
- Incredible Hulk v2:
External Links
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