Lunatik

Lunatik is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Lunatik
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceDefenders #51 (September 1977)
Created byKeith Giffen
In-story information
Alter egoArisen Tyrk, Harrison Turk
Team affiliationsEmpire State University

Publication history

Lunatik first appeared in Defenders #51 (September 1977), though a later retcon identifies him as an incarnation of Arisen Turk, a character who appeared in Creatures on the Loose #35-37 (May-September 1975), which was written by David Anthony Kraft and pencilled by George Pérez. According to Kraft, he had been trying to link Lunatik to the Creatures on the Loose story arc during his time as writer on Defenders, and his successor Ed Hannigan picked up on this, but made a different connection between the two than Kraft had had in mind.[1] Keith Giffen stated, "Lunatik was a character I came up with in high school. When it went radically wrong, I went to DC [Comics and] took the basic concept of Lunatik and ... split [it] into two characters: Lobo had his mercilessness, and Ambush Bug had his goofiness."[1]

The character was created and designed in a hurry, when Giffen suddenly left Marvel to work for DC Comics.[2]

The character subsequently appears in Defenders #51-53 (September-November 1977), #55-56 (January-February 1978), #61-62 (July-August 1978), #64-65 (October-November 1978), Marvel Premiere #45-46 (December 1978, February 1979), and Defenders #70-73 (April-July 1979).

A different character named Lunatik appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #172-175 and Lunatik #1 (December 1995).

Fictional character biography

Arisen Tyrk was the tyrannical god-king of the dimension called Other Realm. He seeks the power of the Godstone, which is bonded to John Jameson as the Man-Wolf. Tyrk hires Kraven the Hunter to attack Man-Wolf, but Man-Wolf fights Kraven off. Rebels from Other Realm bring the Man-Wolf to their land and he deposes Tyrk.

Tyrk tries to escape through an extra-dimensional portal, but the portal is damaged and fragments Tyrk into a number of forms in a number of realms. Four of Tyrk's fragments go to Earth, becoming the crazed Lunatik. These four duplicates of Tyrk plague the Defenders until they re-merge Lunatik into a more-or-less-whole Tyrk. He fights the Defenders in this form, but they eventually defeat him.

For a time he poses as drama professor Harrison Turk at Empire State University.[3]

Other characters named Lunatik

There is also a cosmic mercenary by the name of Lunatik. He kills one of Tyrk's fragments, claiming that he doesn't like anyone else "using his name." He first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #172 (Jan 1995). This Lunatik is seen on a prison ship, the Dredge 01, on its way to the Kyln. It crashes on Earth with Drax the Destroyer, Paibok, and the Blood Brothers as the only survivors. He seemingly meets his end at the Destroyer's hand.[4]

This Lunatik or a possible fragment appeared (in another prison) as Dirty Wolff in Deadpool.

In other media

The Guardians of the Galaxy episode "Take the Milano and Run" features a different Lunatik voiced by John DiMaggio. He owns a nightclub on the Grandmaster's space station Conjunction, and is an old contact of Star-Lord's.

References
  1. DeAngelo, Daniel (July 2013). "The Not-Ready-For-Super-Team Players: A History of the Defenders". Back Issue!. TwoMorrows Publishing (65): 3–16.
  2. Kraft, David Anthony (2018). "Introduction". Defenders Masterworks vol 6. Marvel Enterprises. ISBN 9781302504397. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  3. Sanderson, Peter (2007). The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City. New York City: Pocket Books. pp. 30–33. ISBN 1-4165-3141-6.
  4. Drax The Destroyer: Earthfall #1-4
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