Lobo

Spread the love

So…If you ever need a job done—I don’t give a frag howmessy or crazy…I’ll give ya one freebie. And the Main Man never breaks his word.

—Lobo (Justice League vs. Suicide Squad)

Universe: DC
First Appearance: Omega Men #3 (June 1983)
Created by: Roger Slifer & Keith Giffen

Lobo is a Czarnian bounty hunter who killed the rest of his people. He is an antihero in the DCU. Lobo is generally portrayed as a ruthless bounty hunter, with one rule: get it done, i.e., once he takes a contract, no matter what. But if he’s offered a counter-contract, which means more money, then it can rescind the earlier one.

But when he was created, he was a Velorpian, whose entire race was wiped out by Psions, and was partnered with Bedlam for a time being. But his origin was later retconned. Name translates roughly to “he who devours your entrails, and he enjoys it thoroughly.

Lobo has an exceptional grit, enjoys mindless violence, and intoxication. He is arrogant and self-centered, focusing on his benefits, although he proudly keeps his promises.

Lobo is said to have wiped out his entire race for a science project. But then some changes were made here and there, and some Czarnians too survived: Lobo’s teacher and former military officer, Miss Tribb, and everyone in the city that Brainiac collected many centuries ago.

Lobo resembles a chalk-white human with a bulky, muscular body, red pupilless eyes, and blackened eyelids. His initial appearances were thinner. He has long, gray-black rocker hair with dreadlocks. He wears black leather biker gear, which later became a sleeveless flight suit. In his first few appearances, he was wearing an orange-and-purple leotard.

He has numerous guns in store and a titanium chain with a hook on his right arm. He also has frag grenades and carving blades at his disposal.

‘Frag’ and ‘bastich’ are his most-used words. Lobo follows his own strict personal code of honor. He will follow the code word to word, but not in good faith entirely.

Lobo is very protective of dolphins, especially space dolphins. Lobo’s friend circle mainly includes Dawg, a bulldog, which, when it gets into any trouble, Lobo claims is not his. Lobo considers Jonas Glim, a fellow bounty-hunter; Ramona, a bail bondswoman/hairdresser; and the Green Lantern 2814.2, Guy Gardner. He visits Guy Gardner’s bar, Warriors, often, where he gets free drinks.

Lobo has clashed with many, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Sinestro and his Yellow Lanterns, Authority, Green Lanterns, including Guy, the JLA, L.E.G.I.O.N., StormWatch, Mister Miracle, Doctor Fate, Captain Marvel, Superboy, and many others.

Once he decides to take revenge for a space dolphin that was killed by Japanese fishermen and clashes with Aquaman, but ceases to fight on learning that Aquaman is not only a friend of dolphins, but was raised by them. Lobo feels he can’t hurt a fellow dolphin lover.

Once Lobo, after turning into a teenager, joins Young Justice and is killed in Apokolips. But from his blood, millions of Lobos rise and defeat the Apokoliptian soldiers. And then they fight among themselves, with only one left to regrow to adulthood. But, one weaker teenage Lobo survived by staying hidden and rejoins Young Justice and renames himself as Slobo. Slobo’s body begins to degenerate, and before he dies, Darkseid transports him to the 853^rd century and transforms him into a sentient immobile statue.

Once Atrocitius gave him a Red Lantern ring as payment, which he wears around his neck on a chain. Lobo once ensured security for Rann, the Vega system, and the galaxy from Starro the Conqueror.

Elsewhere in the universe, the Psions created Lobo’s clones in an attempt to bring back his race, which can make them invincible. But the series ended, without revealing what happened, as the New 52 was introduced.

Writers tried to use Lobo as a parody of “grim and gritty” superhero stories, but fans accepted him
Lobo is Stan Lee’s favorite DC character

In this, a reimagined version of Lobo, a Czarnian slaver who killed the rest of his race except for his beloved Princess Sheba, debuted in Deathstroke #9, written by Rob Liefeld. This Lobo claimed himself to be the original and the ol’ one an imposter. Justice League #23.2 and the New 52’s Lobo #1 are connected; the latter leads to the former. He was originally the bodyguard to the Czarnian royal family, who utilized a Eucharist-like ritual involving the planet’s “lifeblood”, pools similar to Lazarus Pits, which grants the one who drinks or bathes from/in them with regenerative powers, connecting them to the planet’s Emperor. But DC saw a backlash from fans at this new design, and between 2012-14, DC bought almost the ol’ Lobo form, but acts a bit mix of the old and new one.

In an interview once, Keith Giffen revealed, “I have no idea why Lobo took off… I came up with him as an indictment of the Punisher, Wolverine hero prototype, and somehow, he caught on as the high violence poster boy. Go figure”. He also revealed that Lobo was one of the characters derived from Lunatik, a character he created in high school.

In the Rebirth era, Lobo debuts in Justice League vs. Suicide Squad as one of the villains freed by Maxwell Lord. He is a member of Amanda Waller’s first Suicide Squad, but Batman frees him by blowing up his head. And for that, he thanks Batman, promising to do him a favor if ever required, and at which Batman offers him a role in the Justice League of America.

Xiomara Rojas, aka Crush, is the biological daughter of Lobo. Her maternal heritage is under shrouds for now. She has joined Teen Titans and is in a relationship with Djinn.

Lobo has made many guest appearances in other series, even with non-DC characters such as the Mask, Judge Dredd, and the Authority. During the DC vs. Marvel crossover series, he fought Wolverine, but lost (mostly due to popular vote by the fans). Later, he also appeared in the JLA/Avengers and is shown fighting members of the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, although the outcome is unknown.

Lobo the Duck, a fusion of Lobo and Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck, appears in the Amalgam Comics universe
Deadpool/Batman #1 introduced Logo, a space-bounty hunter, an amalgamation of Logan and Lobo

And lately, Lobo’s new 52 form appeared in DC K.O., Wonder Woman vs. Lobo. DC K.O. effectively treats the New 52 Lobo as just one possible form, rather than a definitive replacement/imposter.

In Dark Multiverse, one of the universes where Blackest Night events unfolded tragically for Sinestro, the Limbo Lantern, watches as everyone is filled with hate and rage, because of Lobo’s DNA infused with the creation wave.

Powers and abilities:

Lobo packs extraordinary strength with undefined limits. He demonstrates physical strength similar to Superman in any planetary atmosphere.

Also possesses superhuman durability, which varies.

Lobo has been banned from Hell and Heaven after wreaking so much havoc that he was permanently banished from the afterlife, and that rendered him immortal.

Lobo has an accelerated healing factor that enables him to regenerate his damaged or destroyed tissue at a good pace and with less pain. He is immune to aging and diseases. He can regenerate out of a pool of his own blood, or even grow back from a single cell or even a drop of blood.

The extent of his powers or their uniqueness to his race or to himself is not known. However, in his four-issue miniseries, Lobo: The Last Czarnian, it is stated that the cloning and healing abilities, as well as the ability to survive in the vacuum of space, are common traits for the Czarnians.

It is also said that he has a heightened level of senses, i.e., if he catches the smell of his target, then no matter where they are in the universe, he’ll hunt them down for sure. He is regarded as a terrific tracker. He can also detect the weak points of any opponents.

He is an expert in multiple forms of armed and unarmed combat, albeit his favorite is the large titanium alloy chain with a large gutting hook, known as a garrote.

Lobo has a genius-level intellect in matters of destruction and violence, and can create virulent agents and their antidotes. In one version, he released a plague on Czarnia as a school science project, resulting in the deaths of the entire population, and he gave himself an “A”.

He even has a space-faring motorbike, which he named Space Hog. He himself had built it, and the Space Hog has a great speed for space travel and storage for weapons. Space Hog has a shield mechanism that protects those in its immediate vicinity from hazards and allows them to breathe and speak in space.

Lobo is known for his love for cigars. He’s known to have destroyed an entire planet, as he couldn’t find the cigar of his liking.

In Lobo’s case, continuity damage doesn’t create a paradox; it just creates competition, i.e., each Lobo is the other Lobo’s contestant, fighting to become canon.

Lobo can break through the fourth wall, but on his own terms.

Outside Comics

Television

Lobo appears here and there or frequently in Superman: The Animated Series (1996), Legion of Super Heroes (2006), Young Justice (2010), DC Super Hero Girls (2015), Justice League Action (2016), and Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011).

Lobo, who has a vendetta against Brainiac for destroying Czarnia and abducting his city, appears in the second season of Krypton, played by Emmett J. Scanlan.

A spin-off series focusing on Lobo was announced to be in development, with Emmett reprising his role, but it never went forth after the cancellation of Krypton.

An adult animated series based on Lobo and his daughter Crush was pitched to Warner Bros., but it was later scrapped.

Film

Lobo, played by Andrew Bryniarski, appears in the American Film Institute short film, The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special.
Warwolf, an Earth-Three incarnation of Lobo, makes a cameo appearance in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths as a Crime Syndicate member.
Lobo appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman – Rage of Atlantis, voiced by Fred Tatasciore.
Lobo appears in Lego DC Shazam! Magic and Monsters, voiced again by Fred Tatasciore.
Lobo appears in films set in the Tomorrowverse, voiced initially by Ryan Hurst and subsequently by John DiMaggio.
Lobo will appear in Supergirl, played by Jason Momoa.

Video games

Lobo appears as a downloadable playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Lobo appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
Lobo appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.
Lobo appears as a playable character in DC Unchained.
Lobo appears as an unlockable playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, and also serves as the narrator for several bonus missions and DLC levels.
Lobo appears in Justice League: Cosmic Chaos.

Miscellaneous

Lobo appears in the novel DC Universe: Last Sons, (2006), written by Alan Grant.

Images:

Fraggin’ books to know Lobo:

^{Pic Credits: DC Comics}

Lobo

Powers and abilities: