Zzzax

Superherobox|

caption=Cover of "Hulk" #183 (Jan. 1975) featuring Zzzax. Art by Herb Trimpe.
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Zzzax
real_name=N/A
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="The Incredible Hulk" #166 (Aug. 1973)
creators=Steve Englehart
Herb Trimpe
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances=
aliases=General "Thunderbolt" Ross
powers=Electrical manipulation
Super-strength and durability
Ability to supposedly gain intellect|

Zzzax is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in "Hulk" #166 (Aug. 1973) and was created by Steve Englehart and Herb Trimpe.

Fictional character biography

Zzzax, "the Living Dynamo" is a humanoid creature that was formed from electricity by an act of sabotage at a Con Ed nuclear power plant in New York City. A group of terrorists used explosives, and in destroying the dynamos started a chain reaction that caused a rapid build in energy. The energy escaped and absorbed several engineers working at the plant. By using the electrical energy from their brains, it was able to achieve humanoid form and sentience.

Calling itself Zzzax, the creature fights the Hulk and the hero Hawkeye, but is swiftly defeated. ["Hulk" #166 (Aug. 1973)] A short time later, a team of three scientists at Soul-Star Research Center in Chicago revived Zzzax; it absorbs one of them. The Hulk fights Zzzax once again, which gives the remaining two scientists time to shut down the process and stop Zzzax. ["Hulk" #183 (Jan. 1975)] Zzzax, however, regenerates and eventually pursues the two scientists, bringing it into conflict with the hero Luke Cage. Zzzax is defeated, but not before another scientist is killed. ["Luke Cage, Power Man" #47 (Oct. 1977)]

Several years later, Zzzax reforms when a faulty Soul-Star generator power core is installed at the Northwind Observatory for the Hulk's alter ego, Bruce Banner. Now in full control of the Hulk, Banner uses his knowledge of Zzzax to defeat the creature without any casualties. ["Hulk" #285 (July 1983)] Zzzax is later restored by the demonic entity Mephisto to battle the Thing, in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the entity known as the Beyonder. ["Secret Wars" II #7 (Jan. 1986)] Zzzax then teams with fundamental force villains Graviton, Quantum, and Halflife in a battle with Hawkeye and the West Coast Avengers. ["West Coast Avengers" #12 - 13 (Sep. - Oct. 1986)]

When Zzzax is eventually contained by the spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D., General Thunderbolt Ross, a long-time foe of the Hulk, arranges for his mind to be transferred into Zzzax's body in a tactical experiment. Ross is able to dominate Zzzax's mind and it fights against a new Hulk, Rick Jones, but returns to his own body when confronted with the fact that he had threatened innocent lives as Zzzax. Zzzax's power is relinquished by Ross shortly afterwards to save his daughter Betty Ross Banner. ["Hulk' #325 - 327 (Nov. 1985 - Feb. 1986) & #330 (May. 1986)] Zzzax is restored again twice after this, but is defeated by the hero Iron Man ["Marvel Comics Presents" #8 (Apr. 1989)] and is contained again years later by the mutant Cable. ["Cable" #59 (Oct. 1998)]

Although captured and imprisoned in "The Raft," a facility for super-villains, Zzzax is freed in a mass breakout staged by the villain Electro. ["New Avengers" #1 - 3 (Jan. - Mar. 2006) + "New Avengers: Most Wanted Files" #1 (July 2006)] While recaptured by S.H.I.E.L.D., Zzzax escapes a containment unit and turns the Helicarrier's defense systems against its agents. The heroine She-Hulk manages to recapture Zzzax in a modified stasis box, where the creature currently remains trapped. ["She-Hulk" vol. 4, #17 (Apr. 2007)]

Powers and abilities

As a being of pure electricity, Zzzax can absorb and discharge vastly powerful currents of electricity, manipulate nearby electrical fields, and fly. The creature's size and strength level also increases in relation to the amount of electricity absorbed. This control of electrical current also extends to the human nervous system, as Zzzax has been shown to be capable of controlling even the Hulk. Zzzax is also dependent upon electricity from the human brain to survive, and when killing prey will temporarily take on the personality traits of the victim. In more recent times, Zzzax has been shown as being capable of generating intense heat, to the point whereby water - a previous weakness - evaporates before touching it. As another recent addition, it was shown capable of inhabiting and controlling the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier.

In other media

*Zzzax was featured in an episode of "The Incredible Hulk". He was a man working at a nuclear facility named Mitch who was accidentally transformed while helping Bruce Banner rid himself of the Hulk. Zzzax's voices were performed by three different voice actors: Michael Bell, Lisa Zane, and Kevin Schon.
*Toy Biz produced a Zzzax action figure in 1997.
*Zzzax was included in the latest Marvel Heroclix release Mutations and Monsters.

References

External links

* [http://www.hulklibrary.com/hulk/info/enemies-main.asp?CharacterId=zzza Hulk Library: Zzzax]
* [http://www.incrediblehulk.com/zzzax.html IncredibleHulk.com Zzzax]
* [http://www.leaderslair.com/marvelvillains/zzzax.html Leader's Lair: Zzzax]
* [http://www.geocities.com/marvel_monsters/zzzax/zzzax.html Marvel Monsters: Zzzax]