Thul-Kar was a Kryptonian wizard who survived the destruction of his planet.
History
When Superman and Quex-Ul sought to escape the Phantom Zone, they encountered Thul-Kar guarding the gate. Like Kal-El, he had also escaped Krypton's destruction, but had used sorcery rather than science.
Thul-Kar came from the unexplored Valley of Juru on Krypton, and despite his purely magical orientation, was one of the only Kryptonians to believe the scientist Jor-El's dire warnings of planetary cataclysm. When the final day came, Thul-Kar entered the Phantom Zone by way of occult practices centered around the Orb of Juru.
Thul's further attempt to escape the Zone brought him through internal barriers into the presence of the god Aethyr, but even with his new-found Kryptonian powers and Juru sorcery, he could not defeat the twilight god, and was desiccated by his power.[1]
As the Phantom Zone was a manifestation of Aethyr's thoughts, Thul-Kar resigned himself to the god's service as guardian of the final border realm; only escaping once to quickly return.[1]
Thul-Kar inhabited a castle that was actually the final doorway to Aethyr, and asked those who reach it to remain there, as he believed than none could triumph over the twilight god. But when directed by Superman, he revealed that the portal to Aethyr was in the hearth. Because Superman's heart was full of hope, he was able to pass through the portal that Thul had not, and return to the outside world. This realization that there was a way past Aethyr motivated Thul-Kar, and in time he plotted his own way of escape.[1]
Having forged a glowing magical cube that entranced Aethyr, Thul-Kar forced the implosion of similarly cubic Htrae and the resulting White Hole drew Aethyr from the Phantom Zone. As the twilight god could not exist outside the Zone, Thul visited the thoughts of a prisoner in the Fifth Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk, and offered him both freedom and revenge in exchange for his mind and powers. Mxyzptlk accepted, and his merger with Aethyr blasted the null-sphere prison apart.[2]
Thul-Kar after facing Aethyr
Aethyr's shock at entering the physical outer-verse caused him to release the Phantom Zone prisoners briefly, who caused havoc until Thul-Kar and all the Phantom Zoners were drawn back into the new thing that was part imp and part god, and Thul-Kar was only a facet on its jewelled face.[2]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Thul-Kar possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Thul-Kar's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
- Heat Vision: Thul-Kar can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
- Super-Hearing: Thul-Kar's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
- Enhanced Vision: Thul-Kar's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
This umbrella ability includes the following:- Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Thul-Kar can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
- Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
- X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Thul-Kars can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
- Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
- Infrared Vision: Thul-Kar can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Thul-Kar is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
- Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Thul-Kar is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
- Superhuman Stamina: Thul-Kar is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
- Superhuman Strength: Thul-Kar's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
- Superhuman Speed: Thul-Kar is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
This also confers: - Super-Breath: Thul-Kar is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
- Longevity: Thul-Kar can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
- Divine Empowerment: Thul-Kar is given his status and power by Aethyr.
- Magic: Wizard of Juru
Abilities
- Deception: Despite living in Aethyr's metahysical mind, Thul-Kar crafted a plan to force Aethyr from the Phantom Zone, without Aethyr's knowledge.
Weaknesses
- Kryptonian Physiology Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Thul-Kar possesses a vulnerability to Kryptonite.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Orb of Juru
Notes
- This version of Thul-Kar, including all history and corresponding appearances, was erased from existence following the collapse of the original Multiverse in the 1985–86 Crisis on Infinite Earths event and later restored following the rebirth of the infinite Multiverse during the Dark Crisis of 2022-2023. Even though other versions of the character may have appeared, this information does not apply to those versions.
Trivia
- Aethyr mentions a previous Phantom Zone escape by Thul-Kar, which may be the mass escape of Phantom Zoners in Action Comics #472 or Superman Family #199.
Related
- 1 Appearances of Thul-Kar (Earth-One)
- 2 Images featuring Thul-Kar (Earth-One)
- 2 Quotations by or about Thul-Kar (Earth-One)
- Character Gallery: Thul-Kar (Earth-One)
Footnotes