CURSE

Real Name: Curse

Class: Parallel Earth (Earth-AD) animal mutant

Occupation: Murderer

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: unnamed ancestors

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Earth-AD

First Appearance: Kamandi #24 (December, 1974)

Powers: The Curse was a mutant humanoid cat who possessed telepathic, telekinetic and pyrokinetic powers, as well as the ability to possess targets and alter their form in monstrous ways. The Curse was a cruel sociopath. The Curse was incredibly agile, had fierce fangs and was armed with a battleaxe.

History: (Kamandi #24) - At the Reim Institute scientists were undertaking Project 412, a government program involving ESP, and cats proved to be promising research subjects. One cat gained ESP powers, but the Great Disaster soon hit. In the aftermath of the nuclear Great Disaster most of humanity perished, and the majority of survivors devolved into feral savages, while animals evolved intelligence. The descendant of the cat with ESP had much greater powers than his ancestor, and staid at the Reim, tormenting anyone whose bad luck it was to come upon the island. Flim-Flam and his traveling sideshow of trained humans Dukie, Lukie and Jukie ended up on the island, where the Curse, playing the role of a supernatural presence, took delight in torturing them. Kamandi washed ashore on the island, and Flim-Flam and his men were convinced he was the Curse. After a brief scuffle the Curse, who was watching them, levitated and shattered a number of boulders before using his telekinetic powers to bounce Kamandi off a few stone walls, knocking him unconscious. Flim-Flam and his companions carried Kamandi inside the house, and seeing they had nothing to fear from him, revived him. Kamandi searched the building, hopeful somewhere inside he’d learn the secret of the Curse, but he was discouraged when every book he touched crumbled to dust. The Curse tormented them by twisting Dukie’s body into a monstrous form and terrifying the group with winds and flames before collapsing the roof on Flim-Flam. Kamandi dragged Flim-Flam to safety, angering the Curse who said they were all his playthings, and they lived only so long as tormenting them amused him. The Curse possessed Lukie, but Kamandi noted that the Curse had to break his hold when Jukie rushed to the young boy’s aid. Kamandi led Jukie around with a rope to direct him, and examined some documents that didn’t crumble. After uncovering the secrets of Project 412 and the Curse’s origins, Kamandi realized Jukie was immune to the Curse’s power because he was simple-minded. The Curse disliked his secrets being uncovered, and confronted them. The Curse said he was expected to play with his prey even though he was much more than just a cat. Flim-Flam directed Dukie to grab the Curse from behind, and Dukie proceeded to fling him out a window. Kamandi looked out the shattered window, seeing stones and sea, but no more Curse.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.