Lion-Men

LION-MEN

Class: Parallel Earth (Earth-AD) animal mutants

Known Representatives: Sultin

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: United States of Lions, Nevada, Earth-AD

First Appearance: Kamandi #6 (June, 1973)

Powers: The Lion-Men were intelligent evolved lions who rode motorcycles and were armed with shotguns.

History: (Kamandi #7 (fb, BTS), 6) - 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 Lion-Men had legends of their founding fathers who lived in different zoos across the nation, and they founded the United States of Lions. The lions founded a sanctuary for the endangered human species, the Sanctuary, and protected them from Puma-Men poachers. Kamandi, the last boy on Earth, and his companion Flower encountered Lion-Men on motorcycles while driving through the desert. They worried Kamandi would kill himself driving a vehicle, so they subdued him and Flower, bringing them to Sanctuary, a wooded human preserve. The newcomers were attacked by their fellow humans, but Kamandi used his fighting skills to beat them off. Flower was proud of him, telling him that his dominant display now made him leader of the herd. Kamandi saw no honor in that, but Flower suggested he teach them to be more like him, and he liked that idea. Poachers of Puma-Men attacked, and Kamandi fought them off, but they promised to return. Kamandi and Flower set themselves up in an abandoned house, and Flower slept soundly, saying she felt safe with her new brave friend. The pumas returned, catching them unaware, and shooting Flower when she fought back. The lions tracking the poachers made their move, arresting the pumas. Their leader Sultin commented that it was heartbreaking seeing the animal Kamandi mourn his lost companion.

(Kamandi #7) - Sultin gave Flower a military funeral, and Kamandi was honored that his feelings were respected even though he was a mere human. The ceremony was interrupted by Gorilla-Men, who took Kamandi captive and tied him to a stake. The lions kept Tiny, a 100' ape at Sanctuary, and the gorillas fetishised him, seeing him as a way to destroy the lions. Tiny was kept in a former dam that was kept electrified, and the gorillas shot out the power source, offering up Kamandi as a sacrifice. They were displeased to find out that Tiny had a childlike mind and thought Kamandi was a toy for him to play with. The gorillas shot at Tiny to enrage him and get him to attack the lions, but he instead attacked his antagonists. After driving off the gorillas the lions knocked out Tiny with a huge sedative, and returned Kamandi to the city. Once Tiny woke, he rampaged through the city until he retrieved his toy. Tiny climbed a skyscraper with Kamandi in his grip, and Sultin made the hard decision to put Tiny down using biplanes, fearing Tiny would kill his citizens. Tiny was shot down, sad that he would no longer be able to play with Kamandi.

(Kamandi #8) - Sultin led Kamandi around a museum filled with pre-Disaster excavated artifacts, including busts of US presidents and the recently unearthed Lincoln Memorial. Sultin told him the legend of his people, that they escaped a zoo after the Great Disaster and built up Washington, but Kamandi said his history had some holes in it. A guard demanded that Sultin remove Kamandi, telling him there were no pets allowed, and Sultin warned Kamandi that even though he talked he could still be tossed in the pet pound. Kamandi saw a human at the end of a leash and attacked him, calling him a slave and a traitor. Security responded, and Kamandi grabbed one of their guns, threatening them. Sultin begged him to put the weapon down, and Kamandi replied, weeping that he couldn't change man's new place in the world. A mob gathered to bring Kamandi to the pound, so Sultin scooped him up and drove off on his dune-cycle, telling Kamandi his only chance was to make a run for it.

(Kamandi #11) - Slave trader Sacker sent his Leopard-Men pirates on an expedition, and they captured a number of feral humans, Wolf-Men, Lion-Men, Tiger-Men and Gorilla-Men to be sold at Sacker's Department Store.

(Kamandi #13, 14) - Tiger-Men, Lion-Men, Gorilla-Men, Wolf-Men, Bear-Men and Rat-Men all attended Sacker's Sweeps, a race pitting humans against each other where failure to win meant death. Kamandi was forced by Sacker to race Kliklak, a giant insect, who was wounded during the race. Kamandi tried to tend to his wounds, crying out for a doctor. The crowd taunted him, demanding action, and Kamandi cursed them for their cruelty. Kamandi's rival Bull Bantam, mounted on a gigantic buffalo, lassoed Kamandi. Prince Tuftan was in attendance, and shot the lasso, freeing Kamandi to the boos of the crowd. Kamandi beat Bull to a pulp, winning the race, and was presented with prizes by a group of women, and he realized he was being treated like a thoroughbred. Spirit embraced Kamandi saying she was his, but Kamandi was furious, telling her humans were neither animals nor prizes, and the Leopard-Men silenced him with a rifle butt to the head, and he was dragged away.

(Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #12 (BTS)) - Earth-AD was erased from existence by the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby