THARK

Real Name: Thark

Class: Extraterrestrial

Occupation: Law officer

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout the galaxy

First Appearance: Challengers of the Unknown I #16 (October-November, 1960)

Powers: Thark used a spaceship for intergalactic travel and was armed with a force-ray that could create forcefields or generate destructive force blasts.

History: (Challengers of the Unknown I #16) - Thark was an intergalactic law officer, who was transporting Halanka, a criminal from the Metal Man Race, when his spaceship crashed into Earth, damaging the magnetic cage that was restraining Halanka. Halanka escaped and met the criminal Albom, who'd stolen the Elcode (Elements Control Device), a machine that could prevent natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, intending to power it with certain ores that would allow it to create natural disasters. Halanka eagerly agreed to assist him. The Challengers of the Unknown responded to the theft, but when they found Albom he was being protected by Halanka, who chased them away. They went to a local iron works to procure an electro-magnet to use against Halanka, but when they returned to where the villains were they found two sets of tracks and split up to follow each one. Ace and Rocky found Albom and Halanka, who'd melted the ore needed to reverse the powers of the Elcode. The Challs used the electro-magnet on Halanka, paralyzing him, but Albom tossed a fire pellet at his alien ally, turning him molten and changing his molecular structure so the magnet ceased to affect him. Meanwhile Prof. and Red met the alien lawman Thark, who wanted to help them so he could recapture his prisoner. They met back up with their teammates, but Albom set a twister on them. Thark protected them with a forcefield created by his force-ray, then turned the force-ray on the Elcode, destroying it. The Challs used the forcefield they were in to ram Halanka, knocking him out. They apprehended Albom, and helped Thark repair his ship and magnetic cell so he could leave Earth with his prisoner.

Comments: Created by Ed Herron & Bob Brown.