Tharok
Encyclopedia
Tharok is a DC Comics
supervillain and an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
. He is the leader of the Fatal Five
. Tharok and the Fatal Five were introduced in Adventure Comics
#352 (January 1967), and were created by Jim Shooter
.
ic parts. This boosted his intelligence dramatically, but left his evil tendencies unchecked.
In his early appearances he wore clothing that only covered the organic half of his body. Tharok's cyborg brain also allowed him to control Validus
, the mindless monster member of the Fatal Five.
One of the Fatal Five's main attempts to defeat the Legion was masterminded by the Dark Man, the being who organized several teenage refugees from the planet Dryad into the League of Super-Assassins
. During this time period, it was revealed that the Dark Man was actually a clone of Tharok. When the scheme to destroy the Legion failed, both Tharok and the Dark Man were seemingly destroyed, and the Fatal Five eventually disbanded.
Legion reboot, Tharok was introduced in Legionnaires #34 (February 1996). In this version he stole a powerful solvent
rather than a nuclear device, and when the police shoot at him the container was punctured. The solvent severed every molecular bond on the left hand side of his body. A brilliant surgeon rebuilt him as a cyborg
and an ungrateful Tharok then killed him. Tharok later upgraded his robot half, giving it more built in weaponry.
miniseries, most of the Legion's original continuity has been restored. Tharok (alongside the other Fatal Five members) was among the supervillains in participating in a massive assault on the Legion by Superboy-Prime
and the Legion of Super-Villains
. Thus, it is unclear if Tharok has encountered the Dark Man in current DC continuity, or if the Dark Man exists at all.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
supervillain and an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
. He is the leader of the Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
. Tharok and the Fatal Five were introduced in Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#352 (January 1967), and were created by Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
.
Fictional character biography
Tharok is a small-time crook, who tries to impress his bosses by stealing a small nuclear device. It detonates unexpectedly when the local police fire on him, vaporizing one-half of his body. The people of his world, holding life sacred, rebuilt him using robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic parts. This boosted his intelligence dramatically, but left his evil tendencies unchecked.
In his early appearances he wore clothing that only covered the organic half of his body. Tharok's cyborg brain also allowed him to control Validus
Validus
Validus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five.-Fictional character biography:...
, the mindless monster member of the Fatal Five.
One of the Fatal Five's main attempts to defeat the Legion was masterminded by the Dark Man, the being who organized several teenage refugees from the planet Dryad into the League of Super-Assassins
League of Super-Assassins
The League of Super-Assassins is a team of fictional DC Comics villains that fought against the Legion of Super-Heroes.Members of this group of super powered beings came from the planet Dryad. Tricked into thinking that the Legion of Super-Heroes were somehow connected to the destruction of their...
. During this time period, it was revealed that the Dark Man was actually a clone of Tharok. When the scheme to destroy the Legion failed, both Tharok and the Dark Man were seemingly destroyed, and the Fatal Five eventually disbanded.
Post-Zero Hour
Following the Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
Legion reboot, Tharok was introduced in Legionnaires #34 (February 1996). In this version he stole a powerful solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
rather than a nuclear device, and when the police shoot at him the container was punctured. The solvent severed every molecular bond on the left hand side of his body. A brilliant surgeon rebuilt him as a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
and an ungrateful Tharok then killed him. Tharok later upgraded his robot half, giving it more built in weaponry.
Post-Infinite Crisis
In the aftermath of the Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
miniseries, most of the Legion's original continuity has been restored. Tharok (alongside the other Fatal Five members) was among the supervillains in participating in a massive assault on the Legion by Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
and the Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
. Thus, it is unclear if Tharok has encountered the Dark Man in current DC continuity, or if the Dark Man exists at all.
Powers and abilities
The entire left-hand-side of Tharok's body is mechanical. It possesses great strength and durability, and the arm can be configured into various weapon forms. It also has a cybernetic brain that is connected to Tharok's own, giving him genius-level intelligence.Television
- Tharok appears in "Far From Home", an episode of the animated television series Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
along with the other members of the Fatal Five. He was voiced by Tomas AranaTomas Arana-Life and career:Arana was born in Auburn, California. He grew up in San Francisco and studied classical theatre at the prestigious American Conservatory Theater and at the City College of San Francisco. Afterwards he relocated to New York and acted in off-Broadway productions...
.
- Tharok appears in several episodes of the animated television series Legion of Super HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
voiced by David LodgeDavid Lodge (voice actor)David Lodge is a voice actor who is not to be confused with the British actor of the same name. He is active in the anime and video game voice acting community, but is also very well known for his voicework in the Power Rangers franchise...
. He is seen once again as a member of the Fatal Five, but Emerald Empress is the leader. He appears in "Man of Tomorrow", "Champions", "Sundown, Part 2", and "Man From The Edge of Tomorrow, Part Two." In "Man of Tomorrow" Pt. 2, Tharok was partially responsible for putting Saturn Girl in a coma.
Miscellaneous
- In issue #7 of the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
comic series, Han SoloHan SoloHan Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
and ChewbaccaChewbaccaChewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
help to bury a deceased cyborg who is a dead ringer for Tharok. This issue was scripted by Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, who had also written the Legion of Super-HeroesLegion of Super-HeroesThe Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
comic series.
- Tharok also appears in The Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century comic book, the spin-off of the animated television series. These stories are not part of DC Comics continuity.