CHALO

Real Name: Chalo

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial ("Nalrahn")

Occupation: Cosmic traveler/tourist

Affiliations: Horace and Martha Lennox

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Beast from the Bog

Base of Operations: Nalrah;
    formerly a swamp in Louisiana;
    formerly mobile throughout the universe

First Appearance: Chamber of Darkness#5/3 (June, 1970)

Powers/Abilities: Chalo, like all Nalrahns, was virtually immortal, only needing to absorb solar energy once every two thousand years to sustain his life. Chalo could transfer his life energy into other living creatures, reversing their aging process. Although he was approximately 15' tall, Chalo lacked any degree of superhuman strength. After drinking a ceremonial Nalrahn potion Chalo could form an egg-like womb around his body, which allowed him to exist in the void of space and travel at light speed (see comments).

History: (Chamber of Darkness#5/3 (fb)) - One thousand years ago Chalo began his Voyaging, the ritual his race was required to complete to stay alive. Chalo spent time absorbing energy from various suns and doing site seeing on different planets. He touched down on Earth, but while wandering in a desolate swamp he fell into a bog. Chalo couldn't break free, and was stuck for the next thousand years.

(Chamber of Darkness#5/3) - Horace and Martha Lennox stumbled into Chalo's swamp. Horace threw the distressed alien a vine, allowing Chalo to climb free. Chalo was overjoyed at being rescued, and imparted some of his life force into the elderly couple before returning home to Nalrah.

Comments: Created by Denny O'Neil and Paul Reinman.

As with many other Marvel monster stories, this story is not confirmed as part of Earth-616 continuity, but there's nothing to exclude it either. This story could easily fit into the Pre-Modern era, like the monster stories of the 1950's and 1960's.

Chalo is only referred to as "The Beast from the Bog" in the title of the story.

Chalo described the Nalrahn egg-womb as travelling through the universe fast enough to reverse the flow of time. I guess it's possible that Chalo could be from the distant future, but more than likely he was just using some flowery phrases while describing his mode of transportation.

The tale of Chalo is more or less a retelling of The Creature From the Black Bog.

Ronald Byrd observes: "I don't know if it's worth mentioning or not, but Chalo's home planet, Nalrah, is "Harlan" spelled backwards. Since Harlan Ellison wrote a few stories for Marvel during the 1970s, the reference is probably deliberate."

PROFILE BY FUTURE

CLARIFICATIONS:
Chalo, aka The Beast from the Bog has no known connection to:

• BEAST, X-Men, @ X-Men I#1
• "Beastmaniac", Merry Maladies, @ Marvel Comics Presents#38/1
• Beasts of Berlin , Giant-Man foes, @ Tales to Astonish I#60
• BOGWEED, Goblin or Troll of Otherworld, @ Hulk Comic (UK)#10/2
• The Thing From the Hidden Swamp, similiar benevolent alien, @ Tales To Astonish I#30