PINBALL LIZARD

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Former director of the Fun 'n' Games department at Santa Claus' workshop;
    former prison inmate;
    former assistant to would-be world conqueror

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Greedy Killerwatt; utilized a group of trolls

Enemies: Howard the Duck, Santa Claus and his elves (esp. Sunquist), Carol Starkowitz

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Your Sibilance

Base of Operations: Formerly Santa's Workshop and the North Pole Nuclear Power Facility, the North Pole
    formerly an unspecified prison

First Appearance: Howard the Duck II#3 (February, 1980)

Powers/Abilities: Pinball Lizard had a prehensile tail, which could strike with great force, and possibly possessed enhanced strength, speed, etc. While he was apparently at least partially resistant to the cold of the North Pole, he was exceptionally vulnerable to bright lights. He wore special glasses to protect his eyes. He also spoke with a sibilant hiss.

    In addition, he had control of Greedy Killerwatt's Trolls, and he formerly had control of Santa Claus' Workshop.

History:
(Howard the Duck II#3 (fb)) - The man who would become the Pinball Lizard was an ex-convict (crimes unrevealed), was mutated by Greedy Killerwatt into reptilian form. Heeding the advice of Pinball's parole officer, Santa Claus hired Pinball, who eventually rose to the position of director of the Fun 'n' Games department of his Workshop. When agents of Killerwatt influenced Santa Claus to license the construction of the North Pole Nuclear Power Facility, Pinball made certain that Santa ignored his elf Sunquist's advice against this decision.

    In order to distract Santa Claus from Killerwatt's plot, just before Santa Claus left the North Pole on Christmas Eve, Pinball drained his sleigh of gasoline, causing him to crash in Cleveland. Meanwhile, he used a group of Trolls given to him by Killerwatt to takeover Santa's Workshop.

(Howard the Duck II#3) - With the aid of Howard the Duck and Carol Starkowitz, Santa Claus returned to the North Pole. Upon returning, they were informed by Mrs. Claus that one of the shop managers had led a revolt and hijacked Christmas right out from under him. Realizing that this must be the work of Pinball Lizard, Santa demanded his surrender, which Pinball refused. They realized Pinball's plot to mass produce inferior toys which would come apart in the hands of unhappy children. In addition, he planned to simultaneously deliver an irresistible advertising blitz via a banner behind the sleigh.

    Howard used a toy cannon to blow down the door of the Workshop, and then Santa and his loyal toys attacked, confronting the Trolls head on. The Trolls soon gave up when they say Pinball Lizard fleeing in his dirigible. Destroying Santa's sleigh with a bomb, Pinball fled back to the Greedy Killerwatt's base at the North Pole Nuclear Power Facility. Killerwatt cursed his failure, and gave him a punishment blast, which knocked his glasses from his face. When Santa's forces arrived, Pinball fled into a dark room to protect himself. Howard and Carol sought out Killerwatt, but they walked into Pinball's room and flipped on the lights, blinding him. They managed to dodge his sightless attacks, and Howard had Carol lead Pinball with the sound of her voice, while he leapt from behind skewering his tail to the floor with a harpoon.

    Killerwatt was eventually defeated, and Pinball returned to human form, though he retained a stabbing pain in his posterior.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo and Gene "The Dean" Colan.

Pinball Lizard is a parody of the term Pinball Wizard, popular in the pre-video game 1970s, and possibly Pinball Wizard, the song by the Who:
http://users.cis.net/sammy/pinball.htm

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

Trolls

 

 

Elves of Santa Claus mutated by Greedy Killerwatt, they were armed with various swords and whips and acted as a warrior force to Pinball Lizard. With Killerwatt's downfall, they returned to their original elven form.

 

 

--Howard the Duck II#3

 

images:

Last updated: 11/30/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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