Type:
Alien WorldSAKU
Type:
Alien World
Environment: Essentially Earthlike.
Saku was described as a world where our dimension of time
corresponds to a linear dimension. Thus merely by traveling a linear distance on
Saku, a traveler may emerge on Earth many years before or after an earlier
visit. Natives of Saku possess some forms of advanced equipment, capable of
space-time manipulation, and the transubstantiator, which is useful for: (1)
translation of their words into another language, (2) creation of a protective
force field, (3) tracking energy signatures, and (4) penetrating the dimensions
of time and space.
Usual means of access: vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Sakarians (blue-skinned humanoids)
Significant Inhabitants: Desinna, Tarros
Significant Locations: Saku-Mar (central urban complex)
First Appearance: Giant-Size Spider-Man#3 (January, 1975)
History:
(GS Spdm#3 (fb)) - <see comments> Desinna was working on a project
exploring sub-space with her assistant Tarros. Tarros notified her of a
breakthrough, a cosmic twisting of the space-time barrier. However, in his zeal
to show it to her, he tripped and fell into their prototype space-time device,
and a power surge slew his physical form, transforming him into an energy being
and sending him to another dimension.
Desinna created her transubtantiator and used it to arrive on Earth at the same time as Tarros, and she observed his fully transformed form. Identifying it as evil and insane, she then traveled back a few hours in time to enlist the aid of others for assistant before Tarros would arrive.
(GS Spider-Man#3) - In 1934, Doc Savage received a message that informed him of an impending assassination attempt on mayor Fiorello La Guardia during the dedication of a construction site. Savage and his allies prevented the assassination, but he then correctly determined that the message was from another world, and that its true meaning indicated a threat at the same construction site, but occurring that evening. They returned to the site, where they were met by Desinna, who told him of the menace from beyond time, Tarros.
Just then, Tarros arrived, denouncing Desinna and grabbing her. Savage's ally, Monk, nailed Tarros in the back of the head with a brick, causing him to drop Desinna, and Doc Savage, Renny, and Ham lassoed his neck in an effort to bring him down. The giant Tarros easily broke free from them, leaving them strewn about the ground. Savage sent Renny and Long Tom on an errand, while he occupied Tarros with anything he could get his hands on. His allies completed their errand successfully, and sent him a special cadmium liquid. Savage used this liquid to damped Tarros' electrical energy, trapping him inside the foundation stone for the building that La Guardia had just dedicated.
(GS Spider-Man) - Several decades later, in the modern era, that same building was slated for demolition. Desinna traveled to that time and used her transubstantiator to send a Morse Code signal that she needed Spider-Man's help. Spidey swung to the scene to investigate, and Desinna told him of the past of Tarros, and of her 1934 adventure. She was interrupted in mid-story when Tarros appeared attempted to capture Desinna once again. Spidey tried in vain to stop the powerful Tarros, until he found an electrically operated jackhammer, which he used to disrupt and disperse his electrical form.
Desinna then finished her story, telling Spider-Man he must finish off Tarros for good. However, Spidey had taken a course in comparative languages and based on what he could understand, combined with Tarros tone when talking to Desinna, he had grown suspicious of Desinna's story. He correctly figured that Tarros was, in fact, the victim. Spidey shattered the foundation stone, freeing Tarros once again. Tarros then transported Desinna back to Saku, to face the music for her crimes, and he thanked Spidey for his help.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru.
If you can figure anything else out from this story, let me know. It just doesn't seem very well thought out or very well-wrapped up. It was still entertaining, though.
According to Desinna, in Saku exists as a realm where time is the same, from moment to moment, and only space changes.
Also, Desinna's account, in which she claims to have merely observed Tarros' accident is not the whole truth, though we are not given any more information on it. Apparently Desinna was to blame for Tarros' transformation. It may be that she tried to kill him, and he sought revenge on her. Perhaps Tarros was not her assistant at all, but vice-versa? Who knows?
Also, in the Marvel Universe, sub-space was initially the term used to describe the Negative Zone, and later to describe Hyperspace. What exactly Desinna was referring to is not clear.
Doc Savage, a pulp figure created in 1933 by Lester Dent, had an eight issue series in the 1970s, followed (or preceded) by an eight issue magazine series. He also got involved with the Thing against Blacksun in Marvel Two-In-One#21. Spider-Man confirmed having read about Savage's real life adventures, and identified him as one of the original crime-fighters. He's a licensed character, and Marvel no longer owns/whatever his rights, but apparently he existed on Earth-616 in the 1930s.
The cover of GS Spider-Man shows Tarros as a solid, giant
satyr-like being with an otherwise physical form. It also shows Desinna as of
Caucasian complexion, dressed in green, and has Spidey and Doc Savage teamed up
against Tarros. None of this is the case within the story.
Also in that story, it was written as if the Spider-Man side
of events were taking place exactly 40 years after the Doc Savage part, but that
is topical due to the sliding time scale, and at best can be considered to occur
perhaps on the anniversary of the previous adventure.
Clarifications:
The Sakarians have no known connection to:
A scientist and sub-space explorer, she developed some unknown
grievance with Tarros and tried to destroy him. When she found out that he had
merely been transformed, she traveled to find him on Earth in 1934, where she
enlisted Doc Savage and his allies. They succeeded in trapping Tarros. In the
modern era, when Tarros would have escaped, she tried to convince Spidey to
destroy him. Spidey saw through her, freed Tarros, and let him take her back to
Saku.
She used the Transubstantiator for (1) translation of her words into another language, (2) creation of a protective force field, (3) tracking energy signatures, and (4) penetrating the dimensions of time and space.
--GS Spider-Man#3 (3(fb), 3(fb), 3
Also referred to as The Menace from Beyond Time (at least on
the cover), he was actually apparently an innocent scientist whose equipment was
sabotaged by Desinna, transforming him into a solid creature of electrical
energy, in the form of a 25 foot tall, goat-legged man. He was shunted to Earth
in New York of 1934, where Desinna tricked Doc Savage into trapping him in the
foundation of a building under construction. In the modern era, when the
building was set to undergo demolition, Desinna tried to dupe Spider-Man into
destroying Tarros. Spidey defeated him once, but suspected the truth and set
Tarros free, allowing him to take Desinna back to Saku for punishment.
--GS Spider-Man#3 (3(fb), 3(fb), 3
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 04/19/03
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