XANJA

Real Name: Xanja

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Cygnorion race) 

Occupation: Former ruler and warlord of Cygnorion

Affiliations: Leader of a force of Cygnorion warriors;
    unidentified weapons dealer;
    Arnie Strunk (pawn)

Enemies: Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Vaalu

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Stalker from the Stars (see comments), Warlord of Cygnorion

Base of Operations: The planet Cygnorion

First Appearance: Web of Spider-Man I#25 (April, 1987)

Powers/Abilities: Xanja is large and superhumanly strong (at least Class 25-50). He appeared to be significantly larger than the other Cygnorions.

    He can travel at great speeds (and perhaps intergalactic distances) by converting into energy.  He can also enter the body of another and take possession of it while in energy form, granting his host superhuman physical abilities in the process.  He can fire energy blasts and  form protective force shields, as well. 

    Besides these physical abilities, Xanja also has a telepathic power to locate objects. 

    It is unrevealed whether Xanja's powers are normal for a Cygnorion or whether they are artificially derived (via mutation or technology). I would presume that his power was atypical for the Cygnorions.

Height: Unrevealed; approximately 7' (the cover image makes him look even bigger)
Weight: Unrevealed; approximately 400 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed (glowed with red energy when he was using his powers)
Hair: Green beard

History: xanja-cygnorion-energy.jpg
xanja-cygnorion-energy2.jpg(Web of Spider-Man I#25) - Xanja made a deal with an unidentified intergalactic weapons dealer to receive the Cosmultigizer to amplify the power of his weapons one thousand-fold in exchange for payment of 1/3 of the wealth of each planet he conquered with it. 

(Web of Spider-Man I#25 - BTS) - As the Cosmultigizer traveled through space toward Cygnorion, however, it interfaced with a laser signal from Earth and was pulled off course to Earth.

(Web of Spider-Man I#25 (fb) - BTS) - Xanja's forces informed him of the Cosmultigizer's diversion.

(Web of Spider-Man I#25) - Furious when his people noted that they had no mean to reverse its course, Xanja vowed to retrieve it himself.

(Web of Spider-Man I#25 - BTS) - The Cosmultigizer landed in a construction site near Arnold Strunk, a cheap hood, who looked at it and left it there, because he couldn't find any use for it.  Spider-Man later found the Cosmultigizer and took it home to examine it.

(Web of Spider-Man I#25) - Xanja came to Earth and sought out Strunk, learning that the Cosmultigizer had landed near Strunk's vicinity.  When Strunk didn't have it, Xanja searched telepathically and ascertained its location. Xanja then transformed himself into energy and took possession of Strunk, figuring it would be easier to obtain the Cosmultigizer as a human.  Strunk/Xanja then located Spider-Man, demanded the Cosmultigizer, and physically attacked the hero when he refused to give it up.

    Xanja's powers allowed Strunk to hold his own against Spidey, who figured out Strunk might be possessed, and headed for the East River to avoid injuring Strunk.  Xanja abandoned Strunk's form and beamed himself after Spider-Man, intercepting him at a dock. xanja-cygnorion-blast.jpg 

xanja-cygnorion-shield.jpg    Simultaneously, Detective Gibbs arrived and shot at Xanja, who laughed off the assault.  Spider-Man was unable to make any headway against the powerful alien, who crushed him in a bear hug when he got too close. 

    However, Detective  Gibbs then dropped to the ground, and another alien, Vaalu, who had been possessing Gibbs' form, revealed his presence and attacked Xanja.  Xanja held off Vaalu's attacks and even put him on the defensive, until Spidey grabbed Xanja's cape and knocked him off balance.  Vaalu then caught Xanja with a blast, neuro-stunning him, and bound him in electro-shackles. 

    Spider-Man was convinced to surrender the Cosmultigizer to Vaalu, and the alien departed with it and Xanja in tow.

Comments: Created by Larry Lieber (that's Stan Lee's brother, in case you didn't already know!) and Vince Colletta.

    We don't know whether Vaalu returned Xanja to Cygnorion, or perhaps he imprisoned Xanja of his own accord, or had him tried by some interplanetary council, or...who knows?

   I'd assume Xanja is some sort of mutant/mutate and all of his people don't have his power.

    Stalker from the Stars is used on the cover and in the story's title, but isn't otherwise used in the story.

    This is a goofy, fun story. Contrived in many ways, but if you just take it as a sci-fi story, it's enjoyable.

    Vaalu, Harry Gibbs, Arnie Strunk, and the Cosmultigizer could get their own profiles if someone wants to expand them. For now, I'm covering the Cygnorions and Hyginians...maybe I'll come back to this in another 15-20 years if no one else gets them first...

    Profile by Snood, previously updated and edited by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS:
Xanja, the Stalker from the Stars, has no known connection to:

The Cosmultigizer has no known connection to:

Detective. Harry Gibbs has no known connection to:

Cosmultigizer
(Cosmic Multi-Energizer)

 

 

A weapon of great power and unknown origin, it was sold to Xanja by a weapons dealer, but a laser signal from Earth somehow interfered with its flight, sending it to Earth instead. It landed in Jackson Heights by Arnold Strunk, who left it behind when he couldn't get it to work. It was later picked up by Spider-Man, who tried to study it, which caused it to produce a hologram, giving it some idea that it was an artifact sought by alien warriors, in order to devastate other worlds.

    Spidey tried to turn it into the cops, but failed to believe its true nature, but did direct him towards Officer Gibbs, who had an interest in such things. Shortly thereafter, Strunk, now possessed by Xanja, attacked Spidey to obtain the Cosmultigizer. Spidey suspected alien involvement and fled, but Xanja pursued and overpowered him. Vaalu, another extra-terrestrial who had possessed the form of Gibbs, attacked Xanja and managed to subdue him with Spidey's aid. Vaalu then took the Cosmultigizer and flew off into space

    The Cosmultigizer can increase the power of other weapons 1000 times.

--Web of Spider-Man I#25

 

 

Detective Harry Gibbs

 

A man killed in an accident 20 years ago, his form was taken over and reanimated moments later by a time traveling Vaalu.  The alien continued to pose as Gibbs until the Cosmultigizer arrived on Earth, at which point he shed Gibbs form.  Presumably Gibbs' dead body was found and presumed to have been killed in the struggle, though apparently Spider-Man was not blamed for this one.

 

--Web of Spider-Man I#25

 

 

 

 

 

Arnold Strunk

 

    A two-bit punk from Jackson Heights, he saw the Cosmultigizer land, but couldn't figure out how to get it to work, so he left it behind.  A short time later, he stole a pin from May Parker but was pursued by Spider-Man, who took it back.  Spidey also came across the Cosmultigizer and took it for study.  After this, Arnold was confronted by the powerful alien Xanja, seeking the Cosmultigizer, who learned its location and took possession of Arnold in order to obtain it more easily.  When Spider-Man refused to give the Cosmultigizer to him, Arnold/Xanja attacked him, with the alien's power making Arnold a match for the webslinger. Correctly suspecting alien involvement, Spider-Man fled to avoid doing serious injury to Strunk, and Xanja abandoned his body and went after Spider-Man himself.

 

--Web of Spider-Man I#25

 

Vaalu

    Vaalu was the Monarch of Hyginus II, a neighboring planet to Cygnorion.  Warned of Xanja's plans by a peace-loving Cygnorion, he observed as the Cosmultigizer was sent to Earth, and then acted to prevent Xanja from obtaining it there.  Unwilling to travel directly through space due to its danger, he instead traveled through both time and space, arriving on Earth some 20 years in the past.  He came across the body of Detective Harry Gibbs, who had been killed seconds before in an accident.  Healing Gibbs, Vaalu took over his form, became a law officer, and prepared himself for the arrival of Xanja and the Cosmultigizer.

    Twenty years later, he received a call that fit the description of the Cosmultigizer's arrival.  He went out to search for it but arrived just after Spider-Man had picked it up.  Attempting to pursue Spider-Man in his car, Gibbs/Vaalu was knocked off the road by some drunk drivers and crashed into a tree.  It took him awhile to recover, but he then tracked the Cosmultigizer, Spider-Man, and Xanja to a dock.  He used his gun on Xanja to no effect, and then released Gibbs' form and reverted to his own.  Still, Xanja held off Vaalu's attacks and even put him on the defensive, until Spidey grabbed Xanja's cape and knocked him off balance.  Vaalu then caught Xanja with a blast, neuro-stunning him, and bound him in electro-shackles.

    Spider-Man was reluctant to relinquish the Cosmultigizer to Vaalu, as he wasn't so sure that he was benevolent, but Vaalu convinced him that he did not want a device able to amplify the power of other weapons 1000 times on Earth.  After receiving the Cosmultigizer, he took it and Xanja and beamed back into space.  (I guess space travel wasn't so dangerous this time!)

Vaalu can travel through time and space (as apparently can the rest of his race), can possess the form of others, heal injuries, and fire energy blasts.

Comments: ...[Vaalu's homeworld] name is actually Nyginus II.  At least, that's how it is printed in the first panel caption of page 2, in my...issue [of Web of Spider-Man I#25].  Respectfully yours: Carycomix@aol.com
--It's clearly an "H" in my issue. A horizontal bar connecting to vertical bars at their middle. As the letters are all capitals, there's a capital "N" later in the same word (and elsewhere in the caption), and that is a diagonal bar connecting the top of the left bar to the bottom of the right bar. That's my understanding of those letters...

--Web of Spider-Man I#25

 

 

 

images: (without ads)
Web of Spider-Man I#25, Cover (Xanja main image) - art by Larry Lieber (penciler) and Al Milgrom (inker)
  p2, pan3 (Cosmultigizer)
  p7, pan3 (Det.Harry Gibbs)
  p13, pan2 (Arnold Strunk);
  pg. 14, panel 1 (converting to energy form);
       panel 2 (possessing Strunk);
  p20, pan5 (Vaalu body shot);
       panel 6 (forming shield against Vaalu's blast);
       panel 7 (blasting Vaalu);
  p21, pan6 (Vaalu head shot)

Appearances:
Web of Spider-Man I#25 (April, 1987) - Larry Lieber (writer/pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)

First posted: I'm not sure when, but apparently prior to 9/15/2001 when I started keeping track of the additions on the appnew page...
Last updated: 8/26/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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