XERON THE
STAR-SLAYER
Real Name: Xeron
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Mobian)
Occupation: First mate of the Andromeda Starship, former oarsman of the Andromeda Starship
Group Membership: Andromeda Starship crew (Captain Cybor, Cerexo, Ztlol, others)
Affiliations: Abomination
Enemies: Hulk, Klaatu
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Star-Slayer
Base of Operations: The Andromeda Starship
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#136 (February,
1971)
Powers/Abilities: Xeron the Star-Slayer has superhuman strength, to an unknown degree. However, it is far below that of the Hulk (see comments). His main weapon in combat is his array of special harpoons, which drain opponents of their energy until they pass out. The harpoons can injure the incalculably powerful Klaatu, and easily knock out the Hulk. He is very accurate with the harpoons as well.
History: The past of Xeron the Star-Slayer is almost completely unknown before his first encounter with the Hulk. What is known is that at some point he became a crewman of the Andromeda Starship, pursuing the extraterrestrial herm named Klaatu, and serving under Captain Cybor.
(BTS) - Xeron saw the Abomination defeat a much larger opponent on a distant asteroid. Xeron was impressed, so he brought the Abomination on board.
(Incredible Hulk II#136) - The Andromeda Starship dispatched a smaller ship containing Xeron the Star-Slayer. They were searching for Klaatu and had traced it to the Empire State Building. Xeron told the starship to keep going and that they had found their prey. Xeron spotted Klaatu and fired an energy bolt at it. However, the Hulk (who was also attacking Klaatu) got in the way.
After Klaatu left, Xeron was furious that it got away again. Xeron ordered that the Hulk be brought onto the ship, but the Hulk was much stronger than Xeron expected. Xeron knocked out the Hulk with two of his energy harpoons, and took him aboard the ship.
(Incredible Hulk II#137) - The Abomination, who was the ship's first mate at the time, got into a fight with the Hulk when Hulk woke up. Xeron broke up the fight by shooting his energy harpoons at the Hulk again. He then went to tell the Captain how close he came to capturing Klaatu.
Later, when Hulk had been attacked from behind by Abomination
and thrown overboard, Xeron retrieved the Hulk with his harpoon. Xeron
reprimanded the Abomination, and then all three of them went to Captain Cybor
for him to decide what to do. Cybor revealed his origin and told them not to
fight with each other, and dismissed them. Shortly afterward, an alarm was sounded, and
Klaatu was sighted. Xeron manned his battle station, and alongside Cybor,
he gravely injured Klaatu. He warned Cybor not to go too close, but Cybor
didn't heed his warning and his ship was destroyed. The two of them plunged
into the sun. Xeron went to save the crew of the starship, although they
were apparently stranded.
(Incredible Hulk II#306 (fb)) - Xeron had actually shot a harpoon onto Klaatu (whom the sun had revitalized) from the starship. Klaatu pulled Xeron and the ship out of Earth's orbit, and Xeron picked up Cybor along the way. They resumed chasing Klaatu.
(Incredible Hulk II#306) - Xeron, now first mate, and the Andromeda Starship, arrived on the Crossroads moments after Klaatu had left. Xeron spotted Hulk and wanted to recruit him to rejoin the crew of the ship. Hulk (in his savage persona) didn't remember Xeron, and attacked him. Xeron was easily outmatched, but knocked out the Hulk with his harpoon, which sapped the Hulk of his strength yet again. Xeron bought Hulk on board and departed to "Ocean World," where they had detected Klaatu to be.
(Incredible Hulk II#307) - Just as Xeron's harpoons latched onto Klaatu, the Hulk woke up and went into a rage. His rage shook the ship, and in affect, shook the harpoons off of Klaatu, who escaped again. Xeron returned to the Crossroads to get the Puffball Collective, whom he hoped would calm the Hulk. Xeron then went back to chasing Klaatu. He managed to latch several of his harpoons onto Klaatu, and Klaatu dragged the starship through many worlds until reaching a cold barren world where it collapsed near death. As Xeron and the Andromeda Starship went in close to finish Klaatu off, Klaatu smashed the ship with his hand. The ship crashed, killing everybody aboard save for Xeron and Cybor. They died shortly afterward, with Xeron being impaled on his own harpoon.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe
I'm not sure where to put Xeron's strength level. He was scarcely seen in hand to hand combat, and always used his harpoon and never his fists, so it's hard to tell. He is obviously very far below the Hulk. I would guess that he is between enhanced human and class 10.
This guy has one of the best records against the Hulk that anyone has ever had. Very few people have gone against the Hulk undefeated. The only two others I can think of right now are the Harpy and the Silver Surfer, but Harpy cheated and Hulk never got a rematch. Her record was 1-0. I don't know the Surfer's record, but it was impressive and undefeated. Xeron knocked out the Hulk with his harpoons several times, and I think that his record at the time of his death was 3-0 against the Hulk.
Interestingly enough, Xeron the Star-Slayer did anything but
slay stars. In fact, he was trying to slay a creature who fed off stars.
If anything he should be called Xeron the Star-Saver. I suppose the name
was just cool.
--Or you could take it as the Slayer from the Stars--Snood.
The Klaatu entry mentions him being like Moby Dick - he is, but the parallel is even more obvious when you realise that Cybor is Ahab, the whale's obsessed and ultimately doomed hunter - both having lost part of their bodies to their quest when we first meet them (in Ahab's case, a leg rather than half his body) - and that Xeron is the harpooner Queequeg.
--Loki
Profile by Stunner
CLARIFICATIONS: Xeron the Star-Slayer has no connection to:
images:
Incredible Hulk II#136, p8, pan4 (main image)
Incredible Hulk II#306, p16, pan4 (head shot)
Incredible Hulk II#306, p22, pan6 (newer look)
Incredible Hulk II#307, p20, pan6-7 (demise)
Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#136-137 (February-March, 1971) - Gerry Conway & Roy Thomas (writers), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Sal Buscema (#136) & Mike Esposito (#137) (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#306-307 (April-May, 1985) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Gerry Talaoc (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
First Posted: 06/06/2003
Last updated: 11/09/2015
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at:
http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!