ZARKORR

Real Name: Dave Bartlett

Identity/Class: Extra-Temporal (Earth-Zarkorr) human

Occupation: Space pilot; Commander of Space Patrol

Affiliations: Space Patrol; "The Galactic Federation"

Enemies: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: United Earth (alternate future)

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#35 (November, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: Exceptionally skilled pilot

History: (ToS #35) At the age of forty-five, Dave Bartlett was given an honorary discharge from the Space Patrol, as he was the last of the manual pilots before the Patrol switched to electronically-piloted spaceships. Bartlett resented his early retirement, believing that no machine could ever perform better than a human. Shortly thereafter, an alien named Zarkorr appeared out of nowhere and demanded an audience with the United Nations. Once there, he explained that he was an emissary of The Galactic Federation, a league of planets determined to test all races that became capable of space travel, to insure none were malevolent. The test required a member of the species to manually pilot a spacecraft to Mars and back, thus proving intelligence and maturity. Otherwise, the planet would be quarantined and even destroyed. As Bartlett was the only human to have recently piloted manually without electronic controls, he was asked to perform the task. Bartlett performed the feat, and Zarkorr deemed Earth ready to join the universe. Realizing their error in preferring electronics over human abilities, Bartlett’s superiors rehired him, and promoted him to Commander of The Space Patrol. Once alone, Bartlett revealed that he was Zarkorr all along, and had used the guise to prove his worth. He then burned the costume.

Comments: Created by Jack Kirby.

While most of the pre-FF monsters and aliens are hard to place within Earth-616’s continuity, Zarkorr can easily be written off as part of any number of infinite possible futures.

How Bartlett could fool the entire world into thinking he was a true alien just by appearing out of nowhere, in what had to amount to a Halloween costume, is beyond me (assuming, of course, that future clothing doesn’t come in realistic-skin fabrics).

CLARIFICATIONS:

Zarkorr should not be confused with:

• Zarkorr The Invader (Monster Island Entertainment, 1996): a giant monster from the film of the same name; part of a proposed line of low-budget films done in homage of the 50’s Kirby comics.
• Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, @ Journey into Mystery I#86
• other "Zar" characters

Last updated: 02/07/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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