THE KRAMEN

Classification: Extradimensional

Location/Base of Operations: Their home city in the dimension of Quarl

Known Members: Narnia

Affiliations: Ka-Zar, Kirk Marston, Zartros

Enemies: Bernard Kloss, Sheenarians, Tongah, Zabu
(it's probably safe to say that Ka-Zar eventually became an enemy as well)

First Appearance: Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle#17 (September, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: Kramen have no superhuman powers. They possess a device shaped like a dais or platform which is capable of draining the life forces of living beings, making the elderly young and healthy again. It is not known if this device is technological or magical in nature.

Traits: The Kramen had a great deal of justified anger at the Sheenarians, but were a callous people, willing to drain the life-forces of innocents to re-gain their youth. They showed a devious side to their nature by siding with the treacherous Kirk Marston.

History: (Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle#17) - After being separated from the rest of their party in the dimension of Quarl, Zabu, Tongah of the Fall People, and Dr. Bernard Kloss were led to an ancient ruined city by their associate Kirk Marston.

(Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle#18) - The earthlings made contact with the city's inhabitants, a population of doddering elderly people. Zabu, Tongah, and Dr. Kloss found the people of the city to be unsettling, and were suspicious of Kirk Marston's association with them. Out of earshot of his fellow earthlings, Marston urged one of the city's elders to "immunize me against whatever you're going to do to them." The old man then led Marston into a temple which contained the "life-stone" (a platform decorated with a Star of David-type symbol) and commanded him to touch it. Marston did so, and received a shock which bowled him over. The old man then told him he was protected from the fate of the others.

(Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle#19) - The Kramen then gathered in their temple to perform a ritual to drain off the life-force of Zabu, Kloss, and Tongah. The three earthlings were greatly weakened and aged by the process.

(Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle#20) - The Kramen were later seen restored to full youth and health, and were preparing for war. When Kloss and Tongah begged the Kramen to help them, they were callously mocked. The Kramen headed away to make war on the Sheenarians; on the way they met Ka-Zar and Zartros the Gnome riding a stolen Sky-Shark. The Kramen explained to Ka-Zar their grievances against the Sheenarians: the Sheenarians had been kidnapping their kind and draining off their life-forces for ages, and now they wanted revenge. Despite some reservations by Zartros, Ka-Zar nevertheless agreed to join the Kramen in their offensive against the Sheenarians...

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Val Mayerik.

...and then the book was canceled! We never found out how the situation was rectified. Plot threads were picked up in X-Men I#115 (Kirk Marston was sacrificed by Zaladane to bring back Garokk the Petrified Man & the Sheenarian colony in the Savage Land was expelled from Earth's dimension by Garokk), but other than that, the Quarl saga has never been addressed since.

It's not known how long the aged Kramen scuttled about in their city; centuries, maybe - at least long enough for Zartros and others to assume them extinct. Apparently the Kramen were snatched up by the Sheenarians, their life-forces extracted, and their ancient selves them dumped back in their city. Decrepit, the Kramen withdrew from the face of Quarl, nursing thoughts of vengeance. It is not known how they kept themselves alive all this time (perhaps by draining off the life force of local plants or animals?). In any case, their city must have been located in a particularly isolated corner of Quarl, since if they had regular visitors they could have accomplished the life-force restoration must earlier.

Profile by Reddie

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Kramen should not be confused with:

• The Fremen, desert-dwellers on the planet Arrakis (from James Herbert's Dune series)
• Cosmo Kramer, wacky neighbor to Jerry Seinfeld
• Ralph Kramden, scheming bus driver from the Honeymooners

Last updated: 11/18/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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