DRAKILLARS
Classification: Extraterrestrial animal mutate (specifically, bats)
Location/Base of Operations:
at least formerly Halfworld, Keystone Quadrant
Known Members: None identified
Affiliations: Formerly Judson Jakes, Killer Clowns, Lord Dyvyne, Uncle Pyko;
Enemies: Beekos the Keeper, Deadpool (Jack/"Wade Wilson"), Judson Jakes, Lord Dyvyne, Lylla, Macho Gomez, Rocket ("Rocket Raccoon"), Space Hawk, the Thing that Would Not Shave, Wal Russ
Aliases: "Space bats" (from Macho Gomez and others)
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#271 (May, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: The Drakillars are telepathic, at least projecting their thoughts to others; it is unrevealed whether they can read the thoughts of non-Drakillars.
They can travel in space minus such things as rockets, but seem to need spacesuits to survive for any length of time there. Their abdomens are less durable/protected than their outer hide.
They can apparently sense heat, perhaps indicating infra-red vision, as well as other features on other beings in darkness, apparently indicating that they have either infra-red vision or echolocation (sonar-like navigation).
They might have some telekinetic powers, at least enough to allow themselves to fly while inside a spacesuit, but that is unclear. They can carry the weight of at least two other animals in flight.
Traits: Drakillars are large winged creatures, whose wingspan is approximately 20-30' across. Most Drakillars seem to no longer have back feet, though that is unclear from the art in the Rocket Raccoon mini. They have glowing eyes, though there is no universal eye color among them (red, green, and white have been shown so far), and have black or very dark gray fur. They do have prehensile tales at least two-three times the lengths of their bodies. Like the other animal people of Halfworld, they can talk verbally and think for themselves. They just prefer to stay quiet much of the time.
History: Drakillars are normal Halfworld bats who were
mutated in the labs of tortoise toysmith Uncle Pyko, and then mostly employed
by either toy mogul Judson Jakes or his rival Lord Dyvyne as sentries for
guarding the outside surroundings of the orbital Spacewheel, and as assassins
when needed. Supposedly they have never pledged to protect the human
Loonies as the other animals of Halfworld have done. The "Dread Drakillars"
space creatures are generally feared by the normal animal populace as monsters.
(Incredible Hulk II#271) - A spacesuited Drakillar telepathically informed Jakes when the ship Rakk 'n' Ruin, piloted by rangers Rocket Raccoon and Wal Russ, had arrived outside of Spacewheel. Later, another Drakillar (or possibly the same one) dropped down from the ceiling of one of the station's observation rooms to attack Rocket and his girlfriend Lylla the otter when the latter two demanded Jakes turn over the stolen Gideon's Bible to them. This Drakillar was shot by Rocket, though it was unclear if the shot killed it or just knocked it unconscious.
(Rocket Raccoon#2) - A Drakillar was sent to kill Rocket Raccoon by (apparently) Lord Dyvyne to keep Rocket from rescuing his girlfriend Lylla the otter from Blackjack O'Hare (who was then employed by Lord Dyvyne). The Drakillar decided to work in tandem with the Killer Clown assassin Jakes had sent to kill Rocket for his own reasons. The two killers cornered Rocket, who managed to trick the Drakillar into swallowing one of the Clown's explosive juggling balls, killing it when the ball exploded inside it a moment later. (And yeah, Rocket destroyed the Clown a moment later, in case anyone reading this wondered about that.)
(Rocket Raccoon#4) - After Jakes and Lord Dyvyne entered into an alliance to both end their toy war and destroy Rocket Raccoon and allies, the two toy moguls hired a Drakillar to serve as their airborne observation deck (so to speak) while the combined armies of the two moguls attacked Rocket and company. However, when the timely arrival of a counterforce consisting of many of Halfworld's robots and the now-cured human Loonies (long story short, Rocket had the robots create a device that cured the Loonies of their madness an issue before this one) turned the tide of battle against Jakes and Dyvyne, the two fled the battle on the Drakillar, arguing whether Jakes' Mayhem Mechaniks base was safer than Dyvyne's orbital Spacewheel base as a place to escape a pursuing (and gaining ground) Rocket. Unfortunately for them, the Drakillar got tired of hearing them argue, and bucked them off its back, and left while the two animal moguls fell to their (seeming) deaths on the refuse heap outside Mayhem Mechaniks.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 (fb) - BTS) - At the same time, Macho Gomez found that his Machomobile's snot-engine was clogged by an infection of Drakillar eggs.
Around the same time, Deadpool attempted to create a trap for Gomez at Cable's secret underground weapons cache in Colorado, USA, Earth, with numerous rival mercenaries; realizing this but seeking to eliminate competition, Macho traveled to Cable's base.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 (fb) - BTS) - The Drakillar eggs hatched in Cable's base.
At some point, Macho found that the Drakillars' tough hides made good raw material for his muco-sheath armor.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 (fb) - BTS) - Deadpool found the base overrun with Drakillars, although he didn't know what they were. Either slaying one or just finding its corpse, Deadpool wore one like a parka.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 (fb) - BTS) - Rocket arrived and encountered the Drakillar-wearing Deadpool, initially mistaking him for a Drakillar and preparing to slay it before learning the truth.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 - BTS) - Macho Gomez then
contacted Rocket and Deadpool from a small chamber, explaining how the
Drakillars had gotten there and feigning that he was hiding out from
the creatures, which were scratching at the door and telepathically
telling him they were going to turn everyone else there into guano.
Macho asked their aid in exchange for his not slaying Deadpool's
associate Obb, who had gone there hoping to participate in the assault
on Macho only to become his hostage.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 (fb) - BTS) - Mercenaries Beekos the Keeper, Space Hawk, and the Thing that Would Not Shave traveled to Cable's base. Apparently encountering and being attacked by Drakillars, they considered Deadpool to have set them up.
(Guardians Team-Up#10) - After Rocket and Deadpool met up, Macho contacted them via a large viewscreen, noting that the "space bats" had hatched from his Machomobile and were now hungry, scratching at the door of the room in which he had locked himself and telepathically telling they were going to turn them all into guano (bat (or bird) manure). Macho instructed them to rescue him or he would feed Obb to his muco-sheath armor.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 - BTS) - Beekos the Keeper, Space Hawk, and the Thing that Would Not Shave attacked Deadpool and Rocket for their perceived betrayal, but Deadpool and Rocket took down Beekos and Space Hawk.
(Guardians Team-Up#10) - As the Drakillars took out the lights, Deadpool and Rocket left the Thing that Would Not Shave for the Drakillars.
As Deadpool and Rocket continued in darkness, Rocket could see the Drakillars above, and they both could hear their, "We hunger" notations telepathically, leading them to head for the armory.
(Guardians Team-Up#10 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Macho found that the Drakillars' tough hides made good raw material for his muco-sheath armor.
Skinning, eviscerating, and exsanguinating a number of Drakillars, Macho used them as raw-materials for his muco-sheath armors.
(Guardians Team-Up#10) - En route to and after finding Cable's armory, Deadpool and Rocket took down a number of Drakillars -- some of whom recognized Rocket as being from Halfworld and from Mother's memories -- before finding a number of Drakillars skinned, eviscerated, and exsanguinated.
(Guardians Team-Up#10) - Now wearing Drakillar-hide armor, Macho ambushed and punched down Deadpool and Rocket, after he explained how he had appreciated the nature of the trap but had come anyway to eliminate competition and that the Drakillars were just raw material for his muco-sheath.
Having freed Obb and located Cable's bodyslide/teleporter technology, Deadpool teleported Rocket, himself, and Obb to safety; as he did so, Deadpool taunted Macho with the bodyslide technology and how it would explode or turn one inside out if it wasn't set to the right number of biomasses. With Macho bonded to perhaps 3-4 Drakillars, Deadpool locked a bodyslide by one on him: Macho bade Deadpool adios before he blew up, apparently destroying the base and any remaining Drakillars.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Jim Novak.
Redesign by Mike Mignola and Al Gordon.
In Rocket Raccoon#2, Rocket believed the Drakillar was sent by Lord Dyvyne to kill him, but that was never officially confirmed anyplace in-story that that was who sent it. There is always the possibility that Jakes had sent both it and the Killer Clown after Rocket, since the Drakillars were originally created by his employee Uncle Pyko, and had been employed by Jakes in the past.
Near as I can tell from Rocket Raccoon#4, the Drakillars did not leave Halfworld
with the robots and the many other animals -- including Rocket Raccoon
and friends -- when the robots launched their great humanoid Ship and left
the Keystone Quadrant.
--However, they got into space somehow, at some point---Snood.
The image of the Drakillar-coated Macho Gomez can be found in the Macho Gomez profile.
Profile by Elf with a Gun.
Guardians Team-Up update by Snood
Clarifications:
No known connection to
images:
Rocket Raccoon#4, p13, pan1 (main image)
Incredible Hulk II#271, p19, pan3 (Spacesuit, original);
Guardians
Team-Up#10, pg. 8, panel 1 (Drakillars in the dark)
Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#271 (May, 1982) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal
Buscema (penciler), Jim Novak (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Rocket Raccoon#2 (June, 1985) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Mignola (penciler), Al Gordon (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Rocket Raccoon#4 (August, 1985) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Mignola (penciler), Al Gordon (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Guardians
Team-Up#10 (October, 2015) - Tim Seeley (writer), Mike Norton (artist),
Christina Harrington (assistant editor), Katie Kubert (editor)
First Posted: 08/12/2007
Last updated: 03/17/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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