Membership: Cat, Demon, Space Ace, Starchild

Purpose: Adventure, opposing evil

Affiliations: "Dizzy the Hun," Dr. Stephen Strange, Saurian Holmes, Howard the Duck, KISS of "Earth-9658," Professor X, Psylocke (Betsy Braddock), Wolverine

Enemies: Big Leo and his gang, Dr. Doom and his robots, Fringe and his gang, Khalis-Wu, the Darklord and his "Hell-riders," Mephisto, unidentified young boy from" Earth-9658"

Base of Operations: New York City, New York;
    possibly Hell;
    and you'd have to think at some point they took a trip to Khyscz

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (1977)

 

History:
(Marvel Comics Super Special#1) - The young men Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were walking down the streets of Manhattan, expressing their desire not to get mired in the mundane reality of most day jobs, when they came across an aged, oddly dressed (apparently blind) man, Dizzy the Hun, who was fighting off a dozen attackers, including Fringe. Gene and Paul rushed to his aid, but Dizzy tossed them the Box of Khyscz, telling them that it contained their true selves and that they must take the Box and flee. Gene and Paul rushed off, ultimately running into the arcade Playland, where their friends Peter Criss and Ace Frehley were playing pinball. Paul tossed the Box to Peter and told him to hide it while he and Gene ducked into a photo booth. Ace was impressed with the decorative Box and commented on it repeatedly, drawing the pursuers' attention. Ace & Peter fled into the photo booth, and the quartet opened the box, each taking one of the four icons - the Talismans of Khyscz --  contained within it and being transformed superhuman form: Cat (Peter), Demon (Gene), Space Ace (Ace), & Starchild (Paul). Their true selves and inner feelings unleashed, the four made swift work of Fringe and his gang, after which Ace teleported them to Manhattan's South Ferry before the police could arrive. The four were then confronted by Dr. Doom who told them that the Box of Khyscz was rightfully his and instructed them they would become his servants as his "Gypsy maidens" held them at gunpoint. The new mutates fought back, destroying the maidens as they were revealed to be robots. Doom departed, and Ace transported his allies away again, but they were transported extradimensionally. Meanwhile, the Avengers, Defenders, and Fantastic Four discussed the new heroes and -- under advice from Dizzy who had secretly contacted Strange -- decided to leave the four to adjust to their new abilities on their own, rather than potentially exacerbating their problems.

    The four arrived in a heavenly realm filled with angels and cherubs that welcomed them to stay, but Demon recognized the truth and attacked, revealing these beings to be Mephisto, succubi, and other demons. The heroes fought back, with Demon engaging Mephisto directly, and ultimately Mephisto banished them for his own reasons, perhaps hoping that the Demon would become a more seasoned slayer of souls. They next appeared in a floating city in the Andromeda Galaxy, where Cat fell for the cat-woman Mandu, leading to a struggle with her would-be boyfriend, Big Leo, and his gang. After overcoming their attackers, the group was again teleported by Ace, and they arrived in the Latverian Alps, where Dizzy convinced them that they must confront Doom to gain their freedom. They were next attacked by more of Doom's robots (disguised as Monks), after which a pair of lips magically formed from stone and nearly sucked the quartet into it until they heeded Ace's advice to stop fighting after which the vortex ceased. Before they could catch their breaths, Doom teleported them to some alien realm and dropped them one-by-one. Starchild stunned Doom by using a blast to make him confront his emotions about his lost parents, Demon nailed him with a fiery blast, and then Dizzy -- who had trained Cynthia von Doom in magic and had spoken at her eulogy -- convinced Doom that the four had proven themselves worthy of their power and that he should stop fighting them. Doom sent them back to Earth.

    As the four reverted to normal, Dizzy revealed that the talismans could turn them back into superhuman form as needed, but that they must also face their normal lives with the courage to explore. After Dizzy replaced the talismans back in what he identified as the Box of Khyscz, the four adopted the name KISS (which was what they had assumed he had said) for their superhuman forms.

(Howard the Duck I#12) - Winda Wester opened a dimensional portal and pulled KISS from whatever extradimensional realm they were visiting at the time to Sauerbraten Mental Hospital. They surprised the bejeezus-bells out of Howard the Duck and Dr. Morton Avery.

(Howard the Duck I#13) - KISS caused quite a ruckus, with Space Ace using a vibratory blast on a nurse's bottom (or thereabouts) and Starchild blasted a pair of security guards rushing them. The four members approached a then heavily-drugged Howard, and the Cat told him "The Word! When you meet reality head-on, kiss it, smack in the face! That's the word! Pass it on!" Howard vapidly responded, "Hah...?" 
    And KISS was pulled back through the mind of the unconscious Winda Wester into whatever realm they'd come from.

(Marvel Comics Super Special#5) - As the normal versions of KISS walked down the street, Peter accidentally spilled his ice cream cone on a big guy, but Dizzy then teleported them away to a Broadway apartment. Explaining the threat of Khalis-Wu, the Darklord, who threatened to obtain ultimate power by harness the emotive energy at history's most famous rock concerts and convert it into mystical energy. They reclaimed their talismans and retook their superhuman forms, after which Ace transported them to a 1950s Bill Haley and the Comets concert. KISS located and confronted Khalis-Wu who blocked transformed seven motorcyclists into superhuman form to battle them. KISS took out their attackers, and Khalis-Wu transported to his second destination: Woodstock in the 1960s. KISS followed him there, too, but he unleashed dust from flowers that transported them to the Land of Leftovers, where all the symbolic figures of the 1960s lived out the decade again and again eternally. After Ace found himself unable to teleport away, they encountered an Elf with a Gun who directed them to seek out Saurian Holmes, and Holmes recruited them to confront his enemy, Professor Maharishi. KISS fought Maharishi's agents, Hugs & Kisses, and then fled as the building collapsed on the grappling Holmes and Maharishi. With the latter's defeat, Ace was again able to teleport, and he transported KISS to the 3rd destination, a 1970s Disco Marathon. Khalis-Wu used his accumulated power to force KISS to submit to his will and dance to the disco music, and Starchild resisted and fired a blast at Khalis-Wu, but this only served as the final catalyst in his empowerment. He blasted them with light energy, but Space Ace neutralized it with his vibrational rays, which he also used to protect the others present from Khalis-Wu's influence. Khalis-Wu then confronted KISS directly, defeating both the Demon and Cat, after which an enraged Starchild unleashed the power of pure hate upon him. Already filled with power from his absorption of the audiences' emotions, Khalis-Wu was overloaded and overcome by the energy, fading from existence. Ace shielded the others as the disco then exploded, and then he teleported them back to Earth, where they returned their talismans to the Box of Khyscz, which Dizzy kept.

(Kissnation#1) - KISS fought a number of giant monsters assaulting Manhattan, and Starchild sensed that they were neither living nor machine, after which the heroes felt free to destroy them with their full powers.
    At the same time, on "Earth-9658," a fully human version of KISS (a rock n' roll band composed at the time of Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley plus Eric Carr and Bruce Kublick) met with Stan Lee and other writers for Marvel, discussing the comic that told the story of the hero-KISS battling the monsters. Paul & Gene then noticed that a picture of Professor X in the comics seemed to be looking at and speaking directly to them as it identified the threat as extradimensional.
    As the super-powered KISS continued their battle, the X-Men's Wolverine & Psylocke arrived and joined the battle, and Space Ace sensed that whoever had unleashed the monsters was also keeping the remainder of the X-Men from them. After the remaining monsters vanished, Psylocke and the Demon shared a kiss, after which KISS joined Psylocke and Wolverine back at the Xavier Institute, where they were joined by both Professor X and Dr. Strange, who sensed that the creatures they had fought were from another plane of reality. He further determined that the monsters' only goal was mindless, random destruction, and that only these six heroes could stop them. Strange & Ace combined their powers to send KISS, Psylocke, Wolverine, and himself to the alternate reality  from which the creatures originated ("Earth-9658"); at the same time Strange cast a spell to prevent more monsters from entering Earth-616.
    As the adventurers materialized in Manhattan on Earth-9658, they were attacked by even more monsters. The fight was reported in the Marvel Offices, and the rock n' roll KISS headed down to meet them. When only one creature remained, Professor X cast his thoughts across the dimensional gulf, instructing them not to destroy it, but rather to focus all of their attention upon it; and the creature shrunk into a lifeless toy.
    Elsewhere, a young boy played with that same toy (with toys of the other combatants on his shelf), refusing an instruction (from his mother) to stop playing and warning that if he couldn't do what he wanted, someone would be sorry.
    Meanwhile, the rock n' roll KISS met up with the super hero KISS, while the young boy was given leave to stay up and play. Strange and Xavier combined their powers in an effort to identify their attacker, and Space Ace and Starchild used their cosmic powers to partially shield everyone from the backlash from the energy unleashed. Having only identified the location from which the attacks had been initiated, Strange began to lead the others there, but the boy began playing with a monstrous toy, and a giant form of it then attacked the heroes. One by one, Wolverine, Demon, and the Cat were rebuffed by the creature, after which Space Ace and Dr. Strange combined their powers to shackle the creature in a mystic-cosmic bond. The creature broke free of even this mighty barrier, and the backlash dropped all of the heroes. Realizing that the creature had been greatly weakened, Gene & Paul of the rock n' roll KISS hopped in a pair of KISS tour trucks, raced them at the creature, and bailed out at the last second. The trucks' force and resultant explosions spelled the end of the creature, and at the same time, the boy's toy crumbled to pieces.
    The two KISSes greeted each other and exchanged compliments, and the heroes of Earth-616 stuck around on Earth-9658 long enough to enjoy that world's KISS concert.

(Howard the Duck III#6) - The Demon (at least) was present at a bar in Hell in which Howard the Duck met with God/Yahweh.

Comments: Created by their mothers, adapted by Steve Gerber & Alan Weiss.

    There is no evidence that the superhuman KISS ever had the members Eric Carr, Bruce Kulick, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Eric Singer, or Tommy Thayer, who were all members of the rock band KISS. At least in the 3 Marvel comics, the super hero KISS never referenced any experience as a musical band.

    I haven't yet figured out whether to make the "real world" KISS part of the story as "Earth-9658" or whether it fits into some other reality we've already seen...It is described as "our 'real world.'" No super-beings were supposed to have ever existed there prior to KISS and the X-Men's arrival.
    Strange identifies their nemesis as "in this reality (Earth-9658)'s midtown Manhattan, near Madison Square Garden." That would seem to mean that the boy is native to Earth-9658, but it IS possible that the boy was from yet another reality ("Earth-2038") and was only accessing Earth-9658 from that point in Madison Square Garden.
    It was supposed to leave you wondering.

    KISS' adventures in other comic companies could be explained as the original group from 616 traveling to other realms, but that's beyond the scope of this entry. The same is true of the KISS movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077788/

    The Elf with a Gun entry in the OHotMU: A-Z#4 described them as the "alternate-dimensional (Earth-20152) super-powered rock stars KISS. Two errors there: (1) The super-powered KISS were not rock stars, (2) there is no evidence that the super-powered KISS were not from Earth-616. Earth-20152 would instead be the reality to which they subsequently journeyed, where their non-Marvel adventures took place.

Profile by Snood, with real life KISS information added by DragynWulf.
Find out more about each member under their sub-profiles below, and check out the official KISS website: http://www.kissonline.com/

CLARIFICATIONS:
Cat (Peter Chris) has no known connections to:

Demon (Gene Simmons) has no known connections to:

Space Ace has no known connections to:

Starchild has no known connections to:

CAT

(Peter Criss)


 

    The Cat was relatively level-headed, though he did share feline passions. He considered a romance with the alien cat-woman

 

 

    Mirroring the animal for which he was named, the Cat had superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and presumably olfactory senses and night-vision. He also had razor sharp claws on his fingers.

    Like the rest of the team, his powers increased with time and experience. Initially seeming to be in the enhanced human strength range, he was probably closer to Class 10-25 in Kissnation. Similarly, his talons could rend flesh initially, but were tearing through steel in later appearances.

Also called the Catman in Howard the Duck I#13

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (Howard the Duck I#12-13, Marvel Comics Super Special#5, Kissnation#1

 

 

Comments: The real world Peter Criss was born "George Peter John Criscuola" on December 20, 1945. On April, 11, 1972 , Peter Criss placed ad in Rolling Stone Magazine "Drummer looking for a band, willing to do anything to make it!" and soon became the drummer for the second version of Wicked Lester along with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Feeling the need to change their style of music, the trio sought out of fourth member and changed the name of the band to KISS once they found him.

Peter Criss was was the lead singer for songs like "Beth", "Black Diamond", and "Hard Luck Woman". He eventually left the band in 1979 and began a solo career. In 1995 KISS reunited for MTV Unplugged and due to demand by the fans, reunited in full makeup with the original group in 1996 for a reunion tour. However, he left in 2001 due to a contract dispute and has continued his solo career. His official website can be found at PeterCriss.Net.

DEMON
(Gene Simmons)

    The Demon was most prone to rage and savagery. Mephisto remarked that he had the potential to become a true demon of great power.

 

    He had superhuman strength & durability and could project powerful bursts of flame from his mouth. Presumably Class 10 or lower initially, he seemed more like somewhere between Class 25 & 75 in Kissnation. In addition, his boots (see main image) could be sent to attack, bite, and coil around others.

 

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (Howard the Duck I#12-13, Marvel Comics Super Special#5, Kissnation#1, Howard the Duck III#6

 

 

 

Comments: The real world Gene Simmons was born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel on August 25, 1949. In 1949 Flora Klein, Simmons’ mother, immigrated to the United States and brought Simmons with her. Simmons changed his name to Eugene Klein, then again to Gene Klein and finally to Gene Simmons in the late 1960’s. Simmons joined various bands like Lynx, which later changed the name to the Missing Links, and Bullfrog Beer before forming Wicked Lester in the early 70’s with Stanley Harvey Eisen, who is now known as Paul Stanley. The two eventually found Peter Criscuola (Peter Criss) and Paul Frehley (Ace Frehley) and change the band’s name from Wicked Lester to KISS.

Gene Simmons has remained with KISS as lead singer and bass player since the band’s creation. During that time he has ventured into other areas of entertainment, as well as a solo career, and become an actor in both movies and television shows, music producer with own record company Simmons Records, a solo music career, Tongue Magazine, and in 2007 started his own comic company Simmons Comic Group. Simmons is also the lead member of KISS that seeks merchandising deals and has brought the licensed name KISS into more than 2000 product categories from comic books, lunch boxes, action figures, credit cards, caskets, vide games and many others, bring it close to a 1 billion dollar brand. His official website can be found at GeneSimmons.com.

SPACE ACE
(Ace Frehley)

    Space Ace was the most mellow/zen of the group. He called everyone "Curly."

 

    Ace had several powers, mostly associated with vibration. He could alter himself and other's vibrational attunement, enabling them to shift from one plane to another, an ability he used to teleport across space or through dimensions. It is also could be used to render himself or others intangible. He could form powerful shields or project waves of vibratory force, and could render himself or others immune to certain forms of energy. Like the others, his powers and control of them increased significantly with each appearance.

 

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (Howard the Duck I#12-13, Marvel Comics Super Special#5, Kissnation#1

 

 

Comments: The real world Ace Frehley was born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27, 1951 and answered a want ad placed by Paul Stanley in the Village Voice magazine and after two auditions became the lead guitarist in 1972. With in a few weeks of joining, the name of the band was changed from Wicked Lester to KISS.

Ace Frehley was was the lead singer for songs like "Shock Me", and one of his most popular songs from his solo album was "New York Groove". He eventually left the band in 1983 and began a solo career. In 1995 KISS reunited for MTV Unplugged and due to demand by the fans, reunited in full makeup with the original group in 1996 for a reunion tour. However, he left in 2002 after his last performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics and has since returned to a solo career. He doesn't seem to have an official website, but you can still learn more by checking out: http://www.spaceaceonline.com/

 




STARCHILD
(Paul Stanley)

    Starchild seemed to be the leader and spokesman of the group, more rational than the Demon, but nonetheless reacting emotionally as the situation necessitated it.

 

    He could fire energy blasts from his star-eye, usually manipulating emotions, but also firing blasts of destructive power. His powers increased significantly over time.

 

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (Howard the Duck I#12-13, Marvel Comics Super Special#5, Kissnation#1

 

 

 

Comments: The real world Paul Stanley was born on January 20, 1952, Queens, New York. Stanley previously joined the bands Rainbow and Uncle Joe before joining Wicked Lester with friend Gene Simmons. The two eventually found Peter Criscuola (Peter Criss) and Paul Frehley (Ace Frehley) and change the band’s name from Wicked Lester to KISS.

Paul Stanley has remained with KISS as lead singer and lead guitarist since the band’s creation. During that time he has ventured into other areas of entertainment, as well as a solo career, and performed in the musical opera Phantom of the Opera as the Phantom, developed signature guitars for Silvertone, and has become a talented painter. Due to performing thousands of shows over the years, he has had to have three hip surgeries during 2005-2006. His official website can be found at PaulStanley.com.

KHYSCZ
 

 

 

    Nestled deep within the frigid, vast, snow-capped Himalayas, is the country of the mind called the Land of Khyscz.

    Its origins are lost to antiquity, though some say the gods themselves were its builders.

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

    The people of Khyscz live in a blissful harmony unknown elsewhere, as theirs is a land of love, and all who liver there are united under its symbolic banner.

    All save one -- the evil sorcerer Khalis-Wu, the Darklord, whose shunned castle on the city's outskirts rises obscenely through the dank mists. Wu came to swell in Khyscz after his defeat by the "Elder Gods" to recover from his injuries.


--Marvel Comics Super Special#5


BOX of KHYSCZ
 

 

    The Box of Khyscz was among the implements of Gypsy sorcery with Victor von Doom inherited after his mother's death. There were those among the Zefiro (von Doom's tribe) who deemed its power too immense for him to possess. During his sojourn to Tibet, these Zefiro stole the Box of Khyscz, and one of the Zefiro's mystics brought it to the USA where he devoted his life to its safekeeping. The man became known as Dizzy the Hun.

    The Box's only known significance was that it housed the Talismans of Khyscz.

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (1 (fb) - BTS, 1, 5

 

 

 

TALISMANS of KHYSCZ
 

    The Talismans brought forth their holder's true self: his love and rage, grace and power...the truth and the mystery of mind and body, intellect and emotion, time and space. They transformed the four young men in KISS, and they apparently evolved over time to better match their user.

    Dizzy kept the Talismans after KISS' battles with Doom and Khalis-Wu, but he was not seen during their most recent adventurer. It is not known whether Dizzy still holds the Talismans for them, or whether KISS even still needs the Talismans.

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1, 5, Kissnation#1



 

 

 

 

 

Eric Carr notes: Eric Carr was born Paul Charles Caravello on November 24, 1991, and passed away on November 24th, 1991 at the age of 41 while having surgery to remove cancerous tumor from his heart and lungs. He replaced Peter Criss as drummer in 1980 and remained with the group until his death in 1991. His official website can be found at EricCarr.com

Vinnie Vincent notes: Vinnie Vincent was born Vincent John Cusano on August 6, 1952, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Vincent replaced Ace Frehley as lead guitarist in 1982, adopting the Ankh Warrior persona and remained with the group until 1984. He began a solo career soon after. His official website can be found at VinnieVincent.com.

Mark St. John notes: Mark St. John was born Mark Leslie Norton on February 7, 1956, and passed away on April 5th 2007 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 51. Mark St. John replaced Vinne Vincent as lead guitarist in 1984 and was with the band only for one year due developing Reactive arthritis in his hands. Mark St. John is the only band member to not be shown on a cover.

Bruce Kulick notes: Bruce Kulick was born on December 12, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York. Kulick replaced Mark St. John as lead guitarist in 1984 and was with the band until 1996. He was the lead vocalist on the song "I walk Alone" from Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions. Since then he has joined various other bands as lead guitarist. His official website can be found at Kulick.net.

Eric Singer notes: Eric Singer was born Eric Doyle Mensinger on May 2, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio. Singer replaced Eric Carr on drums in 1991 and played with the band until 1996 when the original KISS reunited. When Peter Criss had a falling out with the band, Singer was brought in to replace him in 2001. In 2002, Peter Criss returned for to the group, replacing Singer until he finally quit again in 2004 due to arm cramps and other muscular health issues, which Singer once again replaced Criss and adopted the Cat persona. His official website can be found at Eric-Singer.com.

Tommy Thayer notes: Tommy Thayer was born on November 7, 1960 in Portland, Oregon. Thayer replaced Ace Frehley as lead guitarist in 2002, adopted the "Spaceman" persona, and has been with the band since. His official website can be found at TommyThayer.com.

Bob Kulick notes: Bob Kulick was born in Queens, New York and is the older brother of Bruce Kulick and has played unaccredited on numerous KISS albums, often replacing Ace Frehely and Mark St. John when the two were unable to play on recordings. Bob suggested that Bruce be brought in as a replacement for Mark St. John when he was unable to continue playing due to developing Reactive arthritis in his hands. His official MySpace page can be found at Bob Kulick MySpace.com.

images: (without ads)
Marvel Comics Super Special#1 cover (main)
    (Box of Khysz)
    (talismans, original form)
Marvel Comics Super Special#5, p6-7, panel 1, and pg. 6, panel 2 (Khyscz)
    p10, panel 2 (normal faces)
    p11, panel 6 (talismans, subsequent form)
    back cover (photographs of superhuman form faces)
Kissnation#1, story pg. 1 (Space Ace)
    pg. 4 (Starchild)
`

Appearances:
Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (1977) - by Steve Gerber (writer/editor), Alan Weiss, John Buscema, Rich Buckler, & Sal Buscema (pencilers), Al Milgrom (inker)
Howard the Duck I#12 (May, 1977) - by Steve Gerber (writer/editor), Gene Colan (artist), and Steve Leialoha (inker).
Howard the Duck I#13 (June, 1977) - by Steve Gerber (writer/editor), Gene Colan (artist), and Steve Leialoha (inker).
Marvel Comics Super Special#5 (1978) - by Ralph Macchio & Alan Weiss (co-scenarists), Ralph Macchio (writer), John Romita Jr. (penciler), Tony DeZuniga (inker), Richard Marschall (editor)
Kissnation#1 (1996) - by Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, & Mort Todd (plot), Stan Lee (script), Nate Palant, Dave Chlystek, & Erik Lusk (artists)
Howard the Duck III#7 (August, 2002) - by Steve Gerber (writer), Phil Winslade (artist), Stuart Moore (editor)

First Posted: 07/14/2007
Last updated: 03/22/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

I'm not certain who owns the rights to KISS. As of the 1996 comic, it was Kissnation
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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