KROBAA

Real Name: Krobaa

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (see comments)

Occupation: Explorer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Eddie Brock, Dr. Nigel Donlevy

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Abyss That Walked, Living Darkness

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout the galaxy

First Appearance: Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1 (July, 1997)

Powers/Abilities: A symbiotic creature, Krobaa could bond with other organisms. He could apparently will himself to die. He also claimed to possess mind-control powers, but as he was violently insane at the time, he may simply have thought he had them.

History:

(Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1) - An explorer from a galactic civilization, Krobaa and his people bonded with members of other civilizations to learn more about them. Years ago, Krobaa came to Earth, apparently alerted to its presence by the experiments of Dr. Nigel Donlvey. He bonded with Donlevy, but the darkness in Donlevy's soul - his id - drove Krobaa insane. He went on a violent rampage through nearby Morristown, New Jersey until Daily Globe reporter Eddie Brock arrived in town, summoned by a call to another Globe reporter, Cal Carlchok. Surmising that a creature of living darkness would be vulnerable to light, Brock began taking pictures of Krobaa; the flash shocked Krobaa out of his madness. Unwilling to unleash the madness of humanity on his race, Krobaa killed himself, crumbling into black dust.

Comments: Created by Len Kaminski, James W. Fry III, and Chris Ivy.

This issue was part of Marvel's Flashback Month, where most Marvel series published a #-1 issue, which generally depicted a character's life before their superheroic career. Many of them homaged pre-Marvel comics, as well - this issue served as a loving homage to '50s monster comics.

Not sure if Krobaa is supposed to be extraterrestrial or extradimensional He also says that Earth is "far from the galactic hegemony" - I'm not sure if that's just a turn of phrase, or if Krobaa's people are part of something called the Galactic Hegemony.

Cal Carlchok is, of course, an homage to Carl Kolchak, main character of '70s TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. It starred Darren McGavin as a reporter who doggedly investigated the supernatural.

Nigel Donlevy may be an homage to the British TV/film character Dr. Bernard Quatermass - Quatermass was created by writer Nigel Kneale and was portrayed in two films by Brian Donlevy.

Profile by Minor Irritant.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Krobaa has no known connection to:

Dr. Nigel Donlevy

(Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1 (fb) ) - Once a respected scientist and a three-time Nobel Prize nominee, physicist Nigel Donlevy became increasingly eccentric. The scientific community eventually shunned him, and Donlevy was reduced to performing his bizarre experiments in the abandoned Kingsbridge mansion outside Morristown, New Jersey.

(Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1) - Donlevy's experiments somehow summoned the alien explorer Krobaa, who bonded with Donlevy to learn about Earth. Donlevy's id overwhelmed Krobaa, who went insane and rampaged through Morristown until reporter Eddie Brock snapped him out of it. Krobaa killed himself and crumbled into dust, leaving a maddened Donlevy ranting in the rubble-strewn streets.

Donlevy is a brilliant physicist.

-- Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1







Cal Carlchok

(Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1 (fb) ) - Once a star reporter for the Daily Globe, Cal Carlchok investigated a number of supernatural occurrences, including Skrulls, Dire Wraiths, vampires, and elder gods. Due to the Globe's advertisers' unwillingness to associate themselves with a paper that printed such stories, Carlchok's career and reputation suffered, and he became a drunk.

(Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1) - After receiving a call intended for Carlchok about the rampaging Krobaa, young reporter Eddie Brock tracked the older man down at a bar. He tried to incite Carlchok to action, but he suggested that Brock learn to stop caring about the truth. Brock angrily denounced Cal, and stormed out of the bar. Carlchok predicted a dark future for the young man.

Carlchok was a skilled reporter, although his skills were dampened by years of failure and alcoholism.

-- Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1




images: (without ads)
Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1, p15, pan1 (main image)
Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1, p7, pan4 (true form)
Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1, p8, pan2 (Donlevy)
Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1, p12, pan1 (Carlchok)

Appearances:
Venom: Seed of Darkness#-1 (July, 1997) - Len Kaminski (writer), James W. Fry III (pencils), Chris Ivy (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Last updated: 05/16/11

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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