main image

ZINNIA

Real Name: Zinnia

Identity/Class: Extratemporal (Reality-691, ca. 31st century AD) extraterrestrial robot

Occupation: Servant of Emperor Goozot

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Emperor Goozot, Mon-Tee

Enemies: Hulk (Bruce Banner), Yondu Udonta

Known Relatives: Her "children"

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Goozot's capital city (see comments)

First Appearance: Defenders I#27 (September, 1975)

Powers/Abilities: Zinnia possessed enhanced durability and strength (class 10, possibly higher) due to her large size and robotic nature. Zinnia was equipped with pacifying eye blasts that could stun and sway living beings to do her bidding. Those exposed to the ray would blindly follow her commands and remain inert. Zinnia was programmed with artificial intelligence and could experience feelings like rage and loss. She considered smaller Goozotian robots to be her "children", a deliberate move by her programmers to instill a sense of duty in her.

Height: 8'0" (by approximation)
Weight: 1500 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: None applicable

closeup

History:
(Defenders I#27 (fb) - BTS) - Emperor Goozot, ruler of a hedonistic, alien world in league with the Badoon, ordered the creation of a sentient class of robots. Zinnia was one of the automatons designed to consider the smaller robots placed under its command as her "babies". This was a deliberate decision by her programmers, done to instill an added sense of duty in the hulking robotic figure.

(Defenders I#27 - BTS) - Zinnia and her "babies" were tasked to patrol Emperor Goozot's capital city. They were strict and ruthless in upholding Goozot's laws which emphasized on base debauchery and forced enjoyment. All those in violation of the law risked certain death.

(Defenders I#27 - BTS) - Zinnia and her "babies" were on duty during the Festival of Death, a murderous yet festive event during which manslaughter wasn't just sanctioned, it was permitted. Zinnia's babies came across the Hulk and Yondu Udonta who had accidentally been transported to Goozot's world (due to tampering by the Badoon). Zinnia's babies stepped in when Hulk and Yondu prevented a gang from killing a helpless woman. The robots vowed to bring the new arrivals to justice, but the Hulk easily destroyed them.

(Defenders I#27) - Moments after the Hulk had torn through her "babies", Zinnia arrived to see their smoldering remains. She concluded that by killing her "babies", the two heroes had sealed their own fate. She activated her pacifying eye blasts, turning Hulk and Yondu into her mindless slaves. Zinnia led them to the palace of Emperor Goozot who and announced they were guilty of disruption of the Festival of Death and infanticide. Goozot explained to his bemused wives why Zinnia kept referring to her robotic underlings as children. Zinnia obeyed Goozot's orders to send the two to the Super Death Sweepstakes studio.

(Defenders I#27 - BTS) - Zinnia used her thrall-ray to escort Yondu and Hulk to the studios without incident. She also complied with Goozot's request that the Hulk would be wearing more suitable attire for his upcoming participation in the Super Death Sweepstakes.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks).

Zinnia, oh Zinnia, the robooootic lady! Allusions to Groucho Marx aside, Steve Gerber once again proved himself somewhat of a visionary by dreaming up sentient killer robots who think and feel like actual people.

The actual name of Emperor Goozot's planet has not been revealed.

Profile by Norvo.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Zinnia should not be confused with:

Zinnia's babies

Zinnia's children were squads of robots equipped with blaster weapons, tasked to uphold the laws of Emperor Goozot. During the Festival of Death, they were patrolling the capital city when they spotted the newly arrived Hulk and Yondu saving a local woman from her would-be killers. Concluding this was a violation of the law, they charged the heroes announcing they were to be brought to justice. Hulk was unimpressed by their demands and tore through them. Seeing her children destroyed enraged Zinnia who incapacitated Yondu and Hulk and brought them to Emperor Goozot to demand justice for "killing her babies".

--Defenders I#27

images: (without ads)
Defenders I#27, p13, pan6 (main image)
Defenders I#27, p14, pans1-2 (closeup)
Defenders I#27, p13, pan2 (Zinnia's babies)

Appearances:
Defenders I#27 (September, 1975) - Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Len Wein (editor)

First Posted: 03/25/2018
Last updated: 03/25/2018

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters