MARK TRASK
Real Name: Mark Trask
Identity/Class: Human (1950s era)
Occupation: Anthropologist
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Daniel Morey
Enemies: Tyrannosaurus Rex
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Beast-man" (as called by Daniel Morey)
Base of Operations: "Lost World"
First Appearance: Astonishing#55/3 (November, 1956)
Powers/Abilities: Mark Trask was a normal human with no known paranormal abilities.
Described by Daniel Morey as "a mental snob with a superiority complex," Trask had been an intelligent and educated man; he believed that mankind had arisen from primitive life entirely because of the power to think and reason. After being stranded in the prehistoric "Lost World" for several months, Trask's mind regressed to a primeval, savage state.
When conducting his African expedition, Trask was originally armed with a heavy-caliber rifle and a large knife in a monogrammed sheath; he carried a backpack equipped with a tent, a rope, climbing picks, maps, a compass, food supplies, and ammunition; but while in the "Lost World," all of Trask's equipment was destroyed by a tyrannosaur--afterward, he developed basic survival skills, made his own primitive weapons (including a spear and a shield), and wore an animal-skin loincloth.
Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 170 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Blond
History:
(Astonishing#55/3 (fb)) - The past of Mark Trask is largely
unrevealed, but while studying at
the School of Anthropology, he met the acquaintance of Daniel
Morey--with the exception of Morey, Trask never had any friends because
of his arrogant and haughty demeanor.
After graduation, Trask and Morey worked at the same museum. One day, the two men got into a heated discussion while looking at a display of primitive men--Morey believed that it was early mankind's strength that allowed the powerful brutes to survive the rigors of their prehistoric environment, but Trask rudely insisted that primitive man survived because of mental ability; Trask and Morey eventually parted ways and lost contact with each other.
Years later, Trask was conducting an expedition in Africa, but his native guides deserted him when they reached an area of the jungle that the natives considered to be taboo, so Trask went on alone; upon reaching a misty plateau not mentioned on any maps, Trask used his climbing gear to make the treacherous ascent.
Trask reached the top of the plateau, where he found a dense jungle, and he set up camp; while he was eating, he heard a roar similar to a crocodile's, but a hundred times greater, so he went to investigate. As he walked through the jungle, Trask noticed the plant growth was similar to that found in the Paleolithic Era... then he heard the roar again.
When he emerged at a swampy clearing, Trask was stunned to see living dinosaurs in the "Lost World" atop the plateau. Suddenly, a tyrannosaurus picked up Trask's scent and began to chase after him. Trask attempted to use his superior mind by toying with the monster, leading it in circles until he could shoot it; but the tyrannosaur found his camp and began to smash it. Trask fired his rifle at the behemoth, but the bullets only seemed to anger it. As the tyrannosaur lumbered away, Trask found everything in his camp ruined, including his ammunition and climbing equipment; realizing he now had no way to defend himself or to climb off the plateau, Trask began to make weapons and started searching for a way out.
(Astonishing#55/3 (fb) - BTS) - Trask wandered the "Lost World" for months, but could never find a way back down. As time went by, he developed primitive instincts to warn him of the constant danger while he searched for food, but he could slowly feel his mind regressing to that of a savage; Trask's physical appearance changed as well--the once clean-shaven and civilized anthropologist became a bearded, long-haired wild-man wearing an animal-skin loincloth.
One day, Trask chanced to capture a giant bird. With his rational and reasoning mind still somewhat intact, he wrote a message addressed to Daniel Morey, in which he told about his discovery of the "Lost World" and pleaded for help--Trask also included a crudely-drawn map showing the location of the plateau in Africa. Placing the message within a sack, Trask tied it to the bird's leg and released it, in the hopes that the bird would fly from the plateau and someone would find it with his message.
(Astonishing#55/3) - The giant bird was killed by a group of hunting African tribesmen, who eventually delivered the sack with the message to a commissioner of the region; the commissioner forwarded the message to Daniel Morey in New Mexico.
Three months later, the message was finally delivered to Morey; after he read Trask's incredible account and plea for help, Morey organized a rescue safari and went to Africa.
After a month of intense search and the desertion of his bearers, Morey alone finally found the amazing plateau and climbed to the top--he hoped that Trask was still alive. Suddenly, out of the mists, a blond-haired savage appeared and hurled a spear at Morey; then, without a word, the wild-man turned and vanished into the misty swamp, but he dropped a knife sheath as he fled.
Picking up the knife sheath, Morey noticed it was monogrammed with the initials "M.T." and surmised that the savage was Mark Trask. Morey theorized that the physical aspect of Trask had emerged over the mental, causing him to become a "beast-man" in order to survive in the primitive environment.
Morey realized that Trask couldn't be brought back to civilization because he was now adapted to life in the "Lost World," but he hoped that someday Trask would find his way out, then his brain would awaken and he could become human again.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Angelo Torres (artist).
This 4-page story--Where Prowls the Beast!--was told from the narrative perspective of Daniel Morey.
The origin of this "Lost World" and its dinosaurs was never explained, but the Marvel Atlas#2 entry for the Congo states: "Dinosaurs, which were evidently bred by Deviant scientists, have been sighted within the Congo's jungles." Since the "Lost World" was located somewhere in Africa, possibly it had been a Deviant science-outpost--there was at least one confirmed Deviant-created tyrannosaurus.
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Mark Trask has no known connections to:
Daniel Morey has no known connections to:
The "Lost World" has no known connections to:
The Tyrannosaurus Rex has no known connections to:
The giant bird has no known connections to:
|
It was a prehistoric jungle high atop an uncharted, mist-enshrouded plateau
in Africa--located there were plants and animals thought to be long-extinct,
including at least five brontosauruses, three pterodactyls, and a
tyrannosaurus. |
|
|
One
of the dinosaurs inhabiting the "Lost World," the tyrannosaur chased after
Mark Trask shortly after his arrival. The tyrannosaur attacked Trask's
camp, and although he fired at it with his high-caliber rifle, the bullets
only seemed to madden the behemoth. The tyrannosaur smashed and ruined
everything in the camp before it lumbered away, but with all his supplies
and equipment destroyed, Trask was subsequently stranded in the "Lost
World". |
|
An unspecified species of prehistoric avian life of the "Lost World," it
had been captured by Mark Trask after he was stranded there. In an
act of desperation, Trask wrote a message to Daniel Morey and put it in a
sack which he tied to the bird's leg, then he released the bird, in the
hopes that it and the message would be found by the outside world. |
|
|
Dan Morey was a former colleague of
Mark Trask, and he seemed to be the closest thing that the arrogant Trask
ever had to a friend. |
|
images: (without ads)
Astonishing#55/3, p3, pan5 (Main Image - Mark Trask, being chased by tyrannosaur)
Astonishing#55/3,
p2, pan3 (Headshot - (in flashback) slightly younger Mark Trask in museum, arguing
with Daniel Morey)
Astonishing#55/3, p3, pan7 (Mark Trask watches tyrannosaur lumber away)
Astonishing#55/3, p4, pan5 ("beast-man" Mark Trask (right) throws spear at Daniel Morey)
Astonishing#55/3, p2, pan7 (Mark Trask (right) finds mysterious plateau)
Astonishing#55/3, p3, pan4 (Mark Trask (left) discovers "Lost World" atop plateau)
Astonishing#55/3, p3, pan6 (Tyrannosaur destroys Mark Trask's camp in "Lost World")
Astonishing#55/3, p1, pan1 (giant bird killed by African tribesmen)
Astonishing#55/3, p2, pan1 (Daniel Morey holding packet of notes from Mark Trask)
Astonishing#55/3, p4, pan6 (Daniel Morey finds Mark Trask's monogrammed knife sheath)
Astonishing#55/3, p4, pan7 (Daniel Morey contemplating Mark Trask's fate)
Appearances:
Astonishing #55/3 (November, 1956) - unidentified writer, Angelo Torres (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 12/10/2018
Last updated: 12/10/2018
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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