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DARK KLEENEX

Real Name: Blue Jean

Identity/Class: Extradimensional/alternate reality (Earth-88131) extraterrestrial (Melmacian) Melmutant (see comments)

Occupation: Adventurer

Group Membership: Uncanned X-Melmen (Brogue, Häagen-Dazzler, Michigan Wolverine, Molossus, Nightcaller, Psych-Major, Prof. Charles Xylophone) (all Earth-88131)

Affiliations: Gordon Shumway (Fantastic Fur, later ALF) (Earth-88131)

Enemies: Emma DeFrost, Juggernougat, Magmeato, Sentimel (all Earth-88131)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Marble-Cake Girl

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
   formerly mobile on planet Melmac (Earth-88131)

First Appearance: ALF#22/1 (mid-November, 1989) (mentioned); ALF Holiday Special#2/5 (Winter, 1990) (seen)

Powers/Abilities: As Marble-Cake Girl, Blue Jean had strong "melekinetic" (telekinetic) powers. After being transformed into Dark Kleenex, she can also fly through space sheathed in protective flame shaped like a flaming bird; this sheath can carry several others safely. Her flame powers can also burn when she focuses on it and she can direct her phoenix-like form to shoot energy blasts. After her initial transformation into Dark Kleenex, she had super-absorption powers that apparently threatened the planet and more, but this later dispersed. Blue Jean was trained to fly the Melmutants' jet. She has the usual physical attributes of a Melmac native (compared to humans), with heightened immunity, extended lifespan (set at 650 years) and a savage appetite open to many forms of food (including cats), although how much her new state as Dark Kleenex has changed these characteristics, if any, is unrevealed.

Height: 4'3"
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Black
Hair: Pink short fur with long red hair

History:

(ALF Holiday Special#2/5 (fb)) - Marble-Cake Girl was one of the original X-Melmen. She developed a close relationship over several years with Psych-Major as the team roster expanded.

(ALF#22/1 (fb) - BTS) - During her time with the Melmutants, she died five times (but was resurrected each time) under unrevealed circumstances.

(ALF Special#2/5 (fb)) - During a heated battle, their foe Juggernougat hurled Marble-Cake Girl into space toward the Potato Planets. Once there, she rose from the mashes, transformed as the fiery Dark Kleenex and returned to planet Melmac and the X-Melmen. But her new power of super-absorbency proved too much for her and she retired, vanishing before her paramour's eyes. Her self-sacrificial disintegration left Psych-Major a morose, emotional wreck.

(ALF Special#2/5 (fb)) - Ally Gordon Shumway joined Psych-Major on monitor duty, where they saw the Dark Kleenex effect manifest amongst celebratory fireworks, indicating Dark Kleenex's rebirth. The two rushed to investigate to find X-Melmen members Brogue, Michigan Wolverine, Molossus, Häagen-Dazzler and Prof. Xylophone apprehended by a giant Sentimel robot (designed by the government to hunt Melmutants). Dark Kleenex suddenly appeared to blast the robot away, but was overwhelmed until Shumway saved them. Reunited, Psych-Major and Dark Kleenex snogged passionately, but this instead left Psych-Major suspicious where Blue Jean had picked up such intimacy skills. Shumway left with the X-Melmen immersed in infighting.

(ALF 44 (fb)) - Häagen-Dazzler left the X-Melmen and was replaced by Nightcaller. Prof. Xylophone then dispatched the X-Melmen, including Dark Kleenex, on a space mission, but their home planet soon exploded in a separate incident, leaving the X-Melmen as some of the very few surviving Melmacians. On a nearby moon, they found Magmeato and Emma DeFrost plotting to take over Earth. Meanwhile, Shumway had made his way to Earth.

(ALF 44) - Psych-Major and Dark Kleenex traveled to Earth sheathed in Dark Kleenex's phoenix form and gained Shumway's help, changing him into his secret superhero identity of Fantastic Fur, before they rejoined the X-Melmen near Magmeato's Melmacian moon base. Magmeato caused their spaceship to crash, then DeFrost almost made the X-Melmen drown, but Dark Kleenex protected them in her fiery form. However, DeFrost's actions destabilized the moon and just before it was about to explode, Shumway fled in an escape pod while Nightcaller dialed an emergency group transportation to an alternate dimension. Later, back on Earth, Shumway played with his Melmutant action figures, confident the real Melmutants had survived.

Comments: Created by Michael Gallagher, Dave Manak, Marie Severin.

I ASSume that a Melmutant is simply a mutant on the planet Melmac.

Further details on the Melmacian alien species (according to the ALF television show) can be found on a Melmac fansite. No problem!

And, of course, Dark Kleenex (Blue Jean / Marble-Cake Girl) is a clear parody of Dark Phoenix (Jean Grey / Marvel Girl) of Earth-616 (and Juggernougat is a parody of Juggernaut). I guess Dark Kleenex is better than Used Kleenex.

It's all too easy to speculate further on the X-Melmen world! I already put ideas in the Häagen-Dazzler profile and the Mellfire Club was cited in-story. Of course Melpocalypse would feature somewhere and maybe Freefood Force too. Sweetooth vs. Michigan Wolverine? I haven't worked out Mr. Sinister - maybe Mr. Spinster or Mr. Swillstir? How about Cassata Nova? Better stop--Omega Redwatch sounds daft.

This profile was completed 10/10/2020, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Dark Kleenex has no known connections to:

Juggernougat

A fellow Melmacian, Juggernougat was a powerfully strong nemesis of the X-Melmen. At one point during a pitched battle, he hurled Marble-Cake Girl off into space in the direction of the Potato Planets.

 

 

 

 

 

--ALF Holiday Special#2/5

images: (without ads)
ALF#44, p2, pan1 (main image)
ALF Holiday Special#2/5, p6, pan4 (as Marble-Cake Girl)
ALF Holiday Special#2/5, p7, pan1 (Dark Kleenex rises)
ALF Holiday Special#2/5, p6, pan6 (Juggernougat)

Appearances:
ALF#22/1 (mid-November, 1989) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Dave Manak (pencils), Marie Severin (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
ALF Holiday Special#2/5 (Winter, 1990) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Dave Manak (pencils), Marie Severin (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
ALF#44 (August, 1991) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Dave Manak (pencils), Marie Severin, Michael James & Ruth Leon (inks), Fabian Nicieza (editor)

First posted: 09/21/2021
Last updated: 09/20/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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