ELMASELMA
Real Name: Selma
Identity/Class: Human sub-species/Hidden race (Fall People; Savage Land)
Occupation: Homemaker (at least)
Group Membership: Fall People (specifically Tongah's village, if there were more than one village)
Affiliations: Ka-Zar, Lodah, Mahala (presumed deity), Tongah
Enemies: Unidentified sabretooth tiger
Known Relatives: Sarak (husband, deceased), Kapah (son, deceased)
Aliases: None identified
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
at least formerly her home as part of an unidentified Fall People tribe in the Savage Land, Antarctica
First Appearance: Ka-Zar the Savage I#5 (August, 1981)
Powers/Abilities: Living in a village in the wilderness, Selma presumably had supervival, child-rearing, and homemaking skills, as well as perhaps some farming, gathering, or other disease.
Selma was not shown to do much beyond comforting Sarak and getting Ka-Zar a drink.
Height: Unrevealed (not clearly shown standing
next to Ka-Zar or the 6'2" Tongah, but she appeared to be smaller and
slighter; perhaps 5'5"-5'8")
Weight: Unrevealed (perhaps 120-130 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed (she was not shown closely enough to see her eyes)
Hair: Black (with the standard mohawk with ponytail of the Fall People)
History:
(Ka-Zar the Savage I#5 (fb)) -
Selma was a member of Tongah's tribe of Fall People, dwelling in his
village in a home with her husband, Sarak, and their son, Kapah.
(Ka-Zar the Savage I#5 (fb) - BTS) - While Sarak and Kapah were fishing, a rabid sabretooth tiger slew Kapah and assaulted Sarak.
(Ka-Zar the Savage I#5 (fb) - BTS) - Returning to his village, Sarak told Selma what had happened.
(Ka-Zar
the Savage I#5 (fb)) -
The next day, when Ka-Zar visited the village at Tongah's request, he
greeted Selma and Sarka, and Selma fixed a drink for Ka-Zar at Sarak's
request. As
Sarak related the previous day's events, Selma comforted him.
Ka-Zar considered that they would track, capture, and deal with the cat, capturing it alive if possible.
The next morning, Sarak, Tongah,
and Ka-Zar set out on their grim task. Ultimately, Ka-Zar slew Sarak
when he showed signs of rabies, and Tongah committed suicide after
apparently being infected by the same sabretooth.
Comments: Created by Bruce Jones, Brent Anderson, and Carlos Garzon.
Tongah was subsequently attacked by the sabretooth before it was slain by a dinosaur. Knowing he was afflicted with the same disease, Tongah committed suicide. But, he got better when the High Evolutionary used Garokk to restore the Savage Land after it had been destroyed by the Terminus-power Jorro. There is not evidence as far as I know that Sarak was revived as well...
Ka-Zar noted that the killing of
the apparently rabid sabertooth by a reptile ended the threat since the
reptile could neither contract nor spread rabies. However, that begs
the question...how did the sabertooth get rabies? There had to have at
least been one other infected mammal that had infected that sabertooth,
and its fate is unrevealed. Its certainly dead now, but it could easily
have infected other animals before dying, unless the tiger killed the
creature that infected it...but then, what infected the creature that
infected the sabretooth...where did it start?
Being a veterinarian, perhaps Shanna could have
instituted a vaccination program. Certainly many beings would refuse
out of supersition/whatever, but many others would listen to Ka-Zar
and/or Shanna.
Ka-Zar told the story of the apparently rabid sabertooth as part of his explanation to Shanna about how closely he and Zabu were bonded.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Selmashould be distinguished from:
Ka-Zar the Savage I#5, pg. 11, panel 3 (Selma, face);
pg. 13, panel 3 (Selma and Sarak grieving);
panel 4 (Selma and Sarak, standing and sitting, mostly full; home interior);
Appearances:
Ka-Zar the
Savage I#5 (August, 1981) - Bruce Jones (writer), Brent Anderson
(penciler), Carlos Garzon (inker), Danny Fingeroth (assistant
editor), Louise Jones (editor)
First posted: 05/01/2021
Last updated: 05/01/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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