yucoya-tzin-zzutak-ohotmuYUCOYA-TZIN

Real Name: Mocuepa Tlalticpactli

Identity/Class: Human magic-user;
    Aztec ancestry;
    citizen of Yōllohtlitemictli Tlamanitiliztli

Occupation: Medicine man, high priest, leader of the Miztli Tlanti (“Puma’s Teeth”), would-be conqueror

Group Membership: Leader of the Miztli Tlanti;
    Zutecs

Affiliations: Grottu, the Miztli Tlanti, Phzzzrrzztlzzzz (aka Fizzle; one of the Blips), Rorgg, the Two-Headed Thing, Zzutak;
    formerly Frank Johnson

Enemies: Fantastic Four (Ant-Man/Scott Lang, Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman/Sue Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm), Cal Johnson, Frank Johnson, Xxirys

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "The Lord Who Creates," "He Who Will Transform the World (literal name translation)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed; 
    at least formerly an ancient Aztec temple just beyond the village of Quapultec in the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula;
    born in Yōllohtlitemictli Tlamanitiliztli, Mexico

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#88 (September, 1961)yucoya-tzin-zzutak-ffu7-knife

Powers/Abilities: Yucoya-Tzin uses enchanted paint that can restore life to comatose life forms, no matter how alien their nature. 

    The paint also has the power to create and control living creatures; while Tzin himself cannot use it for such purposes, he can command such creatures if their creator fails to form a mental bond with them. 

    Tzin ages very slowly, apparently due to the enchanted paints’ influence.

    He carries a dagger and leads the Miztli Tlanti, Aztec warriors armed with spears, clubs, and shields

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Eyes: Brown (at least one image makes them look blue, but brown is more likely)
Hair: Black (appeared to be dark brown when he appeared in civilian garb)

History:
(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Mocuepa Tlalticpactli was born in Yōllohtlitemictli Tlamanitiliztli, a remote valley kingdom founded by an Aztec tribe, the Zutecs, following Spain’s 16th century conquest of the Aztec Empire.

yucoya-tzin-zzutak-priestly_robes-headshot(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Over centuries, the Zutecs developed quasi-sentient “three-dimensional” paints with which a sufficiently talented Aztec descendant could paint images that, via magical rapport with the paints, would become solid, physical objects.

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Mocuepa Tlalticpactli was educated in Calmecac, the higher education system of Zutec nobility.

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Whether with his people’s support or not, Tlalticpactli, now called Yucoya-Tzin ("The Lord Who Creates"), acquired such paints and vowed to rebuild the Aztec Empire.

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - In the 1950s, Tzin conquered Quapultec, a smaller, nearly abandoned Aztec city, not long after its liberation from the despotic Ambassador of Terror (Richardo Bennett) by the era’s el Aguila (Cristóvão de Viso); he recruited its few inhabitants as followers, the Miztli Tlanti (“Puma’s Teeth”).

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzyucoya-tzin-zzutak-incognitoin entry) - In 1960, Tzin located comic book artist Frank Johnson (nee Juan Francisco Alonso), an Aztec descendant whose creative talents made him uniquely suited to use the paints to create and empower living creatures.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb)) - In civilian garb, Tzin, already mystically bonded to the paints, visited Johnson in his studio, noting his admiration of Frank's work but suggesting his art needed a more life-like quality. To this end, he offered his "three-dimensional paint."

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Johnson subconsciously formed a similar bond that focused his attention upon the paints, motivating him to accept the gift without questioning Tzin’s origins and motives.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS) - As soon as Yucoya-Tzin squeezed some of the paint out on Frank's canvas, it had an odd appeal to him, as it began to influence his thoughts. yucoya-tzin-zzutak-st88-face-detail

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb)) - At the stranger's bidding, Frank tried out the paints, painting a flower, which then transformed from a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional structure. Amazed, Frank offered to pay any price for the paints, but the stranger instead just gave them to him; as he departed, the stranger noted that he would be paid...all in good time.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Via Tzin’s mental imprint upon them, the paints overwhelmed Johnson's will and guided Johnson to taking the paints with him, fly to Mexico and then renting a burro and head into the Sierra Madre mountains. Driven to enter a remote valley, Frank found the ancient Aztec temple just beyond the village of Quapultec in the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - In preparation for Johnson's arrival, Yucoya-Tzin prepared a giant canvas.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) - BTS / Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Johnson was unable to resist the urge (the paints’ Tzin-influenced “desires”) to paint an immense, fantastic creature, which he did without exerting his own will. When it was complete, the painted picture transformed and solidified into the three-dimensional Zzutak. the monstrous Zzutak, who came to three-dimensional life.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb) / Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Lacking any mental imprint from Johnson, Zzutak instead obeyed TzinYucoya-Tzin, whom Frank recognized as the man who had given him his paints. Yucoya-Tzin then detailed his history and the extent of his plans, which involved Frank designing multiple other creatures that the Zutec armies would use to conquer the world.

(Strange Tales I#88) - At Yucoya-Tzin's command, Zzutak piled boulders to block the entrance to the valley, and then Yucoya-Tzin ordered Frank to paint other creatures like Zzutak. 

(Strange Tales I#88 - BTS (fb) ) - Frank complied, but as he created his next monster, he continued to chant under his breath that the creature's enemy was Zzutak, whom he must destroy. 

    As he finished, the creature...

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - ...later identified as Xxirys...

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb)) - ...emerged from the canvas, ignored Yucoya-Tzin's commands, and assaulted Zzutak, ultimately collapsing the temple,...yucoya-tzin-zzutak-ffu7-full

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - ...leaving the monsters buried and inert.

(Strange Tales I#88 (fb)) - Only Yucoya-Tzin emerged from the temple, but seemed to be stricken with amnesia by the head trauma. With their leader incapacitated, Yucoya-Tzin's followers broke down the boulders barring passage into and out of the valley, while Frank used a torch to destroy the remainders of the enchanted paints. 

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - Both the amnesiac Tzin and Frank Johnson apparently aged little over the following decades, presumably due to the paints’ magic. yucoya-tzin-zzutak-ffu7-face-angry

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - In recent years, Yucoya-Tzin, his memories restored, acquired more enchanted paint, and gathered new Miztli Tlanti followers.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to use Frank to revive Zzutak, Yucoya-Tzin led a number of his Miztli Tlanti warriors to the grand opening of Johnson's Museum of the Monstrous and Strange. 

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7) - With Johnson having invited the Fantastic Four (Ant-Man, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Thing) to attend, Ant-Man discovered Yucoya-Tzin, who ordered his men to capture the hero. Escaing via shrinking, Ant-Man alerted Frank, who instructed his security guards to get everybody out of the museum. Yucoya-Tzin then announced to Frank he had come to take possession of the "Great ones" (the giant monsters in the Museum: Phzzzrrzztlzzzz (one of the Blips), Rorgg, Grottu, and the Two-Headed Thing) and that they were merely in suspended animation. 

    After Yucoya-Tzin had revived the monsters via the paints and the Fantastic Four were engaged in battle with them, Frank sent Cal to run to his office, lock the door, and wait until he called for him. 

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS) - Apparently having anticipated this move, Yucoya-Tzin confronted Cal in Frank's office and threatened him with a knife to ensure his silence.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7) - After Frank returned to his office, Yucoya-Tzin threatened Cal to force his compliance in returning to Mexico with him. Frank promised to go willingly if he let Cal go, but Yucoya insisted that 
Frank was not in a position to bargain and that he would take them both with him. 

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS) - Before departing, Frank (or possibly Cal) wrote a "Z" in the dust on his desk as a clue for the Fantastic Four to follow him to where he had first encountered Zzutak. 

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 - BTS) - The Fantastic Four discovered the "Z" and...yucoya-tzin-zzutak-ffu7-face-normex

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS) - ...correctly determined that it referred to Zzutak, which led them to find the location of the previous Zzutak encounter from the brochure and then follow him him there. 

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS) - Yucoya and the Miztli Tlanti brought Frank and Cal back to the ancient Aztec temple just beyond the village of Quapultec.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7) - After confirming that he had sought out Frank because of his pure Aztec blood, Yucoya gave Frank a spraycan containing their enchanted paints and sent him into the ruins to revive Zzutak. 

    Locating and spraying its inanimate form with the paint, Frank revived Zzutak, which remained under Yucoya-Tzin's control and engaged the arriving Fantastic Four. 

    Frank then used the paints to revive Xxirys, further painting pictures of the Fantastic Four around it. Guided by Frank, the Fantastic Four members' minds possessed and controlled Xxirys. Realizing what was happening, Yucoya-Tzin resolved that despite his latent powers, Frank had become a risk he could not allow to live. As he charged Frank with his blade, however, Xxirys emerged from the rubble.

    The Four's collective wills allowed Xxirys to defeat Zzutak, leaving both creatures buried once again. The Fantastic Four captured Yucoya-Tzin.

(Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry) - The FF turned Tzin and his followers over to Mexican authorities.

Comments: Created by Created by Stan "The Man" Lee, Jack "The King" Kirby, and "Sturdy" Steve Ditko.
    "Talk about a royal lineage!" -- Prime Eternal

    In Conspiracy #1, it was hinted that the organization CONTROL had cleaned up after Zzutak so that the public at large remained unaware of the incident -- not that many people outside of Johnson and the Aztecs ever saw it anyway.
--Prime Eternal

    Yucoya-Tzin imagined a world where his initial plot succeeded, which mirrors this reality:

Earth-61988 Yucoya-Tzin had Frank Johnson use his “three-dimensional” paints to create a series of monsters after Zzutak, which they then used to conquer surrounding continent. Strange Tales #88 (1961)

    Thanks to Loki for providing cleaned-up digital scans of his main image and headshots from Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1.

    Yucoya-Tzin's real name was revealed in Fantastic Four Unlimited#7.

    Yucoya-Tzin originally had a sub-profile under Prime Eternal's Zzutak way back on 2/18/2002.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Yucoya-Tzin should be distinguished from:

The paints utilized by Yucoya-Tzin and Frank Johnson have no KNOWN connection to the paints involved with:
images: (without ads)
 Strange Tales I#88, story pg. 2, panel 2 (incognito face, distant);
            panel 3 (incognito face,
Fantastic Four Unlimited#7, pg. 39, panel 2 (mostly full);
        pg. 40, panel 1 (face, showing a little of the hair on his head);
            panel 2 (blade, threatening Cal);
        pg. 41, panel 2 (face)
Fantastic Four Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin main entry

Appearances:
 Strange Tales I#88 (September, 1961) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Steve Ditko (inks)
 Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (September, 1994) - Roy Thomas (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Carmen Imperato (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters#1 (January, 2006) - Michael Hoskin, Madison Carter, Jeff Christiansen, Sean McQuaid, Stuart Vandal, Eric Moreels, Ronald Byrd, Barry Reese (writers), Jennifer Grunwald & Michael Short (assistant editors), Jeff Younquist (editor)

FF Fifty Fantastic Years#1: Yucoya-Tzin entry (November, 2011) - Jeff Christiansen, Mike O'Sullivan & Stuart Vandal (head writers/coordinators), Markus Raymond & Mike Fichera (assistant coordinators), Sean McQuaid, Madison Carter, Markus Raymond, Ronald Byrd, Patrick Duke, Kevin Garcia, Anthony Cotilletta, Roger Ott, Rob London, Seth Johnson & Eduardo Frye (writers), Gus Vasquez (artist), Theodore W. Kutt (copy editor), James Emmett & Joe Hochstein (editorial assistants), Alex Starbuck & Nelson Ribeiro (assistant editors), Jennifer Grunwald & Mark D. Beazley (editors, special projects), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

First posted: 11/26/2022
Last updated: 12/09/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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