Dragon King (DC Comics)
| Dragon King | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | All-Star Squadron #4 (December 1981) |
| Created by |
Roy Thomas (writer) Rich Buckler (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Black Dragon Society |
| Abilities | Hybrid of human and lizard superior intelligence, strength and speed |
Dragon King is a fictional character from DC Comics. He was created by Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler, and first appeared in All-Star Squadron #4, in December 1981.
The man known as "Dragon King" was a high-ranking official in the Japanese government during World War II, as well as a brilliant scientist. He was the researcher responsible for the creation of the nerve gas K887. He obtained the mythical Holy Grail for axis Japan, and was able to combine it with Adolf Hitler's Spear of Destiny which the German dictator had loaned to Japanese General Hideki Tōjō. With the two items, the Dragon King and Hitler were able to create a field of arcane magic that shielded imperial Japan and Fortress Europa from attack by the allies' super heroes or "Mystery Men". The field insured that any hero with magic-based powers, or a vulnerability to magic (like Superman), would instantly be converted to the Axis cause, keeping some of the allies' most powerful heroes out of the theatre of war. Some heroes were temporarily able to circumvent this for humanitarian missions, despite the Dragon King's best efforts. After Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, the Dragon King went into hiding and experimented with combining his own genetic material with that of a lizard. He eventually succeeded in making himself a hybrid of human and reptile.
In more recent history, the Dragon King resurfaced in the fictional town of Blue Valley, Nebraska, with a daughter named Cindy Burman, now a villainess called "Shiv". He clashed against the second Star-Spangled Kid, Courtney Whitmore, her sidekick S.T.R.I.P.E., and the Shining Knight, while the latter was on a quest to reclaim the Holy Grail. It is strongly implied during this confrontation that the Dragon King had in the past murdered the All-Star Squadron member Firebrand. During this fight, the Dragon King himself was apparently killed, although his body was never found. He later resurfaced with the Spear of Destiny in his possession and attempted to raise an army of super-powered soldiers, but was defeated by the Justice Society of America.
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