Jaguar (Archie Comics)
| The Jaguar | |
|---|---|
|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher |
Archie Comics Red Circle Comics |
| First appearance | Adventures of the Jaguar #1, September 1961 |
| Created by |
Robert Bernstein John Rosenberger |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Ralph Hardy |
| Team affiliations |
Terrific Three Mighty Crusaders |
| Abilities | enhanced strength, animal powers, telepathic control over animals, flight |
The Jaguar is a superhero first published in 1961 by Archie Comics. He was created by writer Robert Bernstein and artist John Rosenberger as part of Archie's "Archie Adventure Series". This happened prior to that comics line being camped up as part of their Mighty Comics imprint.
The Jaguar is zoologist Ralph Hardy. While on a dig in Peru, (Hardy, like most Silver Age heroes, was a man of many interests and talents, including archeology), a giant serpent burst forth from the ground and began terrorizing the area. While the others fled, Hardy followed a rare white jaguar into a ruined temple and found a series of cave drawings depicting the ancient Incas battling the same monster, as well as a mystical "nucleon energy belt". The round golden buckle of the belt had the engraved image of a winged Jaguar on the front and on the back an inscription which read: "He who loves the animal kingdom may wear this belt and be transformed into a human Jaguar". Hardy put on the belt and was instantly transformed.
As The Jaguar, he possessed, in addition to the expected feline abilities, all the powers of the animal kingdom, only a thousand times more powerful. The oft-quoted "magnified toughness of a rhinoceros' hide", for example, gave him near Superman level invulnerability. He also had the Aquaman-style telepathic ability to mentally communicate with and command all animals, including those from alien worlds.
The Jaguar wore a simple, skintight scarlet bodysuit with a flared black collar and the stylized suggestion of a feline face (just the eyes, whiskers, and open mouth) on the chest and jaguar pelt-patterned boots and nucleon belt. The latter had two small rocket packs on either side which gave him the power of supersonic flight. He wore no mask and looked exactly like Ralph Hardy, except that Hardy had a mustache, while The Jaguar did not. (Post-Silver Age comics artists tend to give the latter pointed ears and a more cat-like hairstyle, making him vaguely resemble a cross between the Sub-Mariner and the movie version of Wolverine.)
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