Ka-Zar (comics)

Ka-Zar
Kevin Plunder, the second Ka-Zar, battles dinosaurs in the Savage Land alongside his sabretooth tiger, Zabu. Art by Greg Land.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The X-Men #10 (March 1965)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Kevin Plunder
Species	Human
Partnerships	Zabu Shanna the She-Devil
Notable aliases	Lord of the Hidden Jungle
Abilities	Great hunter, trapper, fisherman, forager, and survivalist Enhanced physical attributes Carries various weapons Ability to communicate with some animals

Ka-Zar (pronunciation: KAY-sar) is the name of two jungle-dwelling fictional comic book characters published in the United States. The first Ka-Zar was named David Rand, and debuted in 1936, first appearing in pulp magazines of the 1930s. In 1939 he was adapted for his second iteration, a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics. The second and more prominent Ka-Zar was named Kevin Plunder, and first appeared in 1965. He is a heroic character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

The second Ka-Zar started as a similar character, but reminiscent of both Tarzan and of writer-artist Joe Kubert's 1950s caveman character, Tor. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in The X-Men #10 (March 1965), he lives in the dinosaur-populated Savage Land, which was hidden beneath Antarctica by extraterrestrials. The character was based on his pulp magazine namesake only to the extent that he used the same name and rough "jungle lord" concept, and Lee has admitted that he had never even read any of the original Ka-Zar stories.

Originally written as a primitive and belligerent savage who spoke in broken English, Ka-Zar later became more articulate and civilized, although he retained a certain degree of distrust toward civilization and was generally wary of outside visitors to the Savage Land. Kevin Plunder refers to himself as the "Lord of the Savage Land", a phrase others have adopted, but this is not a formal title.