Ka-Zar (pulp series)

Ka-Zar
David Rand, the original Ka-Zar alongside his lion Zar, from the cover of the pulp magazine Ka-Zar v1#1 October 1936. This character was later integrated into Marvel Comics (then called Timely Comics) via Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939).
Publication information
Publisher	Timely Comics (now Marvel Comics)
First appearance	Ka-Zar #1 (October 1936)
Created by	Bob Byrd
In-story information
Alter ego	David Rand
Abilities	Peak physical strength, speed, agility and reflexes, Ability to communicate with some animals

Ka-Zar was a short-lived pulp magazine series of three issues featuring the first iteration of Ka-Zar, a boy raised by lions to become a Tarzan-like jungle lord. Written by Bob Byrd and published by Martin Goodman's Manvis Publication Inc., the cover and lead story of each issue featured the eponymous hero.

American John Rand’s plane crashes in the Congo jungle with his wife Constance and very young son David on board. After some time lost in the jungle, Constance dies of a jungle malady. Zar, the lion who witnessed everything, keeps an eye on them. Two weeks later, when his son becomes sick, John decides to march out of the jungle, but a storm causes a large tree to fall on him. He recovers physically but mentally lives in a delusional world, believing that the jungle is his home. The boy recovers and grows up and at eight is a husky lad.

David Rand continues to grow and meets the jungle animals, keeping his distance from the natives he met. The natives work for a greedy and vicious fat man named Paul de Kraft, who is after emeralds. David, now a strong young man, has been away from camp and returns to see his father dying, their hut in flames and de Kraft present there for everything. Zar the lion saves David from de Kraft. His father dies and David now thinks of himself as Ka-Zar, brother of Zar. The rest of the story is about how he tracks down de Kraft and, with Zar’s help, finally kills him. Like in the Tarzan stories, the creatures of the jungle all have names. Ka-Zar has a rudimentary education and talks accordingly.

This story was serialised in comic form in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939) and Marvel Mystery Comics # 2-5 (December 1939 to March 1940). The Ka-Zar character continued with new stories until MMC # 27 (January 1942). Ray Gill and Bob Oskner did stories and artwork. Ka-Zar also appeared in Human Torch # 5 (Fall 1941)

The first Ka-Zar, David Rand, was a typical "jungle lord" in the Tarzan vein, also known as Ka-Zar the Great, who first appeared in the pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1 (October 1936) from Manvis Publishing, one of many magazine companies owned by Martin Goodman. Writer-artist Ben Thompson adapted the pulp story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd for Goodman's first comic book, Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939). In the 2000s (decade), the David Rand Ka-Zar was featured in the All New Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe A-Z.