Weird (comics)

The Weird
Cover to The Weird #4 Art by Bernie Wrightson
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Weird #1 (April 1988)
Created by	Jim Starlin Bernie Wrightson
In-story information
Species	Zarolatt
Notable aliases	Walter Langley
Abilities	Density manipulation Energy manipulation Flight Non-corporeal energy form

The Weird is a fictional DC Comics character created by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson. He first appeared in his own self-titled miniseries The Weird in 1988.

The Weird appeared in the eponymous mini-series.

The character returned in a number of series written by Starlin: the 2006 Mystery in Space series, Rann-Thanagar Holy War (2008) and the 2009 Strange Adventures series.

A being of pure energy from an alternate dimension, The Weird was a member of a race known as the Zarolatts. For years, his people had been exploited as energy sources by a cruel race known as the Macrolatts. However, for some unknown reason, The Weird did not share the docile acceptance of the rest of his race. When the Macrolatts sought to bridge the dimensional gap and attack other realms, The Weird knew he had to act. Escaping through a portal to another world, The Weird found himself on the planet Earth.

Seeking a corporeal form to contain his energy, he possessed the body of a dead man named Walter Langley. This produced a composite form which contained both The Weird's memories and traces of Langley's. In this shape, he sought out Earth's superheroes for aid and was dubbed "The Weird" by the Blue Beetle. With the heroes' assistance, he was able to repel the Macrolatt invasion.

Tragically, his victory was short-lived. The Weird soon discovered that his new body was molecularly unstable and approaching critical mass. With the help of Green Lantern Guy Gardner, he was taken to the depths of space where he detonated, ending his brief life in the physical realm.

Starlin would later return to his creation in the pages of the 2006 limited series, Mystery in Space. For years, The Weird's spiritual essence had floated in the void until it made contact with the disembodied Captain Comet, himself robbed of life by the villainous Lady Styx. The intermingling of these spiritual bodies produced a reaction, which neither of them at this point understand, returning them both to life in regenerated bodies.