Perhaps the most brutal member of the Fourth World cast is Kalibak the Cruel.
Darkseid's other son, this fearsome looking fellow hates his brother Orion with a passion that nearly demolishes a city.
But Kalibak clearly seemed meant to evoke an earlier Kirby creation, the malevolent Troll from Marvel's Thor series, the equally fearsome Ulik.
I always found Ulik a satisfying Thor opponent for two reasons, he could hang and bang with Thor on equal footing and he was no-holds barred in his attacks.
That seems to have been the template for Kirby's later Kalibak.
Regardless of which beast-man one prefers, there's no doubt neither of these lovely gents is someone you'd want to meet in a dark alley, or any alley for that matter.
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And of course Kalibak evokes the tormented, embittered monster of Prospero's island more effectively than Marvel's Caliban.
ReplyDeleteIt's the added value of the family dynamic. Despite his loyalty (of sorts) it must be galling to Kalibak that Darkseid constantly focuses on Orion. It's a reverse version of the good kid being overlooked while the parent focuses on the troubled child.
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I had a Kalibak toy growing up, so he was always one of the villains my toy superheroes had to fight.
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