Arak (comics)
Encyclopedia
Arak is a fictional
comic book
character published by DC Comics
. He first appeared in a special insert
in Warlord
#48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas
and Ernie Colón
.
who explain his destiny to him he takes on a more Native American appearance, including leather fringed pants and a mohawk hairstyle. Unlike Conan (who Roy Thomas also wrote during his tenure at Marvel Comics
) who usually fought against H. P. Lovecraft
ian monsters and entities, Arak encountered figures and creatures from real-world myth and legends, including Greek
, Norse, Judeo-Christian
, Muslim
, Orient
al, and others. Arak was surprisingly culturally sensitive for the time when it debuted. Unlike other Native American heroes, like Apache Chief
, who took a cartoonish view of Native Americans similar to the old western movie Indians, Arak did not have broken speech or other stereotypical "Indian" traits. Also, the Vikings looked more like real Vikings and were not illustrated wearing the stereotypical horned helmets and fur clothing.
Bright-Sky-After-Storm was discovered as a boy in a canoe out at sea by Vikings. Bright-Sky-After-Storm is rescued just before the canoe sinks. He is unconscious, but awakens just long enough to utter the phrase He-No (a reference to his Native American father) a few times and swing a knife at the Viking leader. He was not attacking, but cut off the leaders necklace which has a hammer symbol called a hammer of thunder (related to the god Thor
from Norse mythology
). The leader wants to kill him, but another Viking stops him and adopts the boy. He names him Arak (intended as "Eric" but Bright-Sky-After-Storm mispronounced it) and raises Bright-Sky-After-Storm as a Viking, trained in warfare. Arak is particularly effective with a small axe, similar in proportion to a native American club he was found with, but can also use a sword, shield, and bow.
Arak joins the Vikings as a young man on their raids. They consist mostly of raiding monasteries for treasure, including a huge gold bejeweled cross which the captain hangs upside down on the mast as a good luck hammer of thunder. Near the end of the first issue, a sea serpent sent by the sorceress
Angelica attacks the Vikings and some monks. All of the Vikings, including Arak's adoptive father, are killed. Arak seizes the gold cross and says "Hammer of one god, or cross of another, strike for me now!"; he throws the cross, which has a sharp bottom, at the serpent. The cross pierces the roof of its mouth and enters its brain, killing it. Arak manages to save one monk. The monk tells him that God has delivered them. Arak replies he does not know it if it had been the monk's god, Thunder, or his own god, whom he had all but forgotten.
-like adventures similar to the other major DC created fantasy hero, Travis Morgan (Warlord)
. He becomes an ally of Carolus Magnus (a.k.a. Charlemagne) and befriends several of his knights. He enters a relationship with Valda the Iron Maiden
. After a time, he leaves his Court on a mission to the Pope
; from there he sets off in search of his destiny.
Arak encounters many creatures and races from myth and legend, gods, heroes and demons. At one point, he dies and encounters his father, He-No, who explains his origin and offers him a place at his side. Arak refuses, wanting to find the remaining fragments of his tribe (now wandering across North America, seeking a new home). In anger, He-No returns his son to his body - but gives him a single feather from his enormous Headdress of Power. From this point on, Arak gains the ability to see spirits and a resistance to magic. He becomes a shaman, although he still concentrates the majority of his skills on his warrior training. Eventually, he bids farewell to his friends and sails from Japan
across the Pacific back to North America. He finds his people and leads them to an island off the West coast of Canada where they remain at peace.
On his deathbed, his father appears to him, tells him he loves him, and leaves a mystic cloak for a descendant who he promises will aid the world when they need it the most. Arak/Bright-Sky-After-Storm dies happy.
during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
in All-Star Squadron
#55 (1985).
More recently, Valda was transported to the present day to become a member of the extended Shadowpact
in the Day of Vengeance
special. She is apparently still living in our time and has visited the Oblivion Bar
on several occasions.
.
Another possible but not confirmed descendant of Arak is the present day anti-hero/villain known as Arak the Wind-Walker. He started out as a wannabee hero in the team Helix, sometimes friends, sometimes foes of Infinity, Inc. He later chose the path of villainy and was killed by team member Penny Dreadful in Justice League: Cry for Justice
#4 (2009).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. He first appeared in a special insert
DC Comics insert previews
DC Comics insert previews were 16-page comic book stories inserted into issues of existing DC Comics series to promote new series usually debuting the next month. Running from 1980 to 1985, they consisted of a front cover, 14 pages of story, and a back cover that depicted the cover of the actual...
in Warlord
Warlord (comics)
The Warlord is a sword and sorcery comic book published by DC Comics. The series and titular character debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 , and was created by Mike Grell.-Publication history:...
#48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Ernie Colón
Ernie Colon
Ernie Colón is an American comics artist, born on July 13, 1931,Colón was born in Puerto Rico and began his professional career at Harvey Comics as a letterer. He later worked, uncredited, as an artist on titles including Monster in My Pocket, Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost...
.
Publication history
Arak (Bright-Sky-After-Storm) appears very much as a Native American Conan in the early books. Later, after encountering the MoiraeMoirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
who explain his destiny to him he takes on a more Native American appearance, including leather fringed pants and a mohawk hairstyle. Unlike Conan (who Roy Thomas also wrote during his tenure at Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
) who usually fought against H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
ian monsters and entities, Arak encountered figures and creatures from real-world myth and legends, including Greek
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Norse, Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
, Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
al, and others. Arak was surprisingly culturally sensitive for the time when it debuted. Unlike other Native American heroes, like Apache Chief
Apache Chief
Apache Chief is a fictional Native American superhero from the various Super Friends cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera. He was one of the new heroes added to increase the number of non-white characters in the Super Friends ranks...
, who took a cartoonish view of Native Americans similar to the old western movie Indians, Arak did not have broken speech or other stereotypical "Indian" traits. Also, the Vikings looked more like real Vikings and were not illustrated wearing the stereotypical horned helmets and fur clothing.
Fictional character biography
Arak's mother, Star-of-Dawn (of the Quontauka Indian tribe) was seduced by the evil serpent god while wandering alone. She realized at the last moment what was happening, and tried to escape before the final act. Responding to her prayers, she was rescued by He-No, the Thunder God, who took her into his realm. Under his care she recovered from the serpent god's poisonous bite, and she gave herself to him in gratitude. Although she enjoyed her time with him, she did not really love him, and missed her people; so he returned her to her tribe. Her grandfather, the tribal shaman, recognized the touch of both deities upon her, and that she bore He-No's child. She named him Bright-Sky-After-Storm, for 'he will follow in his father's footsteps, who is the thunder'. Years later, a tribe that worshiped the serpent deity attacked while the serpent itself attacked He-No; the Thunder God was winning but saw his son about to die. He struck down the attacker, suffering severe wounds in the process. While most of his tribe was slaughtered, his father arranged for Bright-Sky-After-Storm to wind up in a canoe and float out to sea, beyond his enemies' reach.Bright-Sky-After-Storm was discovered as a boy in a canoe out at sea by Vikings. Bright-Sky-After-Storm is rescued just before the canoe sinks. He is unconscious, but awakens just long enough to utter the phrase He-No (a reference to his Native American father) a few times and swing a knife at the Viking leader. He was not attacking, but cut off the leaders necklace which has a hammer symbol called a hammer of thunder (related to the god Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
). The leader wants to kill him, but another Viking stops him and adopts the boy. He names him Arak (intended as "Eric" but Bright-Sky-After-Storm mispronounced it) and raises Bright-Sky-After-Storm as a Viking, trained in warfare. Arak is particularly effective with a small axe, similar in proportion to a native American club he was found with, but can also use a sword, shield, and bow.
Arak joins the Vikings as a young man on their raids. They consist mostly of raiding monasteries for treasure, including a huge gold bejeweled cross which the captain hangs upside down on the mast as a good luck hammer of thunder. Near the end of the first issue, a sea serpent sent by the sorceress
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
Angelica attacks the Vikings and some monks. All of the Vikings, including Arak's adoptive father, are killed. Arak seizes the gold cross and says "Hammer of one god, or cross of another, strike for me now!"; he throws the cross, which has a sharp bottom, at the serpent. The cross pierces the roof of its mouth and enters its brain, killing it. Arak manages to save one monk. The monk tells him that God has delivered them. Arak replies he does not know it if it had been the monk's god, Thunder, or his own god, whom he had all but forgotten.
Adventures
After the first issue, Arak goes on to other ConanConan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
-like adventures similar to the other major DC created fantasy hero, Travis Morgan (Warlord)
Warlord (comics)
The Warlord is a sword and sorcery comic book published by DC Comics. The series and titular character debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 , and was created by Mike Grell.-Publication history:...
. He becomes an ally of Carolus Magnus (a.k.a. Charlemagne) and befriends several of his knights. He enters a relationship with Valda the Iron Maiden
Valda the Iron Maiden
Valda the Iron Maiden is a fictional character created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón for DC Comics. She debuted in Arak, Son of Thunder #3 ....
. After a time, he leaves his Court on a mission to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
; from there he sets off in search of his destiny.
Arak encounters many creatures and races from myth and legend, gods, heroes and demons. At one point, he dies and encounters his father, He-No, who explains his origin and offers him a place at his side. Arak refuses, wanting to find the remaining fragments of his tribe (now wandering across North America, seeking a new home). In anger, He-No returns his son to his body - but gives him a single feather from his enormous Headdress of Power. From this point on, Arak gains the ability to see spirits and a resistance to magic. He becomes a shaman, although he still concentrates the majority of his skills on his warrior training. Eventually, he bids farewell to his friends and sails from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
across the Pacific back to North America. He finds his people and leads them to an island off the West coast of Canada where they remain at peace.
On his deathbed, his father appears to him, tells him he loves him, and leaves a mystic cloak for a descendant who he promises will aid the world when they need it the most. Arak/Bright-Sky-After-Storm dies happy.
Time travelling
Arak and Valda (along with several other heroes of past eras) traveled to the present day to help battling the Ultra-HumaniteUltra-Humanite
The Ultra-Humanite is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #13 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster...
during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
in All-Star Squadron
All-Star Squadron
The All-Star Squadron is a DC Comics superhero team that debuted in a special insert in Justice League of America #193 . Created by Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler and Jerry Ordway.-The concept:...
#55 (1985).
More recently, Valda was transported to the present day to become a member of the extended Shadowpact
Shadowpact
The Shadowpact is a group of magic-based heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 limited series Day of Vengeance, published by DC Comics. They are a sort of Justice League for the supernatural elements of the DC Universe...
in the Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
special. She is apparently still living in our time and has visited the Oblivion Bar
Oblivion Bar
The Oblivion Bar is a fictional location that appears in titles published by DC Comics. It first appeared in the DC Comics series Day of Vengeance #1 , and was created by Bill Willingham and Justiniano....
on several occasions.
Descendants
In the 1940s, Arak's cloak grants its power to fly to his descendant, Flying Fox, of the Young All-StarsYoung All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in Young All-Stars #1, dated June 1987.-Publication history:...
.
Another possible but not confirmed descendant of Arak is the present day anti-hero/villain known as Arak the Wind-Walker. He started out as a wannabee hero in the team Helix, sometimes friends, sometimes foes of Infinity, Inc. He later chose the path of villainy and was killed by team member Penny Dreadful in Justice League: Cry for Justice
Justice League: Cry for Justice
Justice League: Cry for Justice is a seven-issue comic book limited series, written by James Robinson, drawn by Mauro Cascioli, and published by DC Comics in 2009...
#4 (2009).
In other media
- In 1982, several of the characters from the "Warlord" series received action figures in a line called "Lost World of the Warlord" from RemcoRemcoRemco Industries, Inc. was a toy company founded in the 1940s that was best known for toys marketed and sold in the late 1950s and 1960s, like the Johnny Reb Cannon and Mighty Matilda Atomic Aircraft Carrier. The slogan was "Every Boy Wants a Remco Toy...And So Do Girls!" Remco was founded by two...
. Despite his not being related to the Warlord series, Arak was one of the figures in the line.