King Shark
Encyclopedia
King Shark is a DC Comics
supervillain
. The character was introduced in Superboy
vol.3, #0 in October 1994.
, Nanaue is a humanoid
shark
. His father is "The King of all Sharks"—also known as the Shark God. Other characters, such as special agent Sam Makoa, have dismissed this as superstition and referred to Nanaue as a "savage mutation
" with no mystical nature. Given the reality of magic within the DC Universe
, either origin is equally possible. It has also been implied he was one of the "Wild Men", evolved animals based on those in Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth
. The now-ended Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis series, however, seems to have put an end to the controversy by firmly establishing him as the Shark God's son.
to destroy the Silicon Dragons, King Shark was forced to help. An explosive belt was strapped to his waist, set to detonate if anything happened to Makoa. Other members of the Squad included Knockout
and Squad veterans Deadshot and Captain Boomerang
.
Nanuae was a crazed fighting machine, shredding legions of the Dragons (and killing Sidearm too, when he betrays the team). Despite the belt detonating, King Shark survived the blast and the destruction of the lair.
After a research team sent to investigate the lair's remains went missing, King Shark was initially suspected, but it turned out to be Black Manta
. King Shark fought Superboy duking it out with the Kid, but he was defeated again and driven out to sea.
King Shark later turned up in the Wild Lands (where the implication that he was really a Wild Man was made) and fought Superboy and his allies. After a fierce battle, he was defeated, but no body was recovered.
He joins Manchester Black
's Legion of Villains in the "Ending Battle". In this case, he turned up in Metropolis
and attacked Jimmy Olsen
. Superman quickly took him down, knocking most of his teeth out (although apparently they grew back later). Whereas in all of his previous appearances he had only two lines of dialogue, in this issue he was quite chatty (although that may have simply been because of Black's influence). He also was smaller and a long way from the water.
King Shark also made an appearance during the Joker's
Last Laugh riot with Orca
.
King Shark is recruited into Alexander Luthor's Secret Society of Supervillains and is one of the many sent to attack Sub Diego. During the battle he kills Neptune Perkins.
after the Infinite Crisis
, bearing a scar from a previous encounter with Aquaman. He is less violent and more talkative than in previous appearances. His origin has been definitely given as son of the Shark God, due to the new Aquaman book being more magic-based than previous incarnations. It also appears that he will be a major character from now on: in fact he has currently started acting as an unwilling caretaker for Arthur Joseph Curry. Saved from a gang of marauders by the young man, he brought him to the mysterious Dweller in the Depths (the mutated, for unknown reasons, Aquaman) who gave him the role of assisting the new Aquaman in filling his role. Albeit feigning disrespect, and often disappearing for a while, King Shark accepted, sharing his knowledge of the way of sea with his young savior. It is later revealed in a flashback sequence that he was asked to do so by his father :
The following arc tells the first meeting between the original Aquaman and King Shark, which occurred several years ago. It took place in Reef's End, a little border town in the Coral Sea, distant from Atlantis. Orin — who was still the King of Atlantis at this time — fought King Shark because he murdered a priest belonging to the Order of the Thorny Crown. In the last six months, King Shark had killed a lot of other members of this group, obeying his father's will. Indeed, the Order was associated with an old prophecy:
The Shark God believed that if the Order was destroyed, that would trigger the prophecy, birthing some great power in the process. However, King Shark was defeated by Aquaman before reaching his father's goal. He then was imprisoned by priests of the Thorny Crown for three years, before escaping; Nanaue mentions that he was tortured during his captivity.
King Shark is among the Superboy's villains brought by Krypto
to a hill near the Smallville
high school. However, he is either unconscious or stunned at the time.
Most recently, he has joined the Secret Six as a brawler. His tenure with the Six proves to be short-lived, as the team is soon captured by a large group of superheroes during a failed mission in Gotham City
. King Shark manages to briefly overpower his old foe Superboy during the battle, but is ultimately pummeled into unconsciousness by Supergirl
.
along former Deadshot and Harley Quinn
(both former members of the Secret Six) following the end of the Flashpoint
event. However, he now resembles a Hammerhead shark
.
event, King Shark works as a strongman
freak show in the Haley's Circus. Haley's Circus is attack by Amazons; King Shark is killed by Amazons while trying to save Doctor Fate
.
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...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
. The character was introduced in Superboy
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
vol.3, #0 in October 1994.
Origin
Born in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Nanaue is a humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
. His father is "The King of all Sharks"—also known as the Shark God. Other characters, such as special agent Sam Makoa, have dismissed this as superstition and referred to Nanaue as a "savage mutation
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
" with no mystical nature. Given the reality of magic within the DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, either origin is equally possible. It has also been implied he was one of the "Wild Men", evolved animals based on those in Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth
Kamandi
Kamandi is an American comic book character, created by artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The bulk of Kamandi's appearances occurred in the comic series Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth, which ran from 1972 to 1978....
. The now-ended Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis series, however, seems to have put an end to the controversy by firmly establishing him as the Shark God's son.
Superboy
King Shark was responsible for several missing persons several years before Superboy arrived in Hawaii. Sam Makoa was responsible for bringing him in and bore the scars forever after. King Shark is freed by the Silicon Dragons who plan on hiring him. Nanaue is not interested, however, and kills his liberators before heading to his mother's house. His mother allows him to bite her arm off to feed. Superboy managed to take him down by firing a point blank blast of heat vision from his "X-Ray specs." When Superboy and Makoa were assigned to the Suicide SquadSuicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
to destroy the Silicon Dragons, King Shark was forced to help. An explosive belt was strapped to his waist, set to detonate if anything happened to Makoa. Other members of the Squad included Knockout
Knockout (comics)
Knockout is a fictional character, a supervillainess in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared in Superboy vol. 2 #1 , and was created by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett.-Fictional character biography:...
and Squad veterans Deadshot and Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang is a fictional character in the . A supervillain traditionally portrayed as an enemy of the Flash...
.
Nanuae was a crazed fighting machine, shredding legions of the Dragons (and killing Sidearm too, when he betrays the team). Despite the belt detonating, King Shark survived the blast and the destruction of the lair.
After a research team sent to investigate the lair's remains went missing, King Shark was initially suspected, but it turned out to be Black Manta
Black Manta
Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as the archenemy of Aquaman. The character debuted in Aquaman #35 .-Fictional character biography:...
. King Shark fought Superboy duking it out with the Kid, but he was defeated again and driven out to sea.
King Shark later turned up in the Wild Lands (where the implication that he was really a Wild Man was made) and fought Superboy and his allies. After a fierce battle, he was defeated, but no body was recovered.
He joins Manchester Black
Manchester Black
Manchester Black is a fictional character, and an antihero in the DC Comics universe. He was created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke in Action Comics #775, .-Fictional character biography:...
's Legion of Villains in the "Ending Battle". In this case, he turned up in Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
and attacked Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
. Superman quickly took him down, knocking most of his teeth out (although apparently they grew back later). Whereas in all of his previous appearances he had only two lines of dialogue, in this issue he was quite chatty (although that may have simply been because of Black's influence). He also was smaller and a long way from the water.
King Shark also made an appearance during the Joker's
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
Last Laugh riot with Orca
Orca (comics)
Orca is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, who first appeared in Batman #579.-Fictional character biography:Grace Balin attends Gotham Gate college and quickly becomes fascinated with the ocean. She receives a Ph. D in Marine Biology and Bio-Medicine and takes a job at the Gotham Aquarium...
.
King Shark is recruited into Alexander Luthor's Secret Society of Supervillains and is one of the many sent to attack Sub Diego. During the battle he kills Neptune Perkins.
One year later
Nanaue reappears one yearOne Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
after the Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, bearing a scar from a previous encounter with Aquaman. He is less violent and more talkative than in previous appearances. His origin has been definitely given as son of the Shark God, due to the new Aquaman book being more magic-based than previous incarnations. It also appears that he will be a major character from now on: in fact he has currently started acting as an unwilling caretaker for Arthur Joseph Curry. Saved from a gang of marauders by the young man, he brought him to the mysterious Dweller in the Depths (the mutated, for unknown reasons, Aquaman) who gave him the role of assisting the new Aquaman in filling his role. Albeit feigning disrespect, and often disappearing for a while, King Shark accepted, sharing his knowledge of the way of sea with his young savior. It is later revealed in a flashback sequence that he was asked to do so by his father :
"The currents of destiny bend and twist around that young man. For good or ill, he will shape the coming oceanscape. You will protect him. You will be my agent in his camp. Close enough to guard against others who seek to control him. And close enough, when I decide the time is ripe... ... to strike, and kill him without warning."
The following arc tells the first meeting between the original Aquaman and King Shark, which occurred several years ago. It took place in Reef's End, a little border town in the Coral Sea, distant from Atlantis. Orin — who was still the King of Atlantis at this time — fought King Shark because he murdered a priest belonging to the Order of the Thorny Crown. In the last six months, King Shark had killed a lot of other members of this group, obeying his father's will. Indeed, the Order was associated with an old prophecy:
"When thorned crown lies shattered, she comes. Born of coral, of life-in-death, of long prayer. Shake the sea floor with her power, shall she, shake the destiny of all beneath the waves..."
The Shark God believed that if the Order was destroyed, that would trigger the prophecy, birthing some great power in the process. However, King Shark was defeated by Aquaman before reaching his father's goal. He then was imprisoned by priests of the Thorny Crown for three years, before escaping; Nanaue mentions that he was tortured during his captivity.
Post Final Crisis
King Shark's jaw is broken after being cleaved wide open and later his left arm is ripped off his body during a battle but grows back.King Shark is among the Superboy's villains brought by Krypto
Krypto
Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional character. He is Superman's pet dog in the various Superman comic books published by DC Comics. Krypto's first appearance was in a Superboy story in Adventure Comics #210 in March 1955...
to a hill near the Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
high school. However, he is either unconscious or stunned at the time.
Most recently, he has joined the Secret Six as a brawler. His tenure with the Six proves to be short-lived, as the team is soon captured by a large group of superheroes during a failed mission in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. King Shark manages to briefly overpower his old foe Superboy during the battle, but is ultimately pummeled into unconsciousness by Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
.
Relaunch
It has been confirmed that King Shark wil be joining a new version of the Suicide SquadSuicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
along former Deadshot and Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
(both former members of the Secret Six) following the end of the Flashpoint
Flashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event. However, he now resembles a Hammerhead shark
Hammerhead shark
The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a "cephalofoil". Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna while the...
.
Powers and abilities
King Shark's augmented flesh provides protection against the pressures of the deep and physical attacks. He has shark-like teeth and can use them as a weapon. He has gills and can breathe in water as well as on land. He can swim at great speeds in water and is resistant to cold, which is an adaptation to undersea life. He has had his strength and endurance enhanced. He can also regenerate.Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
event, King Shark works as a strongman
Strongman (circus)
The circus strongman is one of many acts found in a modern circus. The strongman demonstrates great strength, power and agility to the audience. The strongman and strongwomen were very popular attractions in the circus in the 19th century....
freak show in the Haley's Circus. Haley's Circus is attack by Amazons; King Shark is killed by Amazons while trying to save Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
.
Film
- King Shark appears in Superman/Batman: Public EnemiesSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies# "Markets Crash"# "Main Titles"# "Freeway Chase"# "Admit Something"# "Meteor"# "Metallo"# "High Voltage"# "Framed"# "Luthor talks to Power Girl"# "S.T.A.R...
. He is among the supervillains that attacks Batman and Superman.