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Quex-Ul

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Quex-Ul
Quex-Ul on the first page of Superman #157.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceSuperman #157 (November 1962)
Created byCurt Swan
Edmond Hamilton
In-story information
SpeciesKryptonian
Place of originKrypton
Notable aliasesCharlie Kweskill
Abilities
  • Superhuman strength, stamina, endurance, speed, agility, reflexes, longevity, and senses
  • Invulnerability
  • Flight
  • Heat vision
  • Ice and wind breath
  • Solar radiation absorption

Quex-Ul is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is depicted as an enemy of Superman.

Quex-Ul appeared in the television series Krypton, portrayed by Gordon Alexander.

Publication history

Quex-Ul first appeared in Superman #157 (1962) and was created by Curt Swan and Edmond Hamilton.

Fictional character biography

Pre-Crisis

First appearing in Superman #157 (Nov. 1962), Quex-Ul was a Kryptonian exiled to the Phantom Zone when he was convicted of killing Rondors, an endangered species, to use their healing horns for the purpose of profit.[1] He confessed and spent his time in the Zone, but was released by Superman when his time was up. Not a grateful sort, he attempted to lure Superman into a gold kryptonite trap, until Superman discovered that Quex-Ul had actually acted under the mental control of another Kryptonian, Rog-Ar, the true rondor killer. Learning this, Quex-Ul threw himself into the trap to save the hero, losing his powers and memory.[2]

In the 1982 The Phantom Zone mini-series, he later works at the Daily Planet, believing himself to be an Earthman named "Charlie Kweskill". Susceptible to unconscious influence by Phantom Zoners, he unwittingly frees them and is himself trapped in the Zone along with Superman. Together they seek a way out of the Zone, ultimately facing a malevolent entity called Aethyr, whose mind creates the Phantom Zone. On arrival, Superman and Quex-Ul find themselves wearing each other's clothes, and "Charlie" wonders if he now has super powers. It is unclear whether his powers or memory have actually been restored, the costume swap having been effected as some sort of amusement by Aethyr. To save the Man of Steel, Quex-Ul flies towards Aethyr and dies in a shower of fiery breath, sacrificing his life in a final act of redemption.

Post-Crisis

Panel from Superman #22 (October 1988). Superman (left) executing General Zod, Quex-Ul and Zaora (center left to right). Art by John Byrne.

In the Pocket Universe (which was an alternate version of the pre-Crisis Earth-One), Quex-Ul was freed with General Zod and Zaora from the Phantom Zone by a naive Lex Luthor, whereupon they turned Pocket Earth into a dead world. Quex-Ul and the others were executed by Superman using green kryptonite, a controversial move that haunted him for some time.

Adventure Comics

In Adventure Comics #512 (late May 2010), Quex-Ul makes an appearance under the cover name of Edward Robertson. He was later killed by Squad K of Project 7734. He is also shown in the Phantom Zone with General Zod and the rest of the Phantom Zone criminals, including Jax-Ur, Non, Ursa, Car-Vex, Az-Rel and Nadira. His was a plan developed by Car-Vex aka Officer Romundi and General Sam Lane.

Powers and abilities

As a Kryptonian, Quex-Ul has superpowers derived from under the light of Earth's yellow sun in a solar system. His basic abilities are sufficient for him to bend steel, overpower a locomotive, leap over a tall building in one bound, and outrun a speeding bullet, as well as virtual invulnerability, accelerated recovery, laser eyebeams, vortex breath, and flight. He possesses extraordinary senses of hearing and sight including x-ray, telescopic, and microscopic vision. Like all Kryptonians, he is vulnerable to Kryptonite, red sunlight, and magic.[3]

In other media

Television

  • Quex-Ul appears in the Justice League Action episode "Field Trip" with his vocal effects provided by Jason J. Lewis.[4] This version is a large Kryptonian with a beard and no hair. As Superman gives Blue Beetle, Firestorm, and Stargirl a tour of the Fortress of Solitude and are shown the Phantom Zone Projector, General Zod, Faora, and Quex-Ul are released and Superman is accidentally sent to the Phantom Zone. Blue Beetle, Firestorm, and Stargirl attempt to use a Green Kryptonite fragment on them only for it to be too small for them. Under the yellow sun, General Zod and his two followers gain superpowers and end up in a fight with Blue Beetle, Firestorm, and Stargirl. As Blue Beetle and Stargirl hold off the Kryptonian villains, Firestorm uses Martin Stein's guidance to learn how to transmutate anything to Kryptonite. Testing on the ice, Firestorm transmutates it to Green Kryptonite which weakens General Zod and his two followers. Afterwards, Superman is freed from the Phantom Zone and General Zod and his followers are thrown into the Phantom Zone.
  • Quex-Ul appears in Krypton, portrayed by Gordon Alexander. He is a member of the Military Guild/Kandor's Sagitari and the commander of Lyta-Zod's squadron. In "House of El", Lyta discovers that the Military Guild plans to purge the slums to draw out Black Zero terrorists and challenges Quex-Ul to a duel to the death for command of the squadron. Lyta then manages to defeat him in combat and mercilessly kills him, despite his pleas for mercy, allowing Lyta to take over as commander of the squadron.

Novels

In several 'Choose Your Own Adventure'-type novels, Quex-Ul was one of the three prominent Phantom Zone criminals, notable for the fact that he was already very strong before he was exposed to a yellow sun. However, he was not exceptionally intelligent, and relied on General Zod to tell him what to do. This portrayal was more like Non, the movie villain who served as the basis for Quex-Ul's Post-Crisis incarnation.

References

  1. ^ Greenberger, Robert; Pasko, Martin (2010). The Essential Superman Encyclopedia. Del Rey. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-345-50108-0.
  2. ^ Eury, Michael (2019). Steve Gerber: Conversations. University Press of Mississippi. p. 191. ISBN 9781496823069.
  3. ^ Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol 1 #18 (August 1986)
  4. ^ Wes Gleason [@Wes_Gleason] (13 May 2017). "@DCAUResource @TheJLew handled that" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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