Zabu
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Zabu is a fictional
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...
sabretooth tiger character appearing in American comic books published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The character is connected primarily to the
Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books. ...
, and the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
, and most recently the Avengers (by way of the "
Pet Avengers ''Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from July to October 2009. It was followed up by the four-issue limited series ''Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed'' from May to August 20 ...
"). He is the last known living Pleistocene
Smilodon ''Smilodon'' is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. It is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals and the best known saber-toothed cat. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely rela ...
big cat and is a companion and ally of Ka-Zar. An earlier version was known simply as Zar, in the
pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...
version of ''Ka-Zar the Savage'', featured in '' Ka-Zar'' magazine.


Publication history

He first appeared in ''X-Men'' #10 (March 1965). Zabu starred in the ''
Pet Avengers ''Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from July to October 2009. It was followed up by the four-issue limited series ''Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed'' from May to August 20 ...
'' series.


Fictional character biography

Zabu was born in the
Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books. ...
. While still a cub, his mother and siblings were killed by human hunters. He wandered the Savage Land on his own, teaching himself how to survive as he grew to adulthood. Zabu encountered a young boy named Kevin Plunder as he was about to be attacked by a group of human Savage Land natives. Zabu saved Kevin, and the two became companions. Zabu protected the boy as he grew to adulthood, and eventually took on the name Ka-Zar, which means "son of the tiger". Zabu was brought to near-human intelligence due to exposure to
radioactive Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is consi ...
mists. Zabu helps Ka-Zar battle many enemies. For example, in ''Ka-Zar: Lord of the Hidden Jungle'' #3 they confront '
El Tigre El Tigre () is a city of Venezuela located in the state Anzoátegui. It is the capital of Simón Rodríguez Municipality and it is located south in Anzoategui state, equidistant from the Orinoco River and the Caribbean Sea in the Guanipa Mesa a ...
' and 'Man-God'. This particular battle resulted in El Tigre mentally controlling Zabu for a time, causing him to attack Ka-Zar. El Tigre lost control before any serious injuries happened. The assistance of Bobbi Morse was vital in rescuing Zabu's mind. Later, Zabu is involved with one of the earlier confrontations with the demonic Belasco. This involves the seeming death of a good friend, 'Dherk'. Zabu teams up with the X-Men to root out villains in the Savage Land. Zabu's family grows by two when Ka-Zar marries '' Shanna the She-Devil'' and they later have a son named Matthew. Zabu befriends the Savage Land native, Zira, who becomes Matthew's nanny. He also assists when Gregor, a hunter, kidnaps Matthew.


New York, New York

Zabu left the Savage Land in at least one instance, venturing to New York City with Ka-Zar during marital difficulties; his master was having difficulty controlling an addiction to outside technology. Zabu had many adventures in New York City, as he assisted Ka-Zar and Shanna against Parnival Plunder, who wished to kill them all. In a follow up to these sequence of adventures, as Kevin attempts to clear out their New York holdings, Zabu is forced to act as a seeing eye tiger. His master had been temporarily blinded and deafened in a subway shoot-out, framed for it and pursued by the police and the Punisher. During this, Zabu practices his jumping, as he keeps blowing them, causing property damage.


Amazing Spider-Man

In a Spider-Man family one-shot in issue six, the secondary story is about Zabu having emotional troubles, knowing he has no family left. Ka-Zar asked Peter to watch Zabu while he attends a world summit on global warming. Later, Peter's Aunt May (completely unaware Zabu is hiding in the garage, because after Uncle Ben was killed, she tries to stay away from there) told Peter that this is how she felt, knowing she has outlived her friends, husband, and relatives. Peter used this to bond with Zabu. Peter took Zabu to a museum to interact with the fake sabretooth tigers on display, and they were almost caught by a guard. Peter told Zabu to pull a "
Calvin and Hobbes ''Calvin and Hobbes'' is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic", ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has enjoyed b ...
" maneuver, to which he played as though he were a stuffed animal, leaving Peter stunned at Zabu's intelligence. Afterward, Zabu felt better and Ka-Zar picked him up from Spider-Man. Zabu and Ka-Zar, returned apparently months later, and teamed up with Spidey to fight
Sauron Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Midd ...
. Zabu jumped on Peter/Spider-Man and seemed to be hugging him; Ka-Zar said this was a sign that he was part of Zabu's family, and that he had not seen Zabu do this for quite some time. Around this time, hyper-evolved dino-humanoids try to take the entirety of the Savage Land. Zabu fights in a resistance cell with an array of inhabitants, hampered by the fact that Ka-Zar is psychically bonded to the forces controlled by the evil Brainchild. In the end, involved X-Men make friends with the humanoids.


Avengers

Zabu is part of the resistance army when the Savage Land comes under attack by resource-stealing Skrulls disguised as
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...
agents. An array of Avengers help beat back this invasion, unaware of the Skrull involvement. During the
Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
, Zabu was present when the
Skrull The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
ship landed in the Savage Land. He helped Shanna and Ka-Zar battle the Skrulls, killing the Skrull pretending to be Jessica Jones. Tie-in issues at this point flashback to Zabu assisting his family in battling the murderous S.H.I.E.L.D. impostors. Zabu joined with other animal sidekicks to form the
Pet Avengers ''Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers'' is a four-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from July to October 2009. It was followed up by the four-issue limited series ''Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed'' from May to August 20 ...
. Mentally linked to each other by one of the
Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems (Mind, Pow ...
, they joined to fight Thanos. The gems were noted for increasing the intelligence of the animals. The mental link also includes President Obama's dog, Bo, an honorary member of the team. During the series, Zabu survives a confrontation with
Devil Dinosaur Devil Dinosaur is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson colored ''Tyrannosaurus''-like theropod dinosaur. Created by Jack Kirby, the chara ...
and being swallowed by the monster Giganto. In another incident, Zabu and his fellow Pet Avengers travel to China to confront a small group of ancient dragons. This incident leads to them fighting the human Avengers. The confrontation ends well, earning Zabu and the others their own personal home-away-from-home on the grounds of the Avengers Mansion. Zabu becomes involved in the fight when a zombie infestation, caused by the infected alternate reality version of
Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...
, reaches his homeland. Zabu and the Pet Avengers become involved in a power struggle in the land of Asgard; this situation could lead to the end of all reality. Zabu and Ka-Zar later work for the Avengers as part of the 'Agents of Wakanda'. Ka-Zar's son Matthew has matured enough to join the family in defense of the Savage Land.


Other versions


House of M

In the ''
House of M "House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book Limited series (comics), limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of fictiona ...
'' reality, Zabu appeared as a picture in a
Daily Bugle The ''Daily Bugle'' (at one time ''The DB'') is a fictional New York City tabloid newspaper appearing as a plot element in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The ''Daily Bugle'' is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, mos ...
article about Ka-Zar and his seeking of
asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...
in the United States.


Marvel Zombies

Zabu and Ka-Zar are seen infected with the zombie virus, eating Barbarus and other super-powered inhabitants of the Savage Land.


Ultimate Marvel

In this reality, Zabu is actually a
tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...
with sabre-teeth rather than looking like a traditional
smilodon ''Smilodon'' is a genus of the extinct machairodont subfamily of the felids. It is one of the most famous prehistoric mammals and the best known saber-toothed cat. Although commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger, it was not closely rela ...
, as he looks in the main Marvel universe. Flashbacks reveal that Zabu, Shanna and Ka-Zar have been together since childhood.


In other media


Television

* Zabu appeared in the '' Spider-Man'' episode "The Hunter and the Hunted". * Zabu appeared in ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...
''. * Zabu appears in ''
The Super Hero Squad Show ''The Super Hero Squad Show'' is an American superhero animated series produced by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the Avengers, the X-Men, and various other characters ...
'', with vocal effects provided by
Steve Blum Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series '' ...
.Comics Continuum
/ref> This version wears a collar made from Star Quartz, a material capable of binding and merging any metal in the presence of
Vibranium Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in Wakanda, the metal is associated w ...
. * Zabu appears in ''
Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
''. This version is a member of the
New Warriors The New Warriors is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They traditionally consisted of teenage and young adult heroes, and were often seen to serve as a junior counterpart to Avengers (comics), ...
. * Zabu makes a cameo appearance in the ''
Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. ''Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.'' is an American animated television series based on the superhero character by Marvel Comics. The series premiered on August 11, 2013, on Disney XD as part of the ''Marvel Universe'' block, and ended on June 2 ...
'' episode "Savage Land".


Video games

* Zabu makes a cameo appearance in Amaterasu's ending in ''
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a crossover fighting video game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It was released for the PlayStation ...
''. * Zabu appears in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''.


Figures

* Toy Biz's 1997 "X-Men: Savage Land" included figures of Ka-Zar and Zabu. * Sculptor Mark Newman made a 7 inch tall Ka-Zar and Zabu statue. * In the HeroClix Collectable Miniatures Game, Zabu is featured as a duo-figure with Ka-Zar in the Incredible Hulk expansion set.


References


External links


Zabu
at Marvel Wiki {{Stan Lee Animal superheroes Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1965 Fictional prehistoric characters Fictional saber-toothed cats Marvel Comics animals Marvel Comics male characters X-Men supporting characters