Zen the Intergalactic Ninja
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Zen the Intergalactic Ninja | |
| zenheavymetalcoverart.jpg |
|
| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Zen Comics Publishing \ Archie Comics \ Entity Comics |
| First appearance | Zen, Intergalactic Ninja #1 (1987) |
| Created by | Stephen L. Stern and Dan Cote |
| In story information | |
| Species | Baltoonian |
| Place of origin | Baltoon |
| Abilities | Skilled martial artist |
Zen the Intergalactic Ninja is a fictional character created in 1987 by Steve Stern and Dan Cote, and initially published under their Zen Comics imprint. In the early nineties Zen was licensed to Archie Comics, and then to Entity Comics. Zen became a popular cult comic inside the comic book community at a time when comic books where becoming more mainstream.
Contents |
[edit] Publication history
Zen has been depicted by many well-known comics artists, including Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy and Sam Keith, creator of The Maxx, as well as silver age legends Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Other artists who have drawn Zen include Jae Lee, Frank Brunner and Bill Maus.
Alien Hero is a collection of novellas and short stories about Zen, written by Steve Stern. Zen has also appeared in magazines as varied as Mixx, published by Tokyopop, and Heavy Metal.
In 2008, a new series of Zen trade paperbacks will be launched by publisher Devil's Due.[citation needed]
[edit] Fictional character biography
Zen is a native of the planet Baltoon, where he was raised in a test tube as part of a genetic experiment. When the scientists in charge decided the test was a failure, they scheduled the infant Zen for termination. He was saved by Teslah, a scientist on the project, who fired the infant into space in a transport pod. Zen landed in the Om system, where he was found by the mysterious Masters of Om. They raised him as an acolyte, and trained him in the martial arts. Once grown, Zen becomes the finest martial artists the Omnians had known. Zen uses his skill as a mercenary, hiring himself out to the highest bidder.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Zen is a skilled martial artist, trained in the ways of the Masters of Om. He is a master fighter, and knowledgable in all forms of hand-to-hand combat.
[edit] Appearances in other media
The comic was later adapted into a video game for both the NES and Game Boy in 1993 by Konami. The games feature Zen fighting an alien villain known as Lord Contaminous, who is keen on harming the Earth's ecological environment. The music for the NES game was composed by K. Nakamura and has been played on the Swedish radio-channel P3's programme Syntax Error.
In addition to the video games, Zen was licensed for numerous products, including a set of six action figures from the Just Toys company. Other licensed products include posters from the Starmakers company, phone cards from Patco, chromium cards from Maxx, and a vinyl model kit from Inteleg International.
The Hollywood community has for years been attempting to mount a 'Zen' feature film, and there has also been interest in an animated television series.[citation needed]
