REPTILE-MEN
Identity/Class: Terrestrial (Savage Land), presumptive human variants (see comments)
Membership: "Scaly leader" (as called by Quor), and at least seven unidentified others
Purpose: To serve Quor
Affiliations: Formerly served Quor
Enemies: Golden People, Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder)
Base of Operations: Savage Land, Antarctica
First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1 (March, 1969)
Powers/Abilities: The superstitious and bellicose Reptile-Men demonstrated no superhuman abilities. Having blue-spotted green skin (see comments), perhaps they also had enhanced tracking abilities, or sharp claws.
They utilized the advanced weaponry of Quor, including airships, and energy blaster rifles and handguns; they possibly had a device to camouflage themselves (see comments) -- they apparently lost these weapons when Quor's power source was destroyed.
History:
The Reptile-Men were presumably one of the races
mutated by the Atlanteans (prior to the Great
Cataclysm) who once ran Pangea, but there is no evidence to
support or refute this (see comments).
(Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1) - Months earlier, the extraterrestrial Quor's spaceship crashed on Earth, landing in the Savage Land. Because of his advanced technology and knowledge, the primitive Reptile-Men accepted Quor as their god, and were quickly convinced to follow him. Needing the Anti-Metal (Antarctic Vibranium) to power his ship and sustain himself, Quor sent the Reptile Men to raid the villages of other tribes (such as the Golden People) and plunder their stores of Anti-Metal for him.
(Marvel Super-Heroes II#19) - While Ka-Zar was swinging through the jungles of the Savage Land, he was apparently ambushed by some of the camouflaged Reptile-Men and rendered unconscious (see comments). Soon afterward, Ka-Zar was revived by the Golden People and taken to Sagyr, their chieftain; Sagyr told Ka-Zar how his people had been driven from their village by the Reptile-Men.
Meanwhile, Quor commanded the Reptile-Men to raid more villages. After performing their ceremonial "Dance of Death" around an idol, the Reptile-Men boarded Quor's airships and took flight for their mission.
Presumably learning the location of Quor from Sagyr, Ka-Zar went to confront him. The jungle lord engaged the extraterrestrial in a (very) brief battle and defeated him.
Ka-Zar then fought back a group of Reptile-Men and convinced them to flee by revealing their leader's defeat and loss of power.
Comments: Created by Arnold Drake, Steve Parkhouse, George Tuska, and Sid Greene.
In one panel, Ka-Zar referred to the Reptile Men as "Swamp Men," and after he defeated Quor, Ka-Zar told them to go "back to the steaming swamps that gave you birth" -- it's possible that they were a variant tribe that had just taken to wearing costumes (which would explain their unusual appearance), but I'm going with a different race until further info is revealed.
It was unclear if it was the Reptile-Men using a camouflage device to ambush Ka-Zar (see third image above -- I'm just assuming it was because of the green coloring, and the one in the center seems to be wearing a pointed eye-mask). It may have been some overzealous Golden People put on the defensive by the recent attacks, rather than the Reptile-Men.
The Reptile-Men appeared on this issue's cover (by
Barry Smith and Herb Trimpe); but besides being differently colored,
they looked like regular men wearing bizarre polka-dotted
costumes.
--Ron Fredricks
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
I'm not sure if they're related to the Lizard Men of the Savage Land from Astonishing Tales, but I don't thinks so...
images: (without ads)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1, p15, pan2 (main image - Reptile-Men performing "Dance of Death" around idol; Quor's narration [yellow caption])
Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1, p14, pan6 (headshot - "scaly leader" of Reptile-Men)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1, p13, pan4 (camouflaged Reptile-Men [supposedly]; Ka-Zar [foreground])
Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1, p19, pan3 (Reptile-Men battling Ka-Zar)
Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1, cover (differently colored Reptile-Men)
Appearances:
Marvel Super-Heroes II#19/1 (March, 1969) - Arnold Drake & Steve
Parkhouse (writers), George Tuska (pencils), Sid Green (inks), Sam Rosen
(letters), Stan Lee (editor), Roy Thomas (associate editor)
First Posted: 12/27/2003
Last updated: 03/27/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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