AR-HAP
Real Name: Ar-Hap
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Mars,
Lizardmen)
mutant
(circa 1 billion
years ago)
Occupation: Ruler/warlord
Group Membership: Ruling elite of the Lizardmen
Affiliations: Bloodpet, Jen-In,
Lizardmen soldiers
Enemies: Chak, Chea, Heru, Hither
People, Gullivar
Jones, Wing-Men
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile on Mars (circa
1 billion years ago)
First Appearance: Creatures on the Loose
I#16/1 (March, 1972) (mentioned); Creatures on the Loose I#19/1
(September, 1972) (seen)
Powers/Abilities: Ar-Hap is powerful ruler,
respected through fear. His tall burly stature displays his increased
strength compared to other Lizardmen. He is very skilled with
close-quarters combat, particularly with sword and shield. Ar-Hap is a
mutant among his people and he covers what is considered shameful under
a cloak. This mutation is in the form of a second smaller head on his
left shoulder, each incorporating different parts of Ar-Hap's
personality. The large (or standard-sized) head, which also controls
the body, is more brutal and vicious, while the smaller head is more
honorable and peaceful; however, the smaller head cannot control the
body and it lies inert. Only one head can be awake at any given time,
with only seconds between transition, although the smaller head's
dominance is much shorter in duration.
Height: 8'2"
Weight: 360 lbs.
Eyes: 4 (2 on each head)
Hair: Black
History:
(Creatures on the Loose I#16/1 (fb) - BTS) - Billions of years ago, much conflict between the various Martian peoples resulted in the taller and more aggressive Lizardmen dominating and ensuing peace relied on treaties that established regular payments. One condition was an annual tribute wife from the Hither People for the Lizardmen's ruler; Ar-Hap was one such ruler.
(Creatures on the Loose I#20/1 (fb) - BTS) - Increased radiation on Mars led to more mutations (considered shameful among the various peoples), and Ar-Hap hid his mutation of split personality traits divided between his two heads: the prominent aggressive one and a small yet honorable he kept hidden projecting from his shoulder that was mostly dormant. Each head could only be active when the other slept.
(Creatures on the Loose I#19/1 (fb)) - Ar-Hap
established himself a brutal reputation among the Lizardmen, earning
respect from fear, but not many beyond the Lizardmen knew of him.
(Creatures on the Loose I#16 (fb) - BTS) - Ar-Hap selected Princess Heru of the passive Hither People as his annual tribute wife to replace Chea. A contingent of armed Lizardmen were sent to collect her, as well as other treaty payments.
(Creatures on the Loose I#16) - Time-lost heroic
Earthman
Gullivar Jones suddenly appeared and rescued Heru from Ar-Hap's
soldiers, but she was snatched away by flying Wing-Men, who were grudgingly bound by treaty to help the Lizardmen.
(Creatures on the Loose I#19/1) - The Wing-Men
reluctantly delivered Heru to Ar-Hap's encampment to exchange for
Wing-Women hostages.
(Creatures on the Loose I#20/1) - Ar-Hap's minister
Jen-In whipped Heru before roughly presenting her to Ar-Hap. Angered at
his betrothed's treatment, Ar-Hap had Jen-In arrested and ordered to be
flogged. Ar-Hap used words in an attempt to bend her to his will, but
she remained defiant. He had her sent away as he faltered, then lay private in
his tent as his second
head gaining dominance, but his main body was inert.
(Creatures on the Loose I#20/1 (fb) - BTS) - Heru was
made ready for marriage to Ar-Hap with the encampment's vicious
Bloodpet nearby.
(Creatures on the Loose I#20/1) - Meanwhile, Jones
had found the Lizardmen encampment and pursued Jen-In, who had since
taken Heru hostage. Jones followed him into Ar-Hap's tent, where he was
shocked to find Ar-Hap's two-headed sleeping form. Keen to usurp his
leader's rule and kill Jones, Jen-In called out that Jones had slain
Ar-Hap and must be killed in turn.
(Creatures on the Loose I#21/1) - Ar-Hap's smaller
head advised Jones to flee just as Jen-In re-entered the tent with
Lizardmen soldiers and the heroic Earthman dispatched several Lizardmen
as he escaped. Jones and his comrade Chak set fire to Lizardmen tents,
causing much chaos. Meanwhile, Ar-Hap's vicious side had regained
control and once more took brutal command, as he demanded Wing-Men
commanders aid in the hunt and destruction of Jones. Ar-Hap led his
soldiers in pursuit of Jones, Chak and Heru into the desert, and fierce
close combat ensued. But the wrathful Wing-Men arrived, keen to end
their subjugation, and attacked the Lizardmen. Eventually, Ar-Hap was
the last Lizardman left standing and surrendered. Jones condemned him
to exile. Ar-Hap walked back to his ruined camp, swearing vengeance on
Jones.
Comments: Created by Edwin L. Arnold. Adapted by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane and Bill Everett.
If the story of Gullivar Jones had been allowed to continue, it's easy to guess how Ar-Hap could've survived by finding another Lizardmen encampment and insinuating himself into the command structure.
Ar-Hap reminds me of the character of the rebel
Martian Kuato from the 1990 film "Total Recall" (starring Arnold
Schwarzenegger), which is based on the 1966 novelette "We Can Remember
It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick. As far as I know, Kuato, who
had a wise but small head projecting from its host's body, is
unique to the 1990 film adaptation.
The story of Gullivar Jones comes from the 1905 novel
Lieut.
Gullivar Jones: His Vacationby
Edwin L. Arnold (predating Burroughs' John Carter of 1917, which has
many similar concepts). Arnold's original version of Ar-hap and his
people were the "woodmen": large, burly, hairy, copper-hued men who
seemed to almost resemble gorillas in stature according to his
description.
However, Marvel's Thomas and Kane changed the aggressive and brutish
people to Lizardmen. Arnold's Ar-Hap is the king of a city whereas
Marvel's Ar-Hap is more of a warlord in a large tent-strewn encampment.
Further, Marvel's two-headed Ar-Hap does not match the superstitious
Ar-Hap of Arnold's book.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Ar-Hap has no known connections to:
images:
(without ads)
Creatures on the Loose I#21/1, p9, pan4 (main image)
Creatures on the Loose I#20/1, p7, pan5 & 6 (double headshot)
Creatures on the Loose I#21/1, p1 (main body lying inert)
Appearances:
Creatures on the Loose I#16/1 (March, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gil
Kane (pencils), Bill Everett (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Creatures on the Loose I#19/1 (September, 1972) - George Alec Effinger
(writer), Wayne Boring & Gil Kane (pencils), Jim Mooney (inks), Roy
Thomas (editor)
Creatures on the Loose I#20/1 (November, 1972) - George Alec Effinger
(writer), Gray Morrow (pencils/inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Creatures on the Loose I#21/1 (January, 1973) - George Alec Effinger
(writer), Gray Morrow (pencils/inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
First posted: 06/23/2025
Last updated:
06/23/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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