History:
KALA SURAJ
Real Name: Kala Suraj
Identity/Class: Human (Indian) (Post-World
War II Era)
Occupation: Bandit, rebel leader
Group Membership: Leader of his own band of rebels
Affiliations: Jim Grant
Enemies: Andrea Barnes
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: A hideout in the hills near Galah, India; formerly England
First Appearance: Lovers I#26/6 (November, 1949)
Powers/Abilities: Kala Suraj carried a rifle.
Height: Unrevealed
(approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 180 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
History:
(Lovers I#26/6 (fb) - BTS) - Kala Suraj was a Muslim man who left India to study in England. After completing his education he returned to India to help "assure" the freedom of his people. He became a bandit and led a group of rebels in India during the period surrounding India's independence from the United Kingdom. On one occasion, reporter Jim Grant saved Kala Suraj's life during a riot. After this, Kala Suraj considered Jim his "blood brother" and would do anything for him. At one time, Kala Suraj and his bandits robbed a government arsenal, seizing the weapons there and evading capture by the police. At another time, three of Kala Suraj's men robbed a motorist near Galah.
(Lovers I#26/6 (fb)) - One day, the reporter Andrea Barnes came to Galah in search of Kala Suraj to interview him. Three of his men found her wandering in the hills and she gave them fountain pens as a gift. Blindfolding her, they brought her to Kala Suraj's hideout. He greeted Andrea and she offered to present his viewpoint in the newspaper if he'd consent to an interview. Kala Suraj agreed and afterward had her blindfolded again and sent back.
(Lovers I#26/6 (fb) - BTS) - Jim, upset at Andrea for refusing to retire from journalism and marry him, called in his debt with Kala Suraj, asking him to help frighten Andrea into giving up her career and marrying him.
(Lovers I#26/6) - Kala Suraj sent two of his men to abduct Andrea from Calcutta and bring her to him. Kala Suraj claimed he wanted to marry her and would force her into marriage. Andrea claimed she wanted her clothes brought to her so she could use one of her gowns for the wedding. Kala Suraj agreed to send for them. Andrea secretly wrote a second note to inform Jim Grant of what had happened.
Kala Suraj had Jim brought to his hideout, letting Andrea think that it was because of the note she'd written him. Andrea distracted Kala Suraj's guards so she and Jim could escape from the hideout - however, as Kala Suraj was working with Jim, he tacitly permitted them to escape.
(Lovers I#26/6 (fb) - BTS) - About a week later, Kala Suraj raided another government arsenal to equip his bandits.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Pete Riss.
Romance comics used a lot of stock plots; how many times did we see this same tired old story of a newspaper reporter using his Muslim bandit friend to trick a fellow reporter into marrying him?
The best marriages are those arranged by deception through kidnapping.
The story referred to him as a "Moslem" throughout, which is now considered an old-fashioned spelling choice.
This profile was completed on 04/28/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Kala Suraj should not be confused with:
Andrea "Andy" Barnes was a reporter who went to work for a newspaper in Calcutta, India. Because she gave her name as "Andy," Jim Grant expected a man and was surprised to see she was a woman, although he was attracted to her. One night Andrea witnessed a riot between Hindus and Muslims, during which she was hit in the head with a rock. Determined to scoop Jim, Andrea read about Kala Suraj and decided to interview him. Hearing about Kala Suraj's men robbing a motorist near Galah, Andrea went to Galah to find him. Wandering through the hills outside of Galah, she found three of Kala Suraj's men and gifted them with fountain pens, then asked to see Kala Suraj. They blindfolded her and took her to meet him, where he agreed to the interview. Blindfolding her again, she was sent back. Jim was upset by her disappearnace and asked her to marry him, then retire from being a reporter. Refusing to give up her career, Andrea couldn't consent to marrying Jim and considered their relationship over. Some time later, Jim conspired to trick Andrea into marriage by having Kala Suraj's men kidnap her; Kala Suraj claimed he wanted to marry her; she smuggled a note to Jim to alert him but Jim feigned capture by Kala Suraj. Andrea promised she would give up being a reporter and marry Jim if they escaped and she distracted their guards so they could get out of the hideout. Soon after, she and Jim were married in Calcutta. A week later, one of their newspaper colleagues called Kala Suraj Jim's friend; Jim then admitted how he'd arranged her kidnapping to trick her into marriage. Andrea said she would've married him anyway.
--Lovers I#26/6) 26/6 (fb), 26/6
Jim Grant was a newspaper reporter in Calcutta, India. At one point he saved Kala Suraj's life during a riot and thereafter Kala Suraj considered him a "blood brother." When Jim went to meet the reporter "Andy" Barnes he was put out to discover "Andy" was short for "Andrea." Jim was attracted to Andrea but had misgivings about her serving as a reporter, given the violence in the area. When Andrea scored an interview with Kala Suraj, Jim asked her to marry him and give up being a reporter but she refused. To force her into marriage, Jim conspired with Kala Suraj, calling on his debt to him. Under Jim's instructions, Kala Suraj's men kidnapped Andrea and brought her to Kala Suraj, claiming he wanted to marry her. Andrea smuggled out a note to inform Jim but as Jim was already working with Kala Suraj, he was simply brought to the hideout and held with her. Andrea told Jim she'd marry him and give up journalism if they survived. She distracted their guards and they escaped, then married soon after. A week later, one of their newspaper friends told Jim about his friend Kala Suraj's recent activities. Andrea asked for an explanation and he admitted he'd arranged her kidnapping to trick her into marriage. "I told you I wouldn't wait forever!" Jim reminded her. She forgave him, which was surely more than he deserved.
--Lovers I#26/6) 26/6 (fb), 26/6
images: (without ads)
Lovers I#26/6, page 7, panel 2 (main)
Lovers I#26/6, page 6, panel 5 (face)
Lovers I#26/6, page 3, panel 1 (a flattering portrait of Andrea)
Lovers I#26/6, page 1, panel 4 (Jim)
Appearances:
Lovers I#26/6 (November, 1949) - unidentified writer, Pete Riss
(artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/25/2026
Last updated:
04/28/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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