ZANDOR

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human mutate (deceased/resurrected)

Occupation: Enforcer;
    former professional wrestler

Group Membership:  I.C.O.N. (International Crime Organizations Nexus), Operation: Marauder

Affiliations: Cardinal, Rainbow (Ludwig Frankenstein), Strand

Enemies: Ralph Caccone, Frankenstein's monster, Jigsaw Monster/Night Creature/Clone Creature, Eric Prawn

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Ugly" (from Eric Prawn);
    "Stupid ape" (from Cardinal);
    Ralph Caccone referred to Zandor as a "Neanderthal" and a "grizzly-bear hunchback"

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the Eastern seaboard headquarters of I.C.O.N. in a secret laboratory based in a warehouse in the South Ferry District, Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Frankenstein Monster#14 (January, 1975)

Powers/Abilities: Zandor possessed exceptional, if not superhuman (enhanced human) strength.

    He was obedient, but essentially stupid, lacking self-determination and autonomous thought.

    Zandor did enjoy fighting sufficiently to delay killing someone to make it more fun.

    He was not particularly quick, nor did he demonstrate impressive fighting skills.He was sufficiently durable to withstand multiple punched from Frankenstein's monster

History:

(unpublished Shamrock and Peregrine story, episode#4 (fb)) - Being thought dead gave Ludwig von Frankenstein the freedom to use the X-Machine's virtually limitless power to create the organization ICON (International Crime Organizations Nexus), another tool in his quest for immortality. Within the organization, he was only by the codename "Rainbow."

(Frankenstein Monster#15 (fb) - BTS) - The focal point for a great many globe-spanning operations with the ultimate goal of world conquest, I.C.O.N. developed Operation: Marauder in New York City, which was their primary center for creating an army of undead warriors, who would strike fear into their opponents just by their appearance.

(Frankenstein Monster#15 (fb) - BTS) - Originally a professional wrestler, Zandor was killed in a match that got out of hand. He was the first undead warrior successfully created by Operation: Marauder in their efforts to create super-soldiers. They restored life to his body, but unfortunately most of his intellect remained dead. He was obedient, but essentially stupid, lacking self-determination and autonomous thought... as were all of their subsequent experiments.

    I.C.O.N. therefore sought out Victor Frankenstein's monster, so that they might cut open his skull and examine his brain, to see why he worked so much better than their own creations.

(Frankenstein Monster#15 (fb) - BTS) - Zandor acted as muscle for I.C.O.N. agent Cardinal, who trailed private investigator Eric Prawn, who had been hired by "the last surviving Frankenstein (actually Veronica Frankenstein, one of many Frankensteins surviving into the modern time period) to locate the Frankenstein monster.

    Cardinal's agent Strand drove a truck full of corpses they were bringing to Operation: Marauder base. They had a mortician with them, but Zandor killed him for unrevealed reasons.

    Zandor accompanied Cardinal to Prawn's apartment, which they ransacked before waiting for Prawn.

 (Frankenstein Monster#14) - When Prawn returned to his apartment with Frankenstein monster and Ralph Caccone, who had befriended the monster, Cardinal confronted them at gunpoint. Claiming that Prawn had been hired to eliminate the monster while his own organization had a more creative objective for the monster, Cardinal noted that Zandor must first settle a small matter of unfinished business: To execute Eric Prawn.

(Frankenstein Monster#15) - Zandor stepped forward, replying, "Yes, Car'nal. Zandor kill. Much fun." Replying that he would not go without a fight, Prawn punched Zandor to no effect, beyond Zandor replying, "Ho, ho. You weak."

    Cardinal held a gun on the Frankenstein monster and Ralph to prevent them from interfering, and Zandor toyed with Prawn, holding him up in the air with one hand and noting it more fun not to kill him right away.

    Ralph told Cardinal to call his "Neanderthal" off, and they would let him tie up Prawn while he and the monster would go without a fight. However, Cardinal revealed that he would only be taking the monster, who then realized that they were going to kill Ralph as well, at which point he turned and suddenly punched Zandor, knocking Prawn from his hands. Cardinal futilely fired his handgun at the monster until Ralph punched him down. The monster repeated punched Zandor, who noted that he was hurt, couldn't hit, was feeling dizzy and almost dead; however, Cardinal retrieved his gun and forced the monster to surrender by threatening his life. As the monster shoved Zandor away, he stated, "Zandor...saved..."

    Realizing that only by threatening Ralph's life could they force the monster's compliance, Cardinal resolved to let him live, but he planned to execute Prawn, until he discovered that Prawn had escaped during the previous conflict. Regardlessly, Cardinal instructed the monster and Ralph to go outside and get into their truck, and Zandor and Cardinal accompanied them, with Cardinal's agent Strand driving them to Operation: Marauder base.

    Upon their arrival, Zandor opened the truck's back and then accompanied Cardinal, the monster and Ralph into the base. Zandor remained silent as Cardinal detailed the purpose of Operation: Marauder.

    With Ralph as hostage, the Frankenstein monster allowed Zandor to strap him down in preparation for a craniotomy. However, this was interrupted when Prawn crashed through the skylight and aimed his gun at the generator, threatening to destroy the entire facility. Zandor responded, "Too high up, Car'nal. Can't hit." Disgusted and frustrated, Cardinal replied, "Shut up, you stupid ape." and then conceded defeat to him.

    However, the Jigsaw Monster/Night Creature/Clone Creature then burst in, having following the trail of the Frankenstein Monster after their previous battle. Even Zandor stood back from the violence of the conflict between these two powerhouses, during which the Frankenstein Monster threw the Jigsaw Monster into some lab equipment, causing the entire warehouse to burst into flames.

    While the Frankenstein Monster, Prawn, and Caccone made it to safety, Cardinal was the only known member of I.C.O.N. to make it out alive.

    Zandor's fate is unrevealed, although what it takes to kill the undead is uncertain.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Val Mayerik.

    I am guessing that Zandor did not change shirts between Frankenstein#14 and 15, nor did he have some shirt that changed colors when he went into action...probably just an art error. Black looks better on Zandor, in my not-so-humble opinion.

    So whatever became of I.C.O.N., and who was its secret leader, Rainbow?
Guess who knows?
You will if you're reading this profile. Jean-Marc Lofficier was kind enough to send me the unpublished plot intended for a Marvel Comics Presents story. You can read it HERE.
The identity of Rainbow from Lofficier's story was included in the Frankenstein Monster profile in OHotMU Horror 2005, and the encounter was also referenced in le Peregrine's profile in All-New OHotMU Update#3.
--Markus Raymond

    This profile was completed 09/13/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Zandor should be distinguished from:

• XANDAR - planet, former home of Xandarians; destroyed and re-created in various forms--Nova I#1
• XANDER - sorcerer, agent of the Creators--Dr. Strange II#19
  
• XANDER, Mr. - associate of Elias Bogan. Generate intense pleasure or pain--X-Treme X-Men#23
• other "Zandor" or similarly named characters, groups, items, events, races or places...
  

First posted: 09/02/2026
Last updated: 09/13/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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