ZARLOK

Real Name: Zarlok (see comments)

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial;
    presumably alternate reality (see comments)

Occupation: Comics writer;
   former warrior

Group Membership: Formerly Matrix

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Possibly Matrix

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Earth, presumably United States of America

First Appearance: (Mentioned) The Stan Lee Story (November, 2018);
    (seen) Comic Book Creator#33: Stan's Excelsior Comics (Winter, 2024)

Powers/Abilities: Zarlokk possessed enhanced reflexes and agility, and was able to somersault over a speeding 18-wheeler lengthways. He wore a suit of armor that presumably provided additional abilities.

 

Height: Unrevealed; 6' (by guesstimation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed

 

History:
(Zarlok#1) - Zarlok was one-fifth of the interstellar strike team known as the Matrix, a man proud of his reputation as a fierce, unstoppable warrior. However, when he was ordered to slaughter innocent Earthlings he crashed the Matrix's ship rather than participate in dishonorable butchery. Disguising himself as a human in a leather jacket, biker gloves and a headband, he reinvented himself as a comic book writer in an attempt to warn humanity of alien invasion.

 

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, assigned to Roy Thomas (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils) and Tom Palmer (inks). Rob Tokar was to be a senior editor for the line.

   In the mid-1990s (the Stan Lee Story says from 1995, an article on Comic Book Creator#33 says the second quarter of 1994) plans were being developed for a new Marvel imprint, Excelsior, which would feature brand new titles and characters created by Stan Lee in conjunction with other writers and artists. The new line, which would start with four titles, was scheduled to launch in 1996. They would be interconnected in a shared universe with one another, but have zero connection to the main Marvel Universe. Zarlok's series had the tagline "Trapped on Planet Earth."

   Excelsior was apparently going to be run by the recently acquired Malibu Comics on Marvel's behalf because they were on the West Coast only forty minutes from where Stan lived, making it easy for him to pop into their offices for meetings.

   When the axe fell Zarlok#1 was apparently complete and ready to go to press, both Roy and Sal had also finished with their work on #2, Sal had begun drawing #3, Roy had begun plotting out #4, and had planned in general where the series was going up to #6.

   Per the Excelsior Handbook (and quoted in Comic Book Creator#33 - go buy a copy!), "The books all take place on Earth, roughly 10 years in the future. Pollution has become such a crippling problem that it is having numerous adverse effects on the unborn as well as those already living in it. As a result, many radical treatments and therapies are being used and tested, and often these cures are attempted on a genetic level. Sometimes the cures take, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they just create an even more bizarre circumstances [sic] than the diseases."

   Per the article in Comic Book Creator, in the Excelsior Handbook that was developed prior to the comics he was first named Kinja and then Zodiax, before they settled on Zarlok as the final choice.

   This profile was completed on 09/22/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary's celebratory event to represent Zarlokk.

   Below: Pencils for the first two pages of Zarlok#1, with the heavily modified finished version below.

Profile by Loki.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Zarlok has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Comic Book Creator#33, p7, pan1, taken from Zarlok#1, p1-2 (main image)
Comic Book Creator#33, p5, pan4 (Zarlok in Earthly clothing)
The Stan Lee Story, p368, pan2 (original pencils for Zarlok#1, p1-2) - taken as a photo since the book is way too big and too expensive to try and lie flat on a scanner
Comic Book Creator#33, p7, pan1, taken from Zarlok#1, p1-2 (finished version, full image for comparison to the pencils)

Appearances:
The Stan Lee Story (November, 2018) - by Roy Thomas
Comic Book Creator#33: Stan's Excelsior Comics (Winter, 2024) - John B. Cooke (editor), John Morrow Publisher, TwoMorrows Publishing

First Posted: 09/23/2026
Last updated: 09/22/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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