DRAKILLAR

Classification: Extraterrestrial animal mutate (specifically, bats)

Location/Base of Operations: Halfworld, Keystone Quadrant

Known Members: None named, but 3-4 have been shown to exist so far.

Affiliations: Judson Jakes, Lord Dyvyne

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#271 (May, 1982)

Powers/Abilities: The Drakillars are telepaths, though how powerful they are is unrevealed. They can travel in space minus such things as rockets, but seem to need spacesuits to survive for any length of time there. It is unknown if they share any abilities in common with their Terran counterparts besides flying and sensitive hearing (i.e. no idea if they have any sonic powers that can be used like a radar similar to how normal bats navigate at night). They might have some telekinetic powers, at least enough to allow themselves to fly while inside a spacesuit, but that is unclear. They can carry the weight of at least two other animals in flight.

Traits: Drakillars are large winged creatures, whose wingspan is approximately 20-30' across. Most Drakillars seem to no longer have back feet, though that is unclear from the art in the Rocket Raccoon mini. They have glowing eyes, though there is no universal eye color among them (red, green, and white have been shown so far), and have black or very dark gray fur. They do have prehensile tales at least two-three times the lengths of their bodies. Like the other animal people of Halfworld, they can talk verbally and think for themselves. They just prefer to stay quiet much of the time.

History: Drakillars are normal Halfworld bats who were mutated in the labs of tortoise toysmith Uncle Pyko, and then mostly employed by either toy mogul Judson Jakes or his rival Lord Dyvyne as sentries for guarding the outside surroundings of the orbital Spacewheel, and as assassins when needed. Supposedly they have never pledged to protect the human Loonies as the other animals of Halfworld have done. The "Dread Drakillars" space creatures are generally feared by the normal animal populace as monsters.

(Incredible Hulk II#271) - A spacesuited Drakillar telepathically informed Jakes when the ship Rakk 'n' Ruin, piloted by rangers Rocket Raccoon and Wal Russ, had arrived outside of Spacewheel. Later, another Drakillar (or possibly the same one) dropped down from the ceiling of one of the station's observation rooms to attack Rocket and his girlfriend Lylla the otter when the latter two demanded Jakes turn over the stolen Gideon's Bible to them. This Drakillar was shot by Rocket, though it was unclear if the shot killed it or just knocked it unconscious.

(Rocket Raccoon#2) - A Drakillar was sent to kill Rocket Raccoon by (apparently) Lord Dyvyne to keep Rocket from rescuing his girlfriend Lylla the otter from Blackjack O'Hare (who was then employed by Lord Dyvyne). The Drakillar decided to work in tandem with the Killer Clown assassin Jakes had sent to kill Rocket for his own reasons. The two killers cornered Rocket, who managed to trick the Drakillar into swallowing one of the Clown's explosive juggling balls, killing it when the ball exploded inside it a moment later. (And yeah, Rocket destroyed the Clown a moment later, in case anyone reading this wondered about that.)

(Rocket Raccoon#4) - After Jakes and Lord Dyvyne entered into an alliance to both end their toy war and destroy Rocket Raccoon and allies, the two toy moguls hired a Drakillar to serve as their airborne observation deck (so to speak) while the combined armies of the two moguls attacked Rocket and company. However, when the timely arrival of a counterforce consisting of many of Halfworld's robots and the now-cured human Loonies (long story short, Rocket had the robots create a device that cured the Loonies of their madness an issue before this one) turned the tide of battle against Jakes and Dyvyne, the two fled the battle on the Drakillar, arguing whether Jakes' Mayhem Mechaniks base was safer than Dyvyne's orbital Spacewheel base as a place to escape a pursuing (and gaining ground) Rocket. Unfortunately for them, the Drakillar got tired of hearing them argue, and bucked them off its back, and left while the two animal moguls fell to their (seeming) deaths on the refuse heap outside Mayhem Mechaniks.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Jim Novak (inks). Redesign by Mike Mignola (pencils) and Al Gordon (inks).

In Rocket Raccoon#2, Rocket believed the Drakillar was sent by Lord Dyvyne to kill him, but that was never officially confirmed anyplace in-story that that was who sent it. There is always the possibility that Jakes had sent both it and the Killer Clown after Rocket, since the Drakillars were originally created by his employee Uncle Pyko, and had been employed by Jakes in the past.

Near as I can tell from Rocket Raccoon#4, the Drakillars did not leave Halfworld with the robots and the many other animals -- including Rocket Raccoon and friends -- when the robots launched their great humanoid Ship and left the Keystone Quadrant.

Profile by Elf with a Gun.