Big Leo (Humanoid-leonine extraterrestrial; KISS character)

BIG LEO

Real Name: Presumably Leo

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unidentified) technology-user

Occupation: Unrevealed;
possibly the leader of a criminal gang or perhaps the owner of an unidentified disco in an unidentified space city in the Andromeda galaxy

Group Membership: Leader of unspecified group (see occupation)

Affiliations: Mandu; unspecified associates

Enemies: Cat (Peter Criss), Space Ace (Ace Frehley);
it is unrevealed how he felt about Mandu upon recovering from his beatin at Criss' hands

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Curly" (Space Ace / Ace Frehley called him that, but he calls everyone "Curly");
"Chuckles" (Cat / Peter Criss insultingly called him that)

Base of Operations: Unidentified disco in space city/satellite in unspecified open space location in the Andromeda galaxy

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (1977)

Powers/Abilities: Big Leo is large and strong (perhaps peak human to enhanced human); he claimed that no one had ever broken his grip prior to Peter Criss.

He did not demonstrate particular fighting skills, likely relying on his size, weapon, and his employees/enforcers/agents.

He used some sort of staff that could generate some sort of energy, which could disrupt other forms of energy and presumably stun other beings, at least.

Height: Unrevealed; approximately 7'5" (even bending over, he looks to be a good 2' taller than the Cat (Peter Criss), who I think is about 5'5")
Weight: Unrevealed; approximately 560 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed (only seen with blue sunglasses)
Hair: Orange

History:

(Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Active at an unidentified disco in some sort of floating space city, Big Leo considered himself the boy friend ("old man") of the cat-woman Mandu.

(Marvel Comics Super Special#1 - BTS) - When newly-empowered KISS members Peter Criss (aka the Cat) and Ace Frehley (aka Space Ace) arrived in the space city disco (a result of Ace's unpracticed space-warping power ), Peter and Mandu were swiftly, mutually attracted and shared a dance.

Some other feline aliens present -- referring to Criss getting friendly with Big Leo's queen -- noted that there was going to be trouble, as "that little Tom ain't long for this satellite.

(Marvel Comics Super Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - Big Leo noticed or was informed of the interaction between Mandu and the stranger.

(Marvel Comics Super Special#1) - Even though Criss had already told Mandu that he had obligations on another world and couldn't stay with her, Big Leo -- flanked by a number of agents -- suddenly confronted the pair, and Leo warned Criss that even though he couldn't take his eyes off of Mandu that he better do so if he wanted to keep his eyes.

    Mandy introduced Leo to Criss, at which point Ace tapped Leo on the shoulder, informing him Criss was his friend. This led a trio of Leo's agents to grab him, telling him they were sorry to hear that as that meant they had to pound him into the ground.

    Leo grabbed Criss' wrist, assuring him he wasn't going to beat him up, just crush his wrist to teach him a lesson; however, Criss surprised both Leo and himself by slipping free with his feline agility and delivering to Leo a flying kick with both heels of his platform shoes. Noting his friend needed his help, Ace abruptly threw off his attackers (perhaps telekinetically) and entrapped Leo within a cone of force.

    When Big Leo used his staff to slash through the cone with his energy staff, Criss leapt to the attack. Although Big Leo urged Criss to get down off of him as it was Mandu he <presumably he was going to say "wanted">, Criss swiftly battered the larger Leo. When Big Leo was knocked to the ground and dropped his staff, Ace apparently destroyed the staff, then told Peter that he could stop hitting Leo as he was unconscious.

Ace then teleported himself and Criss back to Earth.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber, Alan Weiss, and Allen Milgrom.

Mandu noted that Big Leo "thinks he's my old man." I would guess that they had some sort of relationship, but she apparently considered it less monogamous than he did; or perhaps they didn't have a true relationship, but he nonetheless considered (and told others) that they did, and that he was otherwise powerful and controlling; or perhaps they had a true relationship, but she was really intrigued with Criss and was willing to discard Leo for Criss.

The story was only 5 pages long, and Leo was only in 3 of those.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Big Leo should be distinguished from:

Fee-Lon - former member of the crew of the starship Bird of Prey--Thor I#257
Lion-People - Milky Way race from planet Ligra in the Mandahl system; enemies of the Dragon-Men; identified members Queen Nara--Marvel Mystery Comics#8 (1940)
other leonine aliens
Any of the various Leos of the various Zodiac incarnations, most of whom can be found by starting with Leo of the Zodiac Cartel
other "Big" or "Leo" characters..

gang
or whatever

The specific nature of Big Leo's business and his relationship with his associates was unrevealed. They described themselves as friends, and that may be all they were, but they may have just used that term because Ace had used it in reference to Criss and himself. They may also have been employees, gangmembers under him, or something else altogether.

Also seen in the main image, the group seems to include an ape-man (or two), a bull-man, a dog-man, another cat-man and possible a goat-man.

--Marvel Comics Super Special#1

images: (without ads)
Marvel Comics Super Special#1 Chapter Three: The Andromeda Hustle, pg. 3, panel 4-5 (with gang; shoulder tapped by Ace; combined in main image to avoid cropping and including parts of the same images in many others);
        pg. 4, panel 1 (gang accosting Ace);
            panel 2 (grabbing Criss' wrist);
            panel 4 (Criss kicking Leo)
            panel 5 (Ace tossing off attackers);
        pg. 5, panel 2 (escaping cone of force);
            panel 3 (Criss leaping on Leo);
            panel 7 (sans glasses; punched by Criss)

Appearances:
Marvel Comics Super Special#1: The Andromeda Hustle (1977) - Steve Gerber (writer & editor?), Alan Weiss (penciler), Allen Milgrom (inker)

First posted: 03/28/2018
Last updated: 03/29/2018

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.!

Back to Characters