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History

Frank Johnson was one of the most talented illustrators in the comic book industry. He was well known for his work on the covers of Strange Tales on which he created the most outrageous monsters ever seen. One day Johnson was approached by an unknown man who gave him three-dimensional paints. Whatever the artist created, would become alive and real. The paints somehow hypnotized Johnson who was compelled to go to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. When he arrived, he spotted a giant canvas for him to work on in the centre of an ancient Aztec temple. Understanding that this was why he was drawn to this place, Johnson began painting a gigantic monster on the canvas. When he was finished the monster, whom he knew was named Zzutak, came to life and exited the canvas.

The man who had given Johnson the paints then revealed himself. He told him that he was the medicine man of a surviving trive of Aztecs who had hidden in this valley since the Spanish had come centuries ago. The tribe had created these magical paints as a way to create an undefeatable army with which to conquer the continent. He revealed that Zzutak had no consciousness of his own and must obey the commands of the medicine man. He then demanded that Johnson create more monsters to be part of that army. Johnson complied, but secretly chanted "Zzutak is your enemy, you must destroy him" the entire time he painted this new monster. When Xxirys came to life, it immediately headed for Zzutak and attacked him, failing to heed the orders given to him by the medicine man. The two monsters fought and raged until they brought down the entire temple upon themselves. Believed they were destroyed, Johnson buried the rest of the paints and returned to the United States.[1]

Years later, however, Frank was once again captured by the Aztecs, who held his son as a hostage. They forced Frank to return to Mexico to once again revive Zzutak. While Frank did bring back Zzutak, he also resuscitated his Enemy, this time controlled by the minds of the Fantastic Four and once again Zzutak and his Enemy were buried. The Aztec tribe was subsequently arrested.[2]

Zzutak later appeared on Monster Isle when Shadowcat and Magik appeared to look for a mutant girl named Bo. Zzutak was among the monsters that attacked the three until Magik teleported herself, Shadowcat, and Bo to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.[3]

Zzutak accompanied Fin Fang Foom, Gorgilla, and Green Thing in confronting Kei Kawade.[4] Zzutak was later seen falling from the sky near San Diego.[5]

Attributes

Powers

Zzutak possessed superhuman strength and durability. Where he was not truly alive he was unable to be killed.

Weaknesses

Zzutak had no mind of his own, responding only to the commands of the Aztec medicine man.

See Also

Links and References

References

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