Anti-Hero Profile: Lobo

A staple of comic book anti-heroes is the bounty hunter. Someone that will occasionally work with a hero, and at times against, depending on who’s paying them. The archetype is usually destructive, violent, and yet still sympathetic at times. One of the characters that best exemplifies these traits, and more, is the Main Man, Lobo. He’s a Bounty Hunter that will destroy anything and everything to ensure that he gets his bounty. He’ll then break more stuff, as he really, really, really loves breaking things. Let’s get to it.

Space biker, here for all your criminals.

Lobo is a Czarnian. His home planet, Czarnia, was a peaceful utopia that rivaled Krypton in terms of its scientific achievements. They’d long ago wiped out crime, poverty, and disease. This actually proves to be their downfall, as the higher ups of Czarnia had no idea what to do with Lobo. Picture the most violent, drunken brawler that you’ve ever seen, multiply him/her by 20, and make him an albino, and then you’ve got something on par with Lobo. Or to show it another way, his name in Czarnian translates to “He who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it.” What’s with comic parents giving such prophetic names? Lobo hated his home planet, feeling that most Czarnians are a bunch of boring prudes. In an attempt to liven things up, Lobo releases a plague of flying scorpion-like monsters, which wipes out his entire species. He’s basically the exact polar opposite of Superman. One is the Last Son, and is incredibly depressed by the fact, and the other is the Last Son, and will tell you all about it with a huge grin on his face.

After committing genocide, The Main Man somehow gets off planet and starts a career as an intergalactic bounty hunter. Much like Marvel’s Punisher, Lobo has a very strict but warped code of honor. He claims that “The Main Man’s word is his bond,” which is true, but be careful when whatever deal he makes ends, because all bets are off. For example, one of his bounties was to capture the one other Czarnian that escaped his flying scorpion-apocalypse, his fourth grade teacher Miss Tribb for a Brainiac. Despite his intense desire to reclaim his title as the “Last Son of Czarnia,” Lobo keeps Tribb safe, delivering her to Brainiac. Upon doing so, he nabs her, and snaps her neck. Lobo really likes being one of a kind. He’s developed a habit of coming to Earth on occasion to harass guys like Superman and Deathstroke, two bounties that continue to elude him. He also frequents an Earth diner, called Al’s Diner. He hits on one of the waitresses, Darlene, and has a very bad habit of completely wrecking the place whenever he stops by. He makes it up to them though, when he ends up destroying the entire city, but leaving Al’s untouched. The construction workers only had one place to fill their belly’s while rebuilding, thus making Al pretty wealthy. He later gave Lobo an Al’s Diner to completely demolish for his Birthday. Lobo has a soft spot for a species of spacefaring dolphins that live near his home planet. These dolphins were one of the few bounties that he didn’t end up murdering the bounty, safely delivering them to their new home, the Green Lantern Planet Mogo.

Lobo has crossed paths with a number DC’s bigwigs. He’s brawled with Superman on occasion, and fought Batman. He has a very intense bro-mance with Green Lantern Guy Gardner, as the two have a share appetite for destruction. At one point, one of Lobo’s beloved dolphins is killed by Japanese fishermen. He at first fights with Aquaman, believing him to be the dolphin-killer. He’s somewhat annoyed to discover that Aquaman is, in fact, a friend to and was raised by Dolphins. He couldn’t bring himself to hurt…er continue to hurt a fellow dolphin lover. He had no mercy for the fishermen though. Basically, when Lobo shows up, things get wrecked.

There's a grin that I don't think anyone will ever trust.

Lobo’s abilities vary from story to story. At times he’s physically on par with Superman in terms of strength and durability, and other times he’s only slightly stronger than a human. He is, across the all comics, able to survive in deep space, and survive without food and water for extended periods of time. He can regenerate at an incredible rate. He has enhanced sense that help him track and hunt down his bounties. He has a number of weapons, ranging from a crowbar, to a hook-and-chain, grenades, and high-powered alien laser weapons. His preferred method of travel is what equates to a space-flying Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Lobo is also pretty darn smart, when it comes to wrecking stuff, having engineered the flying scorpions that wiped out his race, and regularly creates complex poisons and antidotes for said poisons to help him capture his bounties.  

Also, he’s basically immortal. He was killed during a hunt, and sent to Hell. He was too intense for the Demons to handle, so he was bumped up to Heaven. He caused so much havoc beyond the Pearly Gates that he was booted back to the Mortal plane, being banned from both major after-lives. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

Lobo has appeared a couple of times outside the Comics. He’s usually depicted as a rocking alien bounty hunter with strength on-par with Superman. Most interpretations tone down some of his more intense destructive impulses. For example, he’s still the last son of and destroyer of Czarnia, but they leave out how exactly he did it. Thus making a little less intense than talking about the flying scorpions, or bio-engineered plague as some stories tell it, but still way darker than Superman’s origins.

He'll take on Kryptonians, Amazonians, Atlantians, and Batman.
On, and a couple of GL's too.  

Lobo appeared in Superman: The Animated Series. Fun fact, his voice actor is Brad Garrett, aka Robert Barone from Everybody Loves Raymond. In “The Main Man,” he’s hired by an alien zoologist named the Preserver to capture the Last Son of Krypton. The Preserver is obsessed with capturing rare and endangered species and keeping them in his creepy alien zoo. Lobo agrees, as the Preserver promises a hefty bounty, plus another fugitive that Lobo had been tracking. Lobo is able to overpower Superman, mostly by using Superman’s love of humans against him, and brings him in. After the bounty is complete, The Preserver then says he’s set his sights on the last Czarnian. Lobo, who is a bit of an idiot, proudly proclaims, “Ha, that’s rich. I’m the last Czarnian. Nuked the rest of the planet for my High School science project. Gave myself an A.” He’s then promptly knocked out with Gas and stuck in his own holding cell. He and Superman are forced to team up. The Preservers cells sap Superman of his superpowers by keeping him under a red sun emitter, and by keeping Lobo surrounded by attractive robots that shoot knockout gas if he gets too rowdy. They are able to break out of the Preserver’s pen, and then beating the Preserver. Which is a little harder than they initially thought, as the Preserver morphs into an alien Behemoth. As part of their agreement, Lobo agrees to leave Earth alone after they escape. He’s got a small cameo at the end of “Warrior Queen.” Maxima, queen of the planet Almerac, tries to force Superman to marry her. This doesn’t work out, and a usurper named De’Cine tries to take over. Superman and Maxima defeat De’Cine, and Superman returns home. 2.5 seconds later Lobo breaks in, loudly proclaims he’s come to capture De’Cine, and Maxima happily proclaims “Meow!” It’s probably why we don’t see Lobo again for a while. Maxima is a persistent woman, and Lobo’s easily distracted.

He knows how to use that hook, and
not afraid to use it.

We see Lobo again in Justice League. In the episode “Hereafter” Superman is believed dead, but blasted into the far future. Lobo flies in and demands that he be given Superman’s spot on the Justice League, as he’s the only one tough enough to take Sups spot. The League is forced to accept, as they need all the hands they can get. Most of Metropolis’s most wanted were celebrating Superman’s demise. Lobo is effective, but causes a heck of a lot of damage. When Superman returns, he quickly fires Lobo, claiming that Lobo isn’t Justice League material. Lobo leaves in an angry huff, claiming that they’d better not ask for his help next time they need it. Martian Manhunter points out “We didn’t ask you this time,” but Lobo ignores him.

He appears in the second season opener of Young Justice. In it, he attacks the United Nations building, and attempts to capture Secretary-General Tseng. He’s hindered but not stopped by two new Young Justice Team Members, Batgirl and Wonder Girl. Lobo claims that the contract specifies he needs “to put on a show for the locals.” I imagine that his contract holder hadn’t worked with him before, the trick would be to get Lobo to no draw attention to himself. He literally rips Tseng to shreds, but its revealed that the Secretary-General had been replaced by an alien imposter. Lobo then flies off, with the alien hanging from the back of his bike.

 Lobo is a personal favorite of mine in the Anti-Hero category. He’s loud, destructive, violent, and just loves the chaos he causes. Best example of the whole “if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” And despite his love of breaking stuff, he does abide by his code of honor. Most of the time. He’s also one of the most visually distinctive characters. How many other black clad, white skinned, red eyed, mullet having, biker style alien bounty hunters can you name? I thought so. He’s the havoc loving, explosion causing, stuff breaking, bounty hunter, the lunatic Lobo. Next time, a bounty hunter a little closer to home, Deadshot.

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