Warning: contains spoilers for Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1!
Marvel’s newest god-like heroes, Ka-Zar and Shanna the She-Devil, have a most unlikely Kryptonite: meat! In Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1, on sale now in print and digital, readers get to see the new and (vastly) improved Ka-Zar in action, and learn that if he eats meat, he loses these fantastic new powers.
The modern incarnation of Ka-Zar first appeared in 1965's The X-Men #10, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He was born Kevin Plunder, the pampered son of British aristocracy. While on a hunting trip with his father as a child, Kevin was stranded in the prehistoric Savage Land, and later raised by the sabre-tooth tiger Zabu. As he grew to adulthood, Ka-Zar became the protector of the Savage Land, a role that has brought him regularly into contact with the X-Men and the Avengers. Recently, during the Empyre event, Ka-Zar was seemingly killed, only to be resurrected with new abilities. Ka-Zar has not been the same since his return, showing a deep, psychic-level connection to the Savage Land. He now has enhanced senses, allowing him to hear and feel everything happening in the Savage Land through its flora and fauna, and even borrow their physical power in battle. Furthermore, Ka-Zar can manipulate the soil and plant life, molding the world around him like a god - powers that have also awoken in his wife Shanna. But with these new powers comes one of the most unique weaknesses in comics: eating meat.
Ka-Zar: Lord of the Savage Land #1 is written by Zac Thompson, with art by German Garcia, colors by Matheus Lopes and letters by Joe Caramagna. In the first issue, Ka-Zar is struggling to come to terms with his new life and powers, particularly in the context of having gained them from dying and being born again. While gathered for a family meal, Ka-Zar's son Matthew tells him he wants to eat boar, like Zabu. Shanna tells her son that animals are allowed to eat each other, but that their family is sworn to protect the animals and other inhabitants of the Savage Land, saying, "We can't eat the beings we've sworn to protect -- it'll destroy our connection to the land."
It is not uncommon for a superhero to have a very specific weakness, such as Superman’s aversion to Green Kryptonite or the Martian Manhunter’s fear of fire, but eating meat ranks as one of the oddest. But while a steak may seem like an odd way to de-power Ka-Zar and Shanna now that they can literally imbue themselves with the strength of dinosaurs while growing new biotechnology through sheer willpower, it makes sense: their powers come from their bond with the Savage Land, not just blanket control over the natural world. If they kill and eat the creatures that depend on them, then it makes sense this would impair their ability to call on them later.
Giving Ka-Zar and Shanna such a unique weakness sets them apart from other heroes. Thankfully, they both seem well aware what eating meat would do to their bond with the Savage Land, and the hidden realm is lush with other options, but this limitation may cause other problems, as fans learn that - feeling stifled by his family's rules - Matthew is in touch with a dangerous outside power. Ka-Zar and Shanna have ascended to a godlike status in the Marvel Universe, but with this new upgrade comes one of the oddest weaknesses in comics: eating meat.
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