Zzzax
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk 166
What's Its Problem? A sentient electromagnetic energy field, Zzzax survives by absorbing other electromagnetic energy fields into its own. It especially enjoys absorbing the e-m fields of human brains, usually incinerating its victims in the process.
Powers: Zzaxx is superhumanly strong and can release its electrical energy in quantities sufficient to destroy entire city blocks, though it must regularly replenish its bodily energy to maintain cohesion. The psionic energy it absorbs from human brains actually increases Zzzax's own intelligence, which is usually a limited approximation of human intelligence at best. Zzzax can manipulate outside sources of electrical energy to an unknown extent; it has used this power to control the Hulk's motor skills through manipulation of the nervous system since the Hulk is more than a physical match for Zzzax and is immune to the creature's brain-absorbing power. Zzzax can be dispersed or otherwise rendered inert if its field is grounded or otherwise disrupted.
Favorite Quote: "Zzzax--me! Can think with energy from humanzz brainzz! Muzzt have more! Muzzt! Me Zzzax!" --Incredible Hulk 166. Newly formed from an electrical explosion at a Con-Edison nuclear power plant, Zzzax thoughtfully introduces and explains itself to its human victims with these fatal first words.
Heroes It Keeps Running Into: Zzzax has been repeatedly defeated by Hawkeye and the Hulk, its initial adversaries. The crackling critter has also encountered a Hulk-ified Rick Jones and Hawkeye's Avengers teammates.
People Who Think It's Not So Bad: Zzzax was briefly allied with Graviton, Halflife and Quantum until Hawkeye and the Avengers defeated them. Zzzax also sometimes takes on personality characteristics of its victims, as when it inherited victim Stan Flanders's love for his colleague, Alexandria Knox. One victim, General "Thunderbolt" Ross, actually usurped control of Zzzax's psyche for some time until regaining his own human form. Ross's friends and loved ones were sympathetic to the Ross-controlled Zzzax, which proved to be a somewhat more reasonable entity than the original.
Most Despicable Act: Zzzax's snack attacks invariably result in painful deaths for those bystanders unfortunate enough to get in its way, making Zzzax a remorseless mass murderer.
by Sean McQuaid
