The Lunatik
Real Name: Arisen Tyrk, AKA Harrison Turk, Lunatik I-III and the three Nilffim (that's right, seven alter egos!).
First Appearance: Creatures on the Loose 36. He/they first crossed paths with everyone's favorite non-team in Defenders 51 in a cameo, with the first full appearance in Defenders 53 and the first multiple appearance in Defenders 70.
What's His/Their Problem? Arisen Tyrk was the tyrannical mystic god-king of Other-Realm until he was defeated and deposed by Stargod (John Jameson, the lycanthrope formerly known as Man-Wolf). Tyrk escaped to Earth, physically and mentally fragmenting in the process. The most rational and socially adaptable of these fragments became Harrison Turk, an Empire State University drama prof. Meanwhile, three of his other fragments became the murderous, clown-faced vigilante known as Lunatik. The Lunatiks randomly brutalized anyone they deemed criminal, ranging from drug dealers to litterbugs. This brought them into frequent conflict with the Defenders and their allies, notably ESU students Valkyrie and Spider-Man. When the Defenders finally captured Lunatik and discovered to their shock that there were three of him, Turk came forward to confess their joint origin, careful to present his background in a flattering light. He convinced the Defenders to accompany him in search of his three remaining personality fragments, who were terrorizing the otherdimensional Tunnelworld as the Nilffim. Turns out the Nilffim, the Lunatiks and Turk were all thralls of an unspeakable interdimensional evil known as the Unnameable. In their master's service they turned on the Defenders. The Defenders merged the baddies back into Arisen Tyrk, who was defeated after he dared challenge the Unnameable's power.
Powers: Tyrk was a self-proclaimed god of great physical and mystical power. As Turk, he was a highly intelligent and eloquent man whose words had a subtle hypnotic power over his listeners. As the Lunatiks, he displayed superhuman physical prowess, notably enhanced strength and agility.
Weapons: Lunatik's chosen weapon was a steel rod, which he used as a vaulting pole and bo staff. He usually beat his victims with it, sometimes to death.
Favorite Quote: For reasons that never quite became clear, Turk's three Lunatik selves spoke in bizarre nonsense-talk derived largely from TV and radio pop culture, making them some of the most uniquely quotable villains in comics. A few of their more immortal gems follow:
"I've got rhythm! I've got music! I've got my staff! Who could ask for anything more?" -- Defenders 61
"I used to be a god, y'know! And I'm cuckoo for Coco-Puffs!" -- Defenders 61
"Fast is Lunatik! Mighty is Lunatik! Lunatik is lord of the asphalt jungle! With much more music!" --Defenders 70
Heroes He/They Kept Running Into: Lunatik made a hobby of tormenting the Defenders, especially Valkyrie. Nobody but NOBODY got Val's dander up like Lunatik.
People Who Think He's/They're Not So Bad: Weirdo film student and Defenders groupie Dollar Bill was a big fan of Professor Turk (who eventually became his roommate), even after Turk was revealed as a Lunatik. Chalk it up to Turk's persuasive powers and/or Bill's bad judgment, both of which were legendary in Defenders circles.
Most Despicable Act: Lunatik was responsible for many assaults, some fatal, but one of his nastiest deeds was doling out a crippling, near-lethal beating to innocent ESU student Ledge when he tried to come to Valkyrie's aid.
by Sean McQuaid
Lunatik Mug Shots!
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