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Lockjaw (character)

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Lockjaw
File:Thing004 009.jpg
Lockjaw with Thing and Valeria Richards
Thing #4
Art by Kieron Dwyer
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceFantastic Four #45,
(December 1965)
Created byStan Lee (writer)
Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoLockjaw
SpeciesInhuman
Place of originAttilan
Team affiliationsInhumans
Fantastic Four
Pet Avengers
Notable aliases"Sparky"
AbilitiesTeleportation
Super strength and durability, precognition, matter ingestion

Lockjaw is a fictional character and alien bulldog published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Fictional character biography

Lockjaw was born in the Island of Attilan, formerly in the Atlantic Ocean. Lockjaw resembles a giant bulldog and serves in the capacity of the Inhuman's teleporter and escort to the Royal Family of the Inhumans. Many times he has brought Inhumans to Earth and back again. At times, his powers have been manipulated by evil forces, most usually Maximus The Mad.

Lockjaw and the royal family encountered Maximus' creation, the Trikon, and were driven from Attilan's Great Refuge in exile.[1]

Lockjaw first appeared as a member of the Inhumans when they attempted to retrieve Medusa from the outside world and take her back to Attilan. This led them into conflict with the Fantastic Four, the first humans they met, who were harboring Medusa after rescuing her from the villainous Frightful Four. Accordingly, Lockjaw is indirectly responsible for revealing the existence of Attilan to the outside world. They returned to Attilan and became trapped in Maximus' "negative zone" barrier around the Great Refuge.[2]

Lockjaw is able to escape and becomes separated from his city. He roams the country for some time, accidentally terrorizing the local citizens, until he meets up with Johnny Storm and Wyatt Wingfoot. He journeyed with the pair in their attempt to breach the "negative zone" barrier.[3] Before long, the Inhumans were freed from the "negative zone" barrier, and Lockjaw transported Crystal to New York, and brought Triton from Attilan to rescue Mister Fantastic.[4] Lockjaw was later compelled to return Crystal to Attilan by Maximus.[5]

With Crystal, Lockjaw was captured by Diablo.[6] They later rescued the injured Quicksilver.[7] Before long, Lockjaw attended the wedding of Quicksilver and Crystal.[8] He also brought the Fantastic Four to Attilan to battle Thraxton.[9]

At one point, Quicksilver and the Thing are fooled by others into thinking Lockjaw was originally of normal humanoid form, and that he was sentient and was capable of speech. This "prank" convinces Quicksilver not to expose his daughter Luna to the mutative Terrigen Mists.[10]

Lockjaw brought the other Inhumans to Earth in search of Medusa when she fled Attilan to avoid a compulsory abortion. He also transported the injured Triton back to Attilan.[11] With Crystal, he later summoned the Avengers to help battle Thane Ector and the Brethren.[12] With the Avengers, he battled the Brethren.[13]

Lockjaw later brought Quicksilver to Washington D.C. in search of X-Factor. It was then revealed that the evidence of his sentience was a hoax perpetrated on the Thing by Karnak and Gorgon.[14]

As noted in "Ka-Zar" #12, Lockjaw also travels to the Heroes Reborn universe with his Inhuman family. This visit lasts for about a year; all are returned successfully.

Having always been particularly fond of Ben Grimm, Lockjaw elects to stay with him. Ben, fondly recounting that he "always wanted a dog", accepted. It is not known why Lockjaw did not accompany Ben Grimm when he felt the need to retreat to France during the Civil War.

Lockjaw is featured into the 2006 limited series Son of M. With the majority of the mutants on Earth having been rendered powerless, Quicksilver decides to steal the Inhumans mutagenic Terrigen Mists and re-power willing mutants. Lockjaw is convinced to help him on the mission. Traveling with Quicksilver's daughter Luna, they traverse the Earth, heading to such places as Genosha. The other Inhumans follow.

Later, Lockjaw rejoins Black Bolt, Medusa and other Inhumans in order to assist a super-human strikeforce in taking down the confused Sentry. [15]

Lockjaw assists his family tracking down Black Bolt, who had been captured by the Skrulls. Using technology gained from their allies, the Kree, Lockjaw's abillities are upgraded, allowing him to teleport much farther.[16]

It was announced at New York Comic-Con 2009, that Lockjaw would receive a four issue miniseries titled Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, teaming with Lockheed, Redwing, Ms. Lion (Firestar's puppy from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends), Zabu, Niels the Cat/Hairball, and a new frog Thor.[17]

Powers and abilities

Lockjaw seemingly has "super-canine" strength in his jaw for a dog his age and size. At one time he locked on to the Thing's arm and the Thing could not get him to let go. Lockjaw can also teleport himself, and nearby living creatures and matter to anywhere he wants, from the Earth to the Moon, and can even open passages between dimensions. Energy barriers that are seemingly impenetrable to others seem to pose no problem to him. Lockjaw also has the ability to psionically trace a given "scent" across dimensional space.

Lockjaw also once seemingly sensed danger from far off, when Doctor Doom had manipulated Silver Surfer's powers.

Lockjaw is capable of chewing and swallowing inorganic material, such as scraps of sophisticated robots, with no ill effect. It is not known if this is his primary source of nourishment.[citation needed]

In the Secret Invasion: Inhumans miniseries, the Royal family enter into an alliance with the Kree to free Black Bolt from his Skrull captors. To that end, the Kree greatly enhance Lockjaw's teleportation powers, enabling him to teleport himself and others over vast interplanetary distances. [18]

Intelligence

Quicksilver, Luna, and Lockjaw from Son of M #3 (2006). Art by Roy Allan Martinez

Lockjaw being of limited intelligence seems to be confirmed through a scene in Son of M #4 from Lockjaw's point of view, including the words "It is too much for his limited intelligence to deal with," that seems to imply his intelligence is indeed that of a normal dog. His most recent portrayals in Silent War shows him playing with a ball without any apparent understanding of the complexities around him.

Other versions

Earth X

In the alternate future of Earth X, Lockjaw is shot by some gaseous bullet and murdered by Maximus. His teleportation-forehead assembly is seemingly the only part of him that has survived. It is used by Black Bolt and the other Inhumans to investigate happenings on Earth.

Ultimate Lockjaw

Lockjaw also appears in Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1. In this incarnation he seems to have teleportation powers similar to his 616 counter part (Though the limitation of the powers are not really defined). He leaves the Inhumans' Himalayas refuge with Crystal, who is running away because she was being forced to marry Black Bolt's brother, Maximus (only Crystal suspects he is mad). He is seen teleporting the Fantastic Four to the Inhumans' home. He also seems to be able to telepathically communicate with Crystal. If he can do it with others has still to be seen. After the Fantastic Four discover the city, the Inhumans leave, seemingly relocating to the moon. Several of the Inhumans indicate they had conspired for Lockjaw to be left behind in the human world.

In other media

  • Lockjaw appears in the 1994 Fantastic Four cartoon series where he helps the Human Torch get the Impossible Man to The Great Refuge and away from the Super-Skrull.
  • Lockjaw appears as a non-playable hero, along with the other Inhumans, in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, sending the heroes to the Shi'ar galaxy and Skrull homeworld to gather implements necessary to defeating a divinely-empowered Dr. Doom. Also though not there in appearance, the game implies that the mini-portals used in the game for mid-point to home-base transport are made by Lockjaw, since every time the player tries to create a portal outside the circumstances when that is possible, the message "Lockjaw cannot create a portal in that area" appears. This creates somewhat of a continuity error, since when the player gains that ability, it is attributed to an experimental teleportation device created by S.H.I.E.L.D. He also has special "conversations" with Spider-Man, Deadpool, and Thing.

References

  1. ^ Revealed in Inhumans Special #1
  2. ^ Fantastic Four #45-48
  3. ^ Fantastic Four #55-58; Fantastic Four Annual #4
  4. ^ Fantastic Four #61-62
  5. ^ Fantastic Four #82-83
  6. ^ Fantastic Four #117
  7. ^ Avengers #110
  8. ^ Fantastic Four #150
  9. ^ Fantastic Four Annual #12
  10. ^ The Thing #3
  11. ^ Inhumans Graphic Novel
  12. ^ Avengers #334
  13. ^ Avengers #336-338
  14. ^ X-Factor #71-72
  15. ^ New Avengers #9
  16. ^ Secret Invasion: Inhumans
  17. ^ NEWSARAMA - Inside Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, accessed 22-3-2009
  18. ^ Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3
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