Color Kid
| Color Kid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Adventure Comics #342 (March 1966) |
| Created by |
Edmond Hamilton Curt Swan; Suggested by Jeff Greenberg in a letter to the Editor in response to requests from readers for Legion suggestions. |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Ulu Vakk |
| Species | Lupran |
| Place of origin | Lupra |
| Team affiliations |
Legion of Super-Heroes Legion of Substitute Heroes |
| Abilities | Ability to change the colors of people and objects. |
Color Kid (Ulu Vakk of the planet Lupra) is a DC Comics superhero, and a member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes in the 30th century.
Fictional character biography
Original continuity
Ulu Vakk was assisting a scientist when a beam of multi-colored light from another dimension struck him, granting him his singular super ability. He tried out for the Legion of Super-Heroes, but was rejected.[1] He later joined the Legion of Substitute Heroes, a group formed of rejected Legion applicants.
He changed the color of a kryptonite cloud around Earth from green (deadly to then-current members Superboy and Supergirl) to blue (harmful to super-powered Bizarro creatures).[2]
As an adult, he was known as Color King, and finally becomes a member of the Legion when it merges with the Legion of Substitute Heroes.[3]
In the 1985 Legion of Substitute Heroes one-shot comic, he was temporarily known as Color Queen after being exposed to Granderian Gender-Reversal Germs by Infectious Lass.
Post-Zero Hour
Color Kid hasn't officially been seen since the reboot, though a person bearing a rainbow-colored costume similar to Color Kid's uniform is seen in a splash page. Another character resembling Color Kid is seen in Legion #25 in a Legion recruit group alongside other characters resembling the pre-Crisis Legion of Substitute Heroes.
Post-Infinite Crisis
In the "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" storyline, he is mentioned to have been blinded by Earth-Man in his war against the Legion.
Powers and abilities
Color Kid has the ability to change the color of an object at will. The exact limits of this ability are unknown as is the permanency of the effect. He has been shown to switch the colors of the sky and ground, temporarily confusing flying opponents. [4] He also has demonstrated enough power to transform the color of a band of kryptonite particles encircling the 30th century Earth, allowing an exiled Superboy and Supergirl to return to the planet for the rest of their time as Legion members (Adventure Comics #351, December, 1966).
Color Kid can also project beams of the color black, blinding opponents in a manner similar to Shadow Lass; he has used this ability on occasion to aid his teammate Night Girl, whose strength is enhanced when in darkness.[5] Color Kid continued to develop and refine his abilities throughout his career, eventually learning to disguise himself or others through a camouflage effect and confuse his opponents by switching between several colors at once (during "The Great Darkness" storyline).
In other media
Color Kid appears in the Legion of Super Heroes animated series, where he is voiced by James Arnold Taylor. He is portrayed as social and friendly, and at times flamboyant, but not always aware of the limits of his powers, most noticeably trying to stop an incoming attack by changing its colors - at one moment cleverly disguising himself and others, and another moment wondering if he would have impressed the Legion if he had used a different shade of green.[6]
References
- ↑ Adventure Comics (vol. 1) #342
- ↑ Adventure Comics (vol. 1) #351
- ↑ Adventure Comics (vol. 1) #358
- ↑ Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #253 (July, 1979)
- ↑ Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #253 (July, 1979)
- ↑ Legion of Super Heroes episode "The Substitutes"