Арак: Сын Грома — История Комикс-Героя DC

Fictional character in DC Comics

Arak is a fictional comic book character and a superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in a special insert in The Warlord #48 (August 1981) and was created by Roy Thomas and Ernie Colón. Arak (Bright Sky After Storm) is depicted very much as a Conan knock off in early appearances. Later, after encountering the Moirai, who explain his destiny to him, he takes on a more Native American appearance, including leather fringed pants and a Mohawk hairstyle. Unlike Conan (a character Roy Thomas also wrote during his tenure at Marvel Comics), who usually fought against H. P. Lovecraftian monsters and entities, Arak encounters figures and creatures from myth and legends, including Greek, Norse, Judeo Christian, Muslim, Oriental and others. Arak was relatively culturally sensitive for the time when it debuted. Unlike other Native American heroes, like Apache Chief, who took a cartoonish view of Native Americans similar to the old western movie Natives, Arak did not have broken speech or other stereotypical Native traits. Also, the Vikings looked more like real Vikings and were not illustrated wearing the stereotypical horned helmets and fur clothing. Arak returns in the crossover event Convergence, being turned by Brainiac into an almost cybernetic entity with no memory of his previous life, and being renamed as Telos, becoming the main villain for most of the event until the finale, when Arak/Telos remembers his identity.

After his debut in The Warlord #48, Arak starred in a monthly DC Comics series, Arak, Son of Thunder, which ran 50 issues (and one 1984 annual) from September 1981 to November 1985. After a few token appearances in other stories, Arak has not appeared in any new adventures since 1988. The Arak series was written, in one form or another, by Roy Thomas, joined in later issues by his wife Dann Thomas and by Jean Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier. After penciling the first 12 issues, artist co creator Colón left the title, replaced by a string of artists, including Adrian Gonzales, Ron Randall, Gérald Forton, and Tony DeZuniga.

Arak's mother, Star of Dawn (of the Quontauka Native tribe) was seduced by an evil serpent god while wandering alone. She realized at the last moment what was happening, and tried to escape before the final act. She was rescued by He No, the Thunder God. He took her into his realm and under his care she recovered from the serpent god's venomous bite. Although she married him in gratitude, she did not really love him, and missed her people; so he returned her to her tribe. Her father, the tribal shaman, recognized the touch of both deities upon her, and that she bore He No's child. She named him Bright Sky After Storm, for 'he will follow in his father's footsteps, who is the thunder'. Years later, a tribe that worshipped the serpent deity attacked while the serpent itself attacked He No; the Thunder God was winning but saw his son about to die. He struck down the attacker, suffering severe wounds in the process. While most of the Quontauka were slaughtered, He No arranged for Bright Sky After Storm to wind up in a canoe and float out to sea, beyond his enemies' reach. Bright Sky After Storm was discovered out at sea by Vikings and rescued just before the canoe sinks. He is unconscious, but awakens just long enough to utter the phrase He No (a reference to his Native American father) a few times and swing a knife at the Viking leader. He was not attacking, but cut off the leader's necklace which has a hammer symbol called a hammer of thunder (related to the god Thor from Norse mythology). The leader wants to kill him, but another Viking stops him and adopts the boy. He names him Arak (intended as "Eric" but Bright Sky After Storm mispronounced it) and raises Bright Sky After Storm as a Viking, trained in warfare. Arak is particularly effective with a small axe, similar in proportion to a Native American club he was found with, but can also use a sword, shield, and bow. As a young man Arak joins the Vikings on their raids. They consist mostly of raiding monasteries for treasure, including a huge gold bejeweled cross which the captain hangs upside down on the mast as a good luck hammer of thunder. Near the end of the first issue, a sea serpent sent by the sorceress Angelica attacks the Vikings and some monks. All of the Vikings, including Arak's adoptive father, are killed. Arak seizes the gold cross and says, "Hammer of one god, or cross of another, strike for me now!" He throws the cross, which has a sharp bottom, at the serpent. The cross pierces the roof of its mouth and enters its brain, killing it. Arak manages to save one monk. The monk tells him that God has delivered them. Arak replies he does not know it if it had been the monk's god, or his own god, whom he had all but forgotten. More recently, Valda was transported to the present day to become a member of the extended Shadowpact in the Day of Vengeance special. She is apparently still living in our time and has visited the Oblivion Bar on several occasions.

Arak is a good swordsman, skilled with a tomahawk, trained in hand to hand combat and is competent with the bow and arrow. He also possesses limited certain magical powers which include weather manipulation, earth control, longevity, along with spell and illusion casting, all due to his godly heritage.

In 1982, Arak received an action figure as part of Remco's toyline "Lost World of the Warlord".