Species Kryptonian First appearance Superman #157 Partnership General Zod | Place of origin Krypton Publisher DC Comics | |
 | ||
Notable aliases Charlie Kweskill, Edward Robertson Abilities Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, senses, intelligence, regeneration, longevity, super breath, heat vision, x-ray vision and flight Similar General Zod, Equus, Preus, Paul Westfield, Dabney Donovan | ||
Quex-Ul is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics' Superman titles.
Contents
Publication history
Quex-Ul first appeared in Superman #157 and was created by Charlie Kweskill and Edward Robertson.
Pre-Crisis
First appearing in Superman #157 (Nov. 1962), Quex-Ul was a Kryptonian exiled to the Phantom Zone when he was convicted of killing rondors, an endangered species, to use their healing horns for the purpose of profit. He confessed and spent his time in the Zone, but was released by Superman when his time was up. Not a grateful sort, he attempted to lure Superman into a gold kryptonite trap, until Superman discovered that Quex-Ul had actually acted under the mental control of another Kryptonian, Rog-Ar, the true rondor killer. Learning this, Quex-Ul threw himself into the trap to save the hero, losing his powers and memory.
In the 1982 The Phantom Zone mini-series, he later works at the Daily Planet, believing himself to be an Earthman named "Charlie Kweskill". Susceptible to unconscious influence by Phantom Zoners, he unwittingly frees them and is himself trapped in the Zone along with Superman. Together they seek a way out of the Zone, ultimately facing a malevolent entity called Aethyr, whose mind creates the Phantom Zone. On arrival, Superman and Quex-Ul find themselves wearing each other's clothes, and "Charlie" wonders if he now has super powers. It is unclear whether his powers or memory have actually been restored, the costume swap having been effected as some sort of amusement by Aethyr. To save the Man of Steel, Quex-Ul flies towards Aethyr and dies in a shower of fiery breath, sacrificing his life in a final act of redemption.
Post-Crisis
In the Pocket Universe (which was an alternate version of the pre-Crisis Earth-One), Quex-Ul was freed with General Zod and Zaora from the Phantom Zone by a naive Lex Luthor, whereupon they turned Pocket Earth into a dead world. Quex-Ul and the others were executed by Superman using green kryptonite, a controversial move that haunted him for some time.
Adventure Comics
In Adventure Comics 512 (Late May 2010), Quex-Ul makes an appearance under the cover name of Edward Robertson. He was later killed by Squad K of Project 7734. He is also shown in the Phantom Zone with General Zod and the rest of the phantom zone criminals, including Jax-Ur, Non, Ursa, Car-Vex, Az-Rel and Nadira. His was a plan developed by Car-Vex aka Officer Romundi and General Sam Lane.