Savage Dragon

### Aliases

Dragon, Officer Dragon, Mr. Dragon, Bomb Boy, Paul Dragon, William Jonson, Emperor Kurr

### First Appearance

Graphic Fantasy #1 (Historically)Savage Dragon (Mini-Series) #1 (Modern)

### Powers

Agility, Berserker Strength, Controlled Bone Growth, Feral, Healing, Invulnerability, Leadership, Longevity, Marksmanship, Stamina, Stealth, Sub-Mariner, Super Speed, Super Strength, Unarmed Combat, Weapon Master

Savage Dragon is a green-skinned superhero/alien/police officer who boasts bullet-resistant skin, regenerative powers, immunity to fire and immense strength. He was first discovered on Earth in a burning field.

## History

### Origin

Savage Dragon was actually **Emperor Kurr**, the leader of a nomadic race of aliens who were looking for a new planet to inhabit. They had searched space in their starship for thousands of years, until finally Earth was discovered. Kurr saw the planet and its inhabitants, and decided to go against his race's peaceful ways and eradicate the humans. He had no desire to share his new home with another race. Two of the emperor's scientists, Rech and Weiko, discovered Kurr's plan and conspired against him. The scientists caused brain damage, which erased Kurr's memories. These erased memories were replaced with several days worth of Earth's satellite television programming, making him up to date on current events, but completely unaware of who or what he was. Kurr was left to live on Earth as his race continued their search for a new home.

## Creation

Savage Dragon was created by Erik Larsen. Like many of his creations, the Dragon was originally created in his youth and drew a number of elements from such wildly diverse sources as Captain Marvel, Batman, Speed Racer, and the Incredible Hulk. In his youth, Larsen and two friends printed a fanzine called *Graphic Fantasy* based on his creation. The Dragon first made his comic book debut in 1982 as **Paul Dragon (The Dragon)**. When working on Gary Carlson's book *Megaton*, Larsen created a slightly revised version of the character to guest star in a backup feature in the mid-1980s.

In 1992 when Erik Larsen left Marvel Comics to co-found Image Comics, he decided to rework and redesign his old faithful character to make the transition with him. As of today, the Savage Dragon remains only one of two original Image comic book titles (the other being Spawn) that continues to be printed to this day and the only one that is still being written and drawn by its creator, Erik Larsen.

The Savage Dragon series is also the longest running full-color comic book that has featured a single writer/artist, although Dave Sim's Cerebus the Aardvark continues to hold the title of the longest running black and white comic book featuring a single writer/artist with 300 issues.

Savage Dragon's origin was finally revealed with the release of the *Image Comics 10th Anniversary* hardcover book which revealed that our protective Savage Dragon was once actually the ruthless and remorseless Emperor Kurr.

## Character Evolution

### Graphic Fantasy

Paul Dragon (The Dragon) has retired from the Society of Super-Heroes (S.O.S.) after the death of his wife, Susan/Jennifer Wilson (a.k.a "Smasher"),at the hands of Bronze Man. He is a single father raising a young daughter, Angel. Bronze Man attacks Dragon and his daughter while taking a taxi to the zoo. The attack leaves Angel badly wounded. Dragon is enraged and goes on the hunt for the Bronze Man. While searching for information on Bronze Man, Dragon is knocked out by former member of S.O.S. Mace. Mace hands over Dragon to Bronze Man, who locks Dragon in death trap. Dragon frees himself and battles Bronze Man's super-villain gang. After defeating the Bronze Man's gang, Dragon goes after Bronze Man and savage beats him to death.

### Megaton

Paul Dragon (Savage Dragon) is the leader of the Society of Super-Heroes (S.O.S.). He lived on base with his wife, Sue, and their daughter Angel. Dragon reads in paper that Mighty Man is beaten to death by the alien Vanguard, so Dragon goes after Vanguard. He beats him and locks him up in a S.O.S. holding cell. Roxanne Wells Vanguard's human girlfriend teleported in his cell. Where Roxanne tells Dragon and Sue that Vanguard is a good guy. Vanguard helps Dragon and Smasher (Sue) to fight the army of super-villains attacking S.O.S. base.

### Image Universe

Dragon was discovered in a burning field by Lt. Frank Darling of the Chicago Police Department. Darling thought that Dragon would be able to help the police force battle against the Superhumans. Dragon turned the offer down and then went to work at a warehouse run by Darling's cousin. Hoping to compel Dragon to join, Darling paid two criminals to threaten his cousin. His ploy worked but at a cost. Darling's cousin was killed by the thugs. Frank was now under the thumb of the criminal gang Vicious Cycle, and would be used by the group to make Dragon avoid their business. He was partnered with a young female officer Alex Wilde.

## Major Story Arcs

### Image Universe

#### Officer Dragon

Dragon would begin a relationship with a woman named Debbie Harris. The relationship ended tragically when she was shot by her jealous ex, Arnold Dimple. This event depressed Dragon for some time. Dimple would go on to gain super powers through a Faustian deal becoming the villain Fiend . Due to Dragon’s abilities he would be loaned to various police departments in America. While in NY, Dragon met with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles becoming a reoccurring ally of theirs. Meanwhile back in Chicago a prison break occurred. Many criminals died including Hardware who intended to be a witness for the department.

Darling would later gather a group of superfreaks together into the team Freak Force and despite its failure; Dragon and the member Rapture would begin an intimate relationship. Meanwhile the villain Cyberface would leave Vicious Circle to begin his own gang. Later he would be arrested and was willing to also become a witness for the Chicago PD. He was killed as well, but he was brought back to life as an agent of the villain Horde who used him to lead Vicious Circle.

#### Dragon Kills Overlord

Dragon would attempt to capture Overlord resulting in his defeat and near-death after impalement. However Dragon would simply heal from his injuries. While recovering Dragon was implanted with a mind controlling worm and was sent on a rampage throughout the city resulting in deaths and injuries. However a hero named Mace was able to stop his rampage and discover Horde was the cause of the worms. Due to the rampage the anti-Dragon newspaper owner R. Richard Richards attacked him with a robot named Dragon Slayer. It was around this time Dragon meets a woman named She-Dragon who would become a reoccurring ally. After Cyberface was killed again; Dragon and a S.W.A.T team go to take down Overlord and after a mighty battle leaving all the S.W.A.T team dead and Dragon skinned. Overlord was beaten and killed by Dragon. After another adventure with TMNT, Dragon would again battle Fiend. Due to the battle Dragon’s bones were damaged and although healed they do so improperly making him useless while a gang war was going on since Overlord´s death caused a power vacuum.

#### Rapture is Pregnant

At some point Dragon was sent to hell by his enemy Fiend and he even witnessed a fight between God and the Devil. Despite asking about who he is God simply returns Dragon to Earth. Soon it becomes revealed that Dragon’s girlfriend Rapture is pregnant however due to the baby’s inherited Strength she is hurt internally each time it kicks. The damage resulted in her going into premature labor and the child dying during birth.

#### Dragon forms the S.O.S.

After and adventure with Hellboy and an attack by Martians, he returns home finding Vicious Circle controlling the city. After being crucified by the gang he is able to beat most of them, but was suspended by his new superior for his absence during the alien invasion. Dragon soon joins a government-funded group called Special Operations Strikeforce (S.O.S) , but he is rarely with them for many of their missions. In an attempt to stop his world from dying, Damien Darklord begins to extract pieces of our world to his own. S.O.S go to battle with Darklord. During the battle Rapture dies and Dragon and Jennifer Murphy become separated from the rest of the group. The rest of the group stop the assault and travel home. Dragon and Smasher search for the alternate Rapture only to find the alternate form of his former lover Debbie Harris. They are lost for months in space even getting involved in the God World; a planet filled with different Gods. They are able to be sent back to earth by the All God. Once back home after almost dying at the hands of a Abner Cadaver, Dragon is accidentally merged into the body of William Johnson.

#### Dragon In The Body of William Johnson

While Dragon was in Johnson’s body, She-Dragon had begun to protect Chicago on her own. It wasn't until a battle between the S.O.S and the God Squad from the God world that Johnson becomes aware of Dragon being in his body. Dragon and Johnson soon decide to go into the hero business after Dragon gains the power to control Johnson's body. Soon Johnson’s brother kidnaps Rita Medermade, Johnson's fiance. After finding a new Overlord, Johnson kills Ralph but is badly wounded in the battle. This gave Dragon control over their body. Cadaver comes back using a body formed from parts of the dead members of God Squad as well as Dragon and Damien Darklord. He does battle with Horde and loses. He puts Dragon back in his original form and he begins a relationship with Smasher. Soon a Rapture impostor shows up and the battle prompts Dragon to ask Smasher to marry him. Sadly she was killed during the wedding by Overlord. He quits S.O.S and adopts Angel Smasher’s daughter. After discovering the New Overlord’s true identity he kills him and his group.

#### Dragon Meets Malcolm Dragon

Dragon soon begins dating Marcy Howard, then his partner Alex Wilde, and then Ann Stevens . A group called the Covenant of the Sword is kidnapping super-powered people. Dragon soon loses custody of Angel, and Stevens is killed. A new Mighty Man and Dragon look for Superpatriot, and find the Covenant controlling him. He finds Smasher alive as well as his son, Malcolm Dragon, who was thought to have died in childbirth. After a massive battle with young Damien Darklord is revealed to be the cause of everything and, after causing a massive depowering of the freak populace, he kills Damien.

#### Savage World

Darklord’s death damaged reality and created a terrifying parallel Earth. The world is populated by terrible beasts and Smasher and Angel seem to be dead. Dragon meets Madman and Wildstar. Dragon finds that, in this reality, when he was under Horde's control he was not freed by Mace. In this parallel Earth, Dragon's rampage while under Horde's control lasted much longer and took Wilde's life. In this world Cyberface is the president of United States of America. Dragon leads a group to overthrow Cyberface's authority. He soon finds Smasher and Angel alive. He discovers his original earth still remains, but it is soon destroyed by Universo, but not before he rescues Alex and Malcolm. This time he really marries Smasher and with Angel’s new pet, Mr. Glum, they move in together. He was even able to stop the evil politician Ronald Winston Urass. Urass was originally running a campaign to make Dragon the U.S president, but he Urass was the son of the Superpatriot villain Dread Knight.

#### Mr. Glum Takes Over The World

Angel's pet, Mr. Glum, is revealed to be a villain. Glum had caused Angel to increase her size and become over a hundred feet. Her massive change in size resulted in the destruction of her home and her injuring her mother. Angel becomes increasingly violent. Meanwhile, Dragon had recently lost his healing factor and was put into the hospital after a battle. Glum used a powerful item know as the the God Gun. The God Gun can give the owner three wishes which Mr. Glum used it to exert mind control on everyone. Dragon's alien physiology left him unaffected by Mr. Glum's mind control. Luckily, Dragon is able to get his healing factor back and battles Mr. Glum and his army of villains and robot. The villains of Mr. Glum's army attempt to steal the God Gun, giving Dragon the chance to destroy the gun. With the God Gun destroyed, every wish it granted was undone.

#### The Search for Smasher

The world eating being, Universo, was released from his imprisonment in Vanguard´s ship. Universo intended to devour Earth but was killed by Solar Man. She-Dragon and Angel from the original Earth were being tracked by the Dragon from Damien Darklord's universe, Savage World, as well as a women named Battleaxe. Smasher went missing and Dragon began to search for her. Meanwhile the villain, Solar Man, has also been on a little quest of his own leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. Dragon left Angel with Superpatriot to be trained in her powers while Dragon continued to search for his wife. He goes to New Port City looking for the Ancient One, the one who gave Smasher her powers. While in New Port City, Dragon encounters Bomb Queen. He moves on next to Seattle and comes across the heroes called the Centurions. Their leader, Prism, was being mind controlled. After making it to England. Dragon fights with super heroes and discovers that She-Dragon is missing after a saving the heir to a drug company. Dragon also learns that Smasher is dead. He then makes his way to Baltimore to meet with Smasher's insane mother.

#### Dragon Team-Ups

Dragon helps Invincible fight a gang war, but Solar Man shows up to kill the bad guys. He is joined by heroes such as Spawn, Witchblade and Shadowhawk against Solar Man. Solar Man is joined by his own group of heroes, but Dragon ends up killing Solar Man. Dragon is attacked by a shape-shifter who is revealed to be his dead wife Smasher, angry at Dragon for ruining her life.

## Powers and Abilities

### Super Strength

Dragon is an alien. His physiology enables him to lift (press) approximately 34 tons.

### Invulnerability

His skin is tough enough to resist bullets; he is seemingly immune to fire, and can breath underwater. His skin is vulnerable to cuts and piercings from really sharp objects.

### Healing

He possesses a healing factor that can go so far as to regrow lost limbs and organs.

### Marksmanship

Dragon is a skilled marksman and hand-to-hand combatant which is enhanced by his great speed and agility.

### Agility

Despite his large size, Dragon is surprisingly fast and agile. He is capable of leaping fairly large distances, and high enough to jump over a 2-story house.

## Personal Data

### Characteristics

* **Height:** 5'10" (6'6" to top of fin)
* **Weight:** 450 lbs.
* **Eyes:** Green
* **Hair:** Black (body hair only)
* **Other Distinguishing Features:** Disproportionately large upper body and arms, green skin, a fin on his head, 2 toes on each foot and enlarged canine teeth.

### Status

* **Identity:** Publicly known
* **Occupation:** Adventurer, crime-fighter; former Emperor, police officer, bounty hunter, government agent and author
* **Citizenship:** Displaced Krylan (alien) citizen, Naturalized United States citizen
* **Place of Birth:** Unknown
* **Education:** Implanted education of unspecified type; possesses extensive training in police procedures, legal codes and firearms; as well as being extensively self-read in various books
* **Martial Status:** Widowed
* **Known Relatives:** Malcom Dragon (son), Jennifer Murphy (wife, deceased), Angel Murphy (step-daughter)

## Other Versions

**Dark Dragon**

A version of Dragon from the Darklord Universe.

## Other Media

### Television

**Savage Dragon**

Dragon starred in his own Saturday morning cartoon show from 1995 to 1996. He was voiced by Jim Cummings.