Photonik (original) (raw)

Created by: Malcolm Naughton (pseudonym of Marcel Navarro) (1919- )
Writer/Artist: Cyrus Tota (1954- )

Taddeus Tenterhook, is a lonely, alienated, hunchbacked teenage orphan who becomes accidentally transformed by the explosion of a "luminotron" drevice into the golden, super-powered "Man of Light" -- Photonik. With the help of neuropsychologist and super-powered mentalist, Dr. Nazel D. D. Ziegel and the street urchin nicknamedTom Thumb, Photonik fights a varirety of colorful super-villains, from the space-born invader, the Minotaur, to Maelstrom, Lord of the Lower Depths, and Count Wampyr, the Vampire of New York. He is pursued by Lt. Wilcox of the NYPD who wants to arrest him for breaking the law.

The Stories from "Mustang" Magazine Writer/Artist: Cyrus Tota 1. Black Out (MU 54, 1980) 2. La Nuit des Dupes [_The Night Of The Dupes_] (MU 55, 1980) 3. David et Goliath [_David And Goliath_] (MU 56, 1980) 4. Pièges [_Traps_] (MU 57, 1980) 5. Le Bulbe [_The Bulb_] (MU 58, 1980) 6. Panique à Central Park [_Panic In Central Park_] (MU 59, 1980) 7. La Souricière [_The Mousetrap_] (MU 60, 1980) 8. Lachez les Fauves! [_Unleash The Beasts!_] (MU 61, 1981) 9. Petit-Homme-Blanc [_Little-White-Man_] (MU 62, 1981) 10. Et l�Empire s�effondra! [_And The Empire Collapsed!_] (MU 63, 1981) 11. Cauchemar [_Nightmare_] (MU 64, 1981) 12. Resurrection ou La Fin d�une Saga [_Rebirth or The End Of A Saga_] (MU 65, 1981) 13. African Devil (MU 66, 1981) 14. Sur la Piste du Sorcier [_On The Trail Of The Witch Doctor_] (MU 67, 1981) 15. À l�Ombre des Volcans [_In The Shadow Of The Volcano_] (MU 68, 1981) 16. Dans l�Oeil du Volcan [_In The Eye Of The Volcano_] (MU 69, 1981) Writer/Artist: John Milton (Jean-Yves Mitton) 17. Maelstrom (MU 70, 1981) from "Spidey" Magazine Writer/Artist: Cyrus Tota 1. Le Veilleur de Pierre [_The Stone Watcher_] (SP 22, 1981) 2. La Malédiction [_The Curse_] (SP 23, 1982) 3. Le Vampire de New-York [_The Vampire Of New York_] (SP 24, 1982) 4. Horreur à l'Aurore [_Horror At Dawn_] (SP 25, 1982) 5. Echec et Supermat 1: Enfer sur l'Échiquier [_Check & Supermate 1: Hell Over The Chessboard_] (SP 26, 1982) 6. Echec et Supermat 2: Contre-Attaque [_Check & Supermate 2: Counter-Attack_] (SP 27, 1982) 7. Le Hasard et la Violence [_Hazard And Violence_] (SP 28, 1982) 8. Photonik contre Photonik [_Photonik vs. Photonik_] (SP 29, 1982) 9. Le Rachat [_The Buy-Back_] (SP 30, 1982) 10. La Gemme 1: Les Dents de la Mer [_The Gem 1: Jaws_] (SP 31, 1982) 11. La Gemme 2: Le Monstre des Abysses [_The Gem 2: The Monster From The Abyss_] (SP 32, 1982) 12. Prisonnier des Étoiles [_Prisoner Of The Stars_] (SP 33-34, 1982) 13. Le Mystère du Pueblo Maudit 1: Un Aigle dans la Nuit [_The Mystery Of The Cursed Pueblo 1: An Eagle In The Night_] (SP 35, 1982) 14. Le Mystère du Pueblo Maudit 2: Trésor Aztèque [_The Mystery Of The Cursed Pueblo 2: Aztec Treasure_] (SP 36, 1983) 15. Les Origines du Docteur Ziegel 1: Ombre du Passé [_The Origins Of Dr. Ziegel 1: Shadow Of The Past_] (SP 37, 1983) 16. Les Origines du Docteur Ziegel 2: Projet Siegfried [_The Origins Of Dr. Ziegel 2: Project Siegfried_] (SP 38, 1983) 17. Les Origines du Docteur Ziegel 3: La Révolte des Damnés [_The Origins Of Dr. Ziegel 3: The Revolt Of The Damned_] (SP 40, 1983) 18. Le Casse du Millénaire [_The Break-In Of The Millenium_] (SP 41-42, 1983) 19. Bas les Masques 1: Chantage [_Masks Off 1: Blackmail_] (SP 43, 1983) 20. Bas les Masques 2: Bluff [_Masks Off 2: Bluff_] (SP 44, 1983) 21. La Saga de Photonik [_The Saga Of Photonik_] (SP 55, 1984) 22. Descente aux Abysses 1: Une Ombre dans la Nuit [_Descent Into The Abyss 1: A Shadow In The Night_] (SP 56, 1984) 23. Descente aux Abysses 2: La Proie du Vampire [_Descent Into The Abyss 2: The Vampire�s Prey_] (SP 57, 1984) 24. Descente aux Abysses 3: Duel aux Enfers [_Descent Into The Abyss 3: Duel In Hell_] (SP 58, 1984) 25. Les Enfants de l'Apocalypse 1: L'Énigme Alpha [_Children Of The Apocalypse 1: The Alpha Enigma_] (SP 80, 1986) 26. Les Enfants de l'Apocalypse 2: La Menace Alpha [_Children Of The Apocalypse 2: The Alpha Threat_] (SP 81, 1986) 27. Les Enfants de l'Apocalypse 3: L'Ultimatum Alpha [_Children Of The Apocalypse 1: The Alpha Ultimatum_] (SP 82, 1986) 28. Les Enfants de l'Apocalypse 4: Le Piège Alpha [_Children Of The Apocalypse 1: The Alpha Trap_] (SP 83, 1986) Writer/Artist: Jean-Yves Mitton 29. L'Ombre [_The Shadow_] (4 eps.) (SP 84-86, 1987)

Publishing History After the success of the Marvel Comics translations launched by Editions Lug in 1969, Publisher-Editor Marcel Navarro decided to create his own brand of French super-powered characters. The first of these was Wampus (1969). Then, in 1972, Lug launched the magazine "Futura", which featured several characters such as Jaleb the Telepath, Homicron,The Time Brigade, The Other, Larry Cannon, Jeff Sullivan, etc. and ran for 33 issues until 1975. "Futura" was followed by the short-lived "Waki" (1974), about a prehistoric hero whose colorful adventures took place in a post-cataclysmic world, "Kabur" (1975), about a mythical warrior hero and Lug's answer to Marvel's Conan, and finally "Mustang" (Series II) in 1980. While the above series had all been worthy efforts, none had met with the success Navarro had been hoping for. Certainly, none rivaled the success of the Marvel material. Navarro then decided to call on writer-artists with a better understanding of the super-hero genre, and try them in a new magazine and a new format. That magazine was originally going to be entitled "Sup�Heros" but, for business reasons, at the last minute, Navarro decided instead to revamp one of Lug's existing western magazine "Mustang". With No. 54, "Mustang" therefore became a full-fledged super-hero comic. Unfortunately, the new "Mustang" was not profitable enough -� at least compared to the relatively inexpensive purchase of American material -� and was cancelled with issue 70 in 1981. Nevertheless, it had revealed two new, native stars to the French readers: Cyrus Tota with Photonik, and Jean-Yves Mitton with Mikros. Seventeen episodes of Photonik were originally serialized in "Mustang". (The last one was produced by Mitton.) After "Mustang"'s cancellation,Photonik returned in the Marvel-based magazine "Spidey", starting with No. 22 in 1982. In 1987, four episodes were again written and drawn by Mitton. In 1999, "Spidey" eps. 21-24 and 25-28 were reprinted in two hardcover editions by publisher Delcourt.

	The Authors FOR MORE ABOUT MARCEL NAVARRO, . Cyrus Tota (1954- ) was born in Italy, and began working for Lug in the 1970s. He contributed to the long-running Italian series Blek produced by the studio Essegesse from 1977 to 1980, before co-creating Photonik. More recently, Tota has contributed three volumes to the Etoile Blanche series, a spin-off of Aquablue.