Harry Shorten & Lin Streeter

Real Name:

Kalthar
Joined Mighty Crusaders:

Zip Comics #1, February 1940

Origin:

Kalthar, chief of the Urganas, protects the jungle’s denizens. When Kalthar's father dies saving the Urganas from Arab slave traders, the Urganas raise the boy as one of theirs. They name him Kalthar, which in their language means “God-Son.”

History:

The wizened old man, his white hair a stark contrast to his ebony skin, rocked slowly in the rocker, made by his son, on the porch of the small wooden house as soft music wafted from a radio inside.  He squinted in the noon-day sun as he watched his son and grandchildren work the fields.  Much has changed for the Ugarnas since he was a lad.  The tribe used to live in the jungle and hunt for their food.  Today, they live in houses and farm and buy or trade for meat at the market.

A young boy, his youngest grandson, played on the ground near his feet.  The old man watched him pensively for a few moments.  The boy noticed his grandfather looking at him.  He spoke.

“Tell me the story, Grandfather, “ he begged.  “Tell me again the story about the giant man.”

The old man smiled.  His grandson, Ta-Lo never tired of hearing of the saga of Kalthor, the Giant Man, and he never tired of telling it.

He motioned for his grandson to climb up onto his lap.  The boy obeyed and snuggled against his grandfather's chest.

"Back then," he began, "the Uraanas lived in the great forest near the great river man calls the Congo.  Our people were hunters and warriors.  There was always much danger. Some of the danger came from white slavers from the north.  It was the result of one such raid that begins the saga of Kalthar the Giant man...."
 
When a white child is orphaned in Africa when his father losses his life freeing a tribe of black Africans, the Urganas, from Arab slave traders, Ta-Lo, the Urganas medicine man, raises the infant and gives him the name of Kalthar. Kalthar, in the Urganas tongue it means God-Son. 
 
Kalthar grows strong and learns the language of the beasts, whom he befriends.  As he becomes of age, Ta-Lo  makes Kalthar the chief of the Urganas and gives him magic gains.  A red gain, when swallowed, allows Kalthar to grow to 15 feet.  The green grain returns him to normal.  Adding this power to his already formidable strength and abilities, Kalthar becomes a jungle legend “not even Mano, the elephant when mad dares to fight” him.

Shortly after a wounded Uraganas warrior gasps out a story at the feet of Kalthor.  A band of Arab slavers are raiding villages in the jungle.  Kalthar decides to go after the slavers.  Meanwhile on the outskirts of Urganas land the Arab chieftain is warned by one of his men that the land of the Urganas is protected by the giant white man, Kalthar.  The chief is arrogant: "Let him come.  I've had enough of meddling.  I'll finish him quickly enough."

Kalthar hurries to the slavers walled encampment at giant size (15 feet), but nearing it surmises that he might be easily seen at this size and the slavers may kill the  the slaves.  So, he swallows a green grain to which reduces him to normal height so that he can  sneak into the slavers hideout.  However, a hidden Arab sees the change and rushes back to tell his chief.  When Kalthar leaps the wall he is quickly beset upon by the Arabs who were prepared for his coming.  He fights desperately, but the odds are too great and he is captured.  The Arab chieftain mocks him telling Kalthar that theUgarnas is the next tribe he will capture and send to the slave market.  Kalthar answers the chieftain in his own language.  The chief threatens ot tear out Kalthar's tongue and imprsions him, to be executed later that night.

Later, the chieftain approaches Kalthar and tells him he will spare his life if Kalthar tells him the secret of his growth.  Kalthar refuses.  He is tied to a tree where natives are forced by the slavers to throw spears in his direction in order to frighten him into telling his secret.  Kalthar lets out a mighty yell:  "Kai..a-a-a,Kai..a-a-a, Kai..a-a-a P-i-i!"  His friends, the apes, hear his call and rush to his aid.  Mano the elephant also hears and responds.

The Chief orders his men to shoot Kalthar.  The jungle man speaks to the natives in there own tongue, telling them who he is and that if they let the Arabs shoot him they will be sold at the slave market.

Just then Butah, the monkey arrives.  Kalthar instructs Butah in the monkey's language, and the monkey removes a grain from Kalthar's hair, dropping it into his master's mouth, as Mano crashes through the village wall.

Kalthar instantly grows to his fifteen foot height, and escapes his bonds.  The Arabs fire upon him, but the bullets bounce off.  Then he wades into the Arabs.  Finally, he grabs the chief, who begs for mercy.  Kalthar tells him to leave the jungle and never return, and threatens his life should he ever come back.

Shortly, the natives bow before Kalthar and he tells them that though they are not warriors like his Ugarnas, they must learn to fight for themselves.

Kalthar returns to the Ugarnas village where he informs Ta-Lo that the slavers have been driven out. (Zip Comics #1)
 
Kalthar's second adventure (Zip Comics #2) begins with a blast--literally.  Kalthar is at his 15 foot height and wrestling playfully with Mano, the Elephant amidst a heard of elephants when there is a sudden explosion near them.  The elephants scatter, being picked off by white hunters and native bearers alike.  On of the native bearers makes mention that the "white god" has been killed in the blast.  The leader of the raiders is gratified about that.
 
But, Kalthar was only stunned.  Upon awaking, after the hunters have left Kalthar finds only one survivor of the deadly raid, the herd leader.  Kalthar swears that he will avenge his elephant friends.
 
Kalthar sends forth Ugarnas warriors to find the location of the raiders camp, and soon, after shrinking back to normal size he sets out for the camp, swinging through the trees.  He finds the raiders already on the move toward their next raid.  Waylaying one of the bearers, Kalthar learns that the raiders are headed for a popular elephant watering hole.  Racing ahead through the trees, Kalthar reaches the water hole before the raiders and warns the elephants.  He tells them that he is there to protect them, then retreats to a tree limb to wait in ambush for the raiders.  The raiders arrive, and using the same plan as before hurl sticks of dynamite into the heard in order to scatter them.  Kalthar leaps from the tree grabs the dynamite before it explodes and hurls it back at the elephant hunters.  It explodes in the midst of them.  Kalthar, about to consume a red grain to grow to his 15-foot size, is stunned when a bullet grazes his head.  
 
Hurling another stick of dynamite into the midst of the herd the hunters begin firing their weapons causing the elephants to stampede in the direction of the fallen Kalthar.  But, Kalthar regains consciousness, takes red grain and flings himself on the dynamite, successfully smothering the blast.  With the help of the elephants, Kalthar defeats the hunters.  He decides not to kill them, and allows the elephants to carry the raiders out of the forest wrapped in their trunks.

Next (Zip Comics #3) Kalthar meets the woman who will eventually become his wife.  While playing in the trees with Butah, the monkey, Kalthar hears a woman's voice shouting for help.  Investigating, he sees in the river an overturned canoe with a white woman clinging to it and three natives swimming away as a group of Mago, crocodiles, hurry toward the woman.

Kalthar swallows his red grain and dives into the midst of the crocs, battling them until they tire, unaffected by their razor-sharp teeth.  He then takes the half-drowned woman onto shore.  He's never seen a white woman before and is amazed.  He grabs one of  the woman's bearers threatening him for deserting her, and questioning him as to where the woman came from.  The native agrees to take Kalthar to her camp.  Meanwhile Kalthar consumes a green grain and reverts to his normal size.

When Kalthar nears the camp carrying the unconscious girl one of the men at the camp fires at him, grazing his head..  During the coming weeks, Kalthar, near death, is nursed back to health by the woman, Kate.  As he improves, Kate teaches Kalthar English.  Finally well, Kate's father, Professor Goodwill, tells Kalthar he is seeking the golden tablets in the lost land of Kybys.  Kalthar agrees to lead the expedition.  However, Kathar's attending does not sit well with Professor Goodwill's two assistants who plot to get rid of him.  Along the trail, as they near their destination, two lions appear out of the brush, threatening them.  Kalthar lunges at the male to engage him.  As Kalthar battles the lion, Professor Goodwill's assistant, John, who was the one who shot Kalthar earlier, readies to shoot him.  Kate steps up and deflects the rifle, causing John's shot to kill the other lion.  Kalthar kills the lion he'd been fighting.

Days later they come upon the lost city.  As some of the party dig for the tablets, Kate urges Kalthar to return with them abroad. Kalthar tells her that his home is in the jungle, and urges her to stay with him. 

John and the other assistant uncover the tablets of pure gold.  Their greed gets the better of them and John knocks out Kalthar from behind with the butt of his rifle.  The two assistants tie up Kalthar, Kate and the Professor, and attempt to tip a dome that is resting precariously atop a ruined tower.  In the meantime, Kalthar awakes.  He urges Kate who his near him to wriggle herself into position to remove a red grain from his hair.  She manages to do this with her mouth and drops the grain from her mouth into Kalthar's mouth.  The grain takes effect immediately, shooting Kalthar to fifteen feet, enabling him to easily break his bonds.  Just as the two men succeed in rolling the dome off of the tower, Kathar catches it and heaves it into the fragile tower, sending it crumbling, burying the two traitors.

Kalthar leads Professor Goodwill and Kate back to the outskirts of civilization.  There Kalthar tells Kate that he is sorry to see her go.  Kate tells him:  "Sometime, somewhere we shall meet again."
 
Zip Comics #4 finds the Urganas returning from a hunt deep in the forest. Kalthar praises them for their prowess and hunting skills, but one of the tribe, Bwonga, is apprehensive.  The tribe has ventured further into the forest than ever before and he believes they may be in the Land of Shem.  Kalthar tells him that Shem is a fairy tale of their fathers, and even if the story of Shem is true, Kalthar does not fear them.
 
No sooner are the words spoken than men with bows and arrows appear, dressed in Egyptian apparel.  Kalthar has no time to take a red grain before the hordes are upon them.  The hunting party is slain, except for Kalthar who is bound, and Bwonga who manages to escape to get help.  As, one of the men of Shem prepares to slay Kalthar, he is stopped by another who tells him that Kalthar would make a good sacrifice for the sun-god, Shem.
 
Kalthar is loaded onto a stretcher and borne for hours deeper into the forest.  Along the way the leader of  the band taunts Kalthar about Shem soon drinking his blood.  To which Kalthar responds that he "fears not."  Soon they enter the village march to a stately building, and present Kalthar before their Pharaoh.  The Pharaoh knows of Kalthar.  He wants Kalthar killed so that the jungle will belong to Shem; so that their will be more blood to sacrifice to him. 

Kalthar is ordered to bow before the Pharaoh, but refuses.  This enrages the Pharaoh who orders him whipped.  Even with his hands tied behind his back Kalthar is able to subdue his attacker.  Then he swiftly attacks the Pharaoh.  Holding the  Pharaoh in a neck lock with his legs, Kalthar demands to be untied while threatening the king's life.  He is untied, but just as quickly hit over the head and knocked unconscious.  Then he is dragged away and secured to an upright altar as the sacrificial rites begin.

Regaining consciousness, Kalthar lets out a jungle call.  The call falls on the lone ears of Bogdu, the ape, who rushes to the city of Shem.  Dodging a hail of arrows the ape reaches the altar before the sacrificial blow is struck.  The priest stands in dismay as Bogdu rips apart Kalthar's bonds, just an arrow pierces the beast's side.  Kalthar hastily swallows a red grain and immediately grows to 15 feet.  He lifts the altar to hurl at the priests as soldiers of Shem, riding elephants race to subdue him.  Kalthar wades into them lifting and toppling the elephants.  But even his great strength is no match for the entire army of Shem, and they soon overpower him.  Then, just in time, Bwonga and the Urganas warriors arrive to aid Kalthar and rout the hordes of Shem.

Soon, back in the village, Ta-lo ministers herbs to Bogdu.  Kalthar is glad to know that the ape will live.

Urganas returning for a hunt (Zip #5) are set upon by "strange creatures, half-black, half-leopard" who rend and tear at the Urganas with their claws. Those who are not killed are taken prisoner.  One of the hunters, though, manages to escape, and at the village tells Kalthar of the attack. 

Kalthar instructs the warriors to send out a rescue party.  He will follow in the trees.  Soon, the rescue party is attacked by the leopard men.  Kalthar dives from the trees to aid the tribesman.  Spurred on by their chief's ferocity the men conquer their fears and defeat the leopard men.  Questioing one of the leopard men, Kalthar learns the whereabouts of the village.  Donning one of the leopard men's leopard skins and instructing the Urganas not to follow, Kalthar heads for the village in disguise.  He slips into the village undetected and waits until dark to carry out his plan.  While waiting, he recognizes Abdul the Arab, who is now high priest to the leopard men tribe.
 
That night under the shade of darkness when the moon slips behind a cloud, Kalthar insinuates himself into the ceremonies.  Abdul plans to kill all the Urganas, and then take care of Kalthar.  As the leopard men offer the Urganas as sacrifice to the sacred leopards, Kalthar strikes.  Leaping through the flames, he kills one of the leopards, but, at the urging of Abdul, is immediately set upon by the leopard men.  Before Kalthar can swallow his magic grain he is overcome.
 
Bound and facing Abdul, Kalthar vows that this time he will not spare the Arab's life.  Abdul laughs in his face.  It is Kalthar that is to die. Abdul holds the leopard men in his thrall be giving them trinkets and liquor.  They obey his commands.  Abdul plans to sacrifice Kalthar to the leopards.  Then the the jungle and its slave trade shall belong to him.  Kalthar is thrown, bound, into the leopard pit. 
 
He lands on his feet, and before the leopards have a chance to strike, Kalthar tells them in their language who he is, and orders them to free him. If they do, he will set them free, also.  The leopards hesitate. Then, as the leopard men look down in amazement, the leopards docilely gnaw at Kalthar's bonds.
 
Unbound, Kalthar quickly consumes a red grain and grows to fifteen feet, just as a hail of spears glance off his inpenetrable skin.  Kalthar frees the hunger-maddened leopards who proceed to attack the leopard men.  Kalthar and the Urganas aid the leopards in battling the leopard men.  Abdul flees in the confusion.  The leopard men surrender.  Kalthar forgives them upon their vow to live in peace with the Urganas.