Faceless Hunters

The Faceless Hunters are a race of alien supervillains in the DC Comics universe that first appeared in Strange Adventures #124 (January 1961). They were created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. The Faceless Hunters hail from Klaramar (the word Klar-a-mar breaks down into "clear of imperfection": Klar is the German language term for "clear", and "mar" can mean either blemish or imperfection).

Faceless Hunters
The Chun Yull incarnation of the Faceless Hunter as depicted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #15 (November 2006). Art by Ethan Van Sciver (penciller), Oclair Albert (inker), and Moose Baumann (colorist).
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Strange Adventures #124 (January 1961)
Created by	Gardner Fox (writer) Mike Sekowsky (artist)
Characteristics
Place of origin	Klaramar
Notable members	Chun Yull
Inherent abilities	Size alteration Superhuman strength, stamina, and senses Telepathy Absorbing replication Flight

Publication history

The Faceless Hunters made three appearances in DC Comics flagship science fiction anthology title, all written by Gardner Fox - Strange Adventures, in issues #124 (January 1961) with artists Mike Sekowsky and Murphy Anderson, #142 (July 1962) with art by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, and #153 (June 1963), with art by Gil Kane and Sid Greene. All three stories also featured on the covers of those issues, with art by Murphy Anderson.

Since then they have made few appearances in the DC Universe: as one of 'The Forgotten Villains' in DC Comics Presents #77-78 (January - February 1985), written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Curt Swan and Dave Hunt, briefly in Resurrection Man #25 (February 1999) and Young Justice #50 (December 2002), in Green Lantern (vol. 5) #12 (July 2006) and #15-16 (December 2006 - January 2007), written by Geoff Johns, and Superman: World of New Krypton #9 (November 2009).

Fictional character biography

Strange Adventures

Strange Adventures #142, artist Murphy Anderson.

The Faceless Hunters are introduced in the pages of Strange Adventures, where Klee Pan attempts to steal major world sculptures such as the Mount Rushmore heads and the Easter Island statues. Oregon police officers Bob Colby and Jim Boone confront Pan, who explains that he comes from Klaramar, a microscopic world on Saturn, and seeks an ancient stone face to stop it from exploding. He reveals that an evil Faceless Hunter, Chun Yull, threatens to destroy Earth with a time bomb unless he is made its ruler. Colby and Boone stop the bomb, after which Pan gives them telepathic abilities.^[1] Yull returns on several occasions, but is continually defeated.^[2][3]

DC Comics Presents

in DC Comics Presents, Chun Yull allies with the Enchantress and forms a criminal organization known as the Forgotten Villains alongside Yggardis the Living Planet, Atom Master, Kraklow the Mystic, Vandal Savage, Mister Poseidon, and Ultivac.^[4][5] Superman joins a disparate group of heroes dubbed as the "Forgotten Heroes" and defeats Yull, returning him to captivity.^[6][7]

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity reboot, Yull remains an enemy of the Forgotten Heroes.^[8][9] He later becomes a bounty hunter, and Jemm assumes leadership of the Faceless Hunter species.^[10][11][12]

Powers and abilities

The Klaramarians are normally of sub-atomic size, although they can control this, and are often much taller than humans, with a corresponding increase in strength. They also have access to extremely advanced alien technology. Both Chun Yull and Klee Pan possess great strength and the ability to absorb the material or energetic properties of anything they touch and project those properties explosively. Yull displayed the unique quality of giving himself unaided flight using his abilities while battling Superman.^[6]

Most Klaramarians also appear to be telepaths. Klee Pan demonstrated the ability to grant limited telepathy to deserving humans.^[1]

Other versions

A Faceless Hunter appears in JLA/Avengers #4 as a brainwashed minion of Krona.

In other media

• A Faceless Hunter appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold two-part episode "The Siege of Starro!", voiced by John DiMaggio.^[13] This version is a violent outcast from a peaceful society and a servant of Starro who is immune to his parasites.
• The Chun Yull incarnation of the Faceless Hunter appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[14]
• A Faceless Hunter leader named Jemm appears in the Supergirl episode "Human For a Day", portrayed by Charles Halford.^[15]