Who's Who: Zaryan the Conqueror

Zaryan the Conqueror
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Nalhrog Zaryan

Super-Power(s): Ruthlessness
Planet of Origin: Brok

Relationship to Legion: Enemy

Legion Log
Zaryan the Conqueror was an interplanetary criminal from the planet Brok who managed to create a name and reputation for himself through various acts of un-recorded ruthlessness.

While Zaryan was consolidating power, he offered the Legion of Super-Heroes a bribe to stay out of his way; they refused, of course. At about this time, Zaryan became one of the galaxy's most wanted men.

Zaryan somehow managed to remain at large until he arrogantly attacked Earth with robot warriors. Saturn Girl was warned with a premonition that a Legionnaire would die opposing his forces, so she attempted to sacrifice herself. However, Lightning Lad learned of the premonition and attacked Zaryan. His invasion ship and forces were destroyed, and Zaryan was thought dead. Unfortunately, Lightning Lad, too, was thought to have been killed.

In the somewhat different universe created by Glorith's defeat of the Time Trapper, Zaryan was actually a Khund warlord who had built the largest Khund Empire in history. He attacked Ricklef II, an asteroid city in the Daxam system where future Legionnaire Laurel Gand lived. Even though a young girl, she was instrumental in foiling his plans and he held a grudge against her that survived to her days in the Legion. Presumably, the above history still happened and Zaryan was indeed killed, for he was one of the undead raised by Mordru in the Five Years Later era. It is not clear whether he was always meant to be a Khund, a detail that could be reconciled by stating that Brok is a planet in the Khund Empire.

Zaryan does not appear in the Reboot nor the Threeboot.

After Infinite Crisis, Zaryan's original history has presumably been more or less restored. It was later revealed that in a previous encounter with the Legion, they stopped him from attacking Naltor. The future Dream Girl had a premonition then that a Legionnaire (Lightning Lad) would die.

Important Zaryan stories:

Adventure Comics #304
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 1
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 1)

 

The debut and apparent death of Zaryan

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #9

In the continuity identified as 5YL, Zaryan was a Khund warlord

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #47

After his death, Zaryan is raised from the dead by Mordru

Adventure Comics #518-519

Zaryan attacks Naltor in his first encounter with the Legion