Who's Who: Kandru Boltax

Kandru Boltax
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Kandru Boltax

Super-Power(s): None
Planet of Origin: Earth

Relationship to Legion: Earth President, ally

Legion Log
Earth Vice-President Kandru Boltax was intending to stay in the shadows, managing low-key and low-level political agendas far from the laser-hot political spotlight. However, arch-villain Universo had a different destiny planned for him. Because he and Boltax shared a basic body type and physiology, Universo decided to assassinate the Earth President so that Vice-President Boltax would become President; ...only, Universo would take Boltax's place and rule in his stead.

Universo set his plan in motion by creating some trouble that would take the Legion off-world. He kidnapped Vice-President Boltax and kept him prisoner while he killed the President, hypnotized all the citizens to become docile against his powers, and outlawed the Legion out-right. 

After Universo was captured and unmasked, now-President Kandru Boltax faced a Constitutional crisis. Legally, he was the President. Morally, he faced a planet that did not trust him. The Legion stepped up to support him, even testifying to the UP Inner Council and to the world at large that the "Boltax" that had taken over Earth really had been Universo. With the Legion's support, President Boltax was legally inaugurated as President and began his actual term in office.

The method of his accession to power would have been notable on its own, but President Boltax had several other noteworthy interactions with the Legion. When the Fatal Five destroyed the Legion's original Club-House Headquarters, President Boltax convinced the Earthgov to fund a new head-quarters for them. Later, he was almost killed by Timber Wolf when that Legionnaire was under the control of the space-villain Tyr. A year later, President Boltax asked the Legion to surreptitiously investigate the criminality of the Australian leader, Deregon. This request led directly to the death of Chemical King, who lost his life deactivating Deregon's power fusion bomb.

Immediately after the so-called EarthWar between Earth, the Khunds, the Dark Circle, and the sorcerer Mordru, President Boltax slowly but surely stole the fortune of RJ Brande, using it to help rebuild war-torn Earth. When Chameleon Boy and other Legionnaires confronted President Boltax with proof of his actions, he admitted them. As his term was nearly over, and Brande refused to press charges, Boltax quietly retired from political life. He was replaced in the next election by Marte Allon.

In his initial appearances, President Boltax looked like a middle-aged Caucasian, with a full head of dark wavy hair but with a touch of gray at the temples. Later in his term, he was drawn as if he was from the Indian sub-continent, was balding, and had a long white beard. Then at the end of his term, he appeared again as a Caucasian, rather overweight and elderly. This coincided with his being referenced not as "President Boltax" but as "President Kandru".

Kandru Boltax never reappeared, in any continuity.

After Infinite Crisis, Kandru Boltax's original history has presumably been more or less restored.

Important Kandru Boltax stories:

Adventure Comics #359
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 7
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 3)

The Secret Origin of President Boltax

Adventure Comics #360
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 7
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 3)

The "secret" of the new President!

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #197
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 10
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 5)

President Boltax is older and wiser, but still serving out his term

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #228

Now going by his first name, President Kandru asks the Legion to look in on Gov Deregon

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #240

President Kandru is held hostage by Grimbor the Chainsman

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #258

President Kandru now looks like RJ Brande