Amardeep directs our attention to the Indian Superheroes page at the International Catalogue of Superheroes. While it’s no Museum of Black Superheroes, it goes alot further than just Indian Superman and the new Spiderman. Among my favorites were Koushik, a cyborg spy working for “Research & Analytic Wing, the super-secret intelligence service of Indian Government.” What boy wouldn’t like a superhero like this:
During one mission, his right arm got severely injured and had to be amputated at the wrist. One genius scientist from the espionage service replaced it with a very special robotic arm. This robotic arm has many secret powers including being able to fire bullets (used as a gun in emergencies) and spraying paralyzing gas which can paralyze even an elephant for a few hours. It also has nails which he can extended out from the hand and use like claws. Those nails can also be shot at any object, like a double-edged knife. The arm can be used as a laser gun; has a hidden transmitter/receiver near the wrist; and is so flexible that when he wears a glove, nobody can make out that it is a robotic arm.
There is also Jumbu, about whom virtually nothing is known (Real Name: Unknown, Identity/Class: Unknown, Occupation: Unknown, Affiliations: Unknown, Enemies: Unknown, Known Relatives: None, Aliases: None, Base of Operations: Unknown, First Appearance: Unknown, Powers/Abilities: Unknown, History: Unknown) except that he is “One of the earliest Indian costumed superheroes.” What his constume is, exactly, is very hard to tell. I also don’t understand why he’s wearing his chuddies on the outside of his tin cans, except that this is what happens when you take fashion advice jointly from Superman and the Hulk.
UPDATE: Check out the other 21 superheroes listed at the Indian Superheroes page including Chacha Chaudhary, Chacha-Bhatija, and Supremo. [I should have mentioned Chacha Chaudhary, but had no interest in any of the live action superheroes being discussed.] You can also go straight to the Raj Comics and Diamond Comics websites. There you can indulge in your Chacha Chaudhary nostalgia for RS 15 per comic.
How can you not mention Supremo, you ignoramous?! Amitabh in pinkish maroon tights and crazy ass glares starred in stories penned by Gulzar.
No mention of the great Bahadur on that site either. Bahadur was a staple of Indrajal comics – had a steed, a dog and what was his girlfriend’s name…dammit. Bahadur was an old fashioned dacoit ala Chambal.
Indrajal man, it was always, Indrajal. The Ghost Who Walks, Mandrake, Rip Kirby and of course Bahadur. Oh! What fine summers of my childhood.
Supremo was Star comics, which had a Star TV -like logo. Retailed for Rs.5/- a pop and also had Superman and Batman on its roster. Too bad they died by the time I moved from Hyderabad to Trivandrum. Rip Star Comics, Circa 1987
Indrajaal is dead?
There are so many great memories associated with those comics.. especially phantom and mandrake (I got started on those because these were the only two comics featured in the Times of India.. that was before they started putting out a full page of comics)
How can you forget Diamond Comics, with their insanely great Chacha Chaudhury with the funny footnotes. (“When Sabu gets mad, a volcano explodes in Jupiter” and “Chacha Chaudhuri’s brain works faster than a computer”) Chacha was a superhero alright!
Does anyone remember comics like Chacha-Bhatija, Lambu-Motu.. all down-to-earth crime fighters (though I believe Chacha-Bhatija had some magic involved)
i read ur title and remembered this other “indian superhero”. i wonder if any of u have heard bout or remember “gardhab das”…? have u? have u? have u?
Indrajaal is long gone.
Never did care too much for Diamond or Raj or anything else. I hear there is a live action Chacha Chaudhury TV show now.
In the early 90s Naagraj was popular with the boys at school. Naagraj (sp?) was an “ichcha-dhaari naag” ie could change his humanoid form into a snake and vice-versa at will.
Gardhab Das was a Target character – I think Ajit Ninan was the brains behind it – and was far from a superhero. He was Target’s answer to Tinkle’s Suppandi.
Where have you gone, Uncle Pai?
When I was a kid, my hero was Phantom from Indrajal. Used to read Bahadur, but never really liked that character. Then slowly got introduced to the English versions of Diamond comics, and I simply loved Chacha Chowdhary’s “faster-than-computer brain” and his thirty metre-long turban. During undergrad days my fav was Super Commando Dhruv, and I did not like the concept of Nagraj. Well, it’s been a while since since I last read a Dhruv comic. Bhoo!
Vivek, Nagraj also had many snakes within his body, who would protect him during difficult times! And thanks for reminding me about Suppandi!
Vivek, Bahadur’s girlfriend was Bela! Remember, Sukhia and Mukhia?
In Indrajaal Comics Bhadur Series, Bhadur’s Girlfriend’s name was Bela. That is a long , long time ago too.
In Indrajaal Comics – Bhadur Series, The Bhadur Character was created by a Guy called Abid Surati. Abid Surati has recently been involved in a Script of a Hindi Movie.
chcha choudhary ‘ka dimaag computer se bhi tez chalta hai’ and jab raaka ko gussa aata hai ti ‘jwalamukhi fatta hai’! pinki was good too, but i got online today just to tell u there is a blog where a few people are regularly uploading indrajal comics. apparently they are available as torrents too. i dont have the link with me, but if i remember, i’ll get back
speaking of ajit ninan,it hurts to think most of his comics under the world of ajit heading were copied from mad comics. i did write to the magazine— the letter never got published!
i loved target and later tegrat magazines, there was a series in between where the hero had special powers- in one episode he made the horns of all rhinos disappear to prevent poaching. his name started with s-ne1 remember the name? also remember faster feney – and ek do teen char? they were superheroes too in a way.
the comic site mentioned above
http://thecomicproject.blogspot.com/
We all grew up on comics..i remember running home to read a “bundle” and a mix of phantom, mandrake, bhadur and amar chitra katha…By the way, Anant Pai is very much in India. U can sunscribe to Tinkle. The website is http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/ I am trying to purchase mandrake/ tarzan/phantom and Bhadur comics. If you are aware of them, please email
Hullo. Just found this forum by accident. I’m trying to do far more to publicise indian comics. I have a discussion group:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indiancomics and a web site: http://indopakbangcomic.4t.com and I cover Tamil [Muthu] comics also though I can find no real info on Bangladeshi or Pakistanese comics. Koushik,in a way,looks like the Steel Claw though was obviously based on the 6 million dollar man -and R.A.W. based on so many US film/tv and comic spy groups. I really am a MAJOR Raj Comics fan,though!
Hi !!!! I’m a big fan of indian comics and i want to remind everyone that everyone has forgotten some indian comic heroes like Ram Rahim,Krukbond,Hawaldar bahadur from manoj comics. Jambu,Angara,Tausi form Tulsi comics and many more in the list. for further details please send a request to <ronni_hhh@yahooo.com>
Well, Indrajal was probably the best thing that happened to kids from the 70’s and 80’s. Some one asked earlier in the forum about uncle Pai – Anant Pai is still the editor of Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha (ACK). Btw, ACK is being reprinted – I have got about 100 or so recently, though I must say they are quite expensive these days. ACK one issue costs 30 bucks, where as in the 80’s it was costing a buck or so!!! Surely the books are expensive these days. May be because Kids no longer are interested in comics these days?
I just came across a wonderful forum that Raj Comics is hosting at: http://rajcomics.com/phpBB/index.php
The website has got a fresh look. It seems they are finally getting their acts together. Let us flood the forum and hopefully be heard by Raj Comics
Cheers