Versus ran in the pages of
Kick Fighter Action Komiks Magasin (published by
Infinity Publishing, Inc.) from 1993 to 1995. One of the magazine's most popular features, it was written by
Mike Tan and illustrated by
Lando Inolino.
THE BATTLE BEGINS
Versus is a gladiatorial fighting tournament held on the technologically-advanced planet
Omicron. Two of the games' mightiest fighters are the heroic superhuman warrior
Balzaur and the evil electric-powered
Voltar.
On the day the two combatants were slated to face each other, Omicron was rocked by a devastating quake that eventually led to its destruction.
Balzaur and Voltar manage to escape to the planet Earth, where they continue their ongoing battle. However, powerful shockwaves are unleashed whenever the two are in close proximity to each other, threatening to destroy the world (as they did Omicron) every time that they do battle!
TEAM BALZAUR
BALZAUR
An extraterrestrial powerhouse, Balzaur possesses superhuman strength and agility. He can leap great heights and distances, and is invulnerable to most forms of harm.
BOGA
Ex-soldier and hitman turned vigilante. Originally hired to take down Balzaur, Boga (slang term for "gun") eventually switches to his side. An electronics wizard, he employs an arsenal of high-tech weaponry. The resident "merc with a mouth," he is as sharp with his tongue as he is with his aim, and is perhaps the series' most popular character.
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| He may also have been the first person to coin the term "Dabarkads." |
VIDA
Sole survivor from the lost civilization of Lemuria. She possesses mind-based powers such as telepathy, telekinesis, levitation and the ability to project psi-blasts.
CHAN LEE
Martial arts master and Shaolin monk sent to determine the nature of the alien combatants. He develops the ability to expel bursts of energy after surviving an electric blast from Voltar.
SHADOW NINJA
Another adversary turned ally. He doesn't last very long, ultimately sacrificing his life in battle.
DELGADO AND SPIKE
Delgado is the fight manager who discovers Balzaur and owner of the gym that serves as the team's home base. Spike is an aspiring amateur boxer and resident sidekick.
TEAM VOLTAR
VOLTAR
A living dynamo of devastation, Voltar has the power to fire destructive blasts of electricity and the ability to fly.
BRAIN MASTER
A pint-sized robotics genius who seeks to control both Voltar and Balzaur.
ULTIMAXX
Sometimes referred to as Ultramaxx, Brain Master's main robot henchman.
SENTINEL ROBOT
Another of Brain Master's robot creations.
BROMEL
Balzaur's brother, who leads an alien invasion of Earth.
THE MUTATES
Three earthlings abducted by Bromel, subjected to genetic experimentation and transformed into his super-powered soldiers. They are composed of:
MATAHARI
Matahari (literally "Eyeking") has the power to shoot powerful blasts from his eye(s).
ARYANA
Aryana possesses lethal telekinetic abilities.
KUWATROMANOS
Kuwatromanos ("Fourhands") literally has four arms, each hand equipped with deadly razor-sharp claws.
COMMANDER
Yet another would-be alien invader.
ZORK
The pilot of the Commander's ship.
BLACK DRAGON NINJA
Shadow Ninja's shapeshifting brother, out to avenge his sibling's death (which he blames on Team Balzaur.)
OTHER BATTLES TO FIGHT
When Versus concluded its run (with the main conflict unresolved), its cast of characters went their separate ways into other series. Balzaur teamed up with Billy the Dragon in Zero Gravity, and later with Biotrog and Jolas Zuares in Omni Powers. Voltar played the villain in
Blades and Bullets and
Tech Force 2000. As for Boga and the rest of the team, they
would strike out on their own as
Team Bravo.
COVERS
