Lobo can’t die, and the circumstances of gaining his immortality in the comics are rather interesting, to say the least.
In this post, we are going to discuss Lobo’s immortality, powers, and history as depicted in the pages of DC comics. So let’s get right to it.
Who Is Lobo?
Lobo is an alien who hails from a planet called Czarnia. He plies his trade as an intergalactic bounty hunter and mercenary-for-hire.
His work often takes him to Planet Earth, where on several occasions, he has run-ins with the world’s superheroes. In fact, he’s had encounters with Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and various Justice League members in the comics over the past few decades.
He is the last of his kind, the sole surviving Czarnian in the universe. All the other Czarnians in his homeworld have died because of his doing – he unleashed a plague of flying scorpions on his planet. And he did it for a school science project (afterward, he gave himself an A).
As a DC comics character, Lobo made his first appearance via Omega Man #3 in 1983. By 1990, he would get his own mini-series (Lobo: The Last Czarnian, which ran for four issues, with Alan Grant as the writer and Simon Bisley as the artist). The next few years would see him star in several mini-series and special releases.
Across his comics history, Lobo would go on to compile a formidable collection of nicknames. He is also known as the Main Man, Master Frag, the Bo, Mr. Machete, Thrash, and Popebo.
Finally, here’s a little bit of trivia about his name. In Czarnia, his name translates to: He who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it.
Is Lobo A Superhero?
Lobo is considered an anti-hero. There’s no way you can put him among the ranks of noble DC heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman.
Even though he sometimes kills for fun, he does operate with a strict code of honor: He will remain a man of his word no matter what happens. In other words, you will never catch him committing a breach of contract. Although he often takes full advantage of any loophole in an agreement.
He does have a fondness for space dolphins. When one dies, he usually takes it upon himself to wreak vengeance on those he thinks are responsible.
What Are Lobo's Powers?
Lobo possesses superhuman strength, stamina, and durability. He has been shown in comics pages to be capable of extraordinary speed. But he is by no means considered a DC speedster.
He also has immortality (more on this later, we promise), regeneration abilities (healing factor, if you will), and self-sustenance, which means he does not need any food or water to survive.
Apart from his considerable physical prowess, he is also an expert in hand-to-hand combat and an ace marksman.
He has tracking abilities that would be the envy of most interstellar bounty hunters in the universe. These abilities allow him to track any target across galaxies.
Lobo is gifted with genius-level intelligence. Not surprisingly, he almost always uses his intellect for violence and destruction. Although to his credit, he was able to master more than 17,000 languages across the universe (or so he claims).
For equipment, he uses a space bike he himself built and brandishes his signature chained hook and a variety of guns, bladed weapons, and grenades.
Why Is Lobo So Strong?
Lobo's strength may have come from his Czarnian physiology. Before they were wiped out (by Lobo himself), Czarnians were beings known for their regenerative and replicative abilities and other varying powers.
In other words – not only can they heal (or even grow back) damaged organs or body parts, they can also reproduce asexually via self-replication. A drop of their blood is enough to produce their clone.
Evidently, Lobo is one Czarnian born with super strength. Although in the comics, the writers are not consistent with regard to depicting his strength level. He once matched up fairly well with Superman. According to Comic Vine, Lobo is capable of lifting more than a hundred tons.
How Did Lobo Become Immortal?
One big factor that makes Lobo extremely hard (or you can even argue – impossible) to kill is his Czarnian regenerative abilities. Batman once detonated a bomb implanted inside Lobo’s skull. But the Main Man simply grew a new head back.
Interestingly, he did die in the comics. Being the nasty fellow that he is, he got sent to the fiery depths of Hell. But even he was too much to handle for the demons.
So he gets sent to Heaven. An incredibly bad move, of course. If the demons don’t want him, there’s no way the angels will even entertain the idea. So the result is: Lobo is banned from Heaven and Hell. So technically, he can’t ever enter the afterlife and must return and remain in the realm of the living.
There's an interesting twist to the character’s comics history, however. As part of its New 52 reboot during the early 2010s, DC actually introduced a new version of Lobo, who kills the old Lobo whom he deems an impostor. But longtime fans of the Bo were not happy with the new guy. So during the DC Rebirth restart a few years later, DC restored the Lobo version his fans know and love.
Can Lobo Fly?
No, Lobo can’t fly, at least on his own.
But he does make full use of a vehicle that can. We’re talking, of course, about his Space Hog interstellar motorbike (officially named as SpazFrag 666.
Not only can his Space Hog motorcycle fly, it can also travel through other space. The genius that he is, Lobo was able to scavenge parts from an old time hopper to turn his bike into a functional time machine.
For good measure, his space bike also carries an arsenal of weapons, including machine guns, rocket launchers, and firearms.
Can Lobo Beat Superman?
Of course, he can. But going by superpowers alone, the Man of Steel has a clear advantage. After all, Superman has abilities that Lobo lacks, like flight, super speed, heat vision (laser eyes), and freeze-breath, among many others.
But you have to remember that Lobo is a guy with super strength, durability, regenerative abilities, and genius intellect. That combination of powers frequently works well for various baddies that have (or almost) defeated Supes before (e.g., Darkseid, Brainiac, Mongul, etc).
He may not be able to win every time, but Lobo sure will give Superman a good workout. It also doesn’t hurt if the space bounty hunter gets an assist from DC’s writers.
It's happened before. In 1990, an inebriated Lobo challenged Kal-El in Superman #464. Their fight led them to a chest full of Kryptonite. And you know what happens if our favorite Kryptonian is exposed to the green stuff. Lobo leaves thinking he’s won the encounter.
The two would engage in not-so-friendly meetups over the years. Granted, Superman would always come out on top. Except for that one time when Lobo blows up Superman (1998, Lobo #50). But alas, that turned out to be only a nightmare shared by Superman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. Even in his own comics, the Main Man can’t seem to catch a break, can he?
