Yurrd the Unknown is the Famine of the Four Horsemen of Apokolips. He initially posed as the meek Sobek the Talking Crocodile to gain the trust of the Black Marvel Family.
History
Immediately after the events of Infinite Crisis, criminal mastermind Thaddeus Sivana joined Chang Tzu's Science Squad and relocated to Oolong Island. where he became one of the chief architects of the Four Horseman Project. Sivana took a crocodile from the Nile River and genetically altered him, transforming him into the Fourth Horseman Yurrd the Unknown (Famine).
Yurrd escaped from the facility with little knowledge of what he truly was. For six months he lived on his own, and eventually made his way back to the Sivana family estate. There, he met and befriended Amon Tomaz, a neophyte hero known as Osiris. Osiris named the crocodile man Sobek, after the ancient Egyptian deity. Sobek became an unofficial mascot to the Black Marvel Family and Black Adam invited him to accompany them to the sovereign nation of Kahndaq. Sobek never left Osiris' side, and was present when the young hero lost control of his emotions, accidentally killing the Suicide Squad member known as the Persuader.[1]
Several months later, Sobek's true nature revealed itself. As the avatar of Famine, Sobek's presence caused a great blight across all of Kahndaq. Even the elemental powers of Isis proved ineffective as crops continued to wither and die. A massive hunger consumed Sobek, and he gave in to his preternatural instincts as Yurrd. He betrayed Osiris and savagely attacked him, biting him in half with his massive jaws.[2] Soon after, Yurrd was joined by his fellow Horsemen and attacked the Black Marvel Family. However, Yurrd became the first Horseman to die at Black Adam's hands in which his jaws was hyper-extended.[3] At some point, Black Adam later skinned Yurrd's body and turned him into a pair of boots.
Resurrection
However, the destruction of Sobek's body had not destroyed the essence of Yurrd. In time, Yurrd resurfaced in Bialya, possessing the body of Taylor Reese, a Wayne Enterprises employee overseeing refugee operations in Bialya and selling food on the black market to a local warlord. After killing Reese's employees, he was confronted by Bruce Wayne, and induced hunger in the human industrialist, but Wayne was able to control himself. After Superman arrived, Yurrd escaped when he induced several of Reese's guards with hunger, which forced Superman and Wayne to dispatch the guards.[4]
Escaping, he met up with his fellow Horseman Azraeuz, who raised the dead of Bialya to serve as a work force to serve their needs. After making a mound of earth and corpses, Yurrd and the other Horsemen had the dead build them bodies able to house their essences. The Justice League of America attempted to destroy them by throwing a chunk of ice at the mound, but this ignited the firepit and resurrected the Four Horsemen.[5] Now in the form of a bipedal hyena with cybernetic parts, Yurrd attacked Superman. However, even while infected by Zorrm's pestilence, Superman managed to hold his own against Yurrd, breaking the beast's nose at one point.[6] Finally, Superman took Yurrd into orbit and back again, defeating him.[7] Denied a means to act, Yurrd abandoned his body and tried to possess Batman. However, Yurrd could not control Batman, for his desire for vengeance was greater than Yurrd's hunger was. Veronica Cale, who had overseen the Four Horsemens' rebirth, swallowed a crystal intended to house their spirits, and removed Yurrd's essence from Batman, trapping him and the Horsemen for the time being.[8]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Hunger Induction: Yurrd possessed the ability to generate a widespread wave of intense hunger. Oddly, this hunger seemed to affect him as well. This ability, in conjunction with that of fellow Horseman Zorrm caused a massive blight across the country of Kahndaq. In Bialya, he was able to cause hunger to point of cannibalism even when other sources of food were nearby.
- Possession: Yurrd can possess others to interact in the physical world.
- Superhuman Strength: Yurrd possessed superhuman strength. The tensile strength of his jaws alone was enough to sever a human being in half with one bite.
- Fangs
Weaknesses
- "Invitation" Required: Yurrd cannot possess anyone he wants, but must instead be "invited" to possess them. This invitation may be made unintentionally or unknowingly, but must be made within the perview of the Horsemen's intended domain, such as hunger or greed.
- Constant Hunger: As the avatar of Famine, Yurrd constantly hungers. When the Science Squad originally made him, it was said that only the flesh of a Marvel could satisfy him.
Trivia
- Sobek served as an analogue to Mister Talky Tawny, a talking tiger frequently seen in the company of Captain Marvel.
- The coming of Yurrd the Unknown was foretold in Book 10, chapter 7 (The Revelation of Apokolips) of the Bible of Crime.
Related
- 19 Appearances of Yurrd (New Earth)
- 5 Images featuring Yurrd (New Earth)
- Quotations by or about Yurrd (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Yurrd (New Earth)
Footnotes
Black Lantern Corps member |