Devil Dinosaur is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Devil Dinosaur #1 (April 1978). Devil Dinosaur is depicted as resembling an enormous, crimson Tyrannosaurus-like dinosaur. The character and his inseparable ape-like friend, Moon-Boy, are natives of "Dinosaur World," a version of Earth in a parallel universe where dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures co-exist with tribes of primitive humanoid beings. Later, Devil Dinosaur is transported to the main universe and befriends Moon Girl in the new series Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur.
Devil Dinosaur has appeared in various forms of media outside comics, primarily animated television series. Steve Blum and Fred Tatasciore voiced the character in Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur respectively.
Publication history Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy are the creations of artist Jack Kirby who scripted and penciled all nine issues of the first series. The comic is considered a "cult classic" by Kirby fans.
Kirby created the character during his third stint at Marvel (1975–1978).Allan Harvey (2006-09-05). "Introducing Devil Dinosaur", http://www.thefifthbranch.com/gorilladaze/?p=71 Having learned that DC Comics was working on an animated series featuring Kirby's Kamandi, Marvel attempted to one-up their competitor by instructing Kirby to create a series similar to Kamandi, but incorporating a dinosaur co-star, since dinosaurs were hugely popular with young audiences of the time. The resulting Devil Dinosaur series was short lived, lasting only nine months (April – December 1978), and the proposed animated series never entered development. The original Devil Dinosaur series chronicled Devil and Moon-Boy's adventures in their home, "Dinosaur World." After the cancellation of Devil Dinosaur, the character's appearances were relegated to one-shot comics, cameos, and supporting roles in other series.
In Devil Dinosaur #1, Kirby states in the "Dinosaur Dispatches" letters column that the original intent was for Moon-Boy and Devil to be an early human and dinosaur from Earth's past. Kirby writes: "After all, just where the Dinosaur met his end, and when Man first stood reasonably erect, is still shrouded in mystery". Writers subsequent to Kirby have approached the character's origin in various ways. Some have followed Kirby's lead and portrayed the character as being from the prehistoric past of the main Marvel continuity (sometimes referred to as "Earth-616"), while others have depicted Devil as hailing from either an alien planet or an alternate reality Earth. Marvel's most recent publications list Devil's home of origin as "Dinosaur World (Earth-78411)", a primitive version of Earth existing in one of the many alternative universes contained within the Marvel Multiverse.Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters #1 (November 2005)
The first appearance of Devil Dinosaur after the cancellation of the original series was in Marvel's Godzilla, King of the Monsters of 1979.Godzilla, King of Monsters #21-22 (April - May 1979) The character was not to be referenced again in a Marvel comic until 1986 when the Thing of the Fantastic Four travels to a Pacific island where "Devil Dinosaur: The Movie" is being produced. During the Thing's visit, Godzilla appears. After battling and destroying a robot Devil Dinosaur used in the film, Godzilla disappears once again into the ocean.The Thing #31 (January 1986) Devil Dinosaur himself does not actually appear in the 1986 story, but beginning with the Fallen Angels limited series of 1987, the character has continued to make sporadic appearances in Marvel publications.
In 2016, Devil Dinosaur was again given his own ongoing series Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur. The series has Devil teaming up with Lunella Lafayette, a.k.a. Moon Girl, a 9-year-old prodigy from modern times. Moon Boy, no longer Devil's primary partner, plays only a minor role in the series.
Fictional character biography Early years on Dinosaur World The young Devil Dinosaur was nearly burned to death by a tribe of Killer-Folk, hostile beings native to his planet, but was rescued by Moon-Boy, a young member of a rival tribe, the Small-Folk. Exposure to the Killer-Folk's fire activated a mutation in the dinosaur which gave him powers greater than others of his species and turned his skin red.Devil Dinosaur #1 (April 1978) Devil's early adventures on his home world include encounters with extraterrestrials and a brief teleportation to modern day Earth.Devil Dinosaur #1-9 (April – December 1978)
Later, Godzilla rampages through the Marvel Universe (Earth-616). In an attempt to stop the monster, S.H.I.E.L.D. shrinks Godzilla with Pym Particles and attempts to teleport him via a time machine to the prehistoric past. However, Godzilla's radiation apparently distorts the time machine so that he is transported to the alternative universe of Dinosaur World instead. While there, he briefly unites with Moon-Boy and Devil against a common foe before being pulled back to the main Marvel continuity.Godzilla, King of the Monsters #21-22 (April–May 1979)
Member of the Fallen Angels After Ariel, an extraterrestrial mutant with teleportation powers, teleports the Fallen Angels to Dinosaur World, the group convinces Devil and Moon-Boy to join their team and return with them to Earth-616. During his time with the Fallen Angels, Devil Dinosaur accidentally kills "Don", the super-intelligent mutant lobster on the team by stepping on him. Devil and Moon-Boy return to their own universe when the Fallen Angels eventually disband.Fallen Angels #4-8 (April - November 1987)
Dinosaur World again After their stint with the Fallen Angels, the duo's life back on Dinosaur World is interrupted numerous times by events occurring in the main Marvel continuity:
During a conflict between Slapstick and his time manipulating foe, Doctor Yesterday, Devil and Moon-Boy are briefly teleported to Earth-616.Marvel Comics Presents #161 (August 1994) In the midst of a tussle between the Technet and Lockheed inside Excalibur's lighthouse, Devil is once again briefly transported to Earth-616.Marvel Comics Presents #174 (February 1995) Young Celestials transport the Hulk back in time to combat Devil.Marvel Monsters: Devil Dinosaur #1 (December 2005) A renegade Skrull flees to Devil's planet and uses his shape shifting abilities to impersonate the late leader of the Killer-Folk, Seven Scars.Devil Dinosaur Spring Fling #1 (June 1997) Due to the manipulations of the interdimensional traveler Access, Devil Dinosaur's world briefly merges with the DC Comics universe, where he encounters the prehistoric hero Anthro.Unlimited Access #2 (January 1998). DC Comics/Marvel Comics. In the midst of a battle with a Kraken, Hulkpool and his unwitting companions accidentally time travel to Dinosaur World where Devil Dinosaur, Moon-Boy and the Small-Folk help destroy the kraken. During Hulkpool's effort to return to his own time, Devil and Moon-Boy are briefly teleported to the American Old West in the year 1873. While there, Devil attempts to eat a cowboy's horse.Hulked Out Heros #1 (June 2010)
Stranded on Earth 616 in modern times New York City Some time later, the sorceress Jennifer Kale, in an attempt to return Howard the Duck to his homeworld, inadvertently teleports Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy into her New York apartment. The disoriented dinosaur rampages through the city before being subdued by Ghost Rider.Ghost Rider vol. 3 #81-82 (January–February 1997) Stranded in modern-day Earth-616 after their teleportation there by Kale, the pair is hypnotized into joining the Circus of Crime. After being rescued by Spider-Man, Devil and Moon-Boy are relocated to the Savage Land.The Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1998 (July 1998)
The Savage Land The Heroes for Hire mercenaries go on a mission to retrieve Moon-Boy from the Savage Land and encounter Devil Dinosaur, who is guarding a clutch of eggs and abandons Moon-Boy to ensure their safety. The mercenaries note the discrepancy between this development and his previously presumed male sex, and can only speculate as to the cause of the change.Heroes for Hire vol. 2 #9-10 (April - May 2007) After returning to the U.S. the Heroes for Hire disband and group member Paladin leaves alone with Moon-Boy to collect the reward from the S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists who hired the mercenaries.Heroes for Hire vol. 2 #15 (December 2007)
Devil and Moon-Boy Separated Moon-Boy would remain under the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. for some time, which drove Devil Dinosaur into a sort of saurian depression. Refusing to eat, or defend himself, he was in danger of dying. However, Stegron, the dinosaur man, became worried about the survival of the Devil-Beast due to it being the last known of its species. Leaving the Savage Land without the permission of Ka-Zar and building an army of reanimated dinosaurs, Stegron marched across the U.S. attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. base after base, until he was eventually stopped by the Fifty State Initiative. The group discovered the motive behind Stegron's plan and, though he was arrested all the same, Reptil smuggled Moon-Boy back to the Savage Land, where he was reunited with his companion.Avengers the Initiative: Featuring Reptil one-shot (March 2009)
Reunited in the Savage Land Reunited in the Savage Land, the companions' adventures continued:
When the Roxxon Energy Corporation attempts to extract vibranium from the Savage Land, the inhabitants of the Savage Land including Ka-Zar, Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy enter into battle to save their home. Roxxon's forces are soon subdued.Marvel Comics Presents #5-7 (March–May 2008) Devil Dinosaur meets the Pet Avengers when they are accidentally transported to the Savage Land. Out of shock and anger, Devil attacks the group. Eventually, the group of animalian Avengers are able to return to their own world.Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #2 (June 2009) An ancient entity attempts to conquer first the Savage Land, then the world. Moon Boy and Devil Dinosaur fight to defend innocent Savage Land citizens endangered by the entity. They are joined by many other heroes, some lost in time. The entity is killed by Zabu.Skaar: King of the Savage Land #1-4 (2011) The Savage Land Mutate, Brainchild, creates an army of cybernetic dinosaurs and steals Devil Dinosaur's eggs to experiment on them. Spider-Man arrives and helps Devil and Moon-Boy defeat the cybernetic dinosaurs and rescue the eggs. At the end of the adventure, one of the eggs hatches revealing a red baby Tyrannosaurus.Avenging Spider-Man #14-15 (January–February 2013)
Adventures with Moon Girl In the Savage Land, Devil Dinosaur and his enemies, the Killer Folk, are transported to New York by a temporal vortex, which also kills Moon-Boy. Moon-Boy's dying wish was for Devil Dinosaur to reclaim the sacred Nightstone from the Killer Folk and avenge him.
Lunella Lafeyette later obtains the Nightstone, identifies it as a Kree Omni-Wave Projector, and intends to use it to stop her latent Inhuman genes from activating. She comes into conflict with Amadeus Cho / Totally Awesome Hulk and the Killer Folk. Despite her efforts, Lunella is caught in a cloud of Terrigen Mist during a battle and enveloped in a cocoon as her body mutates.Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur #1 - #6
Devil Dinosaur takes Lunella's cocoon to her lab and watches over it for several days until she emerges. Lunella is at first relieved she had not changed physically, but is dismayed to learn her Inhuman power causes her and Devil to swap bodies. While in Lunella's body, Devil Dinosaur makes her even more ostracized at school due to freaking out in class and attacking other students whilst Lunella rampages through the city.Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur #7-8