Who is Lobo in DC? The Bountyhunter & his powers, explained

Lobo might finally make an appearance on the big screen. Many DC comic characters just haven't had their time to shine in the DC Extended Universe yet. You might have heard of heroes such as Midnighter, Mister Miracle, and The Spectre, but they've never been picked up by the DCEU.

This is about to change under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. One such character is Lobo, the classic anti-hero from DC comics, who has been a bit of a wildcard. Aquaman actor Jason Momoa is in talks with DC Studios to portray the intergalactic bounty hunter on the big screen, and it's a dream role for him too.

In this article, we talk about Lobo and his origins within DC comics. Seeing his origin story will help us determine what might be in store for him with the new and reformed DCEU.

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Lobo's comic book origins, pop-culture influences, and many unfinished projects

Lobo in DC comics

The Main Man, Lobo (Image via DC Comics)

Created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen, Lobo first made his comic book debut as a villain in 1983's Omega Men #3. His initial look included pupilless red eyes and purple hair along with an orange-purple leotard, a far cry from his classic black vested look. After going through many stylistic changes, it was finally in the 1990s that we saw The Bountyhunter get his classic dreadlocked space biker look.

While The Main Man was supposed to parody the likes of Marvel's Wolverine and Punisher to reflect on the darker era of comics, he seemed to go beyond that. Fans embraced his grittier commentary and enjoyed his utter defiance of their beloved characters.

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His abilities are the perfect counter to the Justice League

The Last Czarian (Artwork via Dave Wilkins)

Much like Superman, The Main Man is also the last of his kind. Hailing from the planet Czarnia, he describes himself as "The Last Czarnian." That's because he's solely responsible for the deaths of all Czarnians by releasing mutant flying scorpions all over the planet.

While this may make him sound like a true villain, The Bountyhunter lives by the code of honoring his word (though if there's someone who pays more, he has no problem switching sides). This shaky allegiance to any party allows for him to occasionally take up a heroic role. After all, Lobo in the Czarnian tongue means "He who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it."

As far as his powers are concerned, the anti-hero can fight Superman at his level without needing Kryptonite, keep up with The Flash, and regenerate incredibly well from near-fatal injuries.

At one point, he was even able to clone himself with a single blood drop. This ability didn't make a comeback after the events of L.E.G.I.O.N. However, he spawned many tiny clones from a single blood droplet in Young Justice.

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The long history of scrapped Lobo projects

The Main Man has had plenty of screen time in DC animated projects such as Superman: The Animated Series, Young Justice, and Justice League Action. His only live-action appearance, however, was in Syfy's Krypton. Actor Emmett J. Scanlan played the character and had a 4-episode arc as a secondary villain removed from the larger conflict of the series.

Warner Bros. made fans really happy back in 2009 when they announced a Lobo film with none other than Guy Ritchie taking on the direction. It was a match made in heaven, but Ritchie eventually moved on to focus on Sherlock Holmes. The project then fell into the laps of Brad Peyton, Jason Fuchs, and Michael Bay, all of whom moved on as well.

Peyton's version moved into the pre-production stages as well, with Black Adam star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attached to it. It wasn't meant to be as well.

That is about to change since James Gunn and Peter Safran are interested in bringing often-ignored characters like the Bountyhunter to the forefront. If Jason Momoa is indeed playing the character, we might get the best DCEU film of all time.