The character of ‘Julu’ (Zulu) comes across as a very powerful, clever, and cruel villain through two very important stories of Raj Comics, ‘Kenchuli‘ and ‘So Ja Nagraj‘. Zulu is different from other Raj Comics villains because he not only fights on the basis of power but also uses a dangerous combination of ancient African occultism (Voodoo) and modern biology.
The journey from being a clan exorcist to becoming a ‘biologist’
Zulu was born into an ancient clan in South Africa, where his father was a clan exorcist and was considered a great expert in Tantra-Mantra. Since childhood, Zulu observed and learned these powers closely, but his curiosity was not limited to tradition alone.
• Medical school and science: He also wanted to understand modern science, so he went to the city, enrolled in medical school, and became a skilled biologist.
• Scientific Mastermind: That’s where Zulu changed from being an ordinary occultist into a scientifically minded villain. He had the ability to bring life to inanimate objects through Tantra and change the biological structure of the body with the help of science.
Creation of ‘Magraha’ and the dreadful use of ‘Mr. Earthworm’
The first major achievement of Zulu was the creation of ‘Magar-Manav’, i.e., ‘Magraha’. By combining the body parts of humans and crocodiles, he created a creature that was equally powerful both in water and on land.
Masterplan of ‘Mr. Kenchuli’: In the ‘Kenchul’ comic, Zulu notices Nagraj’s shed skin. He steals the ‘Plasma’ (Living Matter) from the R&D department of City Hospital and infuses it into Nagraj’s old shed skin. With the help of this plasma and special machines, he transforms Nagraj’s shed skin into a living effigy, which is called ‘Mr. Kenchuli’.
Every attack on this effigy directly affected the real Nagraj’s body, making Nagraj both physically and mentally hostage.
Julu’s pride and cruelty:
• The pride of being called ‘Sir’: He likes to have Nagraj call him ‘Sir’ and considers him his slave.
• Plan for international robbery: His plan was to steal the British Queen’s crown and precious treasures like the Kohinoor diamond.
• Ruthless attitude: When ‘Magraha’ returned after being defeated by Nagraj, Julu brutally punished him with lightning rods.
‘So Ja Nagraj’: Dream Herb and attack on the subconscious mind
Another dangerous aspect of Zulu’s powers is seen in ‘So Ja Nagraj’, where he attacks Nagraj’s mind instead of attacking him directly.
- Dream Herb: He prepared an extract from a rare dream herb found in the forests of Africa, through which the brain of the person who drank it would connect to Zulu’s brain.
- Dream Trap: He tricked Nagraj into consuming this extract and entered his subconscious mind (Subconscious Mind), trying to kill him through dreams. If Nagraj had died in his dream, his real body would have gone into a coma.
- Chameleon’s ashes: Julu used ‘Chameleon’s ashes’ to demonstrate the art of making his body disappear, due to which he became invisible by blending with the surrounding environment like a chameleon.
Distant thinking and ‘backup plan’
Julu knew very well that it was not easy to defeat Nagraj in a direct fight. So, he always had a backup plan ready. He had created such ‘electric rods’ and ‘chemical sprays’ in his lab that could even render poisonous snakes breathless.
At the end of ‘Kenchul’, when Nagraj tries to defeat him, Zulu threatens to detonate the bomb inside Mr. Kenchuli’s stomach with the help of a remote control. His plans always had multiple layers.
Conclusion: The classic villain of the laboratory and dreams
Although Julu is a villain, his scientific achievements cannot be ignored. He conducted such experiments on ‘living matter’ that even the world’s greatest scientists could not accomplish.
At the end of ‘So Ja Nagraj’, Nagraj awakens his ‘Infrared Center’ (Infrared Vision) power to find the invisible Zulu and defeat him. Nevertheless, Zulu’s black coat, long hair, and the strap tied around his forehead still maintain their distinct identity in the minds of Raj Comics readers. He is one of the select enemies of Nagraj who challenged him not only on the battlefield but also in his laboratory and through his dreams.
