“Save it, hotshot. I got a Tulpa chest.”
The Tulpa of Tsang
Created by Norman Nodel and Lionel March
Appears in Colossus Comics #1 (1940)
A “Tulpa” is a being manifested through thought, or will -- I’ll be a poor instructor on the subject, go ask your Uncle Wikipedia. Whatever the case, it’s an esoteric concept for most, but might be more familiar to contemporary comic readers through the metaphor of Grant Morrison’s “Fiction Suit” -- a manifestation of himself outside of himself, independently capable of experiencing and interacting with the world. Deep stuff. Thoughtful. Hot shit with the Theosophists of the early 20th Century, and you oughta read what Alvin Schwartz had to say about sharing a taxi with one. Also, you could use them to fight Nazis for gold.
At least, that’s what you learn from The Tulpa of Tsang! Arguably, special operative Bart London is the hero of the story, as the Allied Intelligence Officer is the one having the life-and-death shootouts with the baddies.
He’s the also the guy who plummets to his death if the lama has a snack.
Those baddies are a Nazi officer named Wolfgang and Shia, described as a “robber-baron.” Together, the two make for a lousy Neil Simon comedy but for an excellent conspiracy to rob the Tibetan temple at Gartok of its valuable gold! The story is joined in situ, with London in close pursuit of the villains. In short order, he finds himself in need of rescue as the gold-hungry nogoodniks dash off for their prize.
Yep.
Rescue comes in the form of the Tibetan monk Tsang. Although Tsang is no friend of Shia’s, he’s also no good in fight -- so he offers London the loan of a fresh Tulpa! Concentrating in meditation, Tsang manifests a dark-eyed, bald-headed giant of a man from under a nearby statue. Bulletproof and nameless, the Tulpa plays a role somewhere between London’s sidekick and magic genie. Being a mystical creature in origin, the Tulpa is able to perform feats of tremendous strength, can run at breathtaking speed, and defy gravity.
This last talent almost becomes a fatal liability when the Tulpa’s one tragic flaw manifests. While carrying Bart up a treacherous cliff, the Tulpa vanishes -- Tsang’s concentration had been broken, and would take an hour to re-manifest the much-needed Tulpa!
Luckily, Bart survives, and Tulpa re-appears just in time to free the agent from a pit of vipers. Furthermore, he goes on to grab handfuls of the vipers and throw them at his enemies. You have to like Tulpa’s style, you have to give him that much.
He’s back … with snakes!
In fact, the Tulpa is pretty sassy. When a disrespectful guard blocks Tulpa’s entry to a lamissary by sneering “The lama’s at prayer with the reborn mice. He’ll see no one,” Tulpa retorts by chucking the guard down a well. Good for you.
Further peril is exacerbated as Tsang collapses from hunger while the final battle is being fought many miles away, causing Tulpa to vanish. Luckily, he returns in time to make up for it, first by sothering a hand grenade with a feather pillow and then also for putting Shia’s whole head in a pot of molten gold. There’s that style I was talking about!
A sample action scene from The Tulpa of Tsang.
Creator Norman Nodell went on to bring this sort of sophistication to the pages of Classics Illustrated. The Tulpa of Tsang didn’t go on at all, ending with Colossus Comics’ sole issue. Gone now, faded away, like a Tulpa with a distracted monk ...
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