Thark (John Carter,Warlord of Mars)

Thark or Tharks are a tribe of fictional creatures on the fictional planet of Barsoom, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs first featured in the 1917 novel A Princess of Mars.Tharks, around 7 foot tall, possesses a sense of compassion and empathy uncharacteristic of their race.Tharks are also refered as The Green Martians are one of the predominant races of Barsoom. They are green-skinned, with large yellow eyes, monstrous tusks, small antennae, and with double torso,each a set of two arms-giving four arms ,in all two pairs of arms. They are intelligent and capable of organizing themselves into a society, but they are almost to a man all brutish and cruel. Like all other Martian humanoids, they lay eggs and go almost completely naked, wearing only a harness and jewelry.

The Greens were the first Martians that John Carter encountered when he arrived on Mars. In the first novel, A Princess of Mars, with the help of the newly arrived earth man John Carter Thark Tars Tarkas becomes a Jeddak (king) of the Tharks.The Tharks,as well as Tars Tarkas are featured in many of the ten Martian novels,wriiten by Burroughs.Tharks are also featured in toys,recently as the 1990's,John Carter.Warlord of Mars,comics published by both DC Comics and Marvel Comics in the 1970's,comics strips by John Coleman Burroughs-Edgar Rice Burroughs son and so on Tars Tarkas: A fierce Green Martian warrior, known as a Thark unusual among his savage race for his ability to love, who is much affected by the loss of his lover while being away on a raid. He befriends John Carter and fights many battles at his side. Carter helps him become Jeddak of the Green Martians and negotiates an alliance between the Green Martians and the city state of Helium which results in the destruction of their enemies the city of Zodanga at the end of the novel.[2]

Thark is a Green Martian tribe and kingdom. Originally, it was one of the many cities left behind by the Orovars, and apparently one of the more important of the Orovar cities, but when the Orovar died out, a large coalition of Green hordes took it over and used the name for their coalition.

Sociologically, the Tharks are an interesting study in contradictions. On the one hand, they, like all Greens, are warlike and cruel, and under the reign of Tal Hajus, there were serious considerations about the effectiveness of rape as a tactic for demoralizing female captives. On the other hand, they have a strong code of honor to which even Jeddaks must adhere. After Tal Hajus was killed by Tars Tarkus, and with the advice of the Earthman John Carter, the Tharks entered a new age in which base cruelty took a back seat to more diplomatic means for gaining resources.

The Tharks have long been at war with the Warhoons, whose savagery is unparalleled among the Green hordes. They also possess a great hatred for Zodanga, as Jeddak Than Kosis made some very serious efforts to wipe the Tharks out by attacking their incubators.

It was among the Tharks that John Carter earned his earliest honors and met the princess Dejah Thoris. Notable Tharks


 * Tars Tarkus, Jeddak of Thark. Father of Sola.
 * Dotar Sojat, the Jed from Jasoom
 * Sola, daughter of Tars Tarkas and Gozava and a close friend of John Carter and Dejah Thoris
 * Sarkoja, elder woman of Thark
 * Lorqas Ptomel, the warrior who found John Carter
 * Tal Hajus, the bloated, cruel and corrupt former Jeddak; killed by Tars Tarkus
 * Sojat, a chieftian who was killed by John Carter after he struck Dejah Thoris
 * Zad, a young warrior who tried unsuccessfully to kill John Carter and instead ended up dead.