A Familiar Face From Arrow Coming to the New 52 in October's Aquaman and the Others

Last night's DC Comics solicitations didn't have too many surprises.After all, the new titles and [...]

Last night's DC Comics solicitations didn't have too many surprises.

After all, the new titles and creative team changes had already mostly been announced. There were a few cool or weird covers, but mostly nothing that was too much of a surprise -- but then we spotted this cover for Aquaman & the Others #6.

Here's how the solicitations describe it:

AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #6
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by LAN MEDINA and ALLEN MARTINEZ
Cover by IVAN REIS
On sale OCTOBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The secret history of The Others threatens to kill them in the present day!

...And who's a part of that history? Well, it looks like Anatoli Knyazev, better known as the KGBeast.

Created by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo, the character is an enhanced Soviet super-soldier. In the comics, he was last seen as a Black Lantern in Blackest Night, following his death in 2006. He has yet to appear in the New 52, making the Aquaman and the Others story -- a flashback, maybe, based on the description -- his first post-reboot appearance.

Knyazev, minus his cybernetic parts, costume and the KGBeast moniker, appeared as a recurring guest on Arrow. Played by David Nykl, he was one of the prisoners on board the Amazo, a freighter run by Dr. Ivo in Season Two. Years later, he would become the leader of Solntsevskaya Bratva, a powerful member of the Russian crime community and a friend to Oliver Queen (who bears the tattoo of a Bratva lieutenant).

Given his ties to the long-defunct Soviet government, KGBeast didn't seem like the most likely candidate for a New 52 rebirth...but of course the increased visibility and volatility of Russia on the international stage in recent months may have contributed. Whether he'll be a full-on Cold Warrior or something more akin to his Arrow personality, though...that might be interesting.

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