History bears witness to the fact that whenever power falls into the wrong hands, destruction is born. The organization whose foundation was laid on patriotism and yogic power has today become the most dreaded criminal syndicate in the world. In this second part of the ‘Balcharit’ series, we will enter those dark corridors of Super Commando Dhruv’s past, where death traps are laid in the form of the ‘Hunters’. This is the story of the fall of a great legacy, of betrayal, and of a hero who had to fight his own people.
‘Hunters’ (Protector) Organization: From Patriotism to the World of Crime
The Hunters organization was founded between 1910 and 1912 by Abbot Mahabal of Mahananda Monastery under the name ‘Rakshak’ to counter the atrocities and repression of the British government. It brought together artists, wrestlers, and sannyasis with amazing physical and yogic powers from all over India. Both before and after independence, the organization completed many complex secret missions for the Indian Army and intelligence agencies during the wars of 1965 and 1971. But after independence, when the command of the organization passed from the hands of Mahant Vajradhar into the hands of greedy people like Dadwal and Martand, this patriotic organization turned into a dangerous global syndicate of international smugglers, murderers, and hired hunters—the ‘Hunters’.
Martand Alias Mathesh: The Cruel and Power-Hungry Chief of the Hunters
Martand was the main fighter and biggest conspirator of Mahananda Math. He was as strong as a giant elephant physically, but his mind was extremely cunning and power-hungry. He was obsessed with a luxurious lifestyle like James Bond’s and immense wealth. Martand first tried to trap Gaurangi in his web of love to become the abbot, then, along with Dadwal, falsely accused Mahant Vajradhar of treason, and finally threw his guru down the mountain after administering a poisonous serum to him. He then declared himself the new ‘Mathesh’ of the Hunters. Martand possessed ‘Mahakal’s blessed axe’, which, with the help of remote-control and magnetic power, could fly through the air and return to its wielder’s hand after decapitating the enemy. In the final great battle of Andgem, Dhruv changed the direction of the same flying axe with his star line, wounding Martand’s chest and arms and ending his bloody empire.
J.J. Dadwal: The Traitorous Mastermind Hidden Within the Intelligence System
Dadwal was formerly the Deputy Chief of an intelligence agency of the Government of India and later became its Chief. He had misused his position and government powers to turn the Hunters into his personal army. He played the anti-national game of stealing the secret formula from Jaisalmer’s bio-lab and having Indian scientists murdered. When Commissioner Rajan Mehra found the confidential file related to Dadwal’s dark deeds, Dadwal reached his office to threaten him. The invisible Mahant Vajradhar, who was already present there, threw Dadwal out of the fifth-floor window and put an end to his sins.
Grandmaster Robbo: A Cybernetic Trap Created by the Desire to Become Immortal
Grandmaster Robbo, the uncrowned king of the criminal world, appeared in a very complex role in this series. He was near death due to a serious illness and wanted to become immortal by obtaining the formula of invincibility and invisibility possessed by the Hunters. For this, Robbo activated his clone, ‘Mover’, created in the laboratory, and devised a bloody plan to acquire the Hunters’ secrets by having Jacob kidnapped.
Mover, aka Product Robo: Bio-Mechanical Super-Destruction
His perfect clone, ‘Mover’, created in the laboratory by Grandmaster Robbo, was a bio-mechanical demon. His bones were made of titanium, he had high-powered laser guns in his eyes, and his mind was filled with thousands of programs related to Robbo’s memories and martial arts. Mover was so powerful that he defeated Dhruv, Natasha, Chandika, and Black Cat together. Dhruv used his sharp intelligence to lure Mover into Hakim Vaidya’s laboratory and completely crashed his bio-computer brain there with the powerful smoke of ‘Memory-Lopan Powder’.
Kumar Vakra: The Self-Respecting Crown Prince of the Hunters and Dhruv’s Rival
Kumar Vakra, Kalika’s adopted son and the declared crown prince of the Hunters, was a highly self-respecting and cruel warrior who followed his principles. He considered himself the only person entitled to the throne of the Hunters and regarded Dhruv as his greatest enemy. Vakra specialized in ancient Kalaripayattu, modern jujitsu, and the art of wielding a flexible sword. He fought while wearing particularly strong armor, which was extremely difficult to penetrate. The battle between Dhruv and Vakra in the main arena of Mahananda Math was the most exciting turning point of this series. When Vakra discovered that Dhruv was affected by hypnotism, he removed his armor to fight him on equal terms. Dhruv defeated Vakra with new Kalaripayattu moves, after which Vakra accepted his defeat and acknowledged Dhruv as his abbot.
Giligili: The Dangerous Master of Espionage, Hypnosis, and Disguise
Giligili was the most cunning international spy of the Hunters, operating from Karachi to India. He was adept at disguising himself in the blink of an eye through the art of quick change and hypnotizing people with modern neuro-gas. He had entered Dhruv’s mind and created such a deep hypnotic state that Dhruv started forgetting all the martial arts he had learned in his childhood. Dhruv broke Giligili’s hypnosis and defeated him by jolting his mind with a powerful electric current and the pungent smell of ‘Saptashakhi Vat’.
Pied Piper: An Explosive Trumpet-Wielding Killer Attacking with Music
He was a dangerous contract killer dressed in medieval, clown-like attire. He had a unique trumpet (musical pipe) from which he would fire missile darts, explosive darts, and heat-seeking needles using sound waves. He had attacked the pregnant Radha at the circus. But Radha, using her intelligence, created such reverse pressure with the help of an elephant’s trunk and a fire hose that all of Pied Piper’s explosive darts burst inside his own mouth, blowing his head off.
Uluk: Hunter of the Night and Beast of Darkness
Armed with an owl-like mask and feathers, Uluk was a modern-day assassin of the Hunters who hunted at night. He had X-ray and infrared vision, with which he could see up to 10 kilometers away even in complete darkness. He had sharp steel claws and modern grenade launchers in his hands. He entered the commissioner’s house, attacked Shweta, and left her half-dead. Dhruv later killed Uluk by trapping him with a crane’s huge iron hook and high-voltage electrical wires.
Cymeij (Tori-Mori): A Monster with Two Heads and Four Hands
Cymeij was actually made up of two real brothers, Tori and Mori, connected to the same body. He had two heads, two separate brains, and four hands. Due to having two brains, his body produced twice as much adrenaline as that of a normal human being, which increased his physical strength and agility manifold. When one head looked ahead, the other detected attacks from behind. Dhruv defeated both of them by trapping them in the bank’s locker room and tying them up with the help of electrical wires.
Sandhani: The Merciless Swordswoman from Ukraine
Sandhani was a highly trained foreign female assassin of the Hunters. She was known for breaking into the President’s fort and carrying out assassinations during the Ukrainian Civil War. She was adept at firing curving bullets that changed direction in the air and wielding samurai swords. She faced Radha and Kalika in the final battle at Mahananda Math, where they defeated her.
Jwalabha: The Fire-Breathing Monster
Jwalabha was the defender of the outer security cordon of the Hunters’ monastery. Due to Hakim Vaidya’s chemicals, fire had no effect on his skin. He could spew terrifying flames from his mouth by mixing sodium and phosphorus with the highly pressurized air in his breath. Dhruv and Chandika subdued him by trapping him between his own flames and an underground diesel pipeline.
M(M): King of Speed and Slow Motion
M was a mutant-like Hunter armed with a special helmet featuring fly-like, multi-part eyes (compound lenses). He could see bullets coming from the front and every movement of his opponents in ‘slow motion’ while attacking at an extremely high speed. He knocked Natasha and Black Cat to the ground in a moment. Dhruv laid a parachute trap in the path of his run and trapped him by using his own speed against him.
Hare (Bombigosh): A Hunter Who Uses Bomb-Carrying Rabbits
Hare was a strange fighter of the Hunters who tied time bombs to the backs of trained white rabbits and sent them through narrow tunnels built underground into his targets’ rooms. He had conspired to detonate a bomb beneath Radha’s bed, but his plan was foiled by Shyam and the circus animals.
Hakim Vaidya: Chief Chemist Behind the Invincible Power of the Hunters
Hakim Vaidya, the 110-year-old chief chemist of Mahananda Math, was the true source of the Hunters’ strength. He had created the ‘Memory-Lopan herb’, the ‘invisibility serum’, and deadly poisons. The physical and mental powers of all the Hunters’ fighters depended on Hakim Vaidya’s herbs.
Essence of Balcharit: How Dhruv Became the Megastar of Indian Comics
The ‘Balcharit’ series brings together the story of Super Commando Dhruv’s entire life and existence. It proves that Dhruv is not merely a hero created by circumstances; within him are the unwavering fighting skills of the protectors of Mahananda Math, the patriotism and affection of his mother Gaurangi, the balance and bravery he inherited from his circus father Shyam, and the justice-loving values of Commissioner Mehra. While, on the one hand, the loyal artists of Jupiter Circus, the Mehra family, Chandika, Natasha, and Black Cat shape Dhruv’s soul and moral strength, on the other hand, Martand, Dadwal, Grandmaster Robbo, Mover, and the dangerous fighters of the Hunters emerge as the toughest, most dangerous, and most terrifying tests of his life. Only after overcoming all these challenges does Dhruv become the immortal and invincible megastar of Indian comics.
Balcharit Comics List
- Hunters (Part 1)
- Flash Back (Part 2)
- No Man’s Land (Part 3)
- Phoenix (Part 4)
- Dead End (Part 5)
- End Game (Part 6 / Finale)
