Oddball characters are a hallmark of any comic-book property. Sometimes they're in the background, shining through despite being secondary to a story's main characters. Other times, they're actually the focus of the narrative. Then, there are those times that the oddball is a giant, anthropomorphic shark who screams about being a shark while running into battle. The latter character's name is King Shark, and he's about to become a big deal thanks to James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

Created by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett, King Shark made his comic book debut in 1994 as an enemy of Superboy when the young clone created to emulate the Man of Steel moved to Hawaii to become the state's resident superhero. That's where he met, and fought, King Shark for the first time.

RELATED: Suicide Squad Takes Comics-Accurate Costumes to a Whole New Level

Massive and vicious, the humanoid shark named Nanaue claimed to be the son of the Shark God. Special agent Sam Makoa, an associate of Superboy's who was assigned to bring King Shark in, dismissed this possibility. But King Shark's origins as a demigod were officially confirmed in a mid-2000s Aquaman title. Since his introduction, he has fought many of DC's greatest heroes, including Superman, but fans know King Shark best from his time with the Suicide Squad.

The original Suicide Squad appeared in 1959 but the modern incarnation first popped up in 1987. The team consists of various supervillains coerced into working for the United States government in exchange for a variety of promises, such as reduced sentences. In some cases, the only promise is that the villains won't be blown up with various explosive devices. Since the villains are usually sent on missions they will not come back from, the government rarely has to make good on these deals. It's also the reason the team has had a revolving door of members over the years.

RELATED: The Suicide Squad’s James Gunn ‘Thanks’ Marvel Following Eternals’ Name Change

The Suicide Squad made their first live-action appearance in a 2014 episode of the TV series Arrow, but no one was surprised when King Shark wasn't a part of that incarnation of the team. Then, King Shark made his debut in the Arrowverse as a CGI villain in a 2016 episode of The Flash, where he has appeared several times since. King Shark was also supposed to be included in David Ayer's maligned 2016 film Suicide Squad, but that was one of many elements that fell through.

Recently, King Shark has been picking up steam. He is a regular character on the animated series Harley Quinn, where he's voiced by comedian Ron Funches. And he is also slated to make his big screen debut in 2021's The Suicide Squad, the upcoming follow up to Suicide Squad. Fans are hoping director James Gunn can bring some humor and emotion to the new film, doing for this team what he did for the Guardians of the Galaxy. In the movie, King Shark will be voiced by comedian Steve Agee.

RELATED: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's in-Game Arsenal (So Far), Explained

Following that appearance, King Shark will be part of the upcoming video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is being created by Rocksteady Studios, the developer behind the incredible Batman: Arkham games. The Suicide Squad game is set in the same world and follows up on the events of Batman: Arkham Knight. Due out in 2022, Kill the Justice League is going in a different direction with King Shark by bringing WWE Superstar Samoa Joe in to voice the character.

While King Shark is a fan favorite character of comics readers, it will be interesting to see how film viewers and gamers respond to him. Then again, Gunn was able to make those same moviegoers fall in love with an anthropomorphic tree and raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy, so he should be able to do the same for a shark in The Suicide Squad. It's also unlikely gamers will have an issue with trying to take out Superman with a giant shark man in Kill the Justice League. That's a dream many people have had over the years.

Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad stars Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Michael Rooker as Savant, Flula Borg as Javelin, David Dastmalchian, as Polka-Dot Man, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, Mayling NG as Mongal, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, Alice Braga as Solsoria, Steve Agee as King Shark, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Nathan Fillion as TDK, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, John Cena as Peacemaker, Taika Waititi and Storm Reid. The film arrives in theaters Aug. 6, 2021.

KEEP READING: The Suicide Squad: James Gunn Stuck To (Mostly) Obscure Characters on Purpose