| Beast of Yucca Flats | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Joseph Javorsky |
|
First Appearance |
The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961) |
|
Original Publisher |
Cinema Associates |
|
Created by |
Coleman Francis & Tor Johnson |
Origin[]
In Yucca Flats, Nevada, Soviet scientist Joseph Javorsky has defected from the USSR and arrives in America with a briefcase carrying various military secrets, including the Soviet Moon landing. Javorsky and his American contacts are suddenly attacked by a pair of KGB assassins, who kill Javorsky's contacts and bodyguards. Javorsky flees into the desert, walking for a great distance, and the searing heat causes him to discard much of his clothing. When he wanders in range of an American nuclear test, the bewildered Russian is transformed by it into a mindless beast with an uncontrollable urge to kill. He proceeds to murder a couple in their car on a nearby road, prompting pursuit from police officers Jim Archer and Joe Dobson.
Meanwhile, a vacationing family ventures along the same road. After stopping at a service station, the family's two young sons wander off into the surrounding desert where they eventually encounter and escape from the mutated Javorsky. Their father searches for them but is mistaken for the killer by one of the police officers, who is searching for the murderer from the air in a small plane. The officer opens fire with a high-powered rifle on the innocent man, who manages to escape.
Eventually, the family is reunited and the police shoot and mortally wound Javorsky. A jackrabbit later nuzzles his dying body, and using the last of his strength, he caresses it before dying.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
Notes[]
- In 1995, the television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 featured The Beast of Yucca Flats, helping the film develop a cult status.