Created by artist Keith Giffen as an intentionally silly character, Ambush Bug first appeared in "DC Comics Presents" #52 (Dec. 1982) and would make appearances in several other Superman-related comic books in the early 1980s. Paul Kupperberg, who wrote Ambush Bug's first story, recalled, "as Keith was in the office, he sat in on the plotting and offered up Ambush Bug as an antagonist. The Bug is entirely Keith's creation ..." Giffen has stated that both Ambush Bug and Lobo were derived from Lunatik, a character he created in high school. Giffen said that his original pitch was "Bugs Bunny as a super-villain".