Lobo was first introduced as a hardened villain in the 1980s, but soon fell out of use with writers. He remained in limbo until his revival as an anti-hero biker with his own comic in the early 1990s. Writers attempted to use Lobo as a parody of the 1990s trend towards "grim and gritty" superhero stories, epitomized by such Marvel Comics characters as Cable, Wolverine, and Punisher, but he was instead enthusiastically accepted by fans of the trend. This popularity led to the character having a much higher profile in DC Comics stories from then on, as well as starring roles in various series in the decades since.