Zabu (full name unconfirmed) was a criminal associate of Coffyhead. He had dark hair, prominent front teeth, and wore round eyeglasses.
Zabu ran a store in Dick Tracy's city that sold imported foods. This shop was connected by an underground tunnel to the garage where Coffyhead's stolen automobile accessories was based.
When Dick Tracy was investigating Coffyhead, he discovered evidence that Coffyhead had purchased coffee from Zabu's shop. Tracy asked Zabu about this, and Zabu claimed that all of his transactions with Coffyhead had been conducted through the mail and that he had never met Coffyhead in person.
Tracy returned to the store after it closed and entered using a skeleton key. He later discovered the underground tunnel and made his way through it to Coffyhead's hideout. Zabu surprised Tracy in the tunnel and the two men fought. Tracy knocked Zabu unconscious and left him in the tunnel as a decoy. Tracy then went to the garage and blocked the tunnel's exit with a truck, trapping Zabu and Coffyhead inside.
Tracy called the police to Zabu's store and had them bring tear gas grenades. Coffyhead surrendered before the gas was used, but he had given his gun to Zabu with the intention of having Zabu shoot the police so they could escape. Zabu also surrendered and dropped the gun without firing it. The two men were then arrested along with the rest of Coffyhead's gang.
Notes[]
- It was implied that Zabu was an immigrant. His country of origin was not specified.
- It was also implied that Zabu may have been involved in some kind of drug smuggling, but this potential plot thread was not explored.
- Dick Tracy's covert entry into Zabu's store without a warrant (and with questionable probable cause) was almost certainly a violation of Zabu's constitutional rights. It is unclear how this could affect Zabu's criminal prosecution.
- There was no indication that Zabu was an associate of Autumn Hews.