Homo mermanus
Homo mermanus is a fictional race of gilled aquatic humanoids that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. This race is best known as the people who live in the Atlantis of Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. The most notable member of the race is Namor the Sub-Mariner.
An offshoot of the Homo sapiens species with an as yet undisclosed origin, Homo mermanus are a mammalian species, but with some fish-like characteristics. Each one possesses two twin gills located on their necks near the clavicle bone, which allow them to breathe underwater. Their skin pigmentation can be either blue (most Atlanteans) or green (most Lemurians and nomads)
Their physiology is also much stronger and more durable than that of the Homo sapiens, necessitated by their exposure to the vast pressure of the deep sea. As a consequence they are physically much stronger than regular humans and can swim up to 30 miles (48 km) per hour. The typical lifespan for a Homo mermanus is 150 years. However they cannot survive outside of water for longer than five minutes without aid.
The total population of Homo mermanus has been estimated at over 1,000,000 globally.
History
The Homo mermanus are often referred to as Atlanteans, as it is in the city of Atlantis that their first complex society emerged. Like humans they learned to domesticate animals, such as dolphins, while humans domesticated horses, dogs and camels.
Atlantis itself had been a small above ground continent with many human settlements, when an event 10,000 years ago called the "Great Cataclysm" caused it to be submerged into the sea. 2,000 years later, a group of Homo mermanus made the ruins of the human settlements in Atlantis their home and went on to develop a society there using as much of the material as they could scavenge from the wreckage. Many of the warring tribes united under a single emperor (although by the 20th century there were still some barbarian tribes).
500 years after the settlement of Atlantis, another group of Homo mermanus left Atlantis to found their own city -this time in a part of the ruins of another continent submerged during the Great Cataclysm - Lemuria in the Pacific Ocean.
These "Lemurians" would discover the Serpent Crown in the ruins of their city, and through their Leader Naga's exposure and extensive use of the ancient mystical device, they would become more serpent-like in appearance than their Atlantean cousins.
Many Atlanteans worship Neptune, Roman god of the sea.
During the 20th century the Homo mermanus race began to come into sustained contact with their human cousins. These contacts have often been hostile, and have included many aborted invasions (Atlantis Attacks etc.) and even separate occasions when large numbers of Homo mermanus were rendered comatose or sterilized for periods. During the Second World War the kingdom of Atlantis also fought against the Axis Powers in alliance with the Allied Powers.
However, not all interactions between Homo sapiens and Homo mermanus have been hostile - during the 1920s a Homo mermanus female, Princess Fen of Atlantis mated with the human sea captain Leonard McKenzie - a union which produced the first human/Atlantean hybrid - Namor{avenging son in atlantean}, the Sub-Mariner.
In the aftermath of the Civil War and the World War Hulk events the homo mermanus, being blamed for the terrorism due to the actions of Kamar, militaristic son of Namor, are forced to leave the seas, using the established sleeper cells to live within humanity. The Atlantean Army resided in Latveria, guests of Doctor Doom, and the civilians lived alongside the rest of humanity.
After their leader Namor allied with the X-Men, the Atlanteans began to build a support pillar that would keep the newly established mutant nation of Utopia (near the coast of San Francisco) from sinking.[1] Around this pillar, called the Atlantean column, they established a city called New Atlantis.[2]
Subraces
Homo mermanus is divided between the Atlanteans and the splinter group that settled in the sunken continent of Lemuria and took the name of Lemurians. They differed as they possessed a more reptilian greenish skin color compared to the blue skinned Atlanteans.
Known Atlanteans
Golden Age Characters
- Namor McKenzie[3] - Ruler of Atlantis; member of the Invaders, Defenders, Avengers; retained his mutant powers after M-Day
- Blabek[4]
- Byrrah[5] - Cousin of Namor and Challenger of the Throne; currently deceased
- Chemil[6] - Wartime Nurse
- Cogolla
- Daka[7] - Uncle of Namor and possibly the Father of Byrrah; briefly took over the crown of Atlantis before Pearl Harbor; later allied with the Nazis and the Seal People and led an invasion of Argentina
- Daro
- Dorma[3] - Wife of Namor; currently deceased
- Ertve[4] - Wartime High Priest and member of the Council of Three.
- Fen[3] - Mother of Namor; currently deceased
- Folma[8] - Wartime Lieutenant
- Harla[9]
- Jadda[9]
- Kalo
- Kamara
- Karal[3] - Royal Guard
- Lerza[9]
- Lucas[10]
- Mara[11]
- Mel[10]
- Mephistios[12]
- Naka
- Namora (Aquaria Nautica Neptunia)[13] - Cousin of Namor
- Narvick
- Nostromas[6] - Wartime Physician
- Petrod[4] - Wartime Sentry
- Rad
- Sarna[11]
- Sigor
- Tarna[12]
- Tarot
- Thakorr[3] - Grandfather of Namor; currently deceased
- Til[4]
- Tor
- Vayos
- Zarot
- Zolma
Modern Age Characters
Known Lemurians
Other media
Video games
- The game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has a stage where the players must travel to the underwater city of Atlantis to stop a riot orchestrated by Attuma who believed he would become the sea kingdoms' new ruler as foretold in the Atlantean Chronicles. Attuma used Sonic Emmiters to cause the Atlanteans to riot and turn against Namor. Attuma is assisted in his goal by Byrrah, Tiger Shark, and Warlord Krang. When Attuma and Tiger Shark are defeated, Tiger Shark mentioned that Doctor Doom was their benefactor in Attuma's plot. Within the game, there is also a temple devoted to Negrete whose shrine was protected by temple guardians trained to defeat any trespassers. The Eyes of Negrete were holy objects used by the temple priests for access to the inner sanctums of the temple. In the Atlantis briefing, Captain America mentions that the Atlanteans aren't fans of the surface dwellers.
References
- ^ Uncanny X-Men 520
- ^ Uncanny X-Men 521
- ^ a b c d e Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (1939)
- ^ a b c d Marvel Mystery Comics #4 (1940)
- ^ Sub-Mariner Comics #35 (1954)
- ^ a b Human Torch Comics #5 (1941)
- ^ Marvel Mystery Comics #24 (1941)
- ^ Human Torch Comics #3 (1941)
- ^ a b c Sub-Mariner Comics #5 (1942)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner Comics #1 (1941)
- ^ a b Human Torch Comics #7 (1942)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner Comics #34 (1954)
- ^ Marvel Mystery Comics #82 (1947)
- ^ a b c d e Namor the First Mutant #1 (2010)
- ^ a b c d Namor the First Mutant #2 (2010)
- ^ a b Wolverine #42 (2006)
- ^ a b c d e Avengers #154 (1976)
- ^ Defenders #143 (1985)
- ^ a b c d e Sub-Mariner #1 (2007)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #3 (2007)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #63 (1973)
- ^ New Warriors #3 (1999)
- ^ Namor #6 (2003)
- ^ Fantastic Four #33 (1964)
- ^ a b Night Thrasher #11 (1994)
- ^ a b Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #9 (1989)
- ^ a b c d Namor #1 (2003)
- ^ a b Hulk/Sub-Mariner 1998 Annual (1998)
- ^ a b New Thunderbolts #1 (2005)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #31 (1970)
- ^ Avengers #272 (1986)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #4 (2007)
- ^ Defenders #5 (2001)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #56 (1972)
- ^ a b c d e f Marvel Comics Presents #12 (1989)
- ^ a b c Dark Reign: The Cabal #1 (2009)
- ^ a b Iron Man Annual #10 (1989)
- ^ a b c d Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner #1 (1984)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #4 (1994)
- ^ a b c d Namor the Sub-Mariner #20 (1991)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #13 (1991)
- ^ a b Fantastic Four #2 (1996)
- ^ a b c New Mutants Annual #5 (1989)
- ^ a b c d e f g Sub-Mariner #64 (1973)
- ^ Web of Spider-Man Annual #4 (1989)
- ^ Incredible Hulk #118 (1969)
- ^ Saga of the Sub-Mariner #2 (1988)
- ^ a b c Sub-Mariner #4 (1968)
- ^ Civil War: Front Line #8 (2007)
- ^ Defenders #7 (1971)
- ^ a b Namor the Sub-Mariner #38 (1993)
- ^ Captain America #10 (2003)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #7 (1968)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #34 (1993)
- ^ Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner #2 (1984)
- ^ Wolverine #43 (2006)
- ^ Civil War: Front Line #3 (2006)
- ^ Marvel Team-Up #8 (1998)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #17 (1969)
- ^ Fantastic Four Annual #1 (1963)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #54 (1972)
- ^ Marvel: The Last Generation #12 (2001)
- ^ US Agent #2 (2001)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #35 (1993)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #50 (1972)
- ^ a b Marvel Comics Presents #121 (1993)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #36 (1993)
- ^ New Invaders #2 (2004)
- ^ New Thunderbolts #3 (2005)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #23 (1970)
- ^ Daredevil #77 (1971)
- ^ Human Torch #3 (2009)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #36 (1971)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #66 (1973)
- ^ Alpha Flight #14 (1984)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #46 (1994)
- ^ a b Defenders #84 (1980)
- ^ a b Marvel Comics Presents #7 (1988)
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #528 (2010)
- ^ Avengers #43 (2001)
- ^ Tales to Astonish #98 (1967)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #15 (1991)
- ^ Avengers #282 (1987)
- ^ New Invaders #0 (2004)
- ^ Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph & Torment #1 (1989)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #16 (1969)
- ^ Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner #3 (1984)
- ^ Agents of Atlas #6 (2009)
- ^ Invaders #3 (1975)
- ^ Tales to Astonish #71 (1965)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #19 (1991)
- ^ Tales to Astonish #72 (1965)
- ^ Namor #5 (2003)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #10 (1969)
- ^ Defenders #2 (2001)
- ^ Sub-Mariner #12 (1969)
- ^ a b Sub-Mariner #32 (1970)
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #51 (1994)
External links
|
|
|
| Creator |
|
|
| Supporting characters |
|
|
| Enemies |
|
|
| In other media |
|
|
| Related articles |
|
|