| Fire People | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Malibu Comics |
| First appearance | Ultraforce #1 (August 1994) |
| Characteristics | |
| Place of origin | Earth |
The Fire People were a fictional race from Malibu Comics' Ultraverse. They first appeared in Ultraforce #1, but were also involved in the creation of the Freex.
The Fire People are an ancient hominid species which evolved alongside Homo Sapiens. The Fire people had apparently developed advanced scientific devices such as molecular nanotechnology and anti-gravity long before humans invented writing or the wheel. One of the Fire People, named Prometheus, was born with superhuman powers and developed "biological mechanickery" (nanotech) designed to share his genetic gifts with others.
An immortal Human who would later call himself Rex Mundi (King of the World) had long-term plans to conquer and rule the Earth, but saw the advanced and powerful Fire People as a threat to his plans. He stirred up the primitive but far more numerous humans to attack the Fire People, driving their few survivors into underground tunnels.
Prometheus, who had survived the assault, dreamt of his people taking back the "world of air". Toward this end, he used his own genes, and those of the few other super-powered Fire People, to create nanotech "wetware" that could be used to produce Champions to someday free their people.
However, tens of thousands of years passed, and isolation and inbreeding took their toll on the Fire People. Their culture changed to the point where most no longer believed there ever had been an Air World; and more and more were born in monstrous, deformed shapes. The vast technology of their ancestors was mostly forgotten, and what little they retained was merely copied by rote.
Some, however, still believed in the Air World and the legend of the Someday Champions. A few managed to secretly contact surface dwellers, creating a secret society of humans and smuggling out to them the "wetware" invented by Prometheus. This wetware would be used by a nurse to empower a group of newborn human infants; the children would grow up to form the Freex, and the nurse would become the mysterious Contrary.
The entire society of the Fire People changed when Atalon discovered the surface world and tried to take it back. After the great struggle against Ultraforce, the Fire People now had their own land, and once more all had the opportunity to see the sky.
The Fire People are stronger, longer lived and more durable than Humans, require less oxygen, and are immune to high levels of ionizing radiation. Some of the Fire People, such as Atalon, possess the potential for other superhuman powers as well.
The Fire People still possess the remnants of their ancestor's advanced technology, but they have lost the innovation to create their own.