Plodex
The Plodex are an alien species that feature in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Plodex were an extraterrestrial species native to a planet that was known as the Plodex Homeworld. Their planet of origin's name was lost to antiquity and even became illegal on countless worlds with it simply being known as the Plodex Homeworld. It was noted for being an inhospitable world of death and destruction where dominance was the single primary emotional function. For a time, the were content to fight one another brutally in battles where they sought to dominate their opponents. This changed when a single warrior of the Plodex managed to convince his people to unite and bring their warfare against the various civilizations in the universe itself. Thus, a paradigm shift came on their world where they turned from the art of war against their own to mastering space travel. (Alpha Flight v3 #3) In time, the resources on their world came to be spent with acre of it along with the neighbouring planetoids being occupied by the species. As a result, entire waves of colony ships were launched with these departing the captured planets in order to strip more worlds for the constant expansion of the Plodex civilization. In time, thousands such worlds fell to their expansion with more falling under to the Plodex as they sought to strip bare any resources in the galaxy. (Alpha Flight v1 #4) Worlds conquered had their inhabitants killed with survivors being taken to death camps only to be exterminated. (Alpha Flight v3 #3)
In time, the Plodex race that was once singular was divided among various host races that emerged from the races that had developed hybrids. These hybrids returned to the Plodex Homeworld bringing division to the species bring a multitude of cultures with them. This resulted in chaos that culminated in conflict among the Plodex with their race being torn asunder. A result of this caused the collapse of the Plodex empire that crumbled under the weight of itself with their throneworld also being destroyed a century before. (Alpha Flight v3 #3) During the time, the Collector was noted to had collected a number of these Plodex hybrids though had to keep them in a hibernative state to prevent them from going on a rampage. (Marvel Team-Up Annual v1 #7) One Plodex colony ship during its ten-thousand year journey suffered an error when its drive unit exploded as it was near the planet Earth. This caused it to engage on a crash course for that world where the flaw led to it ejecting its precious cargo of eggs prior to any genetic code being added into them. It later crashed on the surface where it continued its designated programming by converting its a colonization complex beneath the ice whilst sending a hypnotic signal to attract a native member of the dominant race. (Alpha Flight v1 #4) This event occurred 40,000 years ago where the signal attracted a primitive human who had split from his tribe and made his way to the site. He was then captured by the vessels technology where his body was dissected and stripped whilst his brain was taken as a component for the computer matrix. However, the will of the human was so strong that it managed to take over the vessel where he learnt of its history and technology as he took on the identity of the Master of the World. (Alpha Flight v1 #3) In 1937, one Plodex was born on Earth where it was regarded as a monster by the inhabitants of a remote island in the Atlantic ocean whose inhabitants sacrificed people to the beast. This attracted the attention of Ulysses Bloodstone, Fat Cobra and Puck who slew the creature but were unaware of its origins. (Alpha Flight: True North v1 #1)
During Kang's invasion of Earth, the Master of the World appeared where he intended to protect the planet against the time travelling conqueror as he planned to rule it himself. By using Plodex technology, the Master created a barrier from select portions of the world to protect his dominion though his goal was the culling of the human population to a more manageable level. As part of his plans, he had his Plodex wolves abduct world leaders and give them an ultimatum. However, the Avengers intervened where they battled the feral Plodex creatures that served the Master of the World. (Avengers v3 #46) A pack of Plodex sea-wolves chased a wounded Carol Danvers though she was saved by the intervention of the Scarlet Centurion. Together, the pair entered into the Master's base where they battled more Plodex and where they damaged the laboratory in the facility before her comrades arrived. (Avengers v3 #47) Together, they battled the villain and his Plodex wolves where the alien beasts stopped fighting when the Master was slain in battle with Ms. Marvel. (Avengers v3 #48)
Over the past thousand years, the Plodex Homeworld had repaired itself to the point that it was habitable once again. (Alpha Flight v3 #6)
The Collector later detected the presence of a Plodex on Earth with this being Marrina and he intended to take her for his collection. (Marvel Team-Up Annual v1 #7)
Overview
In appearance, the species were able to appear in a wide variety of forms from green skinned humanoids to more animalistic and inhuman shapes. (Avengers v3 #47) Plodex embryos contained dormant dionucleic substrate genes that allowed them to receive genetic codes from other species. (Alpha Flight v3 #6) These alien organisms had the ability to mimic the characteristics of whatever they absorbed. (Wolverine Annual v2 #2001) By imprinting foreign DNA onto their eggs, they were able to create races of Plodex Hybrids that merged their warrior traits with the adaptability of the native species thus giving them an advantage in their conquest. (Alpha Flight v3 #3) Aspects such as the gender of the specimen was similarly determined by the genetic imprint given to them. (Alpha Flight v3 #10) One breed of these aliens were the Plodex sea-wolves that despite their feral appearance were able to speak. These specimens were able to swim at high speeds in water, were strong as a lion and could travel at speeds on land that were unlike any animal on the planet. (Avengers v3 #46) Though they had limited intelligence, they were noted for being quite powerful and able to challenge super-powered beings. (Avengers v3 #48)
It was said that Plodex were a race whose very existence was dedicated to conquest along with the seizing and holding of land. On many different worlds, they had adapted to countless lifeforms whereupon they assumed domination of those planets. (Alpha Flight v1 #4) This was a trait they gained from their existence on their homeworld with freedom, dignity and honor being the least known ideals used by their kind. Plodex were a race dedicated only to the art of war with this not conducted against other countries on their world as such concepts did not exist but against other members of their species. This was because each Plodex was considered an equal and united by a singular genetic imperative that was to dominate and destroy. War, murder and genocide were the first language that was learned by their race. (Alpha Flight v3 #3) As such, they were regarded as being created for war with conquest being hardcoded into their DNA. (Alpha Flight: True North v1 #1)
Plodex maintained a collective genetic memory that contained their thousands of years of pan-galactic history. (Alpha Flight v3 #6)
A vessel used by their race were Devourer ships that were constructs designed to bury their tentacles into planets and aid in the study of a target world's prevalent species. (Alpha Flight v3 #3) Plodex ships were programmed to seek worlds in the early stages of development when they were young and primitive planets. They landed in areas judged to be the most inhospitable to the native fauna. Upon finding their landing site, the vessel actually grew by drawing elements from the water and soil. After a century, the ship was no longer a vessel but a massive colonization complex that was insinuated into the planetary fibre. At that point, a hypnotic signal radiated out to call every form of life to the complex with those surviving the long trek through the hard lands being deemed as a representative of the world's dominant lifeforms. Upon arriving at the facility, the lifeform was butchered as its molecular structure was cracked and analysed. The information gathered was then fed into colony spores where millions of egg-pairs resided. These were blank slates upon which the genetic code of the native dominant lifeforms was added. After being conditioned, the indestructible egg-pairs were then ejected and fired on ballistic paths to carry them to every corner of the planet. Not all the egg-pairs survive as some could not hatch whilst others could not find their designated mate in order to breed but the sheer number meant that the vast majority managed to thrive. (Alpha Flight v1 #4)
Their ships and facilities acted as a kind of high-order organism allowing them to grow anything according to the commands they received. (Alpha Flight v1 #4) Plodex used interspatial technology that allowed for instantaneous cross-continental teleportation allowing for their ships to use it for world domination. (Alpha Flight v3 #7)
Members
- Marrina :
- Mar : a young human aquatic derived Plodi who had yet to have a gender imprinted on it with it joining Alpha Flight. (Alpha Flight v3 #10)
Notes
- The Plodex were created by John Byrne where they made their first appearance in Alpha Flight v1 #4 (November, 1983).
- The plural for Plodex was Plodi according to Alpha Flight v3 #3 (2004).
Appearances
- Alpha Flight v1: (1983)
- Marvel Team-Up Annual v1: (1984)
- Avengers v3:
- Alpha Flight v3:
- Alpha Flight: True North v1: (2019)
External Links
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