THE BANARI

Classification: Alien life-form, humanoid

Location/Base of Operations: Laab

Known Members: Fraternus Prime (Evereh Rahn), Tamara Rahn, Trieste

Affiliations: Coral, Fomalhauti, Haab, Starblasters, Sub-Mariner, Xlyym

Enemies: Invisible Woman, Remora, Stingray, Sub-Mariner, Thing, Tiger Shark, Triton

First Appearance: Sub-Mariner I#56 (December, 1972)

Powers/Abilities: The Banari can breathe underwater, and possess enhanced strength. In battle, they carry spears called desalinizers.

History: The Banari come from an aquatic world, and have engineered a powerful sub-race known as the Haab to serve them. Some time ago, the Banari were struck by a virus which decimated their male population. The remaining males took multiple females for mates, but the population continued to dwindle. Finally, their leader Fraternus Prime determined that he would find another world with water where they could survive, hopefully escaping the virus. He and the rest of the Brotherhood set off to earth with several of the Haab in tow. Unknown to them, one of Fraternus Prime's wives, Tamara Rahn, had stolen onboard.

(Sub-Mariner I#56)- The Brotherhood crashed into the ocean, nearby the underwater city of Atlantis. Although they suffered no casulties, the Haab aboard escaped. They set off to warn the planet's inhabitants, and a met an Atlantean woman named Coral who was sympathetic to their plight, and offered to bring them to the Sub-Mariner, then the exiled prince of Atlantis. The Sub-Mariner had fortunately slain the Haab, and they presented their case to him, but he told them that it was not his place to aid them, and suggested they speak to the vizier of Atlantis, Lord Vashti. They set off to Atlantis with Coral to do so, but were all slain by the Atlantean army, who believed the Banari to be invaders, and Coral to be a traitor.

(Sub-Mariner I#58)- However, Tamara Rahn still survived, and evaded the Atlanteans for a time, hoping to seek vengeance on behalf of her race. She was eventually taken captive and brought before Lord Vashti. Vashti was saddened by the needless death of the Brotherhood, and asked how they might make amends. She asked for Atlantis' aid in rebuilding her craft so that she could return to her people. Soon, the Sub-Mariner found a surviving Haab, and it was placed into Tamara's care. After her vessel was repaired, instead of returning home, Tamara opened fire on Atlantis. Her vessel was attacked by the Sub-Mariner, who defeated the Haab. She tried to ram the ship into Atlantis, but it was unable to make it, and Namor took her captive. Returned to Atlantis, she threw herself upon Lord Vashti's mercy, and was permitted to remain in Atlantis as their guest.

(Sub-Mariner I#59-62, 64, 66-68, 70; Super-Villain Team-Up#3, 7-9; Avengers I#155-156; Namor I#33-40)- Tamara remained in Atlantis for some time to come. For awhile, she and Namor were lovers, but she later turned her affections towards Tiger Shark.

BTS- While Tamara was away from her people, they were conquered by the Fomalhauti race. The Fomalhauti placed them and the Haab into servitude, and several of them came to be in the employ of Xlyym, one of the Starblasters.

(Namor I#46)- As Xlyym sent the Haab to install two Planetary Thrusters in earth's oceans to tear the earth apart as a distraction for the Starblasters, his vessel was spied by both the Inhuman Triton, and the Atlantean Remora. Xlyym dispatched the Banari and Haab to attack Triton, while Remora set after Tamara, to inform her that her people were on earth. Tamara arrived with Tiger Shark, and aided the Banari against Triton, who was finally defeated by the Haab Zun. Trieste welcomed Tiger Shark and Tamara aboard Xlyym's ship, where they told Tamara how the Banari had been enslaved by the Fomalhauti using Skullhuggers. Since the Skullhuggers could not be removed without killing the wearer, Xlyym encouraged Tamara to join them. Just then, the Sub-Mariner and Stingray attacked Xlyym's ship, and he unleashed a Skullhugger-controlled Triton to attack them, backed up by the Banari and Haab.

(Namor I#47)- In the course of the battle, Namor tore the Skullhugger from Triton, but Triton survived. Deciding that Xlyym had lied, Tamara set Tiger Shark after him, and went to aid Namor. She saved Namor from Trieste by throwing a desalinizer through her Skullhugger, destroying it. However, it turned out that Xlyym had been correct-- the Skullhugger had formed a symbiotic relationship, and because Trieste had worn it for so long, she could not be saved. She died from the removal of the Skullhugger.

(Namor I#48)- The Sub-Mariner, Tamara, Tiger Shark, Stingray, the Thing, and Invisible Woman set after Xlyym's Planetary Thruster, and found it guarded by the Sisterhood and the Haab within Challenger Deep. They deployed a bomb to destroy it, and the bomb was put in place by the Haab Zun, who took the entire Sisterhood with him.

(Namor I#49, 54-56, 58)- Tamara continued to be Tiger Shark's lover, up until he was mutated into a more savage, shark-like form.

Comments: Created by Mike Friedrich and Dan Adkins.

Fraternus Prime is more likely a title (Prime Brother) than a name--Snood.

Thanks to Brandon Nash for pointing out the name of their homeworld (Fomahauti profile in OhotMU A-Z Update#3) and the real name of Fraternus Prime (Tamara Rahn profile in OhotMU A-Z Update#3).

Profile by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Banari should not be confused with:

• Binary, Carol Danvers, empowered by a star, @ Uncanny X-Men I#164

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