THE BLIPS

Classification: Extraterrestrial (race unrevealed, see comments)

Location/Base of Operations: Unrevealed, presumably mobile across the universe, including Earth

Known Members: Phzzzrrzztlzzzz (aka "Fizzle" [as referred to by Human Torch]), Shzzzllzzzthzz (aka "The Blip" [as referred to by radar operator])

Affiliations: Abominable Snowman, Brute that Walks, Bruttu, Collector, Crawling Creature, Creature from Krogarr, Creature from the Black Bog, Fin Fan Foom, a Flora Colossus (like Groot), Gog, Googam, Goom, Gorgolla, Green Thing, Grottu, Insect Man, It the Living Colossus, Kid Kaiju (Kei Kawade), Klagg, Kraa, a Lizard Man of Tok, Metallo, Monsteroso, Monstro, Monstrom, Moomba, Oog, Orrgo, Pildorr the Plunderer, Quogg, Rommbu, Rorgg, Sporr, Thing that Crawled by Night, Tim Boo Ba, Two-Headed Thing, Ulvar, Vandoom's Monster, Xemnu, Zetora, Zzutak

Enemies: Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Leviathon Tide, Thing (Ben Grimm), X-Men (Magik/Illyana Rasputin, Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde)

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish I#15/1 (January, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: The Blips are comprised of electrical energy, and they can absorb electrical energy from other sources, which they require for sustenance. They can also fly, and can survive in the depths of space.

Traits: Although seemingly benevolent and willing to share their knowledge with other races, members of the Blip race could react violently to perceived threats.

Type: Semi-humanoid
Eyes: Unrevealed
Fingers: Three, with opposing thumb
Toes: Three
Skin color: Unrevealed
Average height: 30'

History:
(Tales to Astonish I#15/1 (fb)) - Members of the alien race that would come to be known only as "the Blips" have journeyed from planet to planet across the universe, serving other races in the name of good will. Shzzzllzzzthzz (see comments) traveled to the world of one such alien race, where he lingered for two months. When his mission was completed, he departed from the planet to return home; but as he flew through the universe, he was trapped in a space/time warp, and he had to use almost all of his electrical strength to get free. Too weak to reach his home-world, he was forced to stop at the nearest planet--Earth--to renew his electric vitality.

(Tales to Astonish I#15/1) - A radar operator at an airport noticed a strange "blip" that momentarily appeared on his radar screen -- unbeknownst to him, the "blip" was caused by Shzzzllzzzthzz, as the alien fell to Earth.

   Shzzzllzzzthzz took shelter in a cave near the town of Oakville (see comments); in the early morning hours, he absorbed the town's electrical energy, causing a power outage.

   The radar operator thought there might be some link between the town's electrical blackout and the mysterious "blip" he saw the previous night, so he used a portable electrometer to trace the city's diverted power. His investigation led him to a cave on the outskirts of town, where he discovered the giant electrical extraterrestrial, whom he dubbed "The Blip". Shzzzllzzzthzz assured the man that he meant no harm, and that he was only on Earth to rest and regain his strength, until he was completely recharged and able to leave.

   But a band of townsmen, angry at losing their power, were also looking for the cause of their trouble; they were hoping to get their power back with a dynamo they brought along with them. When the Blip emerged from the cave to greet the Earthmen, they fired upon the him, but his electrically charged body proved to be impervious to gunfire. The radar operator insisted the Blip was friendly, and that he came in peace. Wrongfully believing the radar operator to be a traitor, the enraged mob attacked him, to punish him for siding with the "monster" and betraying his world. But the angry Shzzzllzzzthzz intervened--with a booming voice, he reprimanded the townsmen for their savage behavior; then he protected his new-found human friend by striking the mob with one mighty blow that sent them reeling. As the mob fled back to town in blind panic, the Blip grabbed the dynamo they abandoned, and within minutes, he was fully recharged.

   Before he returned back to space, Shzzzllzzzthzz spoke to the radar operator in a soft and gentle voice. The Blip told the man that humans were too fearful and too quick to strike, and therefore not yet ready to learn the secrets he might have taught them; but perhaps the next time their races met, humans will have matured, then perhaps Earthlings would be ready to join with their brothers on other worlds.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (fb) - BTS) - Phzzzrrzztlzzzzz heard of humanity from his "spark-sibling" Shzzzllzzzthzz, so he came to Earth out of curiosity; but under unrevealed circumstances, he was placed in a state of stasis and rendered inert by humans.

(Fantastic Four Unlimited#7) - While he lay unconscious, Phzzzrrzztlzzzzz's body was put on display by artist Frank Johnson at his Museum of the Monstrous and Strange. Eventually, the Aztec Yucoya-Tzin revived Phzzzrrzztlzzzzz, along with Rorgg, the Two-Headed Thing, and Grottu, then he sent them all to delay members of the Fantastic Four for him. Phzzzrrzztlzzzz fought the Human Torch, angry at how humanity had treated him.  He attempted to draw upon additional electricity from a power plant, but the Human Torch threw power cables into him, which conducted his energy into the plant, draining away at Phzzzrrzztlzzzzz until he seemingly ceased to exist.

(Wolverine II#136-137) - A member of the Blips who was loyal to the Collector warned his master that Galactus was nearby, and that he might threaten the Collector's Prison World.

(Hulk III#30) - Xemnu the Titan summoned a gigantic Martian, a Venusian, Zzutak, a Creature from Krogarr, a Blip, a Makluan and Taboo (or a member of his race) to kill the Hulk. When the Impossible Man witnessed how outmatched the Hulk was, he merged him with the Red Hulk and they defeated Xemnu's monsters.

(Uncanny X-Men III#33 - BTS) - At some point, a member of the Blips was relocated to Monster Island, in the sea of Okhotsk.

(Uncanny X-Men III#33) - That Blip was one of the many monsters who witnessed the arrival of X-Men Magik and Shadowcat and got into a fight with them--the two had come to Monster Island to save a little mutant girl named Bo; after they found her, Magik teleported herself, Kitty and Bo back to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Monsters Unleashed II#2) - The Inhuman Kid Kaiju summoned a Blip, along with numerous other monsters, to an area outside San Diego, California in defense against the Leviathons.

(Monsters Unleashed II#3) - The Blip joined the fight against the Leviathons. Earth's heroes watched the monsters summoned by Kid Kaiju defeat the Leviathons. After the battle, the Blip and the other monsters were teleported back from where they came.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

The true name of the Blip race is unrevealed, and I guess only they know what they really call themselves -- it was only the radar operator who originally referred to Shzzzllzzzthzz as "The Blip". Also, Shzzzllzzzthzz's real name wasn't revealed until Fantastic Four Unlimited#7, when Phzzzrrzztlzzzz mentioned the name of his "spark-sibling" while battling the Human Torch.

The Blips profile in Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone and the Monster Hunters mentioned that Oakville was in Ontario (a province of Canada).--Ron Fredricks

The original Blip's first appearance was reprinted in Adventures into Fear#2 (January, 1971) and Giant-Size Man-Thing#2 (November, 1974).

In Incredible Hulk Annual I#5, a duplicate of the Blip was created by Xemnu to battle the Hulk, alongside replicas of other old Marvel monsters.

Another Blip duplicate was created by Mr. Fantastic to battle Dr. Doom in Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comic Magazine#12.

In Sensational Spider-Man#-1, the Blip was among several Marvel monsters who appeared in one of Peter Parker's nightmares.

I'm just waiting for the appearance of the Blip known as "Snoop" (AKA Phrrshzzlminizzll).--Kyle

As astutely observed by MD Carter, "[T]he 2nd Blip's personality was just so different from what they were supposed to be (but then, I guess getting capture WOULD tick you off)".

The Energy Creatures of Erdile seen in the Collector's collection in Avengers I#174 bear a striking resemblance to the Blips; possibly, they're the same entities.

Also, big thanks to MD Carter for originally allowing me to borrow an image from his website, The Monsters of Jack Kirby.

Profile by Prime Eternal. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.

Updated by MarvellousLuke (Uncanny X-Men) & Markus Raymond (Hulk & Monsters Unleashed).

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Blips should not be confused with:

radar operator

He (name unrevealed) was apparently an air-traffic controller at an airport in Oakville (see comments).

One day, he saw a mysterious "blip" momentarily appear on his radar screen. The following morning, the town of Oakville suffered from an electrical power blackout. Figuring there was some sort of link between the strange "blip" and the power failure, he used a portable electrometer to trace the town's diverted power to a cave, where he discovered an electrical extraterrestrial that he dubbed "The Blip'.

He befriended the benevolent Blip; but a band of townsmen, angry at losing their power, wrongfully attacked him for being a traitor and siding with the "monster". The Blip drove the mob away, then used a dynamo to fully recharge himself.

As the Blip departed Earth to return to his home-world, the radar operator was ashamed of how the townsmen had treated the electrical extraterrestrial, and he hoped that if the Blip ever returned, mankind would be worthy of his trust.

--Tales to Astonish I#15/1

unidentified alien race

A race of green-skinned humanoid beings, they lived on a planet somewhere in the universe.

The benevolent electrical being Shzzzllzzzthzz visited their world on an unspecified mission of good will.

Two months later, Shzzzllzzzthzz's mission was completed, and the aliens amicably waved farewell to him as he departed their planet.

But shortly after leaving, Shzzzllzzzthzz was trapped in a space/time warp, and was forced to land on Earth to recharge his power.

--Tales to Astonish I#15/1 (fb)

images: (without ads)
Tales to Astonish I#15/1, p3, pan5 (Main Image - Shzzzllzzzthzz by cave entrance; radar operator)
Tales to Astonish I#15/1, p4, pan3 (Headshot - Shzzzllzzzthzz, speaking to radar operator)
Fantastic Four Unlimited#7, p33, pan5 (Phzzzrrzztlzzzz battling Thing)
Wolverine II#136, p8, pan4 (Collector's Blip)
Uncanny X-Men III#33, p5, pan2 (Monster Island Blip)
Monsters Unleashed II#2, p28 pan1 (Kid Kaiju's Blip)
Tales to Astonish I#15/1, p7, pan5 (radar operator)
Tales to Astonish I#15/1, p2, pan1 (radar operator spots Blip on his radar screen)
Tales to Astonish I#15/1, p3, pan1 (radar operator with electrometer)
Tales to Astonish I#15/1, p4, pan4 (in flashback, Shzzzllzzzthzz, departs from world of unidentified alien race)

Appearances:
Tales to Astonish I#15 (January, 1961) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks)
Fantastic Four Unlimited#7 (September, 1994) - Roy Thomas (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Carmen Imperato (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Wolverine II#136 (March, 1999) - Erik Larsen & Eric Stephenson (writers), Jeff Matsuda (pencils), Jonathan Sibal (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Wolverine II#137 (April, 1999) - Erik Larsen (writers), Jeff Matsuda (pencils), Jonathan Sibal (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Hulk III#30 (April, 2011) - Jeff Parker (writer), Ed McGuinness (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Uncanny X-Men III#33 (April, 2015) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Kris Anka (pencils, inks), Mike Marts, Xander Jarowey (editors)
Monsters Unleashed II#2 (April, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Monsters Unleashed II#3 (April, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Leinil Francis Yu (pencils), Gerry Alanguilan & Michael Jason Paz (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)

First Posted: 04/21/2003
Last updated: 11/22/2017

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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