CRAWLERS

Classification: Artificial terrestrial life form

Location/Base of Operations: Uncertain, possibly the Formerly the sewers beneath New York City (The Bronx?)

Known Members: Fozzie

Affiliations: Hugo Lopez

Enemies: Local street gang (Lenny+Turk+others)

First Appearance: Avengers I#203 (January, 1981)

Powers/Abilities: The Crawlers were anaerobic, meaning they did not require oxygen to survive. They presumably could survive in outer space or under water as easily as on land. They possessed superhuman strength, durability, and agility, the extent of which is undefined. They were designed to survive in virtually any level of gravity or kind of environment, but they were vulnerable to fire. They could communicate telepathically, but the level of their intelligence (human, above or below) is undefined. It is not certain how they consume nutrients to survive, but they did live off of food stolen from the surface. It is also not certain if they are sterile or capable of reproduction.

History: (Avengers I#203) - The Crawlers were the results of seemingly failed experiments in anaerobic life forms for use in outer space. The scientists illegally dumped their waste down the drain, where the mixed with other chemicals (and possibly life forms) in the sewers to create a group of new life forms. These creatures realized that they did not fit in with the society above them, and so they took up residence in the sewers below the streets of New York. They still had to travel to the surface for food, candles, and other supplies, which they stole from local shops during the darkness of night.

Rumors of their existence began to circulate, generating fear and superstition amongst those living above them of creatures they called the Crawlers, named for the way they moved so heavily and low to the ground. One boy, Hugo Lopez, the son of an abusive mother, encountered and befriended the Crawlers, preferring life with them to his life at home.