FIRE
PEOPLEFIRE
PEOPLE
Classification: Extra-dimensional (Earth-Ultraverse) human variant (possibly Ultras)
Location/Base of Operations: Zenalla (the island/temple
city of the Fire People), somewhere off the coast some distance
from Cuba; Ultraverse;
formerly a subterranean network of caverns
Known Members: Analla, Atalon, Guardian of the Cave, Prometheus, Savior, "Tetramam," Tulath, the other one in Egypt; monsters
Affiliations: Indirectly created the
Freex via Contrary (aka Wetware Mary);
Contrary stole and adapted much of her
advanced technology from that of the Fire People;
Mr. Paris (pawn of Atalon)
Enemies: Rex Mundi, Rune, Ultraforce, people of Earth
First Appearance: Ultraforce I#0A (June, 1994)
Powers/Abilities: The general population of the Fire People may or may not possess superhuman strength and/or durability, though they are immune to radiation. Due to a lifetime in a subterranean world, they are susceptible to bright lights, though they can tolerate normal daylight without problem. They are armed with advanced weaponry and technology.
In the past, many of the Fire People possessed specific superhuman powers, though over the years, these dwindled in number. More recently, more of the Fire People were born in hideous, monstrous form.
The Fire People created a network of subterranean tunnels across the Earth. These caverns also contain various portals that serve as space. time, and/or dimensional warps. They had advanced computer systems thousands of years ago and developed nanotechnology ("wetware") and the ability to create superhuman powers in their offspring. They had immense hydraulic systems capable of manipulating hundreds of tons of rock.
Traits: They seek to conquer the Earth and overthrow or destroy humanity.
History: The origins of the Fire People are unknown.
(Ultraforce I#3(fb)) - In the distant past, the Fire People lived on the surface of the Earth, where they built cities and glittering citadels filled with beings of astounding power.
(Freex#13(fb) - BTS) - Prometheus, was the first of the Fire People to develop superhuman powers. He developed the "biological mechanickery" (wetware/nanotech) that allowed superhuman powers in some of the children of the Fire People.
(Ultraforce I#3(fb), 4(fb), Freex#17(fb)) - A shaman of mysterious power and knowledge--actually Rex Mundi (Earth King, or King of the World)--feared that the Fire People would block his plans to rule Earth. The shaman led the savages of the surface world against the Fire People, who were driven deep into the bowels of the Earth, and the passage way sealed up behind them. Though the Great Fathers, founders of Venalla, promised they would one day return to the air-world, their descendent eventually lost the will to keep the old glories alive.
(Freex#13(fb)/18(fb) - BTS) - Prometheus dreamed of creating champions who would someday retake the light and the air: The Someday Champions. From the best genes--from the Fire People with the greatest powers--he created the wetware that would someday empower these Champions. Prometheus told the Fire People that they should wait until there were signs and omens that it was time for the Champions. However, Prometheus died and such a long time passed without these omens that the people began to forget what they were waiting for.
(Ultraforce I#3(fb) + Freex#17 (fb)+ Freex#18 (fb)) - After much time out of sunlight, the children of the Fire People began to be born in monstrous form. Eventually, the "Keepers of the Truth" declared that there was no air-world on the surface--that their world of stone was the only reality. The people turned deeper inward, to souls as dark and confined as their world.
(Freex#18 (fb) - BTS) - Many of these "Monsters" were contained in a chamber known as Monster Town.
(Freex#17(fb)) - In the time of ancient Egypt, several of the superhuman Fire People--Analla, Tulath, and two unnamed others--became part of the "Back to the Surface" movement to learn whether mankind had evolved enough to accept them. They traveled to Egypt where they lived alongside the Priest of Amon-Ra--actually Rune. They also met the Freex, who had been displaced into the past via one of the Fire People's time portals. They were pleased with what they had found until Rune attacked and nearly slew Analla. He was saved with the aid of the Freex, but the empowered Fire People nonetheless returned to their subterranean world and reported that mankind was too treacherous to deal with at this time.
(Freex#18(fb) ) - The "Keeper of the Powers" decided that the progressively more monstrous Fire People did not deserve to become the Someday Champions. Instead, remembering the meeting in Egypt with the powerful humans, the Keeper decided to give the wetware to a secret society on Earth (Aladdin) so that humans could become the Someday Champions and save them from themselves. The other Fire People were furious upon learning this and punished and killed the Keeper, and then they continued to deteriorate and degenerate.
There was a "big war, when the monsters from one place were going to..."
(Freex#5 (fb) - BTS) - <approximately 15 years before the modern era> A nurse who would become known as Wetware Mary (and later as Contrary) stole the Wetware/nanotech from Aladdin and injected a number of infants in a hospital with it. Several of these beings would become the Freex.
(Ultraforce I#0A, 0B, 1) - Atalon led the Fire People to the surface, planning to conquer Earth to rule as their own. They began to raid military bases across the world and steal their nuclear arsenals.
(Solitaire#8) - Atalon met with arms dealer Anton Lone (father of Solitaire) to discuss the trade of the Fire People's gravity weapons for Lone's nuclear arsenal. At Lone's assistance, they traveled to the realm of the Fire People so he could see the arsenal for himself.
(Solitaire#9) - Amongst the Fire People, Atalon agreed to Lone's negotiations after Lone refused to bow to his power or threats.
(Prime I#13, Giant-Size Freex#1 - BTS) - Prime mistook the Freex for the ones responsible for the attacks on US military bases--the Fire People--and attacked them when he found them in a devastated military base in the American desert. After resolving their differences, they headed down the Fire People's subterranean cavern to learn more about the Fire People and prevent them from coming back up the tunnel. They found a chamber containing statues of other beings resembling the Freex.
(Freex#12) - Inside the chamber, Prime and the Freex were attacked by the giant monsters of the Fire People, but Michael (Plug) figured out how to control them by accessing the Fire People's computer systems and accessing the crowns (headsets designed by the Fire People that allowed communication and control of the monsters). They also met one of the last Fire People, left behind with the monsters, who directed the monsters to attack anew, but when Plug granted crowns to the other Freex, their control proved superior and the monsters became docile once again. As they continued down the tunnels they encountered the Guardian of the Cave.
(Ultraforce I#2/Freex#13) - An encoded memory
program of Prometheus appeared before the Freex, assuming them to
be the Someday Champions. However, when he discovered that they
were human, he directed the Guardian to attack them. Combining
their wills through the Crowns and forced the Guardian to leave
them. However, the energies the Freex unleashed awakened the
sleeping Savior of the Fire People.
The Fire People--busy carrying warheads into
their caverns--heard the poundings of the Savior, but Atalon
discouraged false hope and told the Fire People to continue their
plan under him.
(Freex#14) - Continuing to explore the caverns, the Freex unwittingly opened the chamber containing the Savior. The efforts of Boom Boy managed to close the chamber and re-imprison the Savior.
(Ultraforce#3-6) - Under Atalon's lead and Mr. Paris' direction, the Fire People tried to use their nuclear arsenal to conquer humanity. However, Ultraforce nullified their arsenal and Contrary convinced Atalon to call a truce--in return for gaining soverignty of their new island, Zenalla--rather than kill themselves in an all-out battle with mankind. Nonetheless, Atalon plotted the eventual conquering of Earth.
(Ultraforce I#9?) - I'm sure there's a panel with Atalon and the Fire People plotting revenge, somewhere around this issue, but I can't find it.
(Freex#16) - Ray (Boom Boy) of the Freex discovered an immense book, detailing the past of the Fire People.
(Freex#18) - Contrary attempted to raid more of the Fire People's technology, but was attacked by the Monsters and had to be saved by the Freex. However, Contrary trapped the Freex down in the caverns, and they heard the Savior stir once more within its chamber.
Comments: Created by Gerard Jones and George Perez.
The stories of the Fire People, Savior, Freex, and Contrary were all dropped like a hot potato with the Black September (BS) event. Any further resolution is unlikely to be forthcoming.
It might be hypothesized that Prometheus' manipulation of the other Fire People resulted in the creation of the "monsters," though this is not hinted at in the storyline.
Clarifications:
No known connection to:
Prometheus has no known connection to:
Savior has no known connection to:
The Guardian of the Cave and the monsters have no known connection to:
One of the four empowered Fire People who
investigated Earth around the time of ancient Egypt to see if it
were ready to accept them. He observed the Priest of Amon-Ra (Rune)
scheming against them and confronted him, but was captured and
nearly devoured by him. He was saved by the other Fire People and
the Freex.
Also referred to as "Anallah"
His appearance was virtually identical to that of Ray (Boom Boy) and he likely had superhuman strength and durability
--Freex#17 (17(fb), 17
Guardian of the Cave
Monstrous, three-sided creature with three faces and three legs. It can fire blasts from its eyes and can whirl at great speeds, generating powerful winds. It serves the will of the Prometheus program, but this can be overridden by beings wearing the Crowns
--Freex#12, 13
monsters of the Fire People
Over the last several millennia, more and more of the the children of the Fire People, having grown up only in darkness, were born in monstrous form. These being are kept within the cavern known as Monster Town and tend to attack any who enter it, unless recognizing them as Fire People
They are large, perhaps 10-15' tall, with a large central portion combining head, torso, and abdomen, with arms and legs coming from that portion. They appear to be of a rock-like substance and are of great strength, but possessing only minimal intellect. They, too, can be controlled by the Fire People, or anyone wearing the Crowns.
--Freex#12 (17(fb), 18(fb), 12, 13, 18
Greatest scientist of the Fire People and the first to have superhuman power. He developed the "wetware" (nanotechnology) that passed new powers on to the children of the Fire People. Later, as more and more of the children were born as monsters, Prometheus took the best genes of the powerful Fire People and created the wetware that would eventually create "The Someday Champions," beings who would return the Fire People to the surface world. After his death, his plan fell by the wayside. However, he did create an encoded memory program that could interact with others who traveled through the caves of the Fire People. Though not specified, it is likely that Prometheus also created the Crowns and the Savior .
Prometheus' memory program was activated when the Freex arrived, and he mistook them for mutated Fire People initially: The Someday Champions. Upon learning that they were humans, he was furious and sent the Guardian to destroy them, and he was ecstatic when he heard the Savior stirring in his cavern. His program faded away soon after.
--Freex#13 (17(fb), 18(fb), 13-program
An immense, stone-like being with an elephantine head, most likely created by Prometheus. It is trapped within a chamber behind a massive door. It is intended to devastate humanity once it is released, and it nearly escaped when the chamber was unwitting opened by the Freex. Ray (Boom Boy) closed the chamber before the Savior could escape, and he remained in the caverns, so that he could stop others from opening the door, or to close the door if it somehow opened again.
--Freex#13, 14 (18-BTS
"Tetramam"
One of the four empowered Fire People who investigated Earth around the time of ancient Egypt to see if it were ready to accept them.
She has a serpentine lower half and four breasts
--Freex#17 (17(fb), 17
One of the four empowered Fire People who investigated Earth around the time of ancient Egypt to see if it were ready to accept them.
She is able to meld with the souls of others on contact, often incapacitating those she melds with
--Freex#17 (17(fb), 17
the other
Fire Person in Egypt
One of the four empowered Fire People who investigated Earth around the time of ancient Egypt to see if it were ready to accept them.
unnamed and powers unobserved
--Freex#17 (17(fb), 17
Appearances:
Solitaire#8-9 (September, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Parker (pencils), John Lowe (inks)
Freex#12 (June, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Scott Kolins (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#13-14 (September-October, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), Scott Kolins (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Ultraforce I#2 (October, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), John Statema & George Perez (pencils), Jeff Whiting & Barb Kaalberg (inks), Chris Ulm & Hank Kanalz (editors)
Ultraforce I#3 (November, 1994) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Chris Ulm & Hank Kanalz (editors)
Ultraforce I#4-5 (January-February, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey, Keith Aiken & Terry Austin (#5) (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Ultraforce I#6 (March, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), George Perez & Steven Butler (pencils), Al Vey, Dennis Jensen & Keith Aiken (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#16 (January, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), Klebs de Moura e. Silva (pencils), Rick Magyar, Reuben Rodriguez & Mike Christian (inks), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Freex#17 (February, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), Scott Kolins (pencils), Jon Holdredge (inks), Phil Crain (editor)
Freex#18 (March, 1995) - Gerard Jones (writer), Steve Ellis (pencils), Robert Hunter (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
Last updated: 07/14/03
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
© 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
