KOSMOS
Type: Essentially Earth-like
Environment: Variable climates, tropical and desert seen, well-developed cities (known as Hive Centers) and smaller villages (Border-Pods).
A virtually featureless pocket dimension is used as a prison.
Usual means of access: Vibrational attunement, indirect access obtained by utilizing Pym Particles
Dominant Life Form:
Insectoid race (Jekuakket, Jikekt, Keka'akeluak, K'Karr,
L'Klekk'Tak, L'Tikak, Tikuak)-Humanoid-insectoids, green skin,
red eyes, possess variety of adaptations much like the insects of
Earth, abilities vary with individual forms. Many natives have
wings and can fly, some can cling to walls, some have six or more
limbs, and most natives secret formic acid, much like many of the
insects of Earth ;
Creature Caste (see Creatures of Kosmos).
Affiliations: Enemy of Kang the Conqueror, Goliath/Atlas (Erik Josten), and the Thunderbolts. Creators of the Growing Man (Men), in the future.
Traits: The race is divided up into various castes, including scientists and warriors. It is ruled by a monarchy. A large army exists, and the race possesses advanced technology, such as inter-dimensional travel.
First Appearance: (BTS) Tales to Astonish I#44 (June, 1963); (seen) Thunderbolts I#13 (April, 1999)
History: Little is known about the Kosmosians. The realm itself is the dimension interfaced by "Pym Particles" for mass exchange (growing or shrinking). An unknown period of time ago the natives discovered a "Growth Pollen" which could be used to exchange mass between dimensions. This Pollen utilizes the same energy as that discovered by Dr. Henry Pym, which are known as "Pym Particles."
The earliest encounters with the Kosmosians all involved a group of criminals of the Creature Caste, it is not until years later that the Creatures were found to only be one sub-division of the Kosmosian race. A Creature named Pilai came to Earth and slew Vernon Van Dyne, which ended up in his daughter becoming the super-heroine known as the Wasp. Some of Pilai's allies later duped Erik Josten, as Goliath III, into becoming their pawn, escaped to Earth, and attempted to take it over. After the defeat of the Creatures by Pym himself, as Giant-Man I, the ruling class of Kosmosians first made their presence felt.
Known only to the Kosmosians as the "Intruder from Beyond" who had caused upheavals on Kosmos by the immense mass shifted through him by the criminal Creatures, Josten was abducted by the ruling class of Kosmosians, who, as punishment, tortured him. Josten was rescued by the Masters of Evil IV, despite the efforts of the Creatures guarding him, and after changing his costume and physical appearance, he was no longer recognizable to them.
At some point soon after this, the Kosmosians received a damaged message of unknown origin. The message relayed a warning of some point in the distant future when Kang the Conqueror (known only as the Blue Man to them) would come to Kosmos and conquer them all. Those who survived would be forced into slavery at Kang's hands, and the scientists would be forced to create exo-skeletons packed with their Growth Pollen (ie. the Growing Men). Knowing that the Growing Men would be sent into various past eras, the scientists had hid an alert beacon in each of them to warn the Kosmosians to be on guard for the Blue Man's coming. For unknown reasons, the beacon was damaged, so that it was only sent recently, during a battle between the Thunderbolts and the Growing Man.
The Kosmosians traced the message back to Earth, and the afore-mentioned battle. Fearing the potential attack, and knowing that Kang would come from the planet Earth, the populace of Kosmosians sought to strike first, to conquer Earth before it conquered them. Jekkuakkekt, the ruler at the time, sought to preserve peace and wished to investigate what they had learned, rather than make war against an entire race for what might be the actions of only one, or a few. Many of the Kosmosians were impatient and feared the impending attack, and a number of rebellions broke out, virtually approaching Civil War, with the soldiers loyal to Jekkuakkekt battling those who sought a pre-emptive strike against Earth.
Jekkuakkekt directed the Thunderbolts to be transported to Kosmos for questioning. However, once on Kosmos, Josten (now Atlas III)'s energy was recognized as the "Intruder From Beyond," and the Thunderbolts were felt to be allies of the "Blue Man." The Kosmosians attempted to capture the Thunderbolts, who fled. Jekkuakkekt's son, Jikekt, followed the Thunderbolts and explained why they were wanted. Not having any other method of returning home, the Thunderbolts agreed to surrender, and explain their actions in trial. Despite returning Jikekt as a show of good faith, they were taken prisoner and sentenced to execution, because Jekkuakkekt wished to appease and quell the rebellions.
Moonstone met with Keka'akeluak, the vizier of Jekkuakkekt, who was secretly allied with the rebellion and sought to overthrow Jekkuakket, and made a deal. Keka'akeluak advised Jekkuakkekt to offer the Thunderbolts a pardon if they helped defeat a powerful rebel faction attacking the royal palace. The Thunderbolts agreed to do this, but during the battle, Moonstone led MACH 1 Songbird to the palace where she assassinated Jekkuakkekt, and blamed it on L'klekk'tak, the rebel leader. Keka'akeluak then became the new Primotur, used the framing of L'klekk'tak to dissolve the rebellion, and sent the Thunderbolts, who had proven themselves by assisting against the rebellion, back to Earth.
Most Kosmosians still associate all of Earth with Kang the Conqueror, and an invasion of Earth may be in the future.
Comments: First mentioned by Stan Lee, H. E. Huntley, and Jack Kirby. First actually shown by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.
The Thunderbolts will likely be held accountable for their actions on Kosmos someday...
The Kosmosians look a lot like the Kaliklakor of the Microverse, of which Bug of the Micronauts is a member. Coincidence? Ya never know.
In Galacta: Daughter of
Galactus#1, Galacta consumed some Kosmosians. I would not think the character
and stories in Galacta are part of Reality-616, but that has yet to be
definitively confirmed anywhere.
For the record, around that same time, she also feeds on
some Badoon,
H'ylthri,
Tribbitites, Shi'ar, Pheragots, Tektons, Herms,
Aedians,
Laxidazians, Centaurians,
A'askvarii,
Flb'dbi, Ul'lula'ns, and R'malk'i.
Clarifications:
The dimension of Kosmos has no known connection to:
Jekuakket was the former sovereign Primotur of the All-Hive. He
was the father of Jikekt. He sought a peaceful solution whenever
possible and wished to learn more about the potential threat of
Earth rather than launch an attack. His palace came under attack
from rebels who wished a pre-emptive strike against Earth, and he
fell victim to a plot by his vizier, Keka'akeluak, and Moonstone,
leader of the Thunderbolts, who murdered him in cold blood, and
blamed L'klekk'tak, leader of the rebellion--Thunderbolts I#13 (13(fb), 13, 14
Jikekt is the young son of Jekuakket. Curious of the off-worlders, he managed to follow the Thunderbolts when the escaped a capture attempt in the Hive-Center. He explained the message of the "Blue Man" to the Thunderbolts, and befriended Jolt. I bet he learns what really happened to his father when he gets a little older. He could cling to surfaces --Thunderbolts I#13 (13, 14
Keka'akeluak was the
royal vizier to Jekkuakket. However, he secretly sought to take
over rule for himself. He was also secretly allied with
L'klekk'tak, the leader of the rebellion, and planned to allow
him to entry into the palace to assassinate Jekkuakket. However,
he made a deal with Moonstone, where he pardoned the Thunderbolts
after they helped stop the rebellion. Moonstone assassinated
Jekuakket, and L'klekk'tak was framed for the murder. He returned
the Thunderbolts to Earth and assumed the role of Primotur, while
dissolving the rebellion and ridding himself of a potential
future rival, all in one move--Thunderbolts I#13 (13, 14
K'karr was a warrior in the rebellion under L'klek'tak. He launched a growth pollen weapon at Atlas--Thunderbolts I#14
L'klekk'tak was the leader of the rebellion, and was secretly allied with the vizier, Keka'akeluak. He was instructed in which paths to take to gain easy entrance to the palace, presumably to slay Jekuakket. However, he was betrayed by Keka'akeluak, who allied himself with Moonstone and framed him for the murder of Jekuakket while the Thunderbolts helped overpower his rebellion. He was presumably put to death for his perceived crimes--Thunderbolts I#14
L'tikak (not pictured) was a warrior who served as second-in-command of the rebellion under L'Klek'tak.--Thunderbolts I#14
Tikuak was the first soldier of Jekuakket and the leader of the royal army. While fiercely loyal to Jekuakket, he felt the Thunderbolts were indeed linked to Kang and should be put to death--Thunderbolts I#13 (13, 14
Appearances:
Tales to Astonish I#44 (June, 1963) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Ernest Hart (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Don Heck (inks)
Thunderbolts '97 Annual (1997) - Kurt Busiek (writer), George Perez & Bob McLeod (pencils), Karl Kesel & Will Blyberg (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#13-14 (April-May, 1998) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Galacta: Daughter of Galactus#1 (July, 2010) - Adam Warren (writer), Hector
Sevilla Lujan (pencile/inker), Jordan White (editor)
First Posted: 09/07/2001
Last updated: 03/30/2013
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