mutates-straker-691-sling&hit-quadrupedmutates-straker-691-twocharge

 "MUTANTS"
of Keeper Raker
(Earth-691 circa 21st century)

Membership: At three unidentified beings (at least two were apparently slain)

Purpose: Apparently experimentation and defense for the Keeper (Raker)

Aliases

Affiliations: Keeper Raker;
    indirectly the Martian Masters

Enemies: Killraven (Jonathan Raven) and anyone else who threatened their Keeper

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly a base within the former Grand Central Station, in what had been Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Amazing Adventures II#18 (May, 1973)

,
mutates-straker-691-green-leapmutates-straker-691-green-kicked

Powers/Abilities: The mutates varied in terms of appearance and abilities. None of them spoke, but they rather made bestial noises.

    The most unique was the orange-skinned quadruped with two heads, one directly on top of the other. Each head had a pair of eyes with apparently red sclera and irides around dark pupils. Each mouth had prominent maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) canine teeth, but no visible incisors, premolars or molars.
    It was somewhat dog-like in build, but with longer (perhaps more human) digits ending in talons, at least in the
pectoral limbs (forelimbs); the  pectoral limb was also more palmigrade (weight-bearing in the radio-carpal joint) rather than weight-bearing at the metacarpophalangeal junction like a dog. The pelvic limbs (hind limbs) had a more canid conformation. The creature had hair on its back. Each limb appeared to have four digits.
    It hissed as it charged Killraven.

    The green-skinned creature who accompanied the orange quadruped had a more human body and facial conformation, but with elongated limbs and enlarged hands and feet. The hands had four fingers and a thumb, while the feet had four digits (without a prominent first digit (big toe)). He(?) had green hair on his head, and the iris color was light, nearly white.
    The creature was strong and savage, and it growled as it charged Killraven.

    The other green-skinned creature who attacked Killraven after Keeper Raker's death had even more human proportions, but with a more monstrous face. It had prominent brow-ridges and zygomatic arches (cheekbones), and it did not appear to have teeth in its mouth.
    He(?) had no visible hair on the head or the exposed parts of the body.
    He appeared to have four fingers and a thumb on each hand, but only two toes on each foot.
    It attacked, fought and died without uttering a sound.

History:
(
Amazing Adventures II#18 (fb) - BTS) - Keeper / Dr. Raker subsequently made a base in the former Grand Central Station in what had been Manhattan, New York, where he apparently genetically-engineered a number of monstrous mutates.

(Amazing Adventures II#18) <Circa 2018 AD> - After Killraven invaded former Grand Central Station, he urged the Keeper to come out and face him, and a pair of mutates were unleashed.

     Killraven -- noting that the Keeper must be desperate to risk his precious specimens -- swiftly dropped the orange, two-headed feral creature with something he hurled from his sling (see comments).

     The long-limbed green man-creature leapt through the air and knocked Killraven off his feet.

     However, Killraven rolled with assault and smashed the larger mutate to the ground, incapacitating it.

.
mutates-straker-691-othergreenattackmutates-straker-691-othergreen-fnmutates-straker-691-othergreenface     After Killraven had confronted and slain Raker, another green mutate attacked Killraven, leaping on his back and grabbing him around the neck.

     Flipping the mutate over his head, Killraven then caught it in a Full Nelson and snapped its neck in two seconds.

     In the process, Killraven apologized but noted that he had had his fill of fighting that day and just wanted this over.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway, Neal Adams & Howard Chaykin, and F. Chiaramonte.

    They are called mutants repeatedly. They were described as Keeper Raker's specimens, and I ASSumed from reading that they there were the results of his genetic experimentation/mutation, which would make them mutates, rather than mutants. However, there were not any details to confirm or deny that they were created, and they were only called mutants, so I've gone with that as their designation. Additionally, it was only Killraven who identified them thusly, and he may not have appreciated the difference.

     Interestingly, Killraven is clearly shown spinning his sling right before the quadruped mutate is struck with an unseen object and knocked out. However, in the next panel, that creature is laying on the ground, apparently in a pool of blood and with a spear sticking in the back of his neck.

    The mutants originally had a sub-profile as "mutates" under Keeper Raker 09/02/2021.
    After re-reviewing the story (while reviewing a profile for Apeslayer), I realized that the green character whose neck Killraven broke was different than the green character who had first attacked him alongside the quadruped.

    Raker may or may not have had other mutants within his base.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The mutants of Keeper Raker of Earth-691 should be distinguished from:


images: (without ads)
Amazing Adventures II#18, pg. 3, panel 2 (mutants unleashed);
          panel 3 (mutants charging sling spinning Killraven);
          panel 4 (two-headed quadruped mutant dropped)
       pg. 4, panel 1(haired green mutant attacks Killraven);
          panel 2 (Killraven kicking and flipping haired green mutant);
       pg. 20, panel 1 (bald green mutant leaping atop Killraven's back);
          panel 2 (bald green mutant face);
          panel 4 (Killraven holding bald green mutant in full nelson)


Appearances:
Amazing Adventures II#18 (May, 1973) - Gerry Conway (script), Neal Adams & Howard Chaykin (pencilers), F. Chiaramonte (inker), Roy Thomas (editor; series conception)


First posted: 12/22/2024
Last updated: 12/22/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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