PRIME "race"

Classification: Alternate Reality (Earth-93060/"Ultraverse") extraterrestrial (Godwheel) collective (union of multiple races) Location/Base of Operations: A valley/city on the Godwheel, Earth universe, Reality-93060 Known Members: Homebringer, Primogenitor, others unidentified (including a woman and perhaps 12-18 different beings were seen in Primal form, not including the pile in front of the incinerator, each of whom apparently had lost their ability to assume primal forms) Affiliations: Culebra, Dragonfly, Duey, Elven (Elvia Swensen), Gunk, Phade, Prime (Kevin Green), Turbocharge (Michael Hardaway), Wicca (Steffi)     formerly Doc Gross (Dr. Vincent Gross), Duey, their gods Enemies: Doc Gross, Duey;     Prime Aliases: Primal beings First Appearance: (Behind-the-scenes; unidentified) Power of Prime#1 (July, 1995);      (Homebringer and Primogenitor) Prime I#26 (August, 1995);      (as "Prime race") Power of Prime#2 (August, 1995)

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Powers/Abilities: The Prime "race" is actually a collective of an unspecified number of extraterrestrials from an unspecified number of unidentified races.       Generally humanoid to semi-humanoid bipeds (although at least a couple appeared to possess a serpentine lower half), they have a variety of facial appearances and structures. They likely had varying abilities to some extent, but it is unrevealed whether any of them possess superhuman powers.      At least some of them have advanced technological abilities and/or magical abilities, the combination of which was able to grant them godlike "primal" forms.     At least in the past, the members of this society were able to generate larger forms, which surrounded, protected, and provided life support their true forms. These forms appeared as large, "physically perfect" (well (or perhaps overly)-muscled, handsome and/or beautiful) males and females in the image of their gods (who were apparently all Caucasian-toned and human in form (except larger than average).     These primal forms had vast superhuman strength (many lifting perhaps close to 100 tons) and durability, and they could fly at great speeds.      Some of them had additional abilities, such as energy projection, opening warp portals across space to transport beings from distant planets to and from the Godwheel, and apparently various other abilities, limited perhaps only by their imaginations.     Every score of years (presumably 20 years), their primal forms degenerated, and they needed to rest and renew their godlike forms. They briefly returned to their true forms, although these previous forms were now disgusting to them.     However, their renewal cycle eventually became accelerated or protracted, and their bodies did not last as long: In some cases, only minutes or seconds.      As they struggled to maintain their degenerating primal forms, the remaining primal beings combined their remaining power and generated an immensely powerful version of the Primogenitor, although this only lasted a minute or so.      When last seen, the Primogenitor notes that while their primal bodies no longer lasted very long, they could still use them for ceremonial functions and specific needs. . . Traits: The beings who became the Prime "race" originally were from a variety of different extraterrestrial races, with complete different forms, cultures, languages, etc. They could not communicate with one another and they found the visages of the other races' repulsive.      However, they were united by their love for their gods. When their gods disappeared, they attempted to create perfect idols to their gods in hopes of drawing them back, and then they ultimately transformed themselves to mimic their gods.       They ultimately came to find their original forms disgusting, and when their members lost their ability to assume their primal forms, they were exterminated, typically by being thrown into a fire. Injured/weakened beings awaiting incineration were left in a pile until they could be dealt with.      They initially sought desperately to restore their primal forms' longevity, and almost all of them were willing to slay innocents in order to achieve this goal.      Eventually, however, they came to accept their original forms, and they resolved to establish a new society where they all lived amongst each other's various forms, cultures, etc.

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. Type: (True forms) many and varying; (primal forms) bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds Eyes: (True forms) varying; (primal forms) two (on head; blue color seen, but possibly green, brown, and other shades) Fingers: (True forms) varying; (primal forms) four (plus opposing thumb) Toes: (True forms) varying; (primal forms) five Skin color: (True forms) varying; (primal forms) "pink" (comparable to Caucasian humanity) Average height: (True forms) varying; (primal forms) approximately 6'8" Note: The two central figures on the images on the left and right are not of the Prime race, but rather Elven and Wicca, respectively.

. History: (Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS) <According to the legends of the Prime race> - In the beginning, the gods created "this world" and brought races from many planets to reside there and worship them as their creators and protectors.     Eventually, the gods fought, and their temples crashed to the ground.      Many homes were disrupted or destroyed, and races of all types and places of origin abandoned their homes and sought refuse elsewhere. Some prayed to their gods to save them, but the gods did not answer. Believing that their creators and protectors would have responded if they could have.

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(Power of Prime#4 (fb) - BTS) - Homebringer was a the Primal Beings for generations.

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.     Every score of years (presumably 20 years), the primal beings needed to rest and renew their godlike forms.     They needed to briefly return to what they were before, although these previous forms were now disgusting to them. .     However, approximately 15 years before the main story, something happened to their renewal cycle, and it became accelerated or protracted, and their bodies did not last as long: In some cases, only minutes or seconds.      Additionally, they lost many of their number, and they believed that their genetic code had become damaged, duplicated too many times until it was no longer whole. (Power of Prime#3 (fb) - BTS) - Those whose Prime bodies were too broken down to repair or regenerate were "humanely disposed of" as genetic failures. The others considered that this was best for them due to their being weakened by illness. They felt there was no point in living when their outer bodies had become corrupt and all that was left was one's weak and disgusting inner body. (Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS) - Realizing the problem they had, the Prime race sent Homebringer to Earth to seek help. Bringing with him genetic samples from his people's oldest records -- samples they hoped were uncorrupted -- Homebringer sought out what they believed to be Earth's most brilliant and daring geneticist, Dr. Vincent Gross. (Power of Prime#1 (fb) - BTS) - Gross had been working in genetic manipulation for some time without success before receiving the information from Homebringer. (Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS) - Gross promised to cultivate a new code but said it would take years to develop. Homebringer periodically returned to Earth to examine Gross' progress. (Power of Prime#1 (fb) - BTS / Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS / other sources) - Gross used these techniques on a number of women, leading to numerous children who developed the ability to generate a second, superhuman form around their bodies. These included Culebra, Dragonfly, Duey, Elven, Gunk, Prime, and Wicca. (Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS) -Finally, Homebringer discovered that Gross' work had come to fruition in Prime (Kevin Green).

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(Power of Prime#1 - BTS) - Homebringer opened a portal and transported Culebra to the Godwheel.

(Power of Prime#1 - BTS) - Homebringer opened a portal and transported Wicca to the Godwheel.

(Prime I#25 - BTS) - Homebringer opened a portal and transported Duey (and Doc Gross) to the Godwheel.

(Prime I#26 (fb) - BTS) - Homebringer presumably individually transported Dragonfly and Gunk to the Godwheel.

(Power of Prime#3 (fb) - BTS) - Duey convinced the Homebringer that they should take what they needed from their captives rather than ask their permission.

(Prime I#26 - BTS) - Homebringer opened a portal to transport Prime to the Godwheel. Apparently false images of Culebra, Dragonfly, Duey, Gunk, and Wicca urged him to come join them, giving his essence back to his creators rather than wandering the world confused. Prime suspected treachery due to the atypical behavior of his recurrent foe Duey. Regardless, Phade and Turbocharge were able to pull Prime back to Earth.

    As Phade and Turbocharge did some research and tracked down the location of other "Gross Babies" (children of women manipulated by Doc Gross, apparently via the material given to him by Homebringer), Prime sought out Elven and convinced her to join him in investigating their origins.

    After Prime and Elven met up with Phade and Turbocharge, Elven called out a challenge to the Homebringer, who opened a portal and pulled her in, after which Prime, Phade, and Turbo followed her through the breach.

(Prime I#26) - Although the Homebringer insisted that no came with him uninvited, Prime refused to give up, and Homebringer -- unwilling to bring such chaos and power to the "court" -- transported them to the "home-place" in the wilderness, which included perhaps a foot or more of slime-like material on its surface.

     The immense Homebringer then confronted them, challenging them to pit themselves against the perfect warrior. He swiftly swatted away Turbocharge and then laughed while beating down Prime and Elven, mocking them as cheap copies of him and "plastic to his platinum."

     However, when Phade dematerialized, passed her fists inside of Homebringer and then increased her density, the upper half of his body shell exploded. 

    The king/Primogenitor of the realm then appeared, noting that the Homebringer was just a shell, as was this entire world, a shell over a core of corruptions. He then told Prime that he desperately needed his help.

    Meanwhile, Elven tended to another Prime woman who had collapsed and seemed to be melting. Although she briefly stabilized, the woman soon again collapsed, screaming in agony, and Prime explained to Elven that this was similar to the degeneration process that they went through.

    The Primogenitor noted that the gods knew that he wanted to help her, but that he could not...the only one who could help her was Prime. As the woman spoke in an alien tongue, others of her races picked her up, and the Primogenitor noted that her struggle was over: She had failed to maintain her integrity and would be taken to the...infirmary.

    Noting that his father was a doctor, Turbocharge suggested that he might be able to help. Primogenitor dismissed the idea, insisting that they knew what must be done, and that it was Prime who must make the sacrifice to help them. 

    Prime agreed to help (volunteering his allies' help as well) but asked what was going on. When Primogenitor stated that he thought they would understand, Elven assured him that they understood but that the degeneration was not like that with them. Prime agreed, noting that it was like the people were sick or something. 

    Primogenitor explained that it was more than just a sickness, but rather the undoing of them all: It was the destruction of all that they had tried to be. Admitting that his people's story was more legend than history, Primogenitor related the tale of the creation of their world and society.

    Confirming that the Gross Babies were from Earth but that the genetic code that granted them powerful forms was the Prime race's legacy, Primogenitor then detailed how they had sent the Homebringer to Earth to seek help, and that Prime was the fruition of those efforts. Primogenitor clarified that Prime had the new genetic code to save the Prime race.

    Meanwhile, curious about the way the woman had been rushed off, Turbocharge elected to check out the infirmary, where he found a pair of Primes (or guards, if they weren't primal beings) dragging the woman they had taken away toward a fiery chamber. Subduing the guards, Turbocharge asked the woman what they were going to do to her. Although he could not understand her words, she pointed to a pile of bodies beside a number of chambers containing Culebra, Dragonfly, Gunk, and Wicca. Correctly surmising that the pile was people whose Prime bodies had failed and were going to be destroyed and that those in the tanks were the Gross Babies, Turbocharge opened Gunk's chamber.

(Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS) - Turbocharge freed the rest of the Gross Babies.

    Prime clarified that his Prime body would only last a week or so, and when Phade expressed confusion, Primogenitor told her that it was none of her concern and that she should not even be there. Elven warned that if Primogenitor wanted their help he needed to ask nicely, but Primogenitor instructed Prime that if his code was stable enough, they could not only stabilize their people but improve his stability as well.

     He continued that while Prime may not be perfect, he was a fresh version of the transformation code, and they could genetically engineer it to full efficacy. He offered that they could make Prime's bodies last years...or forever.

    While Prime was intrigued, Phade warned that it sounded like they wanted more than Prime's genetic code (like, perhaps, his soul), and then Turbocharge arrived, alongside the other Gross Babies, warning that the Primogenitor was not some benevolent god.

(Power of Prime#3) - Turbocharge further explained that the other Gross Babies -- who were considered "flawed" -- had been slated to be incinerated along with the members of the Prime race who could no longer generate primal bodies. At Elven's query, Primogenitor confirmed this, explained their reasons, and punctuated his point by tearing open Culebra's form to expose the youth inside.

    When Prime was enraged by this, Primogenitor assured him that they would never need to do it again if he helped them. When Culebra insisted that he wanted to be returned home and be cured of his transformations (leaving him only in his normal form), Primogenitor retorted that to use their holy science to undo godly bodies would be be blasphemy.

    Prime agreed to let the Primogenitor use his genetic code to help his people and make him Prime forever on the condition that they also sent home the Gross Babies and helped fix their powers however they wanted them to be.

    As Primogenitor prepared to accept these terms, Duey interrupted, advising Primogenitor to refuse to let the others dictate their terms but rather take the genetic material that they needed. Primogenitor countered that his people aspired to be gods, not thieves, and when Duey continued his argument, Primogenitor noted that the council must discuss this matter.

    Duey then revealed his alliance with the Homebringer, who subsequently regenerated his giant form and exclaimed that the genetic material they sought was their legacy and that he would not see it dispersed to "the world of these feeble imitations" (Earth).

    As the Gross Babies assaulted Homebringer, Primogenitor insisted that Homebringer must not be harmed and that Prime stop his friends or all deals were off. Though not wanting to lose his chance, Prime ultimately sided with his friends and joined the fight against Homebringer.

    Phade attempted to incapacitate Homebringer in the same fashion that she had used against him before, but having learned from that, Homebringer instead trapped her form within his.

    As Duey urged Primogenitor to aid Homebringer against the other Gross Babies to avoid losing the genetic code they sought, the others of the Prime race asked Primogenitor what they should do. However, Primogenitor exclaimed that everything was falling apart, and he began to lose cohesion as well. Regardless, the Prime people made their decision, and they collectively attacked Prime and the others.

    Prime confronted Primogenitor, convincing him to call off his people so they could continue their deal, but Duey then impaled Primogenitor and led the other Primal beings to restrain Prime, at which point Duey drew out Doc Gross from within his own body and then cut into Prime's body and pulled out his heart, which was the source that generated his Prime bodies.

(Power of Prime#4) - Elven and Wicca assaulted Duey and Homebringer, but then Homebringer grabbed Wicca, mocking her as a foolish child and noting that he knew secrets of power that she would not discover for years, after which he stripped off her outer form and cast her to the ground in her powerless human form.

    Homebringer then exclaimed how no one understood the primal ways better than he did, which is why he would rule as the new god of this world. When Primogenitor argued that they worshipped the ones who had gone before, Duey mocked him as a fool, retorting that their bodies were power, while Homebringer added that he should show everyone how to use that power to walk between worlds and conquer them.

    Countering that this was against everything they stood for, Primogenitor charged Homebringer, only to be punched back by Duey. As Homebringer beat down Primogenitor, Elven and Turbocharge attacked Duey. Meanwhile, Homebringer tore off Dragonfly's wings, but Culebra attacked him.

    The other members of the Prime race asked Primogenitor what they should do, but now reduced to his original/unpowered form, Primogenitor considered that he was no longer significant or one of the Prime race.

     Some primal beings considered that they would be left as nothing creatures, revolting to each other. However, Turbocharge then told them they did not have to all have the same forms and should instead be true to themselves. 

    As Wicca pulled Dragonfly from her degenerated shell, Culebra's attacks on Homebringer allowed Phade to escape from being trapped within his form.

    Meanwhile, Gunk sacrificed his prime body's energy to restore Prime's form and power, and Prime attacked the Homebringer. 

    Appreciating that he had caused this problem of fear of turning back into what they truly were, Primogenitor considered that Turbocharge had been right, and he led his people to combine their power to generate an immense manifestation of his primal body.

    In that form, Primogenitor grabbed Duey and the Homebringer and smashed them into each other. However, this swiftly exhausted the power of the collective form, and as the immense Primogenitor body degenerated, he exhorted Prime and his allies to bind Duey and Homebringer and to prevent them from using their powers.

    The Primogenitor subsequently resolved that their crusade had been misguided, that they should have abandoned it before ever seeking out Dr. Gross, and that they would now try to build a new community as different beings but with a common goal. He thanked Prime and his allies for their aid. 

    The Primogenitor further announced that they would keep Gross and Duey with them where they could do no damage. Having enough power to open a gate, Primogenitor then sent Phade, Turbocharge, and all of the other Gross Babies back to Earth.

Comments: Created by Gerard Jones, Len Strazewski, John Statema, Mark Pacella, Bob Smith, and Chris Ivey.

    It is unclear to me whether the "gods" were the original inhabitants of the Godwheel, or just the "goopy world" of the Prime race.

    Were they calling themselves the "Prime race" or "Primal beings" before Prime?

• If so, was it just coincidence that Kevin adopted the alias "Prime"
• Or, was there some imprint from Doc Gross or the "Prime race" themselves that brought this about?

    How long were they around?

• Their referencing of their regeneration period occurring every 20 years would seem to indicate that there had to be enough of these periods to establish a consistent pattern.
  
• At least five (or at 100 years) seems likely
• ...but it could also be significantly longer:
  
• 200-500 years?
  
• 1000?
  
• 10,000?
  
• More?
• The world may never know...

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Prime race should be distinguished from:

• PRIME of Earth-93060 (Kevin Green) - Ultraforce, Gross Babies - aka SPIDER-PRIME*--Prime (uv) I#1
  
• PRIME of Earth-93060 (Sy Bernstein) - used a Prime body to protect his neighborhood--Ultraverse Premiere#3/Prime I#12
  
• PRIME of Earth-93060 - body of Prime with own intelligence--Prime Infinity
  
• PRIME of Earth-93060 ( ) - New World pocket dimension--Prime/Captain America #1
• PRIME of Earth-93060 (Keith Singles) - empowered by the Drug, duplicated rogue Prime, overdosed on drug--Prime II#6
• other Primes of various realities...we'll sort them out sooner or later...
  
  but they have no known connection to:
  

• PRIMAL - drug created by Prof. Glasgow, mutates user into feral creature--Moon Knight I#34
• PRIMAL (Adam Berman) - mutant--X-Men Unlimited#16
• PRIMAL GODS - creators of the Cornerstones of Creation - aka ELDER GODs of the HYBORIAN era--Conan the Barbarian I#128
• PRIMAL MATRIX - power source guarded by Spyros, sought by Son of Satan to use against Kometes--Marvel Spotlight I#17
  
• PRIMAL ONE - see MAUR-KONN. Charter, identity used to trick Charter into combating Shogun Warriors--Shogun Warriors I#18 (19,20

(Power of Prime#2 (fb)) <According to the legends of the Prime race> - In the beginning, the gods created "this world" and brought races from many planets to reside there and worship them.     Eventually, the gods fought, and their temples crashed to the ground. (Power of Prime#2 (fb) - BTS) - Efforts to emulate their gods in an effort to draw them back led to the creation of the Prime "race." --Power of Prime#2

(Power of Prime#3 (fb) - BTS) - Those whose Prime bodies were too broken down to repair or regenerate were "humanely disposed of" as genetic failures. The others considered that this was best for them due to their being weakened by illness. They felt there was no point in living when their outer bodies had become corrupt and all that was left was one's weak and disgusting inner body. (Power of Prime#2) - After a woman whose primal form had degenerated was taken to the "infirmary," Turbocharge elected to check out the infirmary, where he found a pair of Primes (or guards) dragging the woman they had taken away toward a fiery chamber.      Subduing the guards, Turbocharge rescued the woman. Although he could not understand her words, she pointed to a pile of bodies beside a number of chambers containing Culebra, Dragonfly, Gunk, and Wicca.      Turbocharge correctly surmising that the pile was people whose Prime bodies had failed and were going to be destroyed and that those in the tanks were the Gross Babies. --Power of Prime#2

(Power of Prime#2 (fb)) - One valley had been spared the destruction of the godwar, and many races took refuge there.      Though at first they could not communicate with one another and found each other's visages repulsive, they put aside their differences.      Bound by their love for their gods, they built a temple and worshipped in the hopes that their gods would return and take care of them. .      Many believed that the gods had created the cataclysm as punishment for the races' ingratitude and that if they prayed hard enough and created perfect representations of their gods, the gods would forgive them.      Each race put forth their best efforts to get the gods' attention, but none were good enough. The gods did not return. --Power of Prime#2

A member of the prime "race," she suffered from terminal deterioration of her primal form. (Power of Prime#2) - Elven tended to another Prime woman would had collapsed and was melting.      Although she briefly stabilized, the woman soon collapsed, screaming in agony, and Prime explained that this was similar to the degeneration process that they went through.     The Primogenitor noted that the gods knew that he wanted to help her, but that he could not...the only one who could help her was Prime.      As the woman spoke in an alien tongue, others of her races picked her up, and the Primogenitor noted that her struggle was over: She had failed to maintain her integrity and would be taken to the...infirmary.      Soon after, Turbocharge elected to check out the infirmary, where he found a pair of Primes (or guards) dragging the woman they had taken away toward a fiery chamber.      Subduing the guards, Turbocharge rescued the woman. Although he could not understand her words, she pointed to a pile of bodies beside a number of chambers containing Culebra, Dragonfly, Gunk, and Wicca. --Power of Prime#2

images: (without ads)
Prime I#26, pg. 19, panel 1 (Homebringer, rear oblique);
          panel 3 (Homebringer, swat Turbocharge);
       pg. 20, panel 1 (Homebringer, face, laughing at Prime);
       pg. 21, panel 1 (Homebringer, upper body explodes);
       pg. 22 (Primogenitor, full);
Power of Prime#2, pg. 2-3 (Prime race, melting);
       pg. 4, panel 3 (Primogenitor, face, stable);
       pg. 5, panel 2-3 (female de-stabilizing);
       pg. 7, panel 2 (Primogenitor, full, rear);
       pg. 8, panel 1 (gods war);
          panel 2-3 (disrupted by cataclysm/war);
       pg. 9, panel 1 (travel to valley);
          panel 2 (temple);
          panel 3-4 (making idols);
       pg. 10, panel 1 (great council);
          panel 2 (wizards and scientists);
          panel 3-5 & pg. 11, panel 1 (test subject-->Prime form);
       pg. 11, panel 2-4 (Prime race with servants, testing powers);
          panel 5 (periodic degeneration);
       pg. 12, panel 1 (more frequent degeneration);
       pg. 15 (brazier);
       pg. 16, panel 2 (woman, true face)l
          panel 3 (pile to be disposed of, and Gross Babies in stasis chambers);
    #3, pg. 10 (Homebringer full);
       pg. 12, panel 4 (various members of Prime race)
       pg. 13, pg. 4 (Prime race);
       pg. 14 (Prime race vs. Prime);
       pg. 22 (Prime race faces);
    #4, pg. 2 (various members);
       pg. 6, panel 1-3 (Homebringer stripping Wicca of her powered form);
          panel 5 (Homebringer, face);
       pg. 13, panel 1 (primal beings speaking to powerless Primogenitor);
        panel 2 (Primogenitor, true form);
       panel 3 (primal beings considering options);
       pg. 15, panel 6 (Primogenitor, true form; less detail, but straight-on);
       pg. 16-17 (Primogenitor leads his people to combine their powers to create a giant form);
       pg. 18, panel 2 (collective form subdues Homebringer and Duey)

Appearances:
Prime I#25 (July, 1995) - by Len Strazewski & Gerard Jones (writers), John Statema (penciler), Bob Smith (inker), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Prime I#26 (August, 1995) - Gerard Jones & Len Strazewski (writers), John Statema (penciler), Bob Smith (inker), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Power of Prime#1 (July, 1995) - Len Strazewski & Gerard Jones (writers), Mark Pacella (penciler), Chris Ivey (inker), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Power of Prime#2 (August, 1995) - Len Strazewski & Gerard Jones (writers), Kevin West and Tim Hamilton (pencilers), Bob Almond (inker), Scott Bernstein (assistant editor), Hank Kanalz (editor)
Power of Prime#3-4 (August-September, 1995) - Len Strazewski & Gerard Jones (writers), Mark Pacella (penciler), Chris Ivey (inker), Scott Bernstein (assistant editor), Hank Kanalz (editor)

First posted: 06/23/2023
Last updated: 07/16/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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