BLOODSEED

Real Name: Lysander Bloodseed

Identity/Class: Artificially-created humanoid mutate

Occupation: Genetic experiment; Wanderer

Group Membership: Genespawn (a.k.a. the New Ones, a.k.a. Runners)

Affiliations: "Bird-Thing" The Ptero; Ellissya; Nepenthe, Waterbeast

Enemies: "Brother" Bloodseed; Chief Engineer; Ellissya; Gene-Corps (a.k.a. the Masters); The Great One; Lord Juro

Known Relatives: "Brother" Bloodseed; Ellissya, other Bloodseeds (all genetic experiments of Gene-Corps using the same DNA).

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Themax-2 (planet)

First Appearance: Bloodseed#1 (October, 1993)

Powers/Abilities: An artificially-engineered being, Bloodseed possesses the power of telekinesis, and can heal both himself and others with a touch. He wears a helmet of truth, a somewhat-sentient mask that can discern truth from illusion.

History: (Bloodseed#2 (fb)) - Contracted by Lord Juro (one member of a race of sentient dinosaurs who had left Earth before the rise of mankind), a race of ape-like aliens called Gene-Corps started an experiment on the planet Themax-2, in which it would create a race of humanoid warriors, implanting them with false memories of ruling a kingdom called Elysium, and also the instinctive need to attack and kill any other member of their race they encountered.  This was so they could determine the one, most powerful of these Genespawn, and that final victor would be the true Bloodseed. 

(Marvel Frontier Comics Special#1/4) - While trekking through a snowy landscape searching for his non-existant kingdom and his non-existant queen Ellissya, Bloodseed began to succumb to the freezing temperatures.  He was rescued by two simian creatures, who took took him underground to Nepenthe.  Nepenthe, the last of her race, immediately fell in love with Bloodseed, and revealed to him what she knew about "The Masters," showing him some of the machinery they left behind.  Warning him of an impending Ice Age, Nepenthe begged him to stay with her.  Knowing of her powers, Bloodseed asked her to look into his future, but she fled in terror upon seeing it.  Bloodseed caught up with her, and offered to stay with her.  Nepenthe, realizing Bloodseed had a greater destiny than being by her side, used her powers to erase his memories of her, and returned him to the surface world, to continue his quest.  After she departed, Bloodseed awoke and, not remembering the encounter, went on his way through the snowy wasteland.

(Bloodseed#1) - As he continued his journey, Bloodseed recalled false memories of his kingdom, where he ruled.  In the middle of the icey plain, he was attacked by a group of demonic ape-creatures, but after suffering greatly, he awoke with no injuries.  Finding a cave, he entered, only to find a massive amount of strange weapons and machinery, including a giant monkey-wrench, which he took a fancy to.  While exploring the odd catacombs, he encountered a beautiful young woman. Due to a strange thought that overpowered his mind of someone in danger, Bloodseed realized the woman was an illusion, and that he was actually standing before a giant monster, which quickly delved back into the darkness.  Rushing to the outside of the cave to find the creature that invaded his mind, Bloodseed fought off a group of blue-skinned demonic creatures that were trying to kill an enormous "bird-thing." With the demons killed, the bird-thing told Bloodseed that the man had the ability to heal others, and asked that he use that power on it.  Once healed, "Bird-Thing" explained he was a member of a race called the Ptero-People, and was headed south to escape the oncoming winter, inviting Bloodseed to join him.  Though Bloodseed declined, his new friend told him all he knew of Bloodseed and his kind, including the fact that they were part of some sort of test devised by The Masters.  Giving Bloodseed a helmet of truth, "Bird-Thing" entered his race's cave, and it closed behind him. 

Bloodseed soon came upon another base of the Masters, this one called Automatic Way-Station 12B.  There, a hologram image of one of the  Gene-Corps members appeared, and showed Bloodseed a program detailing Gene-Corps' creation of his race on Themax-2, as well as a race of elfish humanoids on another planet, Antar-19.  Not understanding what was being presented to him, and not realizing that Gene-Corps was the same as the Masters, Bloodseed grew impatient, demanding the hologram show him something he could comprehend.  It brought up an image of Ellissya, but after it created several more images of her, Bloodseed destroyed some machinery and left.  Arriving at a large tower, he was attacked by a group of demonic creatures serving another member of Bloodseed's race.  Before they could do any harm to him, a waterbeast emerged from a well and attacked him.


(Bloodseed#2) - Realizing that the waterbeast was attacking him due to being in pain, Bloodseed used his healing powers on it, and it released him.  Returning to the surface, he was almost immediately captured by some of "Brother" Bloodseed's demonic mutants.  As his kin taunted him with death, Lysander used his powers to call out to the waterbeast, and it emerged in the middle of the "Brother's" laboratory, killing him.  Still attached to machines, Bloodseed then found himself face-to-face with the true Ellissya, who helped him escape.  Soon after, they encountered the Great One, a member of Gene-Corps who claimed to be fighting against them, but was in reality instructed by the Chief Engineer to lie to them in order to get them to fight each other.  The Great One told them that they were originally normal people with individual lives, and had been reprogrammed by the Masters.  He convinced them both that he could undo the programming, but Bloodseed would have to remove his helmet.  When he did so, Ellissya's instinctive bloodrush kicked in, and she attacked her kin.  As the two fought, the Chief Engineer contacted the sentient dinosaur Lord Juro, and told him that the plan was nearing a finale, asking where he wanted the last Bloodseed transported to.  Lord Juro replied that he intended to return to his home planet, Earth.

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Paul Neary, Liam Sharp, and Cam Smith.

Bloodseed was one of the core titles of the short-lived Marvel Frontier Comics line that was meant to be the mature readers label for their Marvel UK imprint.  It was planned to run four issues, but was almost immediately cut into two 2-issue limited series.  The second series never came out, and thus, a lot of unanswered questions remain, such as: "What is that glove thing he's wearing on the cover of#2?"

Nepenthe may or may not be of the same race as Bloodseed. Outside of her having four arms, she also didn't try to kill him when she encountered him, as all Bloodseeds are programmed to do.  She claimed to be the last of her race, which did suffer the same type of programming.  Perhaps there were various levels and races within the Genespawn, and the Bloodseeds were just one type?

"Bird-Thing" and his race of Ptero-People may or may not be part of the same race of sentient dinosaurs who fled earth alongside Lord Juro.

Female nudity abounds in this series.  There isn't a single female in the all three appearances, real or illusion, that isn't topless 99.9% of the time.

Profile by Madison Carter

Clarifications:

Lysander Bloodseed has no known connections to

"BIRD-THING"

A member of the Ptero-People living on Themax-2, the creature that Bloodseed dubbed "Bird-Thing" was attacked and almost killed by a group of mutants before being saved by Bloodseed.  "Bird-Thing" invited Bloodseed to stay with his people during the glacial freeze, but he declined.

--Bloodseed#1

 

 

 

"BROTHER" BLOODSEED

One of the Bloodseeds, this one had lost an arm in combat, but had come to rule a group of mutants.  He captured Lysander, intending to kill him, but he himself was apparently killed when Bloodseed summoned a waterbeast to attack the "Brother's" lair.

-Bloodseed#1,2

 

 

 

CHIEF ENGINEER

A member of Gene-Corps, the Chief Engineer watched the progress of Lysander and Ellissya.  When they arrived at the Great One's lair, the Engineer instructed his brethren to lie to them in order to get them to fight each other.  He then submitted a progress report to Lord Juro.

--Bloodseed#2

 

 

ELLISSYA

A female Genespawn, Ellissya believed herself to be the ruler of Elysium.  Finding herself on the barren glacial plains, she made her way to "Brother" Bloodseed's headquarters.  She came across one dead Genespawn who was entangled with a dead dino-creature (or mutant), and an Earth car.  Going further, she found Lysander, and helped him escape.  After encountering the Great One, Lysander removed his helmet and Ellissya's bloodrush kicked in, causing her to attack him.

--Bloodseed#2

 

 











 


GENE-CORPS

Part of a race of simian-like humanoids, Gene-Corps was hired by Lord Juro to create humanoid races on the planets Themax-2 and Antar-19.  The warrior race on Themax-2 was equipped with many telepathic and telekinetic powers, and were given a deep-rooted programming to kill each other until there was only one left. What Gene-Corps plans were for the elfin race on Antar-19 are unknown.

-Bloodseed#2, (Marvel Frontier Comics Special#1/4-BTS, Bloodseed#1 (fb)-BTS, Bloodseed#2




 

 

 

 




GREAT ONE

A captain in Gene Corps, the Great One was thus named by the mutants he ruled. Whe Lysander and Ellissya arrived at his base, he was instructed by the Chief Engineer to lie to them.  He convinced Bloodseed to remove a helmet that protected Lysander from illussions and other forms of mind-games. Once accomplished, he watched on as the two Genespawn engaged in combat.

--Bloodseed#2

 

 



LORD JURO

Juro is a sentient dinosaur native to Earth.  He and several other sentient dinosaurs left earth via organic spaceships long before the dawn of mankind.  For reasons unknown, he contracted Gene-Corps to create two races of beings on distant planets, including the Genespawn on Themax-2.  Once there was only one Bloodseed remaining, he, his kind and the Bloodseed would return to Earth.  The reasons for this are unknown, as are the outcome.

--Bloodseed#2

 




 



NEPENTHE

Nepenthe is a four-armed humanoid native to Themax-2.  She escaped into an underground lair to remove herself from the killing madness that engulfed her race and left all the others dead.  She found and rescued Lysander Bloodseed, falling in love with him. When she read his mind, she realized his destiny was much more important than remaining with her, and she sadly erased his memories of her before returning him to the surface world.







--Marvel Frontier Comics Special#1/4




 

 

WATERBEAST

A gigantic beast, the Waterbeast was used by "Brother" Bloodseed to attack Lysander upon his arrival.  When Lysander realized that the "Brother" was controlling the creature through pain, he healed the monster, and it allowed him to escape. Later, while captured, Bloodseed telepathically called out to the Waterbeast again, and it arrived, crashing through the lair and killing "Brother" and several of his mutant minions.

--Bloodseed#1, 2



 


images:
Bloodseed#2, cover (main image)
                  #1, page 19, panel 2 (face)
                  #1, page 7, panel 9 (with wrench)
                  #1, page 15, panel 1 (with mask)
                  #1, page 13, panel 2 (bird-thing)
                  #2, page 5, panel 2 (brother)
                  #2, page 13, panel 3 (chief engineer)
                  #2, cover (Elissya body)
                  #2, page 6, panel 2 (Elissya face)
                  #2, page 14, panel 1 (Gene-Corps)
                  #2, page 18, panel 5 (Great One)
                  #2, page 20, panel 6 (Lord Juro)
Marvel Frontier Comics Special#1, story 4, page 4, panel 3 (Nepenthe)
Bloodseed#2, page 8, panel 1 (waterbeast)

Bloodseed#1-2 (October-November, 1993)
Marvel Frontier Comics Special#1 (January, 1994)

06/08/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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