LUDBERDITES

Classification: Extradimensional non-humanoids

Location/Base of Operations: Zaar

Known Members: None

Affiliations: Nebulon, Squadron Sinister (Doctor Spectrum (Billy Roberts), Hyperion (construct), Whizzer (James Sanders))

Enemies: Bambi, Cissy, Defenders (Dr. Strange, Nighthawk), Headmen (Chondu the Mystic, Gorilla-Man (Arthur Nagan), Shrunken Bones, Ruby Thursday), Mitchell, Jack Norriss

First Appearance: (Mentioned) Giant-Size Defenders I#4 (April, 1975); (seen) Defenders I#33 (March, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: The Ludberdites are capable of swift swimming and possess an undetermined level of enhanced strength. They also possess a powerful source of technology, capable of interplanetary travel. The extent of this technology is unknown.

Traits: The Ludberdites are red-scaled amphibious creatures with large mouths full of several teeth. Though they crouch, they stand at about five feet tall. With yellow-hued dorsal fins and three clawed fingers on two arms and three clawed toes on each foot, they are capable of quick movement and breathing underwater.

(Giant-Size Defenders I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Nebulon landed on the planet of the Ludberdites and used their technology to send the Squadron Sinister back to Earth.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#18) - Nebulon dispatched himself to the aquatic extradimensional world called Zaar. The Ludberdites explained to Nebulon the essence of their philosophy, that it is the obligation of higher beings to improve the lot of their inferiors.

(Defenders I#34 (fb) - BTS) - Nebulon adopted the Ludberdites' credo and they planned to bring enlightenment to Earth. They plotted to collect a random sampling of Earthlings and drain their minds, realizing Earth's potential and definition of peace and potential from this.

(Defenders I#33) - From underneath a bay in Central Park, the Ludberdites grabbed humans Cissy and Mitchell, pleased they'd found what they needed. They loaded the bodies into their ship and departed. A Ludberdite also grabbed a deer ("Bambi") that contained the mind of Chondu the Mystic. Soon, they picked up the hero Nighthawk, who was secretly Jack Norriss' mind in Chondu's brain in Nighthawk's body, and who held a tray with Nighthawk's real brain in it.

(Defenders I#34) - The Ludberdites included 'Nighthawk' with their captives and worked to pull humanity's definition of peace from their minds, a process that slowly drained the life forces of the humans there, killing one woman. Nebulon traveled to Earth to begin to spread the message of collective peace. The presentation was interrupted by heroes and Nebulon was teleported away by Chondu in the deer's form, who had tapped into Nebulon's power.

(Defenders Annual#1) - The Ludberdites became known to only the inner circle members of the established Celestial Mind Control Movement, who were selected for high degrees of mental pliancy. One group operated in Paris, France. Nebulon ended up in a conflict between the Defenders and the Headmen, and was forced by Dr. Strange to relive much of humanity's existence.  Feeling humanity no longer deserved redemption, Nebulon departed and abandoned the Movement's efforts.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber, Sal Buscema, and Jim Mooney.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ludberdites have no known connections to

• any characters not mentioned in this profile

Cissy and Mitchell

(Defenders I#33) - Cissy encouraged Mitchell to go canoeing in Central Park, despite his reservations. The two of them were grabbed by the alien Ludberdites from under the water. They woke up in a strange room with other kidnapped people and animal forms, and watched a fawn materialize in the room with them.

(Defenders I#34) - Cissy and Mitchell watched a super hero, Nighthawk, join them, and grew concerned when the deer acted up. They watched a woman die from the life-force draining equipment. Then all the captives were used as examples of the random culling of humanity.

--Defenders I#33 (Defenders I#33-34

images: (without ads)
Defenders I#34, p2, pan2 (main image)
Defenders I#33, p7, pan7 (Ludberdites attack boat)