SHARK-PEOPLE
Classification: Shark-extraterrestrial mutates
Location/Base of Operations: Off the northeastern coast of the USA
Known Members: None named
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Humans, Namor
First Appearance: Young Men#25/4 (February, 1954)
Powers/Abilities: Shark-People were great white sharks while in seawater, but due to their link with extraterrestrials, they could take on the forms of humans when out of the water. However, they kept limited features of sharks, notably sharpened teeth, and had to return into the sea every 24 hours. They required human flesh to survive.
Traits: The so-called alien mentalities refused to return to their home world and would rather commit suicide than be captured.
History:
(Young Men#25/4 (fb) - BTS) - Back on their home world, the extraterrestrials were able to project their consciousness to Earth, selecting great white sharks as hosts because they were feared. They found that they could transform into humans when out of the water, but had to return to the ocean every day or die from dehydration. They devised a plan to take over the Earth and massed in the sea off Cape Hatteras.
(Young Men#25/4) - In front of many witnesses, a shark-woman in human form jumped into the Manhattan waters, but the police found no body. Similar reports led Namor to investigate, but he considered the waters too cold for sharks, so he went south to warmer waters. Further south, a pleasure craft was forcibly capsized and the travelers eaten by hungry shark-people in their fish form. The next morning, Namor investigated on the beach and waited till nightfall, soon seeing a man go into the sea. Following him in, he came across the shark and after a brief struggle, broke apart the beast's jaws. The next morning, the shark-man's corpse was found washed up on the beach. That night, suspecting a connection, Namor challenged a woman who suddenly appeared coming out of the surf. They fought and she revealed the truth about the shark-people. Not wishing to be captured, she jumped back into the water and skewered herself on a sharp rocky outcrop. The next day, Namor organized a fleet of fishing ships to corral the thousands of gathered sharks with a special giant net. Namor demanded that the would-be space invaders project their mentalities back to their home planet, but the shark-people cried out that they would not go back. As the moon rose, it revealed that all the sharks had decided to die rather than be captured.
Comments: Created by Bill Everett (writer (?) & art).
I guess the implication is that the extraterrestrials were fish-like on their home world as well. The shark-people on Earth may have been prisoners on their planet or the last survivors. Although all those on Earth presumably perished, it is unknown if there were any left on their own planet.
The shark carcasses at the end of the story are shown to be out of the water but should have reverted to their human form, as the shark-man killed by Namor earlier had done. This suggests that the extraterrestrials left their earthly shark bodies behind, projecting their mentalities elsewhere.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The shark-people have no known connections to:
images:
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Young Men#25/4, p1, pan1 (shark form)
Other Appearances: None
Last updated: 10/24/09
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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