BREKK race
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Planet Brekknis, Ama Collective space
Known Members: Tol-Wes, others
Affiliations: Silver Surfer (loose)
Enemies: Ama (Empress, Ruqtar Koil, others), Galactus
First Appearance: Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#1 (January, 2008)
Powers/Abilities: The Brekk are technologically advanced regarding space travel and war weaponry, but these are tainted with polluted industrialization. They stand as if hunched over compared to other species, occasionally walking on all four limbs.
Traits: The Brekk have an intense sense of history and are driven by their Apex religion derived from the alien Lightlord. They endure oppression, but are easily swayed with new interpretations of their religious past. They carry instruments, tools and baggage on their stooped backs.
Type: Bilaterally
symmetric semi-humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two
(on head; gray-white iris color seen)
Fingers:
Three (two fingers and an opposing thumb)
Toes: Two
Skin color:
Orange-brown (also previously gray-white)
Average height:
4' 6" (by approximation)
History:
(Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2 (fb)) - For millennia, the Brekk fought many wars over many reasons: politics, race, corporations, etc. Then an intergalactic shining visitor (dubbed the Lightlord by the Brekk) arrived and delivered the unifying life-affirming concept of the Apex. He stayed 10 years then left, promising to return. Awestruck, the Brekk adopted the Apex as their religion and symbol, but it triggered a very bloody religious war and genocide until dissidents were eliminated, peace coming over the next 200 years. Their religion-driven technology advanced, eventually taking them into space, where they almost immediately encountered the Ama Collective and were forced into the star-spanning empire. The Ama Collective, shamed by the Brekk's holy war, derided the Brekk as religious fools. Although religion was banned by the Ama Collective, the Brekk maintained their beliefs that the Lightlord would return and kept underground temples.
(Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#3 (fb) - BTS) - Senior Ama Collective officials, led by their Empress, wanted to wipe out the the Brekk, considered dangerous because of their unyielding and at times violent religious fervor. Seeing parallels between the Brekk's Lightlord and the Silver Surfer, the Ama Empress secretly had her agent, Ruqtar Koil, use Organpirates to track down the wandering Silver Surfer to use him as a figurehead and kick-start a new crusade by the Brekk and trigger war. Meanwhile, the Ama held captive a transdimensional infant alien that could manifest different forms, forcing it to take on a huge, destructive, black demonic form representing Brekk holy war victims and prey on the Brekk's superstitions.
(Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#1) - Koil brought the curious Silver Surfer to the polluted planet Brekknis and was introduced to the Brekk leader, Tol-Wes, who immediately believed the Surfer to be the returned Lightlord. The "demon" rose again to scare and savage the Brekk.
(Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2) - The Silver Surfer eventually dissipated the "demon" and Tol-Wes declared the Surfer to be the returned savior. That night, Tol-Wes approached the Surfer as he reflected across a Brekk graveyard and told him of the Brekk's history and their Apex philosophy, then led the Surfer to an underground temple. Angered that the Brekk would use him as a figure for revolt, the Surfer destroyed several artifacts and left, although his worshipers saw it instead as a test of their faith.
(Silver
Surfer: In Thy Name#3) - Their plot thriving, the Ama-Organpirates left
the Silver Surfer crucified on the planet surface for
the
Brekk to discover. Tol-Wes later released him and ordered Brekk
military cells be mobilized for battle. Later, armed in a "husk"
armored harness, Tol-Wes tried to assassinate the Ama empress but their
battle was halted by the Surfer. The Surfer then summoned the alien
infant's parent, disguised as planet-ravaging Galactus, to force the
two warring sides to work together, but they only agreed to postpone
hostilities.
(Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#4) - Tol-Wes proclaimed the Galactus figure to be an angel of the Lightlord, stoking the Brekk's religious fervor. Tol-Wes and the Ama empress then led their forces in a secret, mutually agreed first strike against each other, both eager for war. Shocked and disgusted, the Surfer left the warring races behind after releasing the transdimensional infant and its parent.
Comments: Created by Simon Spurrier (writer) and Tan Eng Huat (art).
Given their resources, the Ama Collective would likely have prevailed in the ensuing war, but the Brekk's religious fervor leading their war would make them difficult to defeat.
Images in the flashback art (although I love Huat's art, it is unfortunately lost in too much detail in this instance) suggest the Brekk encountered Ama representatives in a bloody meeting prior to the Brekk entering space.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Brekk have no known connections to
The Apex was a way of life taught by the mysterious space traveler the Brekk dubbed Lightlord and savior, who taught that everything was alive (a bit like the Force from Star Wars) and that it abhorred disharmony, ignorance and neglect. When the Lightlord left, the Brekk adopted the Apex as their religion, waging genocidal war in its name until peace came from a world of only believers. The remaining Brekk sought to teach others about the Apex. The triangular symbol was taken as the Brekk's insignia, even incorporated into the design of their technology.
--Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#1 (2-4
The Lightlord was the name given by the Brekk to an alien visitor. He taught the ways of the Apex religion and was regarded as a savior and only son of the Apex. He left after ten years on planet Brekknis, apparently swearing to return. He was represented as a five-fingered humanoid, similar in appearance to the Silver Surfer, and shown only as an icon. The Brekk saw the Surfer as the returned Lightlord.
--Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2
Tol-Wes was a leader (dubbed "Accordite") of the subjugated Brekk, resistant to Ama rule and devout follower of the Apex religion. He viewed the Silver Surfer as the returned Lightlord, despited the Surfer's protestations. His unrelenting idol worship of the Silver Surfer fueled his passion for war against the anti-religion Ama. In secret agreement with his foe's leader, he led the Brekk into ravaging war with the Ama Collective, wearing an armored, mechanical exo-skeleton called "huskwear."
An aged Brekk, he had white facial hair.
--Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#1 (2-4
images:
(without ads)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#1, p16, pan2 (main image, Brekk led by
Tol-Wes)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2, p11-12, pan2 (pre-Apex Brekk at war)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2, p11-12, pan12 (early Brekk spaceship)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name tpb, last page (Brekk female,
b&w sketch)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2, p11-12, pan8 (Apex symbols)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#2, p14, pan1 (Lightlord icon)
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#4, p6, pan2 (Tol-Wes)
Appearances:
Silver Surfer: In Thy Name#1-4 (January-April, 2008) - Simon Spurrier
(writer), Tan Eng Huat (art), Aubrey Sitterson (editor)
First Posted: 01/25/2015
Last updated: 01/18/2015
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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