CARANERI race
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Formerly planet Caraner, Ottpsi system, Siminian galaxy
Known Members: Morg (not a full profile; see comments), unidentified imperial troops, unidentified queen and guards (deceased - one seen in main image), unidentified rebel leader and rebels (deceased), unidentified prisoners (some or all may be the aforementioned rebels, or none of them may be the rebels)
Affiliations: None identified; Nova (Frankie Raye) tried to spare them from Galactus, to no avail
Enemies: Galactus (Galan), Morg
First Appearance: Silver Surfer III#69 (Early August,
1992);
(identified) Annihilation: Nova Corps Files: Morg profile
(2006)
Powers/Abilities: None revealed
Traits: The Caraneri seen seemed to be comparable to medieval Earth in terms of cultural and technological advancement. At least one portion of the world was ruled by a monarchy; based out of a stone castle, the queen had her enemies beheaded by her executioner.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; red-colored sclera and iris; red or yellow? seen
- see comments)
Fingers: Four (including opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed (looks like 3 or 4 in the images, but not clearly
seen)
Skin color: Pink with irregular distribution of raised bumps (see
comments)
Average height: Approximately 6'? (Morg was 6'6" tall, though
we're not sure if was that height prior to his transformation by Galactus);
nonetheless, he was larger than most others seen)
History:
(Cosmic Powers#5 (fb)) - A warrior since he could hold a weapon, Morg came to
join the rebel armies struggling to overthrow the throne, believing they had
strength enough to be victorious.
(Cosmic Powers#5 (fb)) - The rebels fought a bloody battle with purpose, but the imperial troops (who wore three-pronged helmets and had striations on their upper torsos' scale mail) were well-trained and well-armed. Their sheer numbers overwhelmed the rebels, even Morg. The survivors were brought in chains to the royal court to await punishment from the queen. Though the penalty for such treason was death, the queen offered the rebels their lives in return for a pledge of loyalty to the throne. The rebel leader spat at the queen's proposal and told her they would be martyrs before they betrayed the revolution, but Morg accepted her offer. Seeing the revolution as dead and the rebels as fools, Morg followed his loyalty to strength and turned his back on his former allies and was freed by the queen. He became court executioner (and possibly torturer), and his duties aligned with their desire to become martyrs (he slew them, in case that's not clear).
(Silver Surfer III#69) - Within the castle dungeon, numerous prisoners suspended from chains claimed innocence and begged for mercy. As Morg approached two of them, one with a beard urged Morg to take the man next him rather than himself. Despite the beardless man's pleas to not take him, Morg grabbed him by the hair, took him to a chopping block, apparently beheaded him, and then announced "Next."
(Silver Surfer III#70) - Seeking to spare the sentient race on Caraner, Nova told Galactus there were no suitable planets in the entire sector. Having monitored her progress and probed each planet she visited, Galactus realized she was lying. Via his monitors, he identified Caraner as a world with the proper combination of elements that would provide him with sustenance. Nova argued that there were millions of people on Caraner and that she could no longer look away while he casually erased them from existence. In response, Galactus imprisoned her within a prism and told her that her insolence would stop, and that he would teach her a lesson in obedience.
Galactus brought Nova to Caraner with him, and he approached the castle in which Morg was stationed. Sensing Galactus' presence, Morg confronted and challenged the world-eater, declaring that he feared nothing and cared little for his world or his people; he cared only for his own existence and he would not go to the slaughter without a fight. Impressed with Morg's fearless, bloodthirsty, and amoral nature (all characteristics that would serve well for a herald to Galactus, willing and able to bring him to worlds to feed upon, regardless of whether they were inhabited or not), Galactus decided to save Morg. Galactus transported himself, Morg, and the still captive Nova into distant orbit while his technology destroyed the planet and transferred its energy into himself. Then, despite Nova's objections, Galactus offered Morg power beyond his wildest imaginings in exchange for his absolute loyalty; when Morg agreed, Galactus infused Morg with the power cosmic and made him his newest herald.
Comments: Created by Ron Marz, Kevin West, and Tom Christopher.
All of Morg's adventures after becoming a herald of Galactus are beyond the scope of this profile. Morg has multiple profiles in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universes: Master Edition#33, 2006' All-New A-Z#7, and the A to Z hardcover#7; additionally, he was profiles in the Annihilation: Nova Corps Files. His activities are more thoroughly covered there, and he'll ideally have an Appendix profile at some point.
In Silver Surfer III#69, the Caraneri,
including Morg, were clearly pink-skinned ("Caucasian," with the series of skin
lumps). None but Morg were seen in #70, which was by a different artist, but
Morg was brown-skinned (and scaled!, without the lumps--see the image to the
right), similar in complexion to his form as herald of Galactus. In Cosmic
Powers#5, by a different artist than either of the Silver Surfer stories, but by
the same writer, they were again clearly pink-skinned again. I'd take that as
definitive, and consider the pre-mutation appearance of Morg being brown as
being an art error (or perhaps Galactus' powers/mutation generated tachyon
particles that traveled backward in time and somehow at least seemed to make
Morg appear similar to his post-transformation state? C'mon, it could happen...)
Interestingly, while something was different about the eyes
of both Morg and the Caranerians seen in #69, it's hard to explain, and it
certainly wasn't what was seen in #70, which was having solid red eyes (red
irises and sclera -- or everything red with the exception of the pupil). In
Cosmic Powers#5 (for Morg, the queen, and everyone showed closely enough to see
their eyes clearly), everything between the lids (except the pupil) was red,
though there was a circle which would indicate a division between sclera and
iris -- or the equivalent).
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Caraneri have no known connections to
Morg
(pre-mutation summary only)
A powerful warrior following the commands of a succession, Morg was fiercely loyal to beings he believed to be strong. He would fight to the death for whoever he served, but if a cause was lost, he would re-ally himself with the victor(s). When the rebellion he served was captured and essentially wiped out, he allied with the queen, executing his former allies-in-arms without qualms. He was willing to fight Galactus to death, but after Galactus spared him, destroyed Caraner, and offered Morg power if he vowed to serve him, Morg readily accepted. See comments/note:
--Silver Surfer III#69 (Cosmic Powers#5 (fb), Silver Surfer III#69-70-->beyond the scope...
Note: All of Morg's adventures after becoming a herald of Galactus are beyond the scope of this profile. Morg has multiple profiles in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universes: Master Edition#33, 2006' All-New A-Z#7, and the A to Z hardcover#7; additionally, he was profiles in the Annihilation: Nova Corps Files. His activities are more thoroughly covered there, and he'll ideally have an Appendix profile at some point.
...and no, we didn't really need another image of Morg as executioner, but the image to the right was just too sweet not to include, despite the detail of Morg's face not being quite as distinct.
Morg executed prisoners without qualm, starting with the surviving but captured members of the rebellion (including the rebel leader) of which he was formerly a part.
It is unclear how long Morg was serving as
executioner, and thus it is unrevealed whether any or all of the prisoners seen
were part of the rebellion, or whether they were long gone, and these were just
the latest batch of prisoners sent to the catacombs and slated for execution.
Given that Morg says he "made them <martyrs>" and that he his role/activities as executioner "remained so until Galactus fell upon my world," I would think the rebels were long gone, and that these were just new prisoners. But, it is not explicitly confirmed.
--Silver Surfer III#69 (Cosmic Powers#5 (fb), Silver Surfer III#69, 70-BTS (if any survived between the executions started in #69 and the arrival of Galactus)
It is unclear what portion of Caraner she ruled, but she was the ruler of the throne opposed by the rebellion. When the rebels fell and were captured, she offered them -- as an alternative to death, which was the penalty for opposition to the throne -- their lives in exchange for a pledge of loyalty to the throne. Though the rebel leader and the rest of the captured rebels defiantly refused, Morg accepted, and he subsequently executed the rebels for her. He served her in that role for an undefined period until Galactus' arrival, after which she presumably perished when Galactus consumed Caraner.
--Silver Surfer III#69
Comment: There's nothing that really indicates whether she was just or cruel. She offered the rebels mercy in exchange for loyalty, but she had her opposition executed (the extent of the crimes that earned execution is unrevealed).
Additionally, she apparently kept a black panther-like creature chained up by her throne. It's also noteworthy simply for the fact that it was another species present on Caraner. She also apparently enjoyed some "beefcake"-factor in her guards (see the main image).
rebel
leader
For unspecified reasons, he led a rebellion against the throne. It is unrevealed whether he started the rebellion or was a successor in that role. Regardless, he was leader when he, Morg, and at least three other survivors were captured following a slaughter at the hands of the Imperial Forces. Though the penalty for opposing the throne was death, the queen offered the rebels their lives in return for a pledge of loyalty to the throne. The rebel leader spat at the queen's proposal and told her they would be martyrs before they betrayed the revolution, but Morg accepted her offer. The rebel leader called him a traitor, but Morg considered their lost cause meaningless, and they had lost his loyalty when they had proven they were not strong, as he had believed them to be. Morg subsequently executed the leader and the rest of the rebels in service to the queen.
--Cosmic Powers#5
images: (without ads)
Silver Surfer III#69, second to last page, panel 1 (castle above village);
panel 2-4
(prisoners);
last page, panel 2;
#70, pg. 3, panel 1 (Caraner);
pg. 14-15, central panel (Caraner
destroyed by Galactus);
Cosmic Powers#5, story page 6-7 (rebels vs. imperials);
pg. 8, panel 2 & 3 (queen, body and
face);
panel 5 (Morg,
pre-transformation face)
pg. 9, panel 1 (main image - queen
with Morg and other guard)
Appearances:
Silver Surfer III#69 (Early August, 1992) - Ron Marz (writer), Kevin West (penciler),
Tom Christopher (inker), Craig Anderson (editor)
Silver Surfer III#70 (late August, 1992) - Ron Marz (writer), M.C. Wyman (penciler),
Tom Christopher (inker), Craig Anderson (editor)
Cosmic Powers#5 (July, 1994) - 'Ron Marz (writer), Tom Grindbeg (penciler), Don
Hudson (inker), Lynaire Brust (assistant editor), Craig Anderson (editor)
Annihilation: Nova Corps Files: Morg profile (2006) - Mark O'English (writer),
Michael Hoskin (head writer), Jennifer Grunwald & Mark D. Beazley (associate
editors), Michael Short (assistant editor), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Last updated: 05/23/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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