MEGAN race

Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race 

Location/Base of Operations: Planet Mega, reportedly third from the sun in the Mirpet system (see comments), Milky Way galaxy;
    semi-arid habitat, with 63% of the surface covered by water;
    130% Earth's gravity;
    atmosphere  71% nitrogen, 24% oxygen

Known Members: No members have been identified by name;
    amongst those seen are the Warlords of the Mega, Megan male seeking Rick Jones' manuscript, Mourners member, Megan female on Rus, Megan male on Rus;
    population estimated at 2.7 billion (5.5 billion pre-Betan war)

Affiliations: Mega-Monsters (Krollar, Rhiahn, Triax), other unspecified war-monsters

Enemies: Betan race, Betans' war-monsters, Godzilla, Red Ronin (piloted by Rob Takaguchi)

First Appearance: Godzilla#12 (July, 1978)

Powers/Abilities: The Megans have a single eye, which may limit their depth perception. Their large ears MAY grant them enhanced hearing. It is unrevealed whether their suction cup-like finger-tips actually do function as suction cups or not. In the one image (top left), they seem to have multiple umbilici (which may indicate that, despite being externally somewhat reptilian that their reproductive tract has mammalian characteristics), or perhaps these are other central abdominal structures

    Advanced interstellar warp drive technology, with sophisticated weaponry, such as the Energex-Ray, which enhanced physical powers and ferocity (reportedly tenfold) in their targets at the expense of ultimately fatal energy overload. Pictured on the right is the ship Megan booster-one.

    The Megans had sufficient technology to not only capture and enslave giant dinosaur-like creatures from other worlds, but also to use biomech implants to grant these creatures additional powers.

    The Warlords of Mega could telepathically command/communicate with their war-monsters; apparently, at will, they could also transmit these communications to those in their war-monsters' vicinity, and some people/beings could sense their direct communications to their war-monsters.

Traits: Their militaristic society is ruled by a council of warlords, the Warlords of Mega, who both govern the planet and guide their war efforts. Though fanatically persistent, they could eventually tire of war and seek a peaceful resolution. Though largely a collective, non-individualistic people, certain members strayed into more unique endeavors, such as studying on Rus, or joining the Mourners, dedicated to assuring proper ceremony for the deceased.

Type:  Bilaterally symmetric semi-humanoid reptilian bipeds
Eyes: One (central on head; yellow to pink/orange iris color seen, with no visible sclera)
Fingers: Three (plus opposing thumb; each digit was suction cup-tipped)
Toes: Four (each digit was suction cup-tipped)
Skin color: Red, scaled
Average height: 5'7"

History:
(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - For "centuries" (whether that means a few hundred years or much longer is unrevealed), the Megans warred with the Betans of their rival planet, Beta.

(Godzilla#12 (fb)) - After centuries of heavy losses and critical depletion of precious planetary resources on both sides, the Megans and Betans conscripted the services of gargantuan "war-monsters" captured from planets still in the dawn of life.

(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - By exhausting the supplies of early life-forms, or "alien dinosaurs," the warring races eliminated the potential for further life on a dozen different worlds (see comments).

(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - Unsatisfied with what they were doing, the Betans hoped to end the warfare, but the Megans apparently did not agree.

(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - The most recent battle all but destroyed the Betans and their war-monsters, and they knew that one more all-out attack would end them. However, the Betans managed to keep their critical weakness secret from the Megans.

(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - To replenish the raw materials for the armaments they believed necessary to conquer the Betans, the Megans decided to conquer Earth, which would also be a strategic location from which to launch a final assault on Beta.

(Godzilla#13 (fb) - BTS) - The Megans enhanced three of their war-monsters -- Krollar, Rhiahn, and Triax...the Mega-Monsters -- with biomech genetic alterations.

(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - The Megans decided to send their three most powerful war-monsters -- he Mega-Monsters -- to prepare the way for conquest of Earth.

(Godzilla#12 (fb) - BTS) - Anticipating the Megans' plans, the Betans predicted that with Earth's raw resources and strategic location, the Megan would be able to mount a final offensive against them, and that their home planet, Beta, would surely fall.
    Knowing that their own last and most powerful war-monster, the Beta-Beast, was not powerful enough to challenge the powerful trio of Mega-Monsters, the Betans set up a base on Earth's moon, to study Earth and search for any native creatures powerful enough to defend Earth; they found Godzilla.

(Godzilla#12 - BTS) - After Godzilla slew the Beta-Beast, the Betans determined he had a fighting chance against the Mega-Monsters; they related their war and the Megans' plot against Earth.

(Godzilla#12 - BTS) - The Megans arrived sooner than the Betans expected; as they passed through the Betan tracking field, the Mega-Monsters were targeting the most powerful entities on Earth. With Godzilla off-Earth, the Mega-Monsters identified Red Ronin as one of Earth's most powerful entities. After Triax struck the flying Ronin from above and knocked him to the ground, the Warlords of Mega spoke telepathically to Rob Takiguchi, Ronin's pilot, telling him, "Prepare to be slain by the first of the Mega-Monsters--Triax!" Almost immediately thereafter, the Betans transported Godzilla to their side.

(Godzilla#13 - BTS) - As Godzilla and Red Ronin battled Triax, the Warlords spoke telepathically through Triax, informing them that Triax was merely a servant of the Warlords of the planet Mega. Soon realizing Triax was not powerful enough, the Warlords telepathically ordered Rhiahn and Krollar to join Triax in destroying Earth's champions and the surrounding population center, Salt Lake City; "the Megan conquest of Earth must succeed!" They were pleased to see how the biomech alterations worked; they then ordered Rhiahn to attack Godzilla, which he did.

(Godzilla#13) - The Megan craft approached Earth and reported to the Warlords of Mega that they would soon be close enough to lock onto the Mega-Monsters and fire their Energex-Ray, which would ultimately lethally overload the Mega-Monsters; but it would first increase the creatures' strength and ferocity tenfold, enabling them to kill Godzilla and crush Earth's defenses.

(Godzilla#13 - BTS) - Having detected the Megan ship's approach and monitoring their transmissions, the Betans launched a ship to stop the Megans, knowing that doing so would allow the Megans would thusly learn of their secret base there; they further appreciated that if they didn't stop the Megans that their secret base would be useless because Godzilla wouldn't have a chance, and the Megans would take Earth.
    Meanwhile, the Warlords of Mega continued to guide the Mega-Monsters, praising Triax after he toppled Godzilla, advising him to maintain the assault and he would soon be rewarded with increased power; they further ordered Krollar and Rhiahn to join Triax in the population center and destroy it. They further advised Rhiahn to use his anterior bio-blade against Red Ronin, decapitating him.

(Godzilla#13) - The Betans struck the Megan craft with a twin blast. Recognizing their attackers as Betan, the Megan ship fired back, crippling the Betan ship's controls, leaving it on its auto-pilot directed flight back to their base; the Betan ship crashed into the moonbase, and their life-sustaining atmosphere seeped out through breached dome.

(Godzilla#13) - The Megan ship made it sufficiently close to Earth that it could release the Energex-Ray just before the ship reached critical mass and imploded. As a result, the Mega-Monsters gained increased strength, ferocity, size and power; with only Godzilla still standing against them. The Warlords of Mega telepathically told the Mega-Monsters to show their gratitude by slaying the champion of Earth.

(Godzilla#14 - BTS) - The Warlords of Mega continued to guide the Mega-Monsters telepathically against Godzilla, coordinating their assaults. Nonetheless, with the help of distractions provided by SHIELD crafts piloted by Gabe Jones and "Dum Dum" Dugan, Godzilla slew Krollar, Triax, and Rhiahn in series.

(Godzilla#14 - BTS) - On the Megan homeworld, the Warlords of Mega noted the death of the Mega-Monsters and the failure of their plot to conquer Earth to use its location and materials to destroy the Betans. One of them postulated that perhaps they should also terminate their war with the Betans at long last, querying whether there were any there among them who were not tired.

(Avengers Spotlight#25/2) - One of numerous extraterrestrials seeking to obtain the manuscript to "Sidekicks," Rick Jones' memoirs (incorrectly believing it would teach them how to access the Destiny Power Jones had once accessed during the Kree-Skrull War; Rick had no idea how he accessed the energy), a Megan emissary appeared at Rick Jones' window. In exchange for the manuscript, the Megan offered Rick "an entire cache of female slaves, handpicked by..."
    Rick slammed the window on the Megan's fingers and told him to forget it.
    The Megan was still stuck there after returning home following being transported to an alien intergalactic auction cruiser.

(Quasar#26 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, at least one Megan joined the Mourners.

(Quasar#26) - The Megan was present when Quasar (Wendell Vaughn) first encountered the Mourners within the Eonverse. He presumably attended Eon's funeral, which was disrupted by Thanos.

(Quasar#35) - The Megan Mourner (or another Megan Mourner) was present at the massive funeral for the Kree victims of the Nega-Bomb detonation.

(Quasar#39) - A Megan female walked through a busy center on Rus as Quasar and Epoch flew overhead.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Herb Trimpe, and Fred Kida.

    Mirpet is an anagram of Trimpe, the penciler who co-created the Betans.

    In Godzilla#12, the Betan commander first spoke of their rival planet, Megan. In all subsequent references, the planet is Mega, and the races are the Megans.

    The Megan in Avengers Spotlight#25/2 had clawed fingers, rather than the suction cup-tipped fingers seen in other appearances. Probably because the OHotMU Deluxe Edition Megan image (top right image above) didn't make it as clear that they have suction cup-tipped fingers.

    A few comments by Donald Campbell (with my responses in bold)

•     According to the quarter-page Betans profile in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #15, their homeworld, Beta, is the third planet from the star Mirpet, and "Beta has been engaged for centuries in a war with the neighboring planet Megan." Similarly, the Megans profile states that their homeworld, Mega, is the third planet from the star Mirpet and that "Mega has been engaged for centuries in a war with the sister planet Beta."

  •     Obviously, Beta and Mega could only BOTH be "the" third planet out from Mirpet if they shared the same orbit. While I don't have the scientific knowledge to state whether such a situation is possible, for some reason I'm inclined to believe that it is highly unlikely. However, this question is pointless because...

  •     The idea that Beta and Mega were "sister" planets originated with those Handbook entries. If you read the story in Godzilla #12-14, both Betans and Megans mention that Earth is needed for both its natural resources and its "strategic location." Given the fact that Mega is identified as being "light-centuries distant" from Earth, it seems unlikely that Beta and Mega could be part of the same star system. It would be like Earth and Mars fighting a war and considering a planet over 200 light-years away as being strategic. It doesn't make sense.
    --I think there were stories showing a stargate near Earth as a being a reason for Earth's strategic value, but I don't recall for certain.

  •     The best explanation is that is was a mistake, an idea that wasn't thought through, and that either Beta or Mega is actually located in another star system, one that is presumably dozens if not hundreds of light-years away from Mirpet.
        --Perhaps the Megans are located in the Enmoch star system?
        Then again, since the Megans had a profile in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and the Betans didn't get one until the Deluxe Edition, it seems likely that the Betans' information is erroneous.
        Then again again, why would these two worlds, lacking star spanning empires, be at war across distant star systems, with Earth halfway in-between (or perhaps Earth was closer to Beta, but still the solar systems are crazy far away!

•     The Betan commander's claim that Betans and Megans had "eliminated the potential for further life on a dozen different worlds" by their mutual practice of conscripting "war-monsters" from those worlds is both overly dramatic and extremely unlikely. After all, there's no way that either race could have removed ALL of the life from any of those worlds. Also, they were (presumably) only interested in "alien dinosaurs" who would be useful fighters for their war and so they would have ignored the VAST majority of life forms on those planets. Of course, it's possible that either or both of them followed a "scorched earth" policy with regards to those supply planets and deliberately rendered them uninhabitable once they were no longer of use to them…but that's not what the Betan commander said.
  --Certainly worthy of some discussion. I agree with your points. See below

• The Warlord who spoke of being tired was presumably their leader since his garb included a purple cape and a black skullcap which the other four warlords did not wear.

    While the Betans and Megans allegedly wiped out life on several worlds, there are other beings who have wiped out many more. How many mass genociders can you think of?

• Battletide

• Brethren

• Ebon Seeker

• Galactus

• Recorder#451

• Unit

• Who else?

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Megans have no known connections to

• MEGAN ?? - daughter of Debbie, niece of Sarah Kinney--X-23#2

• MEGAN ?? - friend of Curtis Doyle (Freedom Ring)--Marvel Team-Up III#20
• MEGGAN - see GLORIANA--Mighty World of Marvel#7
• MEGON of Earth-99476 (    ) - Excalibur, counterpart of Meggan--Excalibur I#51
• other Megan or Mega characters (too many to list)

images: (without ads)
Godzilla#12, pg. 14, panel 4 (war with Megans);
        pg. 15, panel 1 (battle of Betan and Megan war-beasts);
    #13, pg. 8, panel 3 (Megan ship);
        pg. 22, panel 2 (Energex-Ray released);
            panel 6 (Energex-Ray empowering Mega-Monsters);
    #14, pg. 16, panel 4 & 5 (Warlords of Mega - full body distant and close-up showing others lacking black skull cap)
            panel 6 (Warlords' leader's face and hand close-up);
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6: (Appendix to) Alien Races: Megans (left main)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe II#15: Appendix to Alien Races: Megans (right main)
Avengers Spotlight#25/2, pg. 4, panel 8 (Megan in a window)

Appearances:
Godzilla#12-13 (July-August, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (penciler), Fred Kida (inker), Jim Shooter (editor)
Godzilla#14 (September, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Herb Trimpe (penciler), Dan Green (inker), Jim Shooter (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6: (Appendix to) Alien Races: Megans (June, 1983) - Mark Gruenwald (head writer/designer/editor), Michael Carlin (associate editor/designer), Paty Cockrum (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker/embellisher); Peter Sanderson, Mike Lerer, Dan Fingeroth, Lou Mougin (writers); Joanne Harris, Bob Harras, David Cody Weiss, Fred Baumann, Roger Stern, Bob Simpson (researchers)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe II#15: Appendix to Alien Races: Megans  (March, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer/producer), Peter Sanderson (writer/researcher), Kyle Baker (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker), Gregory Wright (assistant editor)
Avengers Spotlight#25/2 (mid-November, 1989) - Glenn Herdling & Dwight Jon Zimmerman (writers), Rod Ramos (penciler), Don Hudson (inker), Gregory Wright (managing editor), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Quasar#26 (September, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Fred Fredericks (inks), Kelly Corvese (editor)
Quasar#35 (June, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Greg Capullo (pencils), Harry Candelario (inks), Kelly Corvese (editor)

First Posted: 07/06/2014
Last updated: 07/05/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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