History: 
SURVIVORS
Membership: Zius,
numerous unidentified extraterrestrials
Purpose: To
save other planets from Galactus
Affiliations: Shi'ar, Skrulls,
numerous other alien races using their cloaking technology
Enemies: Fantastic
Four (Human Torch
(Johnny Storm), Invisible Woman (Sue Richards), Mr. Fantastic (Reed
Richards), Thing (Ben Grimm)), Galactus (Galan), Manhattan inhabitants
Base of Operations:
Spaceship of the alien Zius
First Appearance:
(behind-the-scenes,
technology/spacecraft seen): Fantastic Four III#517 (October, 2004);
(fully seen): Fantastic Four III#518 (November, 2004)
History:
(Fantastic Four III#518 (fb)) - The planet-devouring Galactus touched down on the home planet of the alien Zius and within one suncycle, all but Zius himself were dead. Driven by the memories of his race, Zius followed Galactus from planet to planet, recruiting Survivors from the worlds ravaged by Galactus. As the size of his spaceship and the number of Survivors grew, Zius and the other Survivors became determined to find a way to shield planets from the terror of Galactus. Eventually, the Survivors developed technology, comprised of base elements found on most every planet, that could cloak the planet from Galactus' detection. Wishing to spare other planets, the Survivors gave the technology to any planet wishing to save themselves and, over time, thousands of planets were spared Galactus' wrath. Ultimately, the Survivors were informed via information collected by the Shi'ar and confirmed by the Skrulls that, on Earth, there existed a means of negating their technology. Learning that Galactus had also discovered this information, the Survivors set a course toward Earth to eliminate the threat of their technology's negation. The Survivors managed to narrow down their search to Manhattan Island, which they decided to eject into the sun rather than spend time they did not have searching the island further.
(Fantastic Four III#517 - BTS) - The Survivors sent energized obelisks to the four corners of Manhattan. Their presence caused numerous atmospheric disturbances, resulting in flooding on the island. When the island itself began to rise into the air, New York City's mayor opened a briefcase and fired off the Fantasti-Flare in hopes that the Fantastic Four would be able to stop the disturbances.
(Fantastic Four III#518) - Determining that the southernmost obelisk contained viewports, Mr. Fantastic ordered the other Fantastic Four members to investigate that obelisk while he focused on shutting down the western obelisk, which seemed to be powering the others. Once inside the southern obelisk, the Thing, Human Torch and Invisible Woman were attacked by many of the Survivors until Zius appeared and ordered them to stand down. As Mr. Fantastic managed to deactivate the obelisk's generators, Zius explained his mission and the option of sending Manhattan into the sun. After his speech, Zius admitted there was one other option, as he had determined that it was not a device that could negate their cloaking technology but rather, a person. Zius then gave the Fantastic Four an option: they could continue pitting their own technology against the Survivors' technology until the Survivors ultimately won out or the Invisible Woman could surrender herself as the only being capable of negating the Survivors' cloaking technology. Despite the Invisible Woman's pleas that she would never willingly help Galactus take the lives of others, Zius replied that as long as the power existed, Galactus would find a way to extract it. Eventually, the Invisible Woman surrendered.
(Fantastic Four III#519) - Zius
prepared the
Invisible Woman for execution while the Thing attempted to contact Mr.
Fantastic for help, all the while admitting that he did not enjoy
having to sacrifice the Invisible Woman for the good of the universe.
When
the Human Torch to escape and save the Invisible Woman, Zius began the
precautions intended to keep the Invisible Woman from subconsciously
activating a force field to prevent her death. Mr. Fantastic then
arrived and blasted the Invisible Woman with a weapon that removed her
superhuman powers. Mr. Fantastic then had Zius check the Invisible
Woman's vital signs to prove her powerless. Satisfied with the loss of
the only power that could negate his technology, Zius agreed to leave
Earth. Before departing, Zius used the Survivors' technology to restore
all of the damage done by the removal of Manhattan Island. Once the
Survivors had begun departing Earth with their obelisks, Mr. Fantastic
revealed to the other Fantastic Four members that he had actually
switched the Invisible Woman's powers with the Human Torch's in order
to fool the Survivors into leaving. Unfortunately, before the Survivors
could get completely out of Earth's atmosphere, Galactus himself
appeared, looking for the power to negate the Survivors' technology,
and crushed the southern obelisk housing Zius and the Survivors.
Comments: Created by Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo and Karl Kesel.
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Survivors have no known connections to
Zius was the leader of the Survivors. After his planet was ravaged by Galactus, Zius became obsessed with preventing Galactus from ravaging other worlds. Following Galactus from planet to planet, he recruited other last surviving aliens to his group of Survivors and with them, he helped created technology capable of cloaking planets from Galactus' notice. Upon learning from the Shi'ar and Skrulls that the Survivors' technology could be negated by a power existing on Earth, Zius traveled to Earth, narrowing down his search to Manhattan Island. Knowing Galactus would soon track down the power to negate the Survivors' technology, Zius opted to launch the entirety of Manhattan Island into the sun but realized, when the Fantastic Four stood against the Survivors, that the power to negate the technology existed within the Invisible Woman. Asking her to surrender herself or risk Manhattan's destruction, Zius released Manhattan when the Invisible Woman agreed to sacrifice herself. Before she could do so, Mr. Fantastic arrived and claimed to have removed the Invisible Woman's powers. Fooled by Mr. Fantastic, Zius restored the damage done to Manhattan and departed with the other Survivors, only to be destroyed when Galactus arrived and crushed the obelisk housing the Survivors.
Zius did not appear to possess any inherent superhuman powers but he had access to vastly advanced alien technology, some of which was capable of cloaking planets even from Galactus' cosmic senses and technology. His technology also included the energized obelisks capable of pulling an entire island out of the water and computer technology capable of preventing someone from using any superhuman powers they possessed.
--Fantastic Four III#517 (behind-the-scenes) (518, 519
images:
(without ads)
Fantastic Four III#518, p16, pan3 (Survivors, main image)
Fantastic Four III#518, p17, pan1 (Survivors with cloaking device)
Fantastic Four III#518, p13, pan1 (Zius)
Appearances:
Fantastic Four III#517 (October, 2004) - Mark Waid (writer), Mike
Wieringo (pencils), Karl Kesel (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Fantastic Four III#518 (November, 2004) - Mark Waid (writer), Mike
Wieringo (pencils), Karl Kesel (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Fantastic Four III#519 (December, 2004) - Mark Waid (writer), Mike
Wieringo (pencils), Karl Kesel (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Last updated: 07/20/14.
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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