THE COCONUT GROVE
THE COCONUT GROVE
Official Name: The Coconut Grove
Continent: The Coconut Grove was an entire planet.
Population: Unrevealed
Capital City: Unrevealed
Government: Individual planetary leadership, governed by a group of other leaders
Major Languages: English
Monetary Unit: Unrevealed
Major Resources: Unrevealed
National Defense: A series of guards
International Relations: Earth
Extraterrestrial Relations: Earth
Places of Interest: None identified
Domestic Super Humans: Ariel (Shakespearean era), Ariel (Fallen Angels/X-Men member), Unipar, all other Coconut Grove natives (though Unipar and typical natives were unable to utilize their powers)
Non-Human Population: All of the Coconut Grove inhabitants were aliens that somewhat resembled Earth humanoids.
Prominent Citizens: Ariel (Shakespearean era), Ariel (Fallen Angels/X-Men member), Unipar
Superhuman Residents: Ariel (Shakespearean era), Ariel (Fallen Angels/X-Men member), Unipar, all other Coconut Grove natives
Domestic Crime: Coconut Grove leader Unipar captured his fellow native Coconut Grove resident Ariel when it was revealed she was a mutant.
International Crime: The leaders of the Coconut Grove arranged to have Earth mutants captured and brought to the Coconut Grove for genetic research.
First Appearance: (mentioned only as "home" by Ariel): Fallen Angels I#3 (June, 1987);
(fully seen & identified): Fallen Angels I#6 (September, 1987)
History:
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Update '89#1 - Ariel entry -
BTS) - The Coconut Grove was a planet that was home to an entire
culture dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. All natives of the
Coconut Grove were capable of bending space to create warps.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z
Update#3 - Ariel entry - BTS) - In their pursuit of pleasure, the
entire population of the Coconut Grove became hedonist and obsessed
with fashion.
(Fallen Angels I#7 (fb) - BTS) -
Millions of years before the modern era, the Coconut Grove experienced
genetic stagnation, which left any sort of genetic mutation extremely
rare. Circa 1610-1611 A.D., a Coconut Grove resident named Ariel, who
often
ran con games and used his space-bending powers to make others
disappear, visited Elizabethan England using his space-bending powers
and inspired William Shakespeare to write Ariel into his play, The Tempest.
This male Ariel was eventually trapped inside a pine tree by a witch,
preventing Ariel from using his space-bending powers since the tree
contained no doorways to pass through.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Update
'89#1 - Ariel entry - BTS) - In the modern era, the Shakespearean
Ariel's descendant, a female also named Ariel, was a citizen of the
Coconut Grove with no existing criminal record.
(Fallen Angels I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Someone from the Coconut Grove taught Ariel how to bend space for
teleportation.
(Fallen Angels I#8 (fb) - BTS) - With their society seemingly at an evolutionary standstill, the residents of Coconut Grove began to desire any and all mutants.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Update
'89#1 - Ariel entry - BTS) - In an effort to advance their evolution,
the leaders of the Coconut Grove assigned Ariel to Earth, a planet
abundant with mutations, to acquire mutants and bring them back to the
Coconut Grove for research.
(Fallen Angels I#7 (fb) - BTS) - Ariel bargained with Coconut Grove leader Unipar to bring mutants in exchange for her friends being treated in such a way that they would be happy.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z
Update#3 - Ariel entry - BTS) - When Unipar offered high pay, Ariel
gladly accepted her assignment to bring mutants to the Coconut Grove.
(Fallen Angels I#3 - BTS) - While explaining her powers to Sunspot and Warlock, Ariel mentioned that someone from her "home" had taught her how to bend space to create teleportational doorways. When Sunspot asked where Ariel came from, she brushed off the question, claiming that maybe she would tell him someday or even take him there. She then used her manipulation powers to change the subject.
(Fallen Angels I#5 - BTS) - Ariel noted to her teammate Chance that no one on her planet had mutated in ages, so long that those from the Coconut Grove had no word for the length of time it had been.
(Fallen Angels
I#6) - When Ariel opted to take the Fallen Angels "someplace safe," she
deliberately chose to create a teleportational doorway to her home
planet of the Coconut
Grove, where the patrons of a nightclub welcomed the Fallen Angels'
arrival.
(Fallen Angels
I#7) - A group of Coconut Grove residents swarmed around Chance in an
attempt to make her pretty while Ariel accessorized Warlock. Upon
hearing Chance scream, Sunspot, Warlock and Ariel rushed to Chance's
aid, only to find her dressed in girls' clothing. While Sunspot
laughed, Ariel ordered the Coconut Grove residents to leave Chance
alone and explained to Chance that dressing her up was the Coconut
Grove equivalent of hospitality. Ariel and Chance then walked away,
discussing the Coconut Grove until Boom-Boom arrived and suggested they
get back at Sunspot for laughing by using one of her time bombs. They
agreed and Boom-Boom subsequently dropped a time-bomb down Sunspot's
shorts, blowing out of the butt of his pants and horribly embarrassing
him in front of the Coconut Grove residents, who laughed at him. Siryn
and Multiple Man soon reunited with Ariel and Chance and explained that
their leader, the Vanisher, had requested a meeting of the Fallen
Angels. Ariel then used her powers to create a doorway into the meeting
room while explaining how her ancestor, also named Ariel, had inspired
William Shakespeare. When Boom-Boom got left behind, the Coconut Grove
leader Unipar attempted to console Boom-Boom, explaining that genetic
mutation was rare on the Coconut Grove that none had appeared in
millions of years. Unipar then led Boom-Boom elsewhere, giving a signal
to other residents of the Coconut Grove as he led her away. At the
meeting, Multiple Man remarked that he was getting readings that Chance
and Ariel might be mutants but Ariel continually insisted that she was
not and her space-bending powers were based on science instead of
genetic mutation. Before Ariel could explain why she had brought her
mutant teammates to the Coconut Grove, Multiple Man got mutant readings
from Ariel and the mutant members of the Fallen Angels' powers flared
out of control as Multiple Man received mutant readings from Chance.
When guards from the Coconut Grove subsequently arrived and ordered the
Fallen Angels to go with them, the mutants' powers deactivated and Gomi
deduced that Chance's own mutant powers to enhance or inhibit the
mutant powers of others had manifested. Ariel then gave the guards
information to take down Gomi, who had attempted to fight back with his
non-mutant powers, and the guards soon took the Fallen Angels into
custody. When the guards attempted to apprehend Chance as well, Ariel
tried to argue for her but Unipar appeared and explained that the
Coconut Grove's research on mutants were too important for the future
of the Coconut Grove itself. Unipar then ordered Chance to go with the
other Fallen Angels into custody and Ariel sadly apologized for not
helping Chance further. Ariel then began to leave, claiming she refused
to stay around to see what Unipar was going to do to the mutants, only
to have Unipar capture her as well in a force beam and announce that
Ariel had brought the Coconut Grove two extra mutants than intended,
Ariel herself included.
(Fallen Angels
I#8) - Having witnessed his teammates being captured, Gomi's cyborg
lobster Bill plotted a rescue attempt, thinking that any Coconut Grove
resident better watch out. As Bill made his way to his teammates,
Coconut Grove leader Unipar ordered the Grove's guards to move the
Fallen Angels into cells that would dampen their powers. Once they were
all in their cells, Unipar left and the Fallen Angels began trying to
formulate a plan of escape. When Unipar returned with Boom-Boom, the
Fallen Angels learned that Unipar was planning to examine every mutant
on the cellular level to determine what made them evolve with mutations
but one of Multiple Man's duplicates fought back, forcing Unipar to
order his guards to kill the duplicate. Unipar then ordered Multiple
Man, his remaining duplicate and Sunspot to accompany him and as they
reluctantly left, the other Fallen Angels were rescued by Bill, who
took out the guard watching the Fallen Angels' cell. Using the cell's
keys, acquired from the guard, Bill freed the Fallen Angels, who fought
back against the Coconut Grove guards. The group then rescued Sunspot
and Multiple Man and pressed the attack on Unipar himself, who
threatened to kill them all. Ariel quickly reminded Unipar that his
plan had failed, as killing them would still prevent him from
experimenting on the mutants, and Ariel suggested Unipar do the right
thing and let the Fallen Angels go free. Despite Ariel's manipulation
power being augmented by Chance, Unipar remained unfazed and asked what
the Fallen Angels could possibly hold over him to change his mind,
prompting Ariel to point at Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy. Terrified,
Unipar said hasty goodbyes to the Fallen Angels and announced his
surrender. Sunspot then reminded Unipar that Ariel's mutant nature
proved that the Coconut Grove's evolution had not completely stagnated
and his plot to kidnap mutants for experimentation was pointless.
Unipar immediately tried to get on Ariel's good side and tried to
convince her to stay on the Coconut Grove to help with their evolution
but Ariel refused and announced that she was taking her friends home.
(U.S. Avengers
I#8 - BTS) - When Sunspot was delirious due to being unable to regulate
his absorbed solar energy, he mumbled about the Coconut Grove.
Comments: Created by Jo Duffy, Joe Station and Val Mayerik.
Even though all natives of the Coconut Grove were
capable of bending space for teleportation, not many of the natives
knew how to use such a power and only a few actually used this ability,
such as Ariel, the native that taught her the power and Ariel's
ancestor, also named Ariel.
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Coconut Grove has no known connections to:
Unipar was the leader of the Coconut Grove and developed a plan to kidnap Earth mutants for experimental research in an effort to save the Coconut Grove's inhabitants from evolutionary stagnation. He was present when Ariel and her teammates in the Fallen Angels arrived on the Coconut Grove. After welcoming the Fallen Angels to the Coconut Grove, Unipar watched as Ariel stopped the Coconut Grove residents from dressing Chance up like a girl and afterwards questioned why Ariel had intervened, reminding Ariel that the Coconut Grove residents were only keeping up their end of their bargain with Ariel to keep her friends happy and allow them to enjoy themselves. Ariel argued that the Fallen Angels were not her friends and they were to be treated as the Coconut Grove's guests, excepting Chance, who was Ariel's friend and whom Ariel told was not a mutant. Ariel then told Unipar to leave Chance alone and Unipar agreed, remarking that Ariel was being touchy. Later, when Boom-Boom got left behind as her Fallen Angels teammates left through a teleportational doorway to meet Vanisher, Unipar attempted to console Boom-Boom but she suggested Unipar save his sympathy for her teammates when she caught up to them. Upon witnessing Boom-Boom's powers, Unipar expressed joy and revealed that mutants were so rare in the Coconut Grove that they had not been recorded in millions of year. He then led Boom-Boom elsewhere, signaling to two other Coconut Grove aliens as he left. Unipar shortly thereafter led the guards to apprehend the remaining Fallen Angels, claiming that the Coconut Grove needed the mutants for research to save the Coconut Grove. After he apprehended Ariel's close friend Chance, Unipar captured Ariel herself, commending Ariel for bringing the Coconut Grove two additional mutants including Ariel herself. He then had the Fallen Angels placed in a power dampening cell and after experimenting on Boom-Boom, Unipar returned to acquire Sunspot, Multiple Man and a Multiple Man duplicate. After the Fallen Angels' cyborg lobster Bill rescued the captive Fallen Angels, who rescued Sunspot and Multiple Man before taking the fight directly to Unipar. When Ariel proved unable to convince Unipar to give up his plans, the Fallen Angels unleashed Devil Dinosaur, who terrified Unipar into surrendering. Sunspot then reminded Unipar that Ariel's existence proved that the Coconut Grove had not completely stagnated and Unipar then attempted to get Ariel to stay on the Coconut Grove but she refused.
Unipar had the inherent ability to bend space to
create teleportational doorways but he was unaware how to use or access
this power, essentially rendering him powerless.
--Fallen Angels I#6 ((identified): Fallen Angels I#7-8,
images: (without ads)
Fallen Angels I#6, p22, splash page (The Fallen Angels arriving on the Coconut Grove)
Fallen Angels I#7, p11, pan7 (Ariel opening a doorway to the Coconut Grove as a whole)
Fallen Angels I#7, p2, pan3 (Coconut Grove residents trying to dress up Chance)
Fallen Angels I#7, p14, pan2 (Sunspot & Warlock flying through Coconut Grove cityscape)
Fallen Angels I#7, p12, pan3 (Unipar)
Appearances:
Fallen Angels I#3 (June, 1987) - Jo Duffy (writer), Marie Severin (pencils), Tom Palmer (finishes), Ann Nocenti (editor)
X-Factor I#17 (June, 1987) - Louise Simonson (writer), Walter Simonson (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Fallen Angels I#5 (August, 1987) - Jo Duffy (writer), Joe Staton (pencils), Val Mayerik (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Fallen Angels I#6 (September, 1987) - Jo Duffy (writer), Joe Station (pencils), Val Mayerik (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Fallen Angels I#7 (October, 1987) - Jo Duffy (writer), Kerry Gammill (breakdowns), Tom Palmer (finishes), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Fallen Angels I#8 (November, 1987) - Jo Duffy (writer), Joe Staton (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Update '89#1 (July, 1989) - Peter
Sanderson (writer, research), Colleen Doran (Ariel entry art), Joe
Rubinstein (inks), Gregory Wright (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update#3 (October, 2010) - Gus Vazquez, Joe Staton, Colleen Doran (Ariel entry art)
U.S. Avengers I#8 (September, 2017) - Al Ewing (writer), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 12/12/2017
Last updated: 12/12/2017
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and ©
1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this
stuff,
you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at:
http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
Unipar