CRYPTUNIAN race
Classification: Extraterrestrial race of bipeds
Location/Base of Operations: The planet Cryptun (now destroyed), in a star system within Galaxy M31 (Andromeda)
Habitat: Unrevealed, now non-existent
Gravity: Unrevealed, now non-existent
Atmosphere: Unrevealed, now non-existent
Known Members: One survivor (name unrevealed)
Estimated population: (Previously) unrevealed; (currently) 1
Affiliations: None
Enemies: None (although the Molecule Man might qualify)
First Appearance: Fantastic Four Annual I#27/2 (1994)
Powers/Abilities: None known
Cultural Traits: Unrevealed
Type: Bipeds
Eyes: Unrevealed (possibly two)
Fingers: Unrevealed (possibly four plus opposable thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed (possibly five)
Skin color: Unrevealed (possibly pink)
Average height: Unrevealed (possibly 6')
Type of government: Unrevealed, now non-existent
Level of technology: Unrevealed
History:
(Fantastic Four Annual I#27/2 (fb) - BTS) - The Cryptunians were a race of
bipedal beings who lived on the planet Cryptun in Galaxy M31 (aka the Andromeda Galaxy).
And that is almost everything that is known about them.
(Fantastic Four Annual I#27/2) - During a battle between the Molecule Man and the Beyonder, a conflict spanning planes of existence for which there are no human words or thoughts and which involved energies to which the raging hearts of galaxies were guttering candleflames, the laws of physics were tortured beyond recognition and eventually shatttered. As a result, at least six alterations of reality are known to have occurred. One of these reality disruptions caused the molten core of the planet Cryptun to spontaneously transform into anti-matter, destroying the planet and all but one of its bipedal denizens.
Nothing has been revealed about this last son (or daughter or whatever) of Cryptun, including how he (or she or it) survived the destruction of Cryptun, and his (or her or its) eventual fate is currently unknown. Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if this last survivor's name turned out to be "Cal-Al" or "Cara Zur-Al" or something like that.
Comments: Planet Cryptun and its denizens created by Len Kaminski, Mike Gustovich and Don Hudson.
Although Cryptun is the only planet which is specifically named as having been destroyed when its molten core was transformed into anti-matter, the image which depicts its destruction seems to show several other planetary bodies being destroyed in the same way at the same time. Since these other bodies seemed to be in close proximity to Cryptun, might they have been moons orbiting the planet which were caught in the same alteration of reality as Cryptun and thus suffered a similar fate? In any event, since Cryptun was the only planet that was named, it may be that that means that Cryptun was the only affected body that was inhabited at the time of its destruction.
The battle between the Molecule Man and the Beyonder caused
reality disruptions not only in various locations in the then-present-day Reality-616 but also
in other times and other dimensions. So far, only six of these reality disruptions have been
catalogued. Aside from the destruction of Cryptun, the other five disruptions are listed
below:
1. On the Skrull homeworld, a three thousand year old statue cried tears of mammalian
blood.
2. The inhabitants of the two-dimensional universe called Flatland discovered themselves
suddenly possessed of the unknown new attribute called height.
3. In the year 3197, a small potted plant acquired superhuman intellect and thought, "Oh, no,
not again."
4. In New York City, four businessmen discovered their lunches were also hungry.
5. In the Crab Nebula, one of those mysterious beings known as the Watchers went inexplicably
blind.
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one of the dire effects of using the Infinite Improbablity Drive was the transformation of a pair of guided thermonuclear missiles into a sperm whale and a bowl of petunias. Unfortunately, both were several miles above the surface of the planet Magrathea when the transformation occurred. As they fell to their deaths, the petunias are known to have thought, "oh no, not again." The whale, not realizing what was going to happen, had an existential life of discovery which lasted a minute before it hit the ground, leaving a large crater and whale remains.
I mention this because the idea of a plant being able to think "Oh, no, not again" is such a bizarre and specific concept that I don't think it can be just a coincidence. Possibly writer Len Kaminski included that scene as an homage to Douglas Adams' work? Anyway, in the Hitchhikers' Guide continuity, the petunias were actually Agrajag, a creature who had, by coincidence, been killed by Arthur Dent hundreds, maybe thousands, of times and had been reincarnated repeatedly. In this case, the petunias had come into existence (and thus died) at Arthur's hand after he activated the Infinite Improbablity Drive.
Profile by Donald Campbell.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The denizens of Cryptun have no confirmed connections to
images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four Annual I#27 (1994), page 47 (Cryptun exploding)
Appearances:
Fantastic Four Annual I#27/2 (1994) - Len Kaminski (writer), Mike Gustovich (penciler), Don
Hudson (inker), Ralpha Macchio (waste)
Last updated: 10/28/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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