CYGNETIAN race(Green sect/sub-species)
CYGNETIAN race
(Green sect/sub-species)
Classification: Humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Planet Cygnet VII, presumably the 7th planet in the Cygnet solar system, unspecified galaxy
Known Members: Holy Hierarchy (including K'rel), priests/enforcers,
Affiliations: Formerly the Hulk (Bruce Banner);
they used unidentified slaughtering beasts in their gladiatorial arena (I doubt the beasts would consider them allies...),
Enemies: Reds (Cygnetian red race; formerly known as the Proselytes)
Aliases: Greens, Proselytes
Language: Unidentified; the Reds and Greens appeared to speak the same language, and they used their computers to swiftly teach their language to others.
Religion: Their religion was largely undefined, but it differed sufficiently (to the Reds and Greens, at least) from the Red's religion that the two sects warred over it;
Though they initially at least seemed to only be able to practice their religion in peace, they ultimately considered the non-believing Reds as blasphemous and deserving of punishment, torture, and death.
Their symbol, as shown in the main image (top right), was a point-down yellow triangle with a curved-spike originating from each side.
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (1983)
Powers/Abilities: The Greens did not demonstrate any superhuman abilities.
Their world had advanced interstellar craft equipped with hyperspace drives and advanced computers, such as the Educator.
After overcoming the Reds, they utilized a gladiatorial arena,
dungeons, and transport units, with the Reds serving as sport and slave
labor.
It is unrevealed whether they just took over the Reds' Pit, and its arena and torture chamber (although they may have leveled the Pit and then forced the Red slaves to build them a new structure).
They also a number of vehicles for transporting themselves as well as Red prisoners.
They utilized unidentified beasts to slaughter the Reds in gladiatorial games.
They possessed the means to project a gamma ray beam across space and to somehow travel within the beam without any life support suit or equipment (and to survive the gamma radiation, apparently unharmed).
While under domination by the Reds, they were bereft of any sort of technology.
Traits: The Greens are highly religious, and their religion was strongly suppressed by the Red sect; they were long passive and peaceful, not fighting against their oppressors. Inspired by the Hulk, they fought their oppressors.
Following the overthrow of the Reds, many of them adopted the same oppressive, hateful, and violent policies the Reds had used against them.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; blue and brown irides seen)
Fingers: Three (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed (presumably four)
Skin color: Green
Average height: 5'6
Average weight: 150 lbs.
History:
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (fb) - BTS / World War Hulk: Gamma Files: Proselytes entry) - Cygnet VII is populated by two sects/sub-species, the Reds and the Greens, differentiated primarily by skin color and by religious beliefs.
(World War Hulk: Gamma Files: Proselytes entry) - The two sects vied for supremacy, with the Reds eventually winning the holy war and becoming the dominating race, dubbing themselves the Proselytes (see comments).
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (fb) - BTS / World War Hulk: Gamma Files: Proselytes entry) - Over time, the Proselytes' religious fanatacism led to the persecution of the Greens as lesser beings, subjugating them into imprisonment or worse.
(Incredible
Hulk II Annual#12 (fb) - BTS / World War Hulk: Gamma Files: Proselytes entry) - The Greens could only practice their religion in secret.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (fb)) - BTS) - The Greens' priestess, K'rel, prophesied that her people could not remain persecuted forever and that a champion would come to liberate them from the Reds' oppression. The prophecy allowed the Greens to hope, and it angered (and/or frightened) the Red, who tried to silence K'rel.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (fb) - BTS / World War Hulk: Gamma Files: Proselytes entry) - Seeking to locate the Greens' champion, K'rel fled Cygnet VII by riding gamma rays through space to Earth.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - Via a gamma ray beam, K'rel transported to Earth, arriving in upstate New York, in the vicinity of Northwind Observatory, from which she was observed -- either by accident or design -- by Dr. Bruce Banner (who had recently gained mental and emotional control over the Hulk). She was pursued by the Holy Huntsmen/Prophet Priests' Cathedral-Ship, and as they threatened to overpower her, the Hulk came to her defense. Unable to defeat the Hulk in battle, the Priests had the ship's tractor beam pull in the Hulk and K'rel into the ship, after which they departed back to Cygnet VII.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (fb)) - BTS) - The Hulk and K'rel were presumably restrained and/or pacified upon their entry into the ship.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (fb)) - BTS) - The Cathedral-Ship returned home, during which time the ship's Educator imparted to the Hulk a comprehensive portrait of Cygnet VII.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - On Cygnet VII, the Priests brought the Hulk and K'rel to their Holy Hierarchy, who noted that the priestess' finding of a champion that might fulfil her prophecy created a dangerous situation they needed to diffuse as quickly as possible by displaying the utter inadequacy of the priestess and her champion for all their world to see; with that, the cardinals unleashed a trio of blasts from their powerful staffs that felled the Hulk.
K'rel and the Hulk were judged and sent to the Pit, where the masked guards (aka Faceless Ones) relished the chance to educate a Green that didn't yet know his place. Seeing K'rel, Green prisoners asked her if she had found a champion to end their persecution, but the Priests told them that their persecution would end once they sampled the pleasures of the Pit. Learning of the Pit's nature and angered by the Priests taunts about their beasts being hungry, the Hulk tore the bars off the cages and swatted back the Priests, but was caught off-guard and incapacitated by a Priest's anesthetic gas weapon; nonetheless, the Greens were inspired by his defiance of the Proselytes. K'rel attacked the Priests, but was subdued and chained up alongside the Hulk.
The next day,
the Greens were herded alongside
the Hulk into the Pit's arena. After the Hulk had the Greens get behind
him, he took out both the attacking armed Proselyte cavalry and the
fierce Draggoths.
Not wishing to allow the Hulk's example to incite a greater insurrection, the Hierarchy ordered a halt to the games, at which point the Reds threated K'rel again to force the Hulk out of the arena and into a torture chamber. Arguing that they both knew the Greens only wished to be left alone so they could worship in peace, the Hulk nonetheless allowed himself to be strapped into the rack when they threatened to put K'rel there in his place. However, after the lasers began blasting his head, the Hulk realized that if he died, the Greens would be even worse off for having their hopes dashed.
Breaking free, the Hulk smashed his way into and shattered the Greens' dungeons.
Feeling that passivity had only gained them further persecution, the
Greens, armed only with their faith and fury, revolted.
The Prophet Priests and/or Holy Huntsmen ordered the death of all Greens.
Though the Greens were greatly outnumbered, lacking weapons, and lacking knowledge of warfare, the Hulk more than evened the odds. Inspired, the Greens rushed a stationary Cathedral (the Reds' sacred sanctuary), with K'rel calling for the Hierarchy's deaths. The Hulk shattered the cathedral's doors, and as the Reds used their weapons to slay the in-rushing Greens, the Hulk swiftly subdued the Priests/Huntsmen.
The Hulk then led K'rel and the Greens to confront the Holy Hierarchy. Though they cursed the Greens as defilers and blasphemers, K'rel told them that those they had persecuted had risen up to destroy them; the Hulk countered that the Hierarchy need not be harmed, but that their oppression of the Greens must stop now and forever. One of the Hierarchy argued that they did not believe the Greens would spare them any more than they would have done in the same situation, as in holy war quarter was neither asked nor given. Denouncing the idea that "might makes right in the eyes of God," the Hulk took down the Hierarchy, and K'rel announced that the rule of the Proselytes had ended.
(Incredible
Hulk II Annual#12 (fb)) - BTS) - The Green rose up all over Cygnet VII
and ended their oppression. Those who worshipped in fear for ages now
prayed freely for the first time.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - K'rel asked the Hulk if he wouldn't accept the Greens' faith and become one of them, noting that her people regarded him as their savior. Denying that he was a savior but admitting he might like to learn the faith K'rel offered to teach, the Hulk nonetheless felt he needed to return to his life, even once K'rel explained that the ship only had enough fuel to make the journey to Earth and that it could never return.
As he departed, the Hulk advised K'rel to use her role as her race's spiritual advisor to guide their destiny wisely, to cultivate charity in their hearts, and to teach them the way of mercy. However, as soon as the Hulk's ship had departed, K'rel's gentle countenance underwent a harsh change, and she spoke the word "mercy" with disgust.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 - BTS) - Alongside a pair of male Greens, K'rel formed a new Holy Hierarchy.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - As one of the male members of the Holy Hierarchy announced that the Proselytes were rounded up in the town square, K'rel told him that they should be called Proselytes no more; they had fallen from power, and the Greens were now the Proselytes, and it was their religion that would be proclaimed on Cygnet VII...and let those without face perish!
On the streets, another of her priests struck one of the Reds, warning the dog to avert his eyes from the priestess so that his vile gaze would not pollute the persons of the Holy Hierarchy. One of the Greens pelted one of the "dirty Reds" with a stone, asking where was their faith to protect them now?, leading the crowd of Greens to stone their former oppressors.
Either the same or another member of the Holy Hierarchy told K'rel how some of the people were murmuring about the last words of their savior to be merciful, but she reminded him that their savior had departed and that only she could rightly interpret his words; she insisted that the punishment of the Reds persist.
The Reds served as slaves, prisoners, and sport to the Greens.
And the Greens came to adopt revenge as their religion and repression as their god; and those that did not participate in the Greens' faith were wiped out.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 - BTS) - Having glimpsed back at Cygnet VII via the Educator, the Hulk wept to see what he had wrought.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo and Herb Trimpe.
Proselytes is an interesting word, and an interesting choice of name(s)
for the Greens and the Reds. The word generally means a new convert to
any particular religion or doctrine. It has some more specific terms in
Biblical references, and it refers to God-fearers, and specifically to
those converting to Judaism.
I would guess that
on Cygnet VII, as no one speaks English and the Hulk/Banner was
specifically mentally trained in their language and history, it was
simply the closest English equivalent, and there is no English word
that matches it exactly.
I'd also guess that
based on the red's facial veils and the origins of the word Proselytes
that the conflict was perhaps inspired in some fashion by the conflict
between Muslims and Hebrews. Or not.
Perhaps equally interesting in terms of choice of terms is "Cygnet," which means a young swan. Various places, vehicles, groups, etc. use the name, but that's the original source.
We don't know where Cygnet VII is located, only that it is "untold light years" from Earth. For reference, Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to Earth's sun is 4.3 light years from Earth...and the Milky Way galaxy is 80,000 to 100,000 light years across (according to the 'ol interweb). Obviously K'rel could have used some sort of wormhole and traveled an intergalactic to reach Earth, but I would think putting Cygnet VII in the Milky Way galaxy would be the logical ASSumption.
The overall message of the story was good, but the story itself left me with a few questions:
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Green Cygnetians, aka Greens and Proselytes, should be distinguished from:
The Greens used a large arena for their gladiatorial combats, which were shown to involve slaughtering unarmed and outnumbered Reds via powerful beasts.
It is likely that Green cavalries atop steeds and/or other armed Green forces may have challenged unarmed Reds.
.
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
Note: It is likely that the Greens may have converted the Reds' Pit and its associated arena into the facility they used for similar purposes; however, it is also certainly possible that then Greens may have leveled the Pit and forced their Red slaves/prisoners to build them a completely new facility.
The Greens used some sort of saurian beasts during their gladiatorial-style games in their arena to slaughter the Reds sentenced to such games.
These creatures had three central horns on their heads, in addition to large curved plates ("frills") that ran over the tops of their heads, behind the horns.
Quadrupeds and perhaps the size of large terran cattle (perhaps 4-5' tall at the shoulder, 7-9' from nose to tail, and weighing around 200 lbs.), these creatures had feet the appeared to consist of three forward-facing toes in the front and back legs, and apparently two rear-facing toes in the back legs, at least.
They had small, sharp teeth in, at least, the fronts of their upper and lower jaws.
Their large and powerful backsides were covered in thicker fur, while their front portions were largely hairless. Both aspects were gray in color.
They had thin unhaired tails, perhaps 2' in length.
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
Note: Though used to slaughter humanoid victims, I am not certain these beasts were carnivores, or at least not-man-eaters...their small, sharp teeth are more in line for biting smaller animals, like large rodents.
Only three of them were shown in use, and it is unrevealed how many the Greens kept for their arena(s) and/or how many of them existed across the planet.
I suspect K'rel might have had the Draggoths slaughtered (potentially even exterminated) due to their history of slaughtering the Greens, but there is nothing to support this, other than when then Greens put the overthrown Reds in the Pit's Arena, they used different beasts than Draggoths.
The Greens' ship contained an Educator, which could reveal past and present events from Cygnet VII.
En route to Cygnet VII from Earth, the Educator aboard the Reds' Cathedreal-ship revealed Cygnet VII's history to the Hulk.
On the Hulk's return to Earth, the Greens' ship's Educator showed the Hulk how things progressed on Cygnet VII after his departure.
Seeing how the Greens he had liberated had become repressors of the Reds, the Hulk wept.
..
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
Note: The Proselytes entry in the World War Hulk: Gamma Files and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover explained that the Educator allowed the Hulk to see an extended span ofCygnet VII’s time due to the nature of traveling through hyperspace.
.
After the Reds/Proselytes were overthrown, the Greens' priestess, K'rel, became the leader of the Greens' Holy Hierarchy with two Green males.
One of the male members of the Hierarchy noted how some of the people were murmuring about the last words of their savior to be merciful, but she reminded him that their savior had departed and that only she could rightly interpret his words; she insisted that the punishment of the Reds persist.
Under the Holy Hierarchy, the Reds served as slaves, prisoners, and sport to the Greens.
And the Greens came to adopt revenge as their religion and repression as their god; and those that did not participate in the Greens' faith were wiped out.
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
After the Reds/Proselytes were overthrown, the Greens became the new Proselytes.
The Greens replaced the Reds' Prophet-Priests and/or Holy Huntsmen with their own enforcers.
These enforcers wore uniforms that included padding/armor and helmets, as well as a chest adornment of their holy symbol.
They carried staffs topped with their holy symbol. Although they were only shown to use their staffs as blunt weapons, it is extremely likely that these staffs could fire destructive and/or stun-blasts.
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
Whether the Greens took over and refurbished one of the Reds'
former ships (which seems likely) or whether they built their own, the
Greens utilized a ship different from the Reds' Cathedral-Ship.
In addition to a hyperspace drive and life support, the ship had an Educator.
The ship was programmed to transport the Hulk from Cygnet VII to Earth, although it only had enough fuel to make it there; the Hulk was told by K'rel it could never return to Cygnet VII.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - The Hulk departed Cygnet VII on the ship.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - En route to Earth, the Hulk asked the Educator to show him what was happening on Cygnet VII.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#12) - Seeing how the Greens he had liberated had become repressors of the Reds, the Hulk wept.
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
Note: Since the Reds' Cathedral-Ship could travel to Earth and then back to Cygnet VII without complication, why would it have been an issue for the ship carrying the Hulk to return to Cygnet VII.
The Holy Hierarchy rode in an open-topped limousine-style vehicle -- driven by one of their priests/enforcers -- via which they could supervise Red slaves at work, etc.
Red slaves/prisoners were transported via vehicles containing large cages/prisons able to transport dozens of prisoners.
These cages looked to be of wooden construction with metal bars on the sides.
Additionally, Green enforcers rode atop steeds, at least alongside the prison transport. These transports may or may not have been the same creatures ridden by the Reds' cavalry.
--Incredible Hulk II Annual#12
Note: The Greens starships are covered in the ships sub-profile.
images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II Annual#12, pg. 3, panel 5 (K'rel beaming down to Earth);
pg. 5 (Cathedral Ship flying);
pg. 6, panel 1 (K'rel defiantly grabbing stick);
pg. 12, panel 1 (shuttle);
pg. 13, panel 1 (Red crowd);
pg. 15, panel 1 (Holy Hierarchy - lower legs and cape decorations);
pg. 25, panel 3-4 (Hulk liberating the Greens);
pg. 26, panel 2 (Red Huntsmen vs. Greens in crowd);
pg. 28, panel 1 (Greens rushing Cathedral);
panel 3 (Red Huntsmen blasting Greens in Cathedral);
pg. 30, panel 4 (Holy Hierarchy defeated);
pg. 31 (Greens ship; large, pre-launch);
pg. 33, panel 1 (Greens ship flying);
pg. 34, panel 1-2 (Greens ship, interior);
panel 3-4 (Educator);
pg. 35, panel 1 (Greens Holy Hierarchy standing above Reds lined up);
panel 2 (Reds in crowd);
panel 3 (Green Priest poking Red);
panel 5 (K'rel and other Green Holy Hierarchy male);
pg. 36, panel 1 (Green Holy Hierarchy in car/vehicle supervising Red slaves);
panel 2 (Reds in slave transport vehicles);
pg. 37, panel 1 (Greens-controlled Arena);
panel 2 (Green Holy Hierarchy - front);
panel 4 (Greens' beasts released, from above);
panel 5 (Greens' beasts, from front);
pg. 38, panel 1 (Greens' beasts slaughtering Reds);
panel 2 (Greens cheering Reds' slaughter);
panel 4 (Educator from side)
Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II Annual#12 (1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Herb Trimpe (artist), Al Milgrom (editor)
First posted: 7/04/2018
Last updated: 7/04/2018
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.!
Holy 
