World of the Woodsof Reality-8116
World of the Woods
of Reality-8116
Official Name: World of the Woods
Nature: Alternate Reality magical world;
existed in the Crab nebula in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way galaxy of Reality-8116
Natives: Forest People: Cenzar, Council of Sensitives, Gromlin, Whis'par
Population: Unrevealed
Capital City: Unrevealed
Government: Unrevealed
Languages: Unrevealed
National Defense: Unrevealed
Places of Interest: "The village," the woods
First Appearance: (Unidentified) Epic Illustrated#1 (Spring, 1980); (identified) Epic Illustrated#2 (Summer, 1980)
Traits/Abilities/Powers of the Forest People: Some of the Forest People had gossamer butterfly wings that granted them flight at least over short distance. This was apparently not simply a hereditary trait, as Whis'par possessed such wings, while her father, Gromlin, did not; it is not revealed whether Whis'par's mother had wings, or even whether these people reproduced sexually and with the same mode of genetic inheritance as humanity.
Some, if not all of them, were attuned to spirituality.
Males and females all went topless, without any issues.
They did not appear to use any technology, preferring to live in harmony with nature.
History: 
(Epic Illustrated#1/7 (fb)) - As part of his plot to eliminate the threat of the Zygoteans, Aknaton traveled to a lush but
uninhabited world (later identified as the World of the Woods) in the Crab Nebula and
released life of his own creation.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6 (fb) - BTS) <Approximately 100,000 years ago> - On the World of the Woods, the Council of Sensitives of the Forest People chose Whis'par, from among all the winged ones, as the one most in harmony with their world's natural beauty, and thus the one who would be sent to accompany Aknaton on his mission.
Whis'par saw the "gods" come to her world from the stars in her dreams.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6 (fb) - BTS) - Aknaton traveled -- along with Juliet and Za -- to the World of the Woods to gather the final member of his group. He first traveled to the village, where his wounds -- at the hands of Zygotean mercenaries -- were tended to, and new garments fashioned for him from the webs of the night spider.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6 - BTS) - Whis'par's father, Gromlin, convinced her she needed to meet with Aknaton to fulfill her destiny.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6) - Cenzar informed Aknaton that the Chosen One was coming, and Aknaton thanked and asked him to see that they were not disturbed as they had much to talk about.
As Za and Juliet sat nearby, Aknaton formally greeted Whis'par, welcoming her to their comradeship, and explaining that their mission was to stop the marauding Zygoteans. Juliet, Za, and Whis'par were each an aspect of the embryo of what is to be: Whis'par added generations of environmental harmony, and the wisdom that came with it, and the child of this union would be blessed with experience as well as a clean spirit and a gentle soul, which would make it both a noble and unstoppable foe to the Zygotean madness, especially when coupled with his magics. When Whis'par -- who via being from a race created by Aknaton and who could thus sense his plan -- questioned the cost of such a creation, Aknaton advised her that to do nothing would be worse. Acknowledging that she really had no choice, Whis'par agreed to join the effort, after which Aknaton transported his trio away.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6 (fb) - BTS) - Aknaton transported his group to a "mineral poor planet the Zygoteans had already passed" (see comments) and then departed to recruit the final member of their group.
(Epic Illustrated#5/9, 6/6, 7/6-7, 8/6, 9) - Aknaton eventually transported his agents to Dreamsend, where Za joined Juliet of Earth and Whis'par of the World of Woods in blowing the Infinity Horn, which completely annihilated everything in the Milky Way galaxy.
Za, Juliet, and Whis'par were converted into a new form of life and transported away, while Aknaton formed a force field that protected he and Vanth and transported them to another galaxy, where they arrived a million years later.
Comments: Created by Jim Starlin.
The people of the World of the Woods (Woodworlders?) worshipped Aknaton as a god, as he was their creator. However, they also acknowledged the Great Spirit, perhaps a divinity they held to even greater esteem. But, it was only referenced once, and it is not certain.
The "mineral poor planet the Zygoteans had already passed" on which Aknaton left Juliet, Whis'par, and Za, and later Vanth until they were ready to go after the Infinity Horn was not named in the story (though I could have missed it), but the title for the issue in which Vanth met the others on the planet (Epic Illustrated#5, Chapter VIII) was called "Sunrise of Lartorez." (and it's called "Lartoprez" in the index page). I'm not familiar with Lartorez (or Lartoprez) meaning anything else, nor does a Google search come up with anything, so maybe that's the name of that world.
If there is a counterpart to the World of the Woods in Reality-616, we have yet to see it. Unlikely, especially given that it is a creator-owned property.
If the the World of the Woods existed in Reality-616, it may well have been consumed by Galactus or the Ebon Seeker, or one of the many beings that slaughtered "hundreds" or more worlds.
Dreadstar was a licensed
character/title created by Jim Starlin starting way back with the
Metamorphosis Odyssey in Epic Illustrated#1 in the Spring of 1980. The
Metamorphosis Odyssey started around the modern era and affected Earth,
but then swiftly destroyed the entire Milky Way galaxy and then moved
on like a million years in the future. Dreadstar eventually got his own
series under the Epic imprint, but Starlin later took the whole shebang
over to First Comics. And in 1994, it was published under the imprint
of Bravura, a creator-owned division of Malibu comics. He appeared
sometime later in issues #5-7 of the Breed III series. And, there's
talk of a Dreadstar television show.
Still that earlier Marvel connection allows
me to place this reality in the fringes of the Marvel Megaverse.
Peter David took over the writing around issue#31 or so, but
Starlin remained the owner. At any rate, from start to finish, it is the best
series I've ever read, period! I'd love to see it continued, by Starlin, David,
or both!
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
The World of the Woods-8116 has no known connections to
Cenzar
Cenzar advised Aknaton of the approach of "the Chosen One," Whis'par.
Aknaton thanked Cenzarr and asked him to ensure that they would not be disturbed.
(Epic Illustrated#9 - BTS) - Cenzar was presumably annihilated when Aknaton and his agents used the Infinity Horn to destroy the Milky Way galaxy to eliminate the Zygoteans.
-- Epic Illustrated#2
Note: Cenzarr's exact role/title is unrevealed.
He may be a member or agent of the Council of Sensitives, and/or of Gromlin
(Epic Illustrated#2/6 (fb) - BTS) <Approximately 100,000 years ago> - On the World of the Woods, the Council of Sensitives chose Whis'par, from among all the winged ones, as the one most in harmony with their world's natural beauty, and thus the one who would be sent to accompany Aknaton on his mission.
(Epic Illustrated#9 - BTS) - The Council was presumably annihilated when Aknaton and his agents used the Infinity Horn to destroy the Milky Way galaxy to eliminate the Zygoteans.
-- Epic Illustrated#2 (fb) - BTS
Note: The membership and number of the Council is unspecified.
Cenzar and/or Gromlin may or may not be members.
There are no images of the Council.
Gromlin is the father of Whis'par.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6 (fb) - BTS) - On the World of the Woods, the Council of Sensitives chose Whis'par, from among all the winged ones, as the one most in harmony with their world's natural beauty, and thus the one who would be sent to accompany Aknaton on his mission.
Gromlin and Whis'par spoke of her future role, and she stated her reluctance to serve this role.
After Aknaton's arrival on the World of the Woods, Gromlin sought out Whis'par amongst the woods.
(Epic Illustrated#2/6) - After she acknowledged that she knew of "the gods" coming via a dream, Gromlin told her that she must know that the destiny of their race was about to be fulfilled, and that she was the instrument to that finality.
When Whis'par told him that she never thought this event would happen in her lifetime, Gromlin reminded her that it had indeed happened, and that she had been chosen for this role by the Council of Sensitives, and that "the god" had returned; as the hounds of war bayed at his heels, he needed Whis'par's purity.
Gromlin told Whis'par of how the god waited in the village; after he shared how Aknaton's wounds were being treated, Whis'par wondered if gods could die, deciding that they probably could as it seemed all things must eventually end.
Gromlin encouraged her to be strong, as she was "the Chosen One" and her time had come. She tried to deny this, stating that she had doubts, and Gromlin told her that perhaps that was why she was chosen. "There must always be those who question the ultimate truth and divine edict."
Whis'par hugged her father, asking how she could leave, knowing what lied ahead, and he told her "by not looking back and by realizing there are things in this world more important than personal comfort and desire...when these things call, you must answer."
Gromlin bade his daughter goodbye, and she silently flew away, after which he asked that the Great Spirit be with her, and may it forgive them all.
(Epic Illustrated#9 - BTS) - Gromlin was presumably annihilated when Aknaton and his agents used the Infinity Horn to destroy the Milky Way galaxy to eliminate the Zygoteans.
-- Epic Illustrated#2
Note: Gromlin may or may not be a member of the Council of Sensitives.
images: (without ads)
Epic Illustrated#1, Chapter I: Aknaton, pg. 6, panel 1-4 (creation of "Woodworlders");
#2/6, story pg. 2, panel 1 (Gromlin, full);
pg. 4, panel 5 (Gromlin, face);
pg. 5 (main image with Cenzar);
pg. 8, panel 1 (color image)
Appearances:
Epic Illustrated#1: Metamorphosis Odyssey chapters I: Aknaton, II: Za!,
and III: Juliet (Spring, 1980) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor)
Epic Illustrated#2: Metamorphosis Odyssey chapter IV: Whis'par (Summer, 1980) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor)
Epic Illustrated#5: Metamorphosis Odyssey chapter VIII: Sunrise on Lartoprez (April, 1981) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor)
Epic Illustrated#6: Metamorphosis Odyssey chapter IX: Absolution (June, 1981) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor)
Epic Illustrated#7: Metamorphosis Odyssey chapters X: Requiem & XI: Nightfire (August, 1981) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor)
Epic Illustrated#8: Metamorphosis Odyssey chapters XII: Dreamsend (October, 1981) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor)
Epic Illustrated#9: Metamorphosis Odyssey, Chapter XIII: Doomsday & XIV: Aftermath (December, 1981) - Jim Starlin (writer, artist), Stan Lee
(editor/publisher), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), James Shooter (consulting editor)
First Posted: 12/28/2016
Last updated: 12/28/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Gromlin