THE CONQUEST
Membership: Cadres, Carson, Cosmic Cutie Commandos/See-Cubed (Tyrax, others), Darth Vader, E.T. (Zrek), Fearless Leader, Garguax, G'nort, the Griffin, Hades Horde, Kharlak, Lord Autarch, Lord R. Nader, Martian Manhunter, Max the Magnificant, Meteorite, Ming the Merciless, Nexus, Stomu, Strike Force Commander, Yoda, unidentified archivist, Barps, Citadelians, Hacyons, Hutts, Hykraians, Jawas, Kryptonians (K-Rok, others), Mandalorians, Manhunters, Melmacians (possibly Alf), unidentified scientists, Thanagarians, Thunes, Twi'leks, Wookies, Xenomorphs, others
Purpose: To invade Earth.
Aliases: None
Affiliations:
None
Enemies: X-Men (Colossus/Piotr Rasputin,
Havok/Alex Summers, Longshot, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett);
arguably Jeremy Bingham, the residents of Sydney, Australia
(see comments)
Base of Operations: Unspecified location somewhere out in interstellar space.
First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men I#245 (June 1989)
History:
(Uncanny X-Men I#245 (fb) - BTS) - As its name implied, the Conquest was
an alien alliance that sought out worlds to subjugate. After some of its
members complained of having no new worlds to conquer the alliance's
Fearless Leader chose to target Earth, rushing ahead with the plan
before proper research could be completed on the world in question. One
archivist did request files on their target from the Imperial Shi'ar
databank, but they would take time to arrive and be integrated into the
Conquest's computer systems. Meanwhile the Fearless Leader tasked his
scientists with devising the ultimate secret weapon; they began working
on something that could fatally disrupt all relationships, a
planet-killer they codenamed the Jean Bomb.
(Uncanny X-Men I#245) - With the Conquest space armada now
approaching Earth orbit, the Fearless Leader announced the commencement
of the invasion to an assemblage on his ship, either failing to hear or
deliberately ignoring the mutterings that suggested most present were
largely disinterested in the whole enterprise. The proclamation was
simultaneously broadcast across the fleet to every member of the
personnel, including the archivist. However, just as he heard the
Leader's declaration that they would start with Australia, the
archivist's computer announced it finally had the requested files, and
proceeded to rattle off a summary; to the archivist's rapidly growing
panic, it informed him that Earth had successfully warded off numerous
prior alien invasions from major spacepowers, was the only planet to
have warded off the planet-eater Galactus not once but multiple times,
was the homeworld of Galactus' current herald, and reputed to be the
adopted homeworld of the Phoenix. Concluding that the Conquest would be
doomed if they took on Earth, but aware that saying as much now that the
Fearless Leader had ordered the invasion would cost him his life, the
archivist faced a quandry - speak out and die, or keep silent and cost
many more their lives?
As the troopships closed on Earth, on the flagship the Fearless Leader was escorted to a chamber by one of the Conquest's scientists to be shown the finished Jean Bomb. During this presentation the archivist suddenly burst in, desperate to warn the Leader of the danger the Conquest faced, but his agitated manner caused the scientists to assume he was an intruder and at their order the guards present gunned the unfortunate archivist down. Though those present realized almost immediately that the slain alien was one of their own, the Fearless Leader concluded contemptuously that "the fool" should have known better than to enter his presence without an appointment, and concluded that whatever he had wanted to say couldn't have been important.
A few minutes later the fleet's troop transports crowded the sky over Sydney, an arrival witnessed by some of the X-Men, who were in town visiting a bar, Munden's. The locals met the new arrivals with casual ease, with some choosing to prepare more food for their barbecues in anticipation of company, others berating Conquest tanks for driving on the wrong side of the roads, and yet more buying pints of beer for the invaders and recalling their own stints in the armed forces to commiserate over the common experience of miserable sergeants. The X-Men meanwhile had decided to mind their own business and return to their drinks, but their "enhanced bioforms" were sensed by a passing Cadre soldier, who decided that capturing them would bring him glory. Spotting one of his targets, the X-Men Longshot, ignoring him in favor of continuing dancing with a female bar patron, the Cadre soldier snatched him up, but Longshot's compatriot Colossus intervened, punching the Cadre soldier flying out through the bar wall. Colossus followed his opponent but found a small horde of Cadre soldiers waiting outside, and a brawl commenced; figuring that since the odds were only twenty-to-one against Colossus, the other X-Men elected to leave him to it and continue drinking.
Meanwhile the Conquest's Strike Leader (see comments) and his entourage, which included the Strike Force Commander, confronted Syndey's mayor in his office, finding him surrounded by massive piles of paperwork. When they demanded his surrender, to their utmost surprise the mayor instantly and eagerly agreed, happy to hand over the burden of running the city, and insisting he was overdue for a vacation as he hastily headed for the door. Overcoming his stunned shock and thinking the human wasn't taking him seriously, the Strike Leader demanded the departing mayor halt, and to prove his threats were serious decided a demonstration was in order. Pointing out the nearby Sydney Opera House, he asked the mayor if the distinctive edifice was of value, to which the official responded that it was currently empty, closed for renovation. Stating that it's shape offended him, the Strike Leader had one of his minions obliterate it with an energy weapon. Witnessing this, the mayor calmly admitted he'd wanted to do something similar for years, but added that since the landmark was on all Sydney's brochures, he told the stunned invaders that they would need to put it back the way it was.
Back outside Munden's Colossus was continuing
to effortlessly pound on a continuous wave of Conquest soldiers,
hampered only by his own attempts to convince them there was no need for
violence. Offering to assist, Longshot was targeted by the Cosmic Cutie
Commandos, an all-female group of man-hating flying aliens, who hoisted
him aloft and tried to dash him against the ground. However, Longshot's
acrobatic skills allowed him to easily redirect his fall and he leapt
from one Commando's back to the next, using them like stepping stones
while inadvertently learning their darkest secret, that their wings were
artificial. Discovering from their reactions that they feared they would
be mocked if this came out, the ever-charming Longshot won them over
with his unexpected admiration of their ability to fly, however it was
achieved.
(Uncanny X-Men I#245 - BTS) - Colossus finished knocking
out the soldiers attacking him, while the Commandos introduced Longshot
to their queen, Tyrax, who he swiftly won over with his charms as he had
her subordinates. Another senior Conquest member, Lord Autarch, arrived
at the bar, and was convinced to enter into a game of poker against
Wolverine.
(Uncanny X-Men I#245) - On the command craft,
which had landed in the desert outside the city, reports flooded back to
the Fearless Leader that the invasion wasn't going well, prompting him
to order the detonation of the Jean Bomb, even though that would mean
sacrificing all their forces already deployed on the surface. In Sydney
the Strike Force Commander and one of his minions came across the
unconscious troops littering the street outside of Munden's. Ordering
his minion to summon the Hades Horde, the Commander entered the bar and
witnessed to his disbelief Tyrax dancing with Longshot while the rest of
the man-hating Commandos all swooned in admiration at the hero. Spotting
Autarch in deep concentration in his card game, the Commander tried to
get his attention, only for Autarch to casually swat him away. Climbing
to his feet amidst the newly arrived Hades Horde, the Commander was
about to order them into battle when the X-Man Havok walked over.
Insisting the bar was no place for an argument or fight, he suggested
they take things outside, and the Commander agreed, confidently stating
that they would deal with this human champion first, then come back for
the others.
Meanwhile the poker match approached its
conclusion as Autarch got the final card he needed for a full house,
only for Wolverine to suggest they raise the stakes so that whoever won
could kill the other.
(Uncanny X-Men I#245 - BTS) - Unaware that Wolverine was bluffing and only holding a pair of deuces, Autarch concluded the risk was too great and folded.
(Uncanny X-Men I#245) - Outside the bar the Commander informed Havok he would learn the folly of challenging the Conquest, but before their fight could begin a soldier ran up to point out the command craft lifting off in the distance and inform them that the Fearless Leader intended to detonate the Jean Bomb. Enraged at this treachery, the Commander ordered the Hades Horde to blast the command craft from the sky. Unimpressed by their weapons, Havok effortlessly blew the command craft up with a single shot, then walked back towards the bar casually asking the stunned Commander what he meant by a "Conquest"?
(Uncanny X-Men I#245 - BTS) - Havok suggested to the Commander that the Conquest didn't want to make them mad, especially as there were a lot more and meaner superhumans than them on Earth. Since nothing more was heard of the invaders thereafter, they apparently took this advice to heart and departed for the stars.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Rob Liefeld and Dan Green.
The Conquest parodied DC's major crossover
Invasion! which had run across the DC line from December 1988 through
January 1989, only a few months prior to the issue of the X-Men in
question. At the time the X-Men were based in Australia, so the decision
at DC to have their Alien Alliance begin their assault on Earth by
attacking that same continent might have been a factor in inspiring
Chris Claremont to do the parody; the Alien Alliance's reason for
choosing Australia as their beachhead was because they would face
minimal metahuman opposition there, and given the relative sparsity of
Australian Marvel heroes that would have held true for Marvel's version
of Australia almost any other time.
Similarly the Jean Bomb in this story
parodies the use of a power-cancelling Gene Bomb in Invasion!
Alongside the various parodies of the DC
extraterrestrials who took part in Invasion!, artist Rob Liefeld
included a large number of cameos of aliens from other comics, TV shows
and movies. Which, if any, of these were at Claremont's direction
remains unknown, though the fact that one background character on page 3
states "Bet you can't name everybody here!" does imply Claremont
believed most of them should be identifiable. Some of the cameos are
easily recognizable, while others are a little "off-model," sometimes
making the identification uncertain. I've listed below those I
recognize, as well as grading how sure I am of my identifications, but
if anyone reading this thinks they can name someone I missed or correct
a mistaken identity on my part, please do get in touch.
Jeremy Bingham, unnamed in the actual comic,
was the Lord Mayor of Sydney at the time the issue came out, and is the
mayor depicted in the story. Though he and the other Sydney residents
would have been considered foes by the Conquest simply by dint of being
the residents of the invaded city, the closest any Sydney resident comes
to treating the Conquest like enemies is one driver who berates a tank
for driving on the wrong side of the road; Bingham is overtly happy they
want to take over running the city from him, and other residents buy the
invaders beer or prepare barbecue for them.
It's uncertain whether the Fearless Leader who orders the invasion and is seen on the flagship is the same individual as the Strike Leader who confronts Mayor Bingham. They look identical, but so to do all the other members of Fearless Leader's race who hang around him, and it would make a level of sense for the Strike Leader is a slightly lower ranking member of the race, one who goes out with the invading forces to command them in the field while the Fearless Leader stays behind on the ship.
Profile by Loki.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Conquest have no known connections to:
|
The Cadre were massive aliens with tusks jutting out their lower jaws. One detected the metahumans in Munden's Bar and ended up picking a fight with Colossus, which then spilled out into a general brawl outside the bar between Colossus and horde of Cadre aliens, which ended with their resounding defeat. Comments: Best guess on their DC Invasion!
counterparts would be the Branx, who were affiliated with the
Citadel aliens. Though often depicted in DC with gray skin, they
had magenta skin in their early appearances, making them more
closely match the Cadre. The Branx debuted in New Teen Titans
I#24 (October 1982), and were created by Marv Wolfman and George
Perez. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Carson was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by Dan Vado and Norman
Felche and debuting in Slave Labor Graphic's The Griffin#2
(December 1988), Carson was a human recruited by the alien
Acacian Empire to fight in their interstellar wars. The Acacians
had stumbled across a process to transform people into
superhumans, but the process only worked on Terrans, not
Acacians, hence the Empire's seeking human volunteers. A comparison of the individual at the
Conquest gathering with Carson shows some obvious differences -
notably the purple skin, orange hair, goatee and tartan pants.
However, the similarities are also very obvious - those massive
spiky shoulder pads, black sleeveless top, hairy bare arms and
mohawk haircut. However, since the original Griffin comic's
interior was in black and white, Carson's color scheme wasn't
clear until he appeared on the cover of Griffin#3 in April 1989,
by which time Uncanny X-Men#245 would have already been
completed, so the color scheme differences can be attributed to
Glynis Oliver having no reference to work off of. Since other
characters from The Griffin comic are definitely present, I'm
still fairly sure of this identification. DC later republished and completed
The Griffin story, which is where the color image of Carson to
the right comes from. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
The Cosmic Cutie Commandos, a.k.a. See-Cubed or C3, were female aliens who used artificial wings to fly. Fearful that if others learned their wings were devices, others would copy them and the Commandos would lose their uniqueness, the Commandos decided to pre-emptively strike out at everyone else to ensure their fearsome reputation would make everyone too full of terror at the mere thought of them to look too closely at their wings. When they faced Longshot however, he not only accidentally uncovered their secret within seconds, but was openly in admiration of their ability to fly rather than mocking them. Taken aback, the group succumbed to his charms and fell for him. Comments: The Commandos are clearly the
analogues of Invasion!'s Thanagarian Hawkmen, purely based on
their similar abilities, and despite the presence of actual
Thanagarians in the crowd of cameos. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Ruler of Apokolips, Uxas, better known as Darkseid, was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by Jack Kirby, Darkseid first appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen#134 (December 1970). This is one of the
less certain identifications. Like many characters, the color
scheme isn't right for who I think they are meant to be, but
what makes me think this was intended to be at least a nod to
Darkseid is the overall shape of the helmet, the frown, and
the exceptionally broad shoulders. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Sith Lord Darth Vader was among the observers gathered to watch the Conquest's...conquest of Earth. Comments: This isn't Darth's only 616 appearance, so he has a full profile; I only include the subprofile here to illustrate where Darth can be located in UXM I#245. There's pretty much no doubt in this
identification, not even the chance that it is someone else of
Darth's species, given the distinctive helmet design. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Asogian xenobotanist Zrek was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by
Melissa Mathison and Steven Spielberg, Zrek
first appeared in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (March 26th 1982).
His name and species were identified in the 1985 sequel novel
E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet. Identification wise, there's no doubt
this is an Asogian. I'm assuming it is Zrek, the only Asogian
we've ever properly met, but it's certainly possible this is
another member of the species. Like Darth, E.T. actually has
multiple appearances in Marvel titles; as such, one day he'll
get his own full profile. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
The Conquest's Fearless Leader was the
instigator of the invasion of Earth. Arrogant, he failed to
consider that the archivist who had tried to warn him not to
attack the planet might have had anything worth hearing, and
when he learned the Conquest was losing he decided to detonate
the Jean Bomb, callously declaring the Conquest troops who would
die "cannon fodder" whose only purpose was to be "gratuitously
sacrificed." He presumably died when Havok blew up the command
ship. Comments: The Fearless Leader and his
species, who apparently lead the Conquest, are clearly riffs on
the Dominators, who led the Alien Alliance in DC's Invasion!
crossover event. The Dominators first appeared in Adventure
Comics I#361 (October 1967) and were created by Jim Shooter. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Alien warlord Garguax was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Garguax first appeared in Doom
Patrol I#91 (November 1964), and was a creation of Arnold Drake
and Bruno Premiani. Based on the bald head, headband
(albeit lacking the centerpiece), chins and girth, and collar
design, I'm fairly confident of this identification, especially
as Garguax made an appearance in the original Invasion!
miniseries. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
G'newtian Green Lantern G'nort Esplanade Gneesmacher was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Created by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire, G'nort debuted in Justice League International I#10 (February 1988). Another identification that is pretty
much certain - between the dog-face, green costume and Green
Lantern emblem on his chest, this can't be anyone but G'nort. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Human supersoldier for an alien empire, Matt Williams, also known as the Griffin, was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by Dan Vado and Norman Felche and debuting in Slave Labor Graphic's The Griffin#1 (July 1988), Matt Williams, a.k.a. the Griffin, was a human recruited by the alien Acacian Empire to fight in their interstellar wars. The Acacians had stumbled across a process to transform people into superhumans, but the process only worked on Terrans, not Acacians, hence the Empire's seeking human volunteers. This identification is a definite,
despite the panel in question being monotone yellow. The collar
is a little off, and the shoulder pads are missing, but rest of
the jacket - the emblem on the left breast, the large pouch
pockets and the bands across the midriff holding the jacket shut
are all near perfect matches.
|
I 've seen some sites identify the character
in the Conquest gathering as DC's Guy Gardner; while that
bad-tempered Green Lantern did sport a superficially similar
jacket for a time, when you look at the details there's simply no
real resemblance. Gardner's collar shape does match Griffin's
(though neither match the guy in the Conquest gathering), but his
jacket closes on the right, not the middle, has no pouch pockets,
and he's got a distinctive chain-motif belt which the Conquest
observer lacks. So no, the guy in the Conquest audience isn't Guy
Gardner, its definitely the Griffin.--Uncanny X-Men I#245 |
|
The Hades Horde were soldiers who served the Strike Force Commander, and were called to his side when he discovered the defeated Conquest soldiers outside of Munden's Bar. The Commander intended for them to fight Havok, but when he learned the Fearless Leader was about to detonate the Jean Bomb the Commander instead had them open fire on the Conquest command ship, only for Havok to casually demonstrate his vastly superior firepower. Comments: The Hades Horde appear to be
counterparts to DC's Khunds, one of the races that took part in
Invasion! The Khunds were created by Jim Shooter and debuted in
Adventure Comics I#346 (July 1966). --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Khund cyborg Kharlak was among the alien observers assembled by the Conquest. Comments: Debuting in DC Comics Legion of
Super-Heroes III#287 (May 1982), Kharlak was a Khund champion
who was turned into a cyborg after a disastrous battle against
members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The version in UXM is miscolored, but
between the face with the large robotic eye, the neckless
shoulders, and the metal codpiece, I am fairly sure the guy on
the left is a nod to the guy on the right. Of the images to the
right, the one with the orange background is Kharlak himself,
while the white background is an unidentified Khund cyborg of
the LSH era; the guy in UXM seems to be a mix of both
aesthetics, with Kharlak's bald head, heavy brows, and visible
mouth, and the general cyborg's slightly larger and more
noticeable mechanical left eye, and a metal codpiece rather than
cloth skirt. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Lord Autarch was the leader of an unidentified species whose members served in the Conquest. He took Wolverine on in a game of poker, but folded when Wolverine bluffed him by raising the stakes to life or death. Comments: Autarch looks to be a counterpart
to the Daxamites who took part in DC's Invasion! The Daxamites
are related to Kryptonians, and Autarch shows a very clear nod
to the most famous Kryptonian, Superman, with his distinctive
forehead kiss curl of hair. Daxamites first appeared in Superboy
I#81 (June 1961) and were creations of Robert Bernstein and
George Papp. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Federation Supreme Commander Lord R. Nader was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by Jim Valentino, Lord R.
Nader first appeared in Aardvark-Vanaheim's normalman#7
(February 1985). Clearly a parody of Darth Vader, he commanded
the cube-shaped D'arquestar against the Insurgence. Between the black robe, the
featureless face mask and especially the beanie hat with
propeller, there's no doubt in this identification. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Manhunter robot was among the alien observers assembled by the Conquest. Comments: Manhunters first appeared in DC's
1st Issue Special (August 1975) and were created by Jack Kirby.
The one in UXM is miscolored, but
based on the helmet similarities, distinctive collar design and
the bands coming diagonally down from that collar across each
breast, I'm fairly sure this is a homage to those relentless
robotic alien enforcers. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Martian Manhunter was created by Joseph Samachson and Joe Certa, and debuted in DC's Detective Comics I#225 (November 1955). This identification is slightly less
sure than some of the others, though I'm still about 75%
certain. His coloring is clearly not a match, but that cloak and
large collar, bald head and huge brows all combine to make me
believe this was intended to be J'onn J'onzz. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Eyewitless news 3-D vid reporter Max the Magnificent was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Created by Jim Valentino, Max the Magnificent first appeared in Aardvark-Vanaheim's normalman#7 (February 1985). He went on to star in his own one-shot title (originally intended to be a miniseries) as well as having a small number of back-up stories in other independent titles such as Grimjack (in a Munden's Bar back-up tale) and Samurai Penguin. Frog-headed alien with a cigar holder
sticking out the left side of his mouth? Really no debate for
this identification. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Max the Magnificent's associate Meteorite was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Created by Jim Valentino, Meteorite first appeared in Aardvark-Vanaheim's normalman#8 (April 1985), where she was rescued by Max the Magnificent and normalman from Federation custody. She turned up again in Max the Magnificent#1, by which time she was Max's business partner. Though the yellow coloration does
make the identification a touch trickier, making it harder to
spot the white streaks in her hair, the outfit with its massive
shoulders and plunging neckline, plus the presence of Max the
Magnificent right next to her means there's no real doubt in
this identification. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Mongo despot Ming the Merciless was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Created by Alex Raymond, Ming
the Merciless first appeared in the Flash Gordon newspaper strip
on January 21st 1934. Another less than definite
identification. As with some of the others, the color scheme of
the Conquest character doesn't fit the individual I think it is
meant to be, but that collar, goatee and bald skull all make me
think of the Max von Sydow movie version of Ming. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Assassin of mass murderers Nexus was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: This isn't Nexus' only 616 appearance; he has a more detailed subprofile here. I only include an entry on this page to illustrate where Nexus can be located in UXM I#245. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
The Acacian soldier Stomu was among the aliens present at the Conquest's Fearless Leader's speech announcing the invasion of Earth. Comments: Created by Dan Vado and Norman Felche and debuting in Slave Labor Graphic's The Griffin#1 (July 1988), Stomu was an Acacian soldier who worked with the titular Griffin. The reason why I assume the character in the Conquest gathering is Stomu rather than just a random member of the Acacian race is because of the glasses; Stomu was the only one of his species seen to wear these, a fashion item rather than a visual aid. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
The Strike Force Commander accompanied the Strike Leader to the office of Sydney's mayor and witnessed that official's swift surrender. He then wandered Sydney's streets until he came across the defeated Conquest forces outside Munden's Bar. He intended for his Hades Horde to take down the human resistance, but ended up instead witnessing how badly outgunned they were by just a single human, Havok. Comments: The Strike Force Commander looks
to be a counterpart to the Khund Commander from Invasion! It's
uncertain whether he's in Invasion!#1 (December 1988) as the
Khunds tend to look very similar, especially with their helmets
on, but he either debuts there or in Invasion!#2 (also December
1988), and either way was created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo
and Todd McFarlane. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Tyrax was the leader of the Cosmic Cutie Commandos. Despite her fearsome reputation she was won over by Longshot, and instead of battling him chose to dance with her erstwhile adversary. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Jedi Master Yoda was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Appeared first in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda did. Created by George Lucas, though many others had hand in his design and portrayal before he reached the screen. Certain, this identification is. --Uncanny X-Men I#245 (Howard the Duck IV#3
|
|
The archivist, too lowly to be be permitted a name of his own, learned of the danger Earth posed just after the Fearless Leader had publicly announced the invasion, and died trying to warn his arrogant superior of the folly the Conquest was undertaking, gunned down by the guards who surrounded the Fearless Leader. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A pointy-headed alien was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: This is one of the
identifications I'm really not sure on. Based on color and
general shape of the head, he looks a bit like Impossible Man,
but Impy's head is less pointy, he doesn't normally wear clothes
like this, and at the time the story came out the only members
of Impy's species were Impy, his wife and his kids.
Additionally, if it was a Poppupian, that'd be the ONLY Marvel
alien present - all the other members of the Conquest throng
thus far identified have been pastiches of or nods to aliens
from other companies. A second option is that it's a Barp, an alien species from Ace Trucking, a series that began in 2000 A.D.#232 (3rd October 1981), written by Alan Grant and John Wagner, and illustrated by Massimo Belardinelli. Lead character Ace Garp (center right) is a member of this race. In favor of this being the case is the very pointed head and the pointy ears. Against this is the coloring (but given we have other apparently miscolored Conquest aliens, that's not a a deal-breaker), lack of large black triangular patches above the eyes (but again this might be down to the colorist not being briefed on this detail), and the difference in nose shapes (Conquest alien's schnozz is more or less human-shaped, Ace's is a button-nose). Possibly, but by no means certain. Yet another option, given the
presence of Nexus and what look like two other alien species
from Nexus' comic (Hacyons and Thunes), is that this is someone
from Tyrone's unidentified species. A prominent member of Nexus'
supporting cast, Tyrone (visible on the far right of this
subprofile) debuted in Nexus I#2 (June 1982), by Mike Baron and
Steve Rude. The general shape of the head is close, although the
top of Tyrone's head is closer to being a fin than a pointy
skull. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
An unidentified alien species of large girth, rocklike gray-brown skin and with large lower jaw tusks took part in the Conquest invasion, though they seemed to mostly avoid actually fighting, instead hanging out with locals sharing pints and tales of the woes of military service. Comments These appear to be counterparts to
Invasion!'s Citadelians, who debuted in Tales of the New Teen
Titans#4 (September 1982) and were created by Marv Wolfman and
George Perez. Despite the similar tusks, they don't seem to be
just members of the Cadre out of armor, as the skin color is
very noticeably different. The reason why both the Citadelians
and the Branx (who I believe are the template for the Cadre)
have those distinctive tusks is because in DC they are related
species. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Hacyon was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by Mike Baron and Steve Rude, Hacyons debuted in Nexus I#1 (1981), one of many alien species that appeared in that spacefaring saga. Though it wasn't until I was checking
Nexus issues for Thune images that I spotted the resemblance
between the Conquest alien to the left and Hacyons (right), this
identification feels fairly solid, given the close-matching
visuals and the presence of Nexus and Thunes elsewhere in the
assemblage. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Hutt was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Created by George Lucas. Though mentioned first in the original Star Wars film, it wasn't until Return of the Jedi that we first saw a Hutt. There's really zero doubt in this
identification. Since at the time the only Hutt the public had
ever seen was Jabba, and the one in Conquest is seen with both a
Twi'lek and a Mandalorian nearby, this was probably intended to
be the Tatooine crimelord with his aide Bib Fortuna and
associate Boba Fett, but it'd be hard to explain why all three
of them could have survived to the modern day given at least two
of them died "a long time ago," so for that reason I'm treating
them as generic members of their respective races. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
At least one Hykraian was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Hykraians are an aquatic species with powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities who live in methane oceans on their homeworld, Hykraius. A DC Comics race created by Paul Levitz and Steve Lightle, they first appeared in Legion of Super-Heroes III#14 (September 1985), the debut issue of their most famous member is Tellus (real name Ganglios), a member of the Legion. Despite only being seen in a tiny.
distant image, this identification seems pretty certain given
the distinctive appearance of Hykraians. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A pair of Jawas were in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by George Lucas, Jawas
were first seen in Star Wars (1977). Though it's not impossible these two
tiny individuals in face concealing brownish robes could be
someone other than Jawas, it seems fairly unlikely. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A married pair of Kryptonians, K'rok and his unidentified wife, were in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Kryptonians, in the form of Superman, were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and debuted in Action Comics#1 (June 1938), though their planet and hence species name wasn't revealed until Superman I#1 (June 1939). In terms of confirming these to be
Kryptonians, we've got the name of the husband for a starter,
but the clincher is the clothing; the outfits the couple wear,
and in particular the wife's ridiculously large headdress, are
riffs on the revised Kryptonian garb introduced to DC mythos by
John Byrne for his post-Crisis on Infinite Earths relaunch of
Superman in Man of Steel#1 (October 1986). --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
The Kryptonian K'Rok was present with his wife in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Mandalorian was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
There's really zero doubt in this identification. Since at the time the only Mandalorian the public had met was Boba, and the one in Conquest is seen with both a Twi'lek and a Hutt nearby, this might be intended to be the clone bounty hunter with his associates Jabba and Bib Fortuna.
--Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Melmacian, likely Alf, was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth.
Comments: Melmacians were introduced in the
TV series Alf (22nd September 1986). At the time this X-Man story was
published Marvel held the Alf comic license, so there was
presumably no need to make even the slightest effort to disguise
this cameo. Whether or not the Melmacian on the Conquest ship
was ALF (a.k.a. Gordon Shumway) is less certain; Shumway is the
best known Melmacian, but since he was meant to be stranded on
Earth, that introduces just an element of doubt that this might
be him and not just another of his race. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
An unidentified tall alien species took part in the Conquest invasion, though they seemed to mostly avoid actually fighting, instead hanging out with locals sharing pints and tales of the woes of military service. Comments These appear to be counterparts to
Invasion!'s Okaarans, who debuted in New Teen Titans I#13
(November 1981) and were created by Marv Wolfman and George
Perez. The silly headdresses give it away.
--Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A handful of an unidentified race with ridged heads were in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: These seem to be Psions, a race
that took part in Invasion! but debuted in The Witching Hour#13
(March 1971), and were created by Marv Wolfman, Alan Gold and
Gray Morrow. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Scientists of seemingly different species worked for the Conquest to develop the Jean Bomb, a device of mass destruction that would destroy all relationships. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
Some unidentified aliens with wings and half-faced helmets were in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: These are very clearly intended to be Thanagarian Hawkmen, one of the species who took part in Invasion!, but debuted in Brave and the Bold I#34 (March 1961) and were created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Thune, likely Judah Maccabee, was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: This appears to be a Thune, an
alien species created by Mike Baron and Steve Rude and which
debuted in Nexus I#1 (1981. Since most Thunes are not depicted
as being this muscular and since Nexus is present, this Thune
was probably intended to be a homage to Nexus' friend Judah
Maccabee. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Twi'lek was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by George Lucas, the first Twi'lek introduced was Bib Fortuna in Return of the Jedi. With the distinctive tails coming from the head, there's no doubt in this identification. At the time of this story, the readers had only seen a couple of Twi'lek, and only one male, Bib Fortuna; given that the one in Conquest is seen with both a Hutt and a Mandalorian nearby, this might be intended to be Fortuna with his master Jabba and associate Boba Fett.
--Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Wookie was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by George Lucas, Wookies
first appeared in Star Wars (1977). There's no doubt whatsoever
for this identification. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
A Xenomorph was in the audience as the Conquest's Fearless Leader announced his intention to invade Earth. Comments: Created by Dan O'Bannon (concept)
and H.R. Giger (design), Xenomorphs first appeared in the movie
Alien (May 25th 1979). There's no real question as to this
particular identification. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
|
The Jean Bomb was created by Conquest scientists
to destroy all relationships - personal, professional, organic,
inorganic, macro, micro, whatever - down to the most primally
subatomic molecular networks, her mere presence dissolving the
most loving bonds prompting brother to slay brother and boon
companions to tear themselves apart until ultimately the planet
itself would follow suit leaving nothing but the dimmest and
most fleeting of memories. When the Fearless Leader was informed
of the Conquest's defeats he decided to detonate the bomb, but
it and his command vessel were destroyed by Havok. Comments: The Jean Bomb is a double pun. On
one level it references the Gene Bomb, a weapon used in
Invasion! to depower Earth's metahumans. On another it's a nod
to Jean Grey and her clone Madelyne Pryor, the latter of whom
did indeed temporarily destroy relationships within the X-Men
and pit brothers Havok and Cyclops against one another. The Jean
Bomb has a fuller
entry on the Appendix here. --Uncanny X-Men I#245
|
images: (without ads)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2-3, pan1 (main image)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p11, pan4
(Conquest troop transports over Sydney)
Uncanny X-Men
I#245, p22, pan6-8 (Havok destroying Conquest command craft)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p13, pan2 (Cadre individual,
height comparison with human)
New Teen Titans I#25, p12, pan10
(Branx)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (purple Carson)
Griffin II#2, p11, pan4 (Carson)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p16, pan1 (Cutie Commandos)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1
(Darkseid)
Who's Who in the DC Universe I#6, p5, pan1 (Darkseid)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Darth Vader)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (E.T.)
Blip#5 cover (E.T.)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Fearless Leader)
Who's Who in the DC Universe II#1, p15, pan1 (Dominators)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan2 (Garguax)
Who's Who in the DC Universe#8, p32, pan1 (Garguax)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (G'nort)
Secret Origins II#34 cover (G'nort)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan2 (Griffin)
Griffin III#1 cover (Griffin)
Legends#4, p10, pan3 (Guy Gardner)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p20, pan7 (Hades Horde)
Invasion!#1, p72, pan1 (Khunds)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Kharlak)
Legion of Super-Heroes III#292, p16, pan5 (Kharlak)
Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes#3, p19, pan1 (Khund cyborg)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Lord Autarch upper body)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p20, pan5 (Lord Autarch face)
Invasion!#1, p66, pan1 (Daxamites)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan2 (Lord R. Nader)
normalman#8, p6, pan1 (Lord R. Nader)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Manhunter)
Source unknown (Manhunters)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Martian Manhunter)
Who's Who I#14, p26, pan1 (Martian Manhunter)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Max the Magnificent)
normalman#8, p6, pan4 (Max the Magnificent)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Meteorite)
normalman#8, p12, pan4 (Meteorite)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Ming)
Flash Gordon movie promo shot (Ming)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Nexus)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Stomu)
Griffin II#1, p11, pan6 (Stomu)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p19, pan6 (Strike Force Commander)
Invasion!#2, p16, pan2 (Khund Commander)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p20, pan3 (Tyrax)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan2 (Yoda)
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi#2, p15, pan4 (Yoda)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p8, pan6 (archivist, full body)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan4 (archivist headshot)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (pointy-headed alien)
2000A.D.#232, back cover (Ace Garp/Garp the Barp)
Nexus II#1, p13, pan3 (Tyrone)
OHOTMU:DE#6, p21, pan1 (Impossible Man)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p12, pan5 (Citadelians)
Invasion!#1, p57, pan1 (Citadelians)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Hacyon)
Nexus II#14, p15, pan2 (Mezzrow)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan2 (Hutt)
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi#1, p8, pan1 (Jabba the Hutt)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Hykraian)
Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes#2, p11, pan2 (Tellus)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan1 (Jawas)
Star Wars I#32, p4, pan3 (Jawas)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Kryptonians)
World of Krypton advert, various DC titles (Jor-El and Lara)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (K'rok)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan2 (Mandalorian)
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi#2, p18, pan1 (Boba Fett)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan2 (Melmacian)
Alf#8 cover (Gordon Shumway)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p12, pan5 (Okaarans)
Invasion!#1, p19, pan6 (Warlords of Okaara)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Psions)
Invasion!#1, p19, pan8 (Psions)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p8, pan2 (scientist headshot, pink visor, blue
outfit)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p8, pan4 (Jean Bomb scientist, blue-skinned, orange
jumpsuit)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p2, pan2 (Thanagarian)
DC Style Guide 1982, Winged Wonders page (Hawkman)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Thune)
Grimjack#52, p2, pan1 (Judah Maccabee with sword aloft)
Hammer of God: Pentathlon cover (Judah posing, wearing glasses)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan2 (Twi-lik)
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi#1, p18, pan1 (Bib Fortuna)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Wookie)
Star Wars Weekly#21 cover (Chewbacca)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p3, pan1 (Xenomorph)
Alien#1 cover (Xenomorph)
Uncanny X-Men I#245, p8, pan4 (Jean Bomb)
Appearances:
Uncanny X-Men I#245 (June 1989) - Chris Claremont (writer), Rob Liefeld
(pencils), Dan Green (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
First Posted: 02/27/2023
Last updated: 02/27/2023
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.!
Cadres
Carson
Cosmic Cutie Commandos (See-Cubed)
Darkseid
Darth Vader
E.T.
Fearless Leader
Garguax
G'nort
The Griffin
Hades Horde
Kharlak
Lord Autarch
Lord R. Nader
Manhunters
Martian Manhunter
Max the Magnificent
Meteorite
Ming the Merciless
Nexus
Stomu
Strike Force Commander
Tyrax
Yoda
archivist
Citadelians
Hacyons
Hutts
Hykraians
Jawas
Kryptonians
K'Rok
Mandalorians
Melmacians
Okaarans
Psions
Scientists
Thanagarians
Thunes
Twi'leks
Wookies
Xenomorphs
The Jean Bomb