"dragons" of the Negative Zone "dragons" of the Negative Zone
Classification: Extradimensional (Negative Zone) race
Location/Base of Operations: Negative Zone and the Distortion Area
Known Members: None identified;
the wing-amputee is noteworthy
Affiliations: Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman/Sue Richards, Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm)
Enemies: N-Explorers (notably Trapster (Peter Petruski) and Travis)
First Appearance: Fantastic Four III#40 (April, 2001)
Powers/Abilities: The "dragons" possess paired wings and a wide-tipped tail that the presumably aids both in balance and in propulsion.
They do not have feet or other limbs, nor any digits on the end of their wings, and they appear to be most suited for continued flight.
However, they can likely glide/float in the Negative Zone's "space" (the Negative Zone does not generally seem to have the airless vacuum that space in Earth's Universe has).
They can fly in the skies above planets and likely in the space between planets.
They can also navigate the vortex/maelstrom of the Distortion Area.
They can fly with several hundred pounds on their back, even out of the Distortion Area vortex.
Their top speeds, range, etc. are all unrevealed.
Their song/wail can open interdimensional wormholes that allow them to transport from the Distortion Area to the Negative Zone's space and presumably back...and perhaps to other locations.
Their means of nourishment and any other details are unrevealed.
Traits: Relatively docile, the "dragons" fly in herds/pods, transporting collectively across the wormholes they create at will.
They can be calmed and ridden as a steed if treated gently and audibly soothed.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric reptilian (or perhaps piscine) winged/flighted creatures
Eyes: Four (on head; solid yellow color seen)
Fingers: None
Toes: None
Skin color: Red
Average length Approximately 40'-50' from nose to tail.
History:
(Fantastic
Four III#40 - BTS) - Seeking to investigate the N-Explorers, three of
the Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman/Sue Richards, Mr.
Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm) headed into the Negative
Zone.
(Fantastic Four III#40 - BTS) - A number of winged dragons were flying in the Distortion Area as the Fantastic Four arrived.
When the N-Explorers ambushed the Four and blew up their ship, one of the dragon females had a wing severed by the explosion, while the other dragons flew away from the vortex.
As Sue
Richards had protected herself and her teammates with a force field,
she struggled to maintain it in the maelstrom. 
Seeking a means to counteract the vortex, Sue identified the crippled dragon being pulled into the vortex as well.
As Reed lassoed the dragon's neck with his arm and pulled his teammates
onto its back, Sue tried to soothe the dragon, assuring it they were
not going to hurt it. 
Sue then manipulated her force field to mimic the shape and motion of the dragon's wing, allowing it to fly properly and escape the vortex.
As the dragon caught up to the other dragons, they began a song/wail, which opened a dimensional wormhole that transported them into the Negative Zone just above Pilgrims Rock, a world colonized by a group of 17th century Puritans.
As the Four dropped to the ground, the dragons called out, "Skkaaaa!" and flew off, with the wing-amputated dragon riding atop another, intact dragon.
Sue noted how majestic the creatures were, while Reed considered that the dimensional jump made it impossible to determine their position within the Negative Zone.
Comments: Created by Carlos Pacheco, Jeph Loeb, Rafael Marin, and Jesus Marin.
These creatures were one of these cool Marvel sub-plot/plot device deals where they were active for a few pages and then not seen nor heard from again.
It's subjective, but they resemble an aquatic species more than a reptile or bird to me.
Let's hope the dragons could regenerate a lost wing. At any rate, the
amputee could at least ride atop the back of another, intact dragon.
Perhaps, away from the vortex of the Distortion Area, the one wing and the tail were enough to keep it airborne?
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The dragons of the Negative Zone should be distinguished from:
| (Fantastic
Four III#40 - BTS) - Seeking to investigate the N-Explorers, three of
the Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman/Sue Richards, Mr.
Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm) headed into the Negative
Zone. (Fantastic Four III#40 - BTS) - A number of winged dragons were flying in the Distortion Area as the Fantastic Four arrived. When the N-Explorers ambushed the Four and blew up their ship, one of the dragon females had a wing severed by the explosion, while the other dragons flew away from the vortex. |  |
 | As Sue Richards had protected herself and her teammates with a force field, she struggled to maintain it in the maelstrom. Seeking a means to counteract the vortex, Sue identified the crippled dragon being pulled into the vortex as well. As Reed lassoed the dragon's neck with his arm and pulled his teammates onto its back, Sue tried to soothe the dragon, assuring it they were not going to hurt it. Sue then manipulated her force field to mimic the shape and motion of the dragon's wing, allowing it to fly properly and escape the vortex. |  |
 | As the dragon caught up to the other dragons, they began a song/wail, which opened a dimensional wormhole that transported them into the Negative Zone just above Pilgrims Rock, a world colonized by a group of 17th century Puritans. As the Four dropped to the ground, the dragons called out, "Skkaaaa!" and flew off. --Fantastic Four III#40 |  |
images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four III#40, pg. 15, panel 1 (ventral/underneath view)
pg. 16, panel 1 (fleeing, wing-injured in explosion);
pg. 17, panel 2 (amputee struggling);
panel 3 (amputee lassoed);
panel 4 (face close-up; "Four" atop amputee);
pg. 18, panel 3 (invisible wing);
pg. 19, panel 2 (amputee joining pod);
panel 3 (song/wail);
panel 5 (wormhole; warping out);
pg. 20, panel 1 (wormhole; warping in, arriving over Pilgrims rock);
panel 3 (amputee supported; departure "skkaaaa")
Appearances:
Fantastic Four III#40 (April, 2001) - Carlos
Pacheco (artist, co-plotter), Jeph Loeb (script), Rafael Marin
(co-plotter), Jesus Merino (inker), Andrew Lis (assistant editor),
Bobbie Chase (editor)
First posted: 03/27/2022
Last updated: 03/27/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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