Ryas (planet of the Druffs; Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock stories)

ryas-druff-orbit-surf32 ryas-druff-meadows-surf32 RYAS

Official Name: Ryas

Nature: Extraterrestrial planet, fourth from the sun in the Psori star system, Andromeda galaxy;
    Gravity: 110% Earth's
    Atmosphere: 130% Earth's density (composition unspecified);
    Ryas was largely covered with lush flower-strewn meadows and grassy glens, but it does suffer periods of severe drought;
    no cities marred its surface and no factories tainted its flower-perfumed air

Natives: Druff race;
at least formerly colonized by Skrulls

Population: Virtually unknowable due rapid replication

Capital City: Inapplicable. The Druff did not appear to have any organized nations, etc.

Government: The Druff did not appear to have any organized government

Languages: Unrevealed;
most Druff shown did not speak;
the Druff who spoke could understand and be understood by Adam Warlock

National Defense: Inapplicable

Places of Interest: Temple of the "God of the Druff"

Visitors: Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd), Adam Warlock;
formerly Blessed-of-Litters and the "God of the Druff"

First Appearance: (Identified) The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3: Alien Races Appendix: Druffs entry (March, 1983);
(full) Silver Surfer III#32 (Mid-December, 1989)

History:
(Incredible Hercules I#118 (fb) - BTS) - The extraterrestrial Druff race of Ryas worshiped the nameless Blessed-of-Litters.

(The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3: Alien Races Appendix: Druffs entry / Incredible Hercules I#118 (fb) - BTS) <25,000 years ago>- The extraterrestrial Skrulls colonized Ryas.

(Incredible Hercules I#118 (fb) - BTS) - The Skrulls eventually conquered Ryas and Blessed-of-Litters, building temples to their own gods, Kly'bn the Eternal and Sl'gur't of the Infinite Names. These temples were decorated with statues of gods conquered by the Skrulls, including Blessed-of-Litters.

ryas-druffs-surf32-druffs ryas-druff-meadows2-surf32

(Fantastic Four I#37 (fb) - BTS / The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3: Alien Races Appendix: Druffs entry) - The Druffs spread from Ryas to other worlds in the Skrull Empire, including the Skrull homeworld, Tarnax IV, by stowing away aboard starships.

(Silver Surfer III#32 - BTS) - At some point, the Pheragots established a refinery in orbit of Ryas, designed to process the planet's minerals into usable energy for "a world parsecs distant" (see comments).

(Silver Surfer III#32) - The Silver Surfer -- infected (with aid from the Hell-lord demon Mephisto) by a sentient space-born virus causing the hallucinogenic Hlavac's disease -- shattered the refinery and then crashed on Ryas.

As the Surfer arrived on the lush world, he sensed even through his fevered eyes, that the world was as purse and as fragrant as must have been the first garden.

As the Druffs gathered around the silvery being, the likes of which they had not seen before, the Surfer revived and -- seeing them as vicious monstrosities due to his hallucinations -- unleashed his power cosmic against them. Aimed to kill the monsters he envisioned, the Surfer fired over the tiny Druffs' heads, and they safely fled.

Regaining his senses, the Surfer realized that he had assaulted the helpless and harmless creatures. After futilely apologizing, he flew into space again.

(Silver Surfer III#32 - BTS) - The Silver Surfer purged the virus from his system.

ryas-druff-gotgan1-drought

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3 (fb)) - During a long summer on Ryas, the ground became parched and the trees ceased to produce fruit. ryas-druff-gotgan1-drought2

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3 (fb)) - An unidentified being approached Ryas and observed the Druff. Seeing how swiftly they replicated, the being sought to make the Druff worship him so that when the time came, they would serve as his crusading army, once capable of making more of itself in no time at all. intended to train them in warfare.

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3 (fb)) - When a spherical structure crashed on Ryas from the skies, the Druff found the structure to be full of fruits, water, and fuel to burn. The Druff worshipped and built a temple to this being they believed to be a god.

druffs_race-ryas-gotgan1-worship druffs_race-ryas-gotgan1-warlock-landfall

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3) - After escaping a black hole, Adam Warlock entered Ryas' atmosphere, and the Druffs witnessed his fiery landing and considered him to be their god.

The Druff brought Warlock to their temple, where he told them he was not their god, and they told him of their history with their god.

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3) - Warlock flew out into the space above Ryas and encountered the "god of the Druff."

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3 - BTS) - Learning that the being intended to make the Druff into his army, Warlock apparently destroyed the creature in a fiery explosion.

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3) - On the surface of Ryas, Druff observed the flash of light in the sky from this explosion.

(Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3 - BTS) - Adam resolved to use his power to protect the Druff, but the Druff need not know that their god was dead and they would be free to live and believe in their god as they chose. The Druff continued to worship their "god."

Comments: Identified and described by Mark Gruenwald, et al.
fully shown by Jim Valentino, Ron Frenz, and Joe Sinnott.

What of the Skrulls?

In Fantastic Four I#37 and Avengers I#94, we saw Druffs on Tarnax IV, and they were speculated to be fauna (or flora) of the Skrull throneworld.
In the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3: Alien Races Appendix: Druffs entry, it was established that Ryas had been colonized and conquered by the Skrulls.
When Ryas was first actually seen in Silver Surfer III#32, it seemed to be a primitive planet, and no Skrulls were seen.
Obviously, a small, rural portion of the planet was seen, and perhaps Skrulls were only present in the focal locations, such as specific colonies.
Or, perhaps the Skrulls withdrew after the Hyper-Wave bomb removed their shape-shifting abilities?
Or during the Kree-Skrull conflicts in the immediately preceding Silver Surfer issues?
No Skrulls were seen or mentioned to be associated with the Druff in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual#1/3. Based on previous behavior, I would think Skrulls would have tried to exterminate such a god of the Druff, or at least terminate the worship, but whether Skrulls were still around and unaware/apathetic, or whether they were no longer present on Ryas is not confirmed.

In Silver Surfer III#32, after the Pheragot refinery transferring energy to "a world parsecs distant" is destroyed, Pheragots on Arago-7 noted the destruction of the refinery...but was it transferring energy to Arago-7 or to another world and simply monitored by the Pheragots of Arago-7?
That information is unrevealed at this time, as far as I know.

    I agree that the unmanned Pheragot refinery in geo-stationary orbit above the planet Ryas was there to process ore taken from the planet. However, I didn't see any evidence that it had actually begun mining the planet...yet.
    It does seem a bit odd that the Pheragots, with their stated reputation for benevolence, would mine a planet that was inhabited. Perhaps they consider the Druffs to be nothing more than vermin? Or maybe their method of mining would not be as destructive as conventional Earth technology?
    Don Campbell

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ryas has no known connections to

other "Ryas" characters, places, items, etc.
I don't think people named Ryan are likely to be confused with the planet Ryas, so I'm not listing them all here.

images: (without ads)
Silver Surfer III#32, pg. 7, panel 1 (from orbit, with shattered refinery);
            panel 2 (meadows, Surfer arriving);
            panel 4 (meadows and mountains; Surfer collapsed);
        pg. 9, panel 2 (Surfer with frightened Druff);
Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3, pg. 2 (Druff around temple as Adam Warlock approaches);
        pg. 5, panel 2-3 (drought; with arrival of the "god");
        pg. 10, panel 4 (worshipping their "god")

Appearances:
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#3: Alien Races Appendix: Druffs entry (March, 1983) - Mark Gruenwald (editor/head writer/designer), David Cody Weiss, Peter Sanderson, Roger Stern, Bob Simpson, Bob Harras, Joanne Harras (researchers), Paty Cockrum (penciler), Al Milgrom (inker))
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe II (Deluxe Edition) #15: Appendix: Alien Races: Druffs (March, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer/producer), Peter Sanderson (writer/researcher), Kyle Baker (artist for the Alien Races Appendix)
Silver Surfer III#32 (Mid-December, 1989) - Jim Valentino (script), Ron Frenz (penciler), Joe Sinnott (inker), Craig Sanderson (editor)
Incredible Hercules I#118 (August, 2008) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Rafa Sandoval (pencils), Roger Bonet (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Guardians of the Galaxy VI Annual#1/3 (August, 2019) - Tini Howard (writer), Ibrahim Moustafa (artist), Lauren Amaro (assistant editor), Darren Shan (editor), Jordan D. White (senior editor)

First posted: 01/23/2022
Last updated: 01/23/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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