SIR RAM
Real Name: Presumably Ram
Identity/Class: Terrestrial fauna (ram) mutate (New Men)
Occupation: Knight, warrior, pilot
Group Membership: Knights of Pendragon (notably Sir Lepard, Sir Lyan, and Sir Ossilot; and to some degree Count Tagar, Sir Porga), New Men (possibly including Bova Ayshire)
Affiliations: High Evolutionary (Herbert Wyndham), Hulk (Bruce Banner)
presumably Thor Odinson;
possibly Jane Foster (later Thor and Valkyrie);
a pair of unidentified humans gathered fauna for him to transport to
Wundagore II, but they were very fearful of him
Enemies: Hulk (Bruce Banner), rogue Knights of Wundagore, Man-Beast and the New Men who served him;
Known Relatives: Unidentified ewe woman ("Lady Ewe"; wife; fate unrevealed);
as it is likely that the New Men may have a shorter duration of
gestation / pregnancy (conventional sheep have approximately 150 day
gestation), Sir Ram may or may not have been the father or ancestor of
subsequent Sir Rams...
Aliases: The New Man;
Sir Raam (see comments)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
died aboard the High Evolutionary's artificial asteroid/moon base;
formerly a starship that subsequently landed on Wundagore II, star system and galaxy unrevealed (see comments);
formerly a base presumably in Manitoba or Saskatchewan, Canada (see comments)
formerly the city of Wundagore II;
formerly the High Evolutionary's Citadel of Science, Mount Wundagore, Transia, Europe, Earth
First Appearance: (Presumably Behind-the-Scenes in Thor I#134 (November, 1966) and/or Thor I#135 (December, 1966);
(confirmed, seen; identified only as the New Man) Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (August, 1967);
(as Sir Ram) Tales to Astonish I#95/2 (September, 1967)
Powers/Abilities: A ram evolved into humanoid biped form, he walked and spoke like a human. He appeared to have human conformation limbs, rather than digitigrade, cloven -hooved limbs like a conventional sheep. From the limited images seen, he appeared to have a round iris and pupil, like a human, rather than a rectangular pupil, like a conventional sheep.
He had a pair of curled horns on his head presumably comparable to bone in density. Although he was not shown to ram (rush forward and strike with his head) objects or beings, he likely may have done that in combat given the opportunity.
It would seem likely that he was a ruminant (foregut fermenter, with four "stomachs," including the omasum, abomasum, reticulum, and rumen), but that is confirmed.
He likely had slightly superhuman ("enhanced human") strength, speed, agility, olfactory and perhaps auditory senses.
He wore a suit of body armor, composed of an unidentified metal, which
presumably provided some degree of physical protection. However, a
single punch from the Hulk knocked him unconscious for at least several
minutes despite the armor. Additionally, neither the armor nor the ship
provided significant radiation protection, as a pair of radiation
blasts from passing through/near to a cosmic storm provided rapidly
fatal to him.
This is different than the armor worn by the Knights of Wundagore in combat.
He carried a flashlight-like light source and he had a holster with some sort of presumed energy blaster, but he was not shown to use this, so its nature remains unrevealed.
He was experienced in combat and may have been experienced in riding the Knights of Wundagore's atomic steeds and using their lances, swords, etc., but he was demonstrated to do so.
He was able to pilot of the High Evolutionary's ship to transport fauna to Wundagore, which could use to travel from a planetary surface to escape its atmosphere, fly through space, access and traverse hyperspace, and navigate away from threats such as cosmic storms.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'8" - 5'10" (he seemed to be MUCH smaller than the 7' Hulk)History:
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point while dwelling in his Citadel of Science atop Mount Wundagore, the High Evolutionary used his genetic accelerator to evolve a ram into one of his New Men.
(Thor I#135 (fb) - BTS) - Wyndham taught his New Men language, science, biology, and history.
(Thor I#135 (fb) / Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Like most of his New Men at the time, the High Evolutionary trained this New Man in the ways of the knights of old, striving to teach him a code of honor and chivalry; he dubbed him Sir Ram.
(Thor I#134 - BTS / Thor I#135 - BTS) - After the High Evolutionary had evolved the malevolent Man-Beast, Sir Ram may have been amongst the Knights of Wundagore who opposed Man-Beast and his newly created New Men.(Thor I#135 - BTS) - After Thor subdued the Man-Beast, the Knights forced the rest of the New Men into the Evolutionary's Star Chamber, which then transported them to the "galaxy Dromisana."
With his citadel in the form of a starship, the Evolutionary piloted it to depart Earth.
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb)) - Sir Ram (or an unidentified ram New Man/Knight) was one of the 38 Knights of Wundagore aboard the Evolutionary's Citadel-turned-ship as it departed Mount Wundagore. Eventually -- after traveling through hyperspace --the Evolutionary's ship...
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) / Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - ...landed on a near-Earthlike planet in a hospitable star system.
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) - BTS) - The Evolutionary sent forth his Knights to explore this planet, and they discovered and reported an abandoned city. Claiming the world in the name of the High Evolutionary...
(Tales to Astonish I#95/2 (fb) - BTS) - They named the world Wundagore II...
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS / West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) - BTS) - ...and they (re)built the city, adapting it to their use.
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) - BTS) - Meanwhile, the High Evolutionary used the menagerie of animals contained in his citadel to evolve a female of each species he had already evolved for his knights.
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb)) - The High Evolutionary presented the women to his knights, and Sir Ram (or another ram New Man) accepted the ewe woman to take as his wife. The Evolutionary told the couples to go forth into the new city and to be fruitful and multiply; he further advised them that he had exhausted his stores and that from then on, they would be responsible for replenishing their numbers.
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Their little civilization thrived and flourished in peace and prosperity initially.
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - The New Men began reverting back to their bestial heritage, and they savagely attacked each other. The process began so gradually that the High Evolutionary did not notice right away.
Eventually, like a floodtide, the savagery and destructiveness increased beyond belief, and they began to destroy their civilization.
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) - BTS) - Sir Ram was the only loyal/non-maddened member of the Knights/New Men. The Evolutionary tried to reason with his rampant subjects to no avail, and he searched Wundagore II for new specimens to evolve in hopes of creating beings capable of restoring order, but there were none to be found.
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to find new specimens to experiment upon to find a remedy for this madness, the High Evolutionary sent Sir Ram back to Earth in a starship. Ram and the High Evolutionary enlisted a pair of hunters to capture animals for Sir Ram, whom they knew as the New Man.
These hunters felt that the New Man would not allow them to desert him, and at least one of them feared that the New Man might plan to destroy them (and perhaps humanity as well).
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Sir Ram made at least one transport, bringing a number of animals (including at least one bear) gathered by the hunters to Wundagore II and then returning to Earth.
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2 - BTS) - The hunters fled after encountering the Hulk, using the communication equipment they had been given to send a distress call to the High Evolutionary (although they did not realize he was not on Earth).
Per the High Evolutionary's instructions, the hunters used the special pellets he had provided to subdue the Hulk and then send the Hulk to him aboard Sir Ram's ship so that he might use the Hulk to fight off the rampaging New Men.
(Tales to Astonish I#94/2) - En route to Wundagore II, Sir Ram was surprised to find only one specimen aboard and figured the Evolutionary would be disappointed. As Sir Ram realized the captive was instead a monstrous human, the reviving Hulk broke free of his chains. Though shocked by the power required to do this and not recognizing the word "Hulk" the creature used, Sir Ram confronted the Hulk, only to be dropped by a single punch. Only thereafter did the Hulk appreciate his victim to be an animal man.
(Tales to Astonish I#95/2 - BTS) - Detecting a cosmic storm in the path of Sir Ram's ship, the High Evolutionary sent a message warning Sir Ram of this. However, with Ram unconscious, the frustrated/confused Hulk smashed the communication console. When controls began buzzing and flashing, the Hulk sought out Ram, figuring he would understand what was going on.
(Tales to Astonish I#95/2 - BTS) - As Sir Ram awakened, the Hulk brought him to the control room despite Ram's struggling, and Ram recognized the cosmic storm just before the first blast struck them.
After the ship steadied, Ram changed the ship's course even as a second blast struck them. Although Ram piloted the ship to safety, the radiation had penetrated the ship.
Not understanding what had happened, the Hulk congratulated Ram on saving the ship and told him he was brave and would be his friend.
However, Ram had absorbed a fatal dose, and he swiftly collapsed, telling the Hulk he would have to reach the High Evolutionary alone.
Frustrated by the loss of a friend and affected by the radiation, the Hulk reverted to Bruce Banner, who found Sir Ram's corpse and assumed the Hulk had killed him.
(Tales to Astonish I#95/2 - BTS) - After the radiation caused the Hulk to revert to Bruce Banner, the Evolutionary remotely guided Sir Ram's ship to Wundagore II.
(Tales to Astonish I#96/2 - BTS) - Ultimately, the Evolutionary subjected himself to his Genetic Accelerator, became a being of psionic energy, and devolved all of his Knights/New Men back into purely animal form.
(Marvel Premiere I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Presumably while
still in his psionic energy form, the High Evolutionary brought Sir Ram
back from the threshold of death.
Eventually, the High Evolutionary was nearly maddened by the loneliness of infinity, and he returned to his human form.
The High Evolutionary established
a base aboard a hollowed out satellite/moon and he brought Sir Ram
aboard to assist him.
(Marvel Premiere I#1) - Detecting an object floating
nearby in space, Sir Ram alerted the High Evolutionary, and they
brought the cocoon containing the regenerating Him (soon to become Adam
Warlock) aboard. The Evolutionary then instructed Sir Ram to guide the
ship to "position two" on the far side of the sun, after which he
initiated the transformation of a rock from Earth into Counter-Earth,
evolving life through accelerated time.
(Marvel Premiere I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Unbeknownst to them both, the Man-Beast and his New Men had returned from the Dromisana Galaxy and were observing the process.
(Marvel Premiere I#1) - When
the High Evolutionary became exhausted by the process and collapsed,
the Man-Beast led his New Men to invade the asteroid base. Hearing
parties within the space lock, Sir Ram investigated and was shocked to
see the Man-Beast and his New Men. Mocking his lack of a friendly
weapon, Man-Beast blasted and apparently slew Sir Ram.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Marie Severin, and Herb Trimpe.
Where was Sir Ram based on Earth while gathering fauna for the High Evolutionary?
In the
previous issue, the Hulk had fought the Silver Surfer and the New York
Police Department. The hunters had captured a caribou, and while New
York borders both Ontario and Quebec -- per Canadian Master of the
Obscure Minor Irritant / Rob London -- you’d have
to travel a ways north of the border to get into caribou territory.
More significantly
In Marvel Premiere#1, he is called "Sir Raam."
The High Evolutionary refers to
bringing "Sir Raam" back from the brink of death and notes that only he
was the only one remaining from his original New Men, which pretty
solidly seems to indicate that he was referring to the previously
existing Sir Ram.
Seems a little odd to bring him back from the dead only to kill him in the same issue. Oh well...
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Sir Ram should be distinguished from:
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) - BTS) - After arriving on Wundagore II, the High Evolutionary used the menagerie of animals contained in his citadel to evolve a female of each species he had already evolved for his knights. (West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb)) - The High Evolutionary presented the women to his knights, and Sir Ram (or another ram New Man) accepted the ewe woman to take as his wife. The Evolutionary told the couples to go forth into the new city and to be fruitful and multiply; he further advised them that he had exhausted his stores and that from then on, they would be responsible for replenishing their numbers. (Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Their little civilization thrived and flourished in peace and prosperity initially. (Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - The New Men began reverting back to their bestial heritage, and they savagely attacked each other. The process began so gradually that the High Evolutionary did not notice right away. (Tales to Astonish I#96/2 - BTS) - After Sir Ram's death, the Evolutionary subjected himself to his Genetic Accelerator, became a being of psionic energy, and devolved all of his Knights/New Men back into purely animal form. --West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3Note: The ewe woman was only seen in a single panel of a flashback in West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3. If she did not perish in or before the savage battles on Wundagore II, she would have been turned back into a conventional ewe by the High Evolutionary, and assuming she was not devoured by some carnivore, may have been re-evolved into humanoid biped form by Rigellian radiation circa Iron Man I#111 (fb). |
|
Primarily intended to transport fauna
to Wundagore II, it could travel from a planetary surface to
escape its atmosphere, fly through space, access and traverse
hyperspace, and navigate away from threats such as cosmic storms. (Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking to find new specimens to experiment upon to find a remedy for this madness, the High Evolutionary sent Sir Ram back to Earth in a starship. Ram and the High Evolutionary enlisted a pair of hunters to capture animals for Sir Ram, whom they knew as the New Man. These hunters felt that the New Man would not allow them to desert him, and at least one of them feared that the New Man might plan to destroy them (and perhaps humanity as well). (Tales to Astonish I#94/2 (fb) - BTS) - Sir Ram made at least one transport, bringing a number of animals (including at least one bear) gathered by the hunters to Wundagore II and then returning to Earth. (Tales to Astonish I#94/2 - BTS) - The hunters fled after encountering the Hulk, using the communication equipment they had been given to send a distress call to the High Evolutionary (although they did not realize he was not on Earth). Per the High Evolutionary's instructions, the hunters used the special pellets he had provided to subdue the Hulk and then send the Hulk to him aboard Sir Ram's ship so that he might use the Hulk to fight off the rampaging New Men. (Tales to Astonish I#94/2) - En route to Wundagore II, Sir Ram was surprised to find only one specimen aboard and figured the Evolutionary would be disappointed. As Sir Ram realized the captive was instead a monstrous human, the reviving Hulk broke free of his chains. Though shocked by the power required to do this and not recognizing the word "Hulk" the creature used, Sir Ram confronted the Hulk, only to be dropped by a single punch. Only thereafter did the Hulk appreciate his victim to be an animal man. |
|
(Tales to Astonish I#95/2 - BTS) - Detecting a cosmic storm in the path of Sir Ram's ship, the High Evolutionary sent a message warning Sir Ram of this. However, with Ram unconscious, the frustrated/confused Hulk smashed the communication console. When controls began buzzing and flashing, the Hulk sought out Ram, figuring he would understand what was going on. (Tales to Astonish I#95/2 - BTS) - As Sir Ram awakened, the Hulk brought him to the control room despite Ram's struggling, and Ram recognized the cosmic storm just before the first blast struck them. After the ship steadied, Ram changed the ship's course even as a second blast struck them. Although Ram piloted the ship to safety, the radiation had penetrated the ship. Not understanding what had happened, the Hulk congratulated Ram on saving the ship and told him he was brave and would be his friend. However, Ram had absorbed a fatal dose, and he swiftly collapsed, telling the Hulk he would have to reach the High Evolutionary alone. Frustrated by the loss of a friend and affected by the radiation, the Hulk reverted to Bruce Banner, who found Sir Ram's corpse and assumed the Hulk had killed him. (Tales to Astonish I#95/2 - BTS) - After the radiation caused the Hulk to revert to Bruce Banner, the Evolutionary remotely guided Sir Ram's ship to Wundagore II. --Tales to Astonish I#94/2 |
Appearances:
Tales to Astonish I#94/2 - 96/2 (August-October, 1967) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Marie Severin (penciler), Herb Trimpe (inker)
Marvel Premiere I#1 (April, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gil Kane (penciler), Dan Adkin (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#6: Knights of Wundagore entry (June, 1983) - Mark Gruenwald (editor/head writer/designer), Peter Sanderson, Mark Lerer, Dan Fingeroth, Lou Mougin (writers), Joanne Harras, Bob Harras, David Cody Weiss, Fred Baumana, Roger Stern, Bob Simpson (researchers), Mike Mignola (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker), Eliot R. Brown (technical advisor/typesetter), Michael Carlin (associate editor/designer)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe II (Deluxe Edition) #15: Wundagore entry (March, 1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer/producer), Peter Sanderson (writer/researcher), Cynthia Martin (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker), Howard Mackie (assistant editor), Marc Siry, David Wohl, Marc McLaurin (editorial assistants), Gregory Wright (assistant editor)
West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3: High Evolutionary Chapter Nine: The Final Frontier (October, 1988) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Ron Lim (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#8: New Men (August, 2006) - Jeff Christiansen (head writer/coordinator), Sean McQuaid, Stuart Vandal, Ronald Byrd, Michael Hoskin, Mark O'English, Chris Biggs, Eric J. Moreels, Mike Fichera, Al Sjoerdsma, Barry Reese, Chad Anderson, Madison Carter, Anthony Flamini & Rich Green (writers), Michael Short (assistant editor), Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer Grunwald (editors)
Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#8: New Men (July, 2009) - Jeff Christiansen (head writer/coordinator),
Stuart Vandal, Mike Fichera & Madison Carter (coordination assistants), Sean McQuaid, Michael Hoskin, Stuart Vandal, Ronald Byrd, David
Wiltfong, Madison Carter, Mike Fichera,
Chad Anderson, Chris Biggs, Eric J.
Moreels, Mark O'English, Al Sjoerdsma, Jacob Rougemont, Gabriel Shechter, Anthony Flamini, Rich Green, Markus Raymond, Andrew Goletz, Rob London, Mike O'Sullivan & Jeph York (writers), Brian
Overton (copy editor), Alex Starbuck (editorial assistant), John Denning & Cory Levine (assistant
editors), Mark D. Beazley (editor, special projects), Jeff Youngquist
&
Jennifer Grunwald (editors)
First posted: 01/12/2023
Last updated: 09/28/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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