swamp creaturesof Wundagore II
swamp creatures
of Wundagore II
Classification: Insectoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: The swamplands of Wundagore II (allegedly the 5th planet in the Sirius star system, Milky Way galaxy; see comments);
Known Members: None identified
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Iron Man (Tony Stark);
any New Men/Knights of Wundagore or any other beings who encountered them
First Appearance: Iron Man I#111 (June, 1978)
Powers/Abilities: The swamp creatures have forms similar to terrestrial praying mantises, but much larger.
They give off high levels of radiation, which Iron Man's scanners assessed as being lethal within seconds if he were not protected by his armor's refractive coatin.
They are covered in a dense chitin-like exoskeleton, which resisted Iron Man's model 04 armor's physical and energy attacks when his armor's power sources were virtually depleted.
He possesses large and powerful hemimandibles that can wrap around a human-sized structure and which Iron Man believed could crack his armor.
They have paired antennae, originating from a prominence between the eyes. Energy blasts channeled through these antennae could pain and, at least, temporarily blind one of the swamp creatures.
The swamp creatures seemed to be primitive insectoids, communicating with high-pitched screeches.
One image made it appear as if they have wings (see the image to the right). Perhaps some do, and perhaps some can fly...
Traits: The Insectoids dwell in the swamplands and attack and attempt to feed on those who wander in there.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric insectoid quadrupeds
Eyes: Two (on head; red color seen, with some sort of energy/wavelength pattern; also show a static-type pattern when stunned)
Fingers: Limbs ended in a single point
Toes: Limbs ended in a single point
Skin color: Green (darker on dorsal surface and limbs, lighter on ventrum
Average height: With their abdomen resting on the ground, their
head seemed to reach a vertical height of perhaps 10'); they seemed to
have a length of closer to 20-25'.
History:
(West
Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in the past,
unidentified beings established a city on the planet that would later
be known as Wundagore II. 
Under unrevealed circumstances, the city was abandoned (see comments).
(Iron Man I#111 (fb) - BTS) - Giant, radiation-generating, praying mantis-like creatures existed on the world that would become Wundagore II, in "the before-time..."(Iron Man I#111 (fb) - BTS) - The High Evolutionary and his Knights of Wundagore came to this world, seeking it to be their new home, and they encountered the giant praying mantis-like creatures.
As these creatures made no use of the world's riches, the High Evolutionary banished them to the swamps.
(West Coast Avengers Annual#3/3 (fb)) - The High Evolutionary and his Knights, as well as the New Men (the larger society, including non-warrior evolved animal people) settled this world and named it Wundagore II.
(Iron Man I#111 (fb) - BTS) - The swamp creatures, as they were referred to, would periodically trap unwary travelers. Few reportedly survived such encounters.(Iron Man I#111 - BTS) - Getting in the middle of a space battle between the Knights of Wundagore and a group of Rigellian Colonizers serving under Arcturus, Earth hero Iron Man was blasted by both groups and sent crashing to Wundagore II, landing in the swamplands.
(Iron
Man I#111) - As Iron Man revived hours later, he was confronted by one
of the swamp
creature. His sensors detected instantly lethal levels of radiation
pouring from the creature, with only his armor's refractory coating
protecting him. With his power levels drained by the battle and the
amount of time he had spent unconscious, Iron Man feared that the
creature would crack his armor and he would be cooked within
seconds. 
The creature surprised Iron Man with its speed, swatting him into the swamp water and then catching him between its mandibles. His chest laser surprised the creature, causing it to drop him, but his low power levels were so low that the blast did the creature no actual harm.
As the creature came at him again, Iron Man considered it to be just a hungry beast in search of a meal, and he further noted the ignomy of perishing thusly given the powerful foes he had faced, like Kang and the Mandarin. Unwilling to go out in that fashion, Iron Man took the risk of leaping forward to grab the creature's antennae, bringing in proximity to its mandibles, switched to his back-up power units, and released as powerful a charge as he could while still retaining power to keep his heart beating (as was the case at the time).
Pained and blinded but not downed, the creature swatted Iron Man away with one of its forelimbs and then stumbled away in agony.
(Iron Man I#111 - BTS) - As Iron Man worried if the creature might have any cousins that would assault him, he was instead confronted by Sir Lyan and a group of Knights of Wundagore, who noted that men rarely survived such encounters with the swamp creatures.
His power virtually depleted, Iron Man managed to only blind it and cause it to stumble away from him.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Keith Pollard, and Fred Kida.
In the flashbacks, in Iron Man I#111, the giant mantis-like creatures dwelled on that world before the New Men and their ship landed there. These creatures gave off lethal levels of radiation...
Avengers West Coast Annual#3 noted that the Knights found an abandoned city when they explored their new world, and they rebuilt this city as their new base...
So...who built that city?
I have not seen references to skeletons, corpses, or any remains of the previous inhabitants.
Maybe the radiation mutated the city-builders to become the swamp creatures...maybe they were insectoid beings who were transformed into giant, monstrous form...
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The swamp creatures should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Iron Man I#111, pg. 11, panel 3 (main; emerging and surprising Iron Man);
pg. 12, panel 1 (swatting down Iron Man);
panel 2 (wings?);
pg. 13, panel 2 (shocked by Iron Man);
panel 3 (ventral surface of head and torso)
Appearances:
Iron Man I#111 (June, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Keith Pollard (penciler), Fred Kida (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor)
First posted: 02/28/2023
Last updated: 02/28/2023
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.!