VIBURNUMITES
Classification: Extraterrestrial humanoid
Location/Base of Operations: Viburnum (home
planet, likely the Milky Way Galaxy)
Known Members: Spirea
Affiliations: None
Enemies: None
First Appearance: Strange Tales of the
Unusual#7/2 (December, 1956)
Powers/Abilities:
Viburnumite males and females display the same appearance, powers and
abilities as an average human; their main difference is pale blue skin.
They have advanced technology and have mastered interstellar warp
travel, although their space fleet seems relatively small.
Traits: Viburnum is ruled by a dictatorship
with little dissension. Long space patrols guard the planet.
Viburnumites are dedicated to their partners in marriage.
Type: Humanoid
Eyes: Two (on head)
Fingers: Five (including opposable thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed (presumably five)
Skin color: Light blue
Average height: 5'9" (male); 5'4" (female)
History:
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2 (fb) - BTS) - The
planet Viburnum was ruled by a dictatorship. A resistance movement
formed and was led by Spirea; however, she was forced to flee off-world
and sought refuge on Earth but was pursued by a diverted space patrol
ship.
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2
(fb)) - Spirea was chased on foot by the three male Viburnumites from the
patrol ship when her screams were heard by a local American man.
Both were captured by the three Viburnumites and taken unbound to be
imprisoned on Viburnum. All three male Viburnumites longed to see their
wives again after their long space patrol shift.
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2 (fb) - BTS) - Spirea and the American man quickly fell in love in their space captivity, their captors oblivious.
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2) -
When the spacecraft landed, the American, who was a sound effects
technician on Earth, duped the patrollers into thinking their wives were
screaming outside. The three Viburnumite men rushed out but saw only
the gathered crowd. Spirea and the American instead shut the hatch and
escaped back to Earth to enjoy domestic life.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer & Joe Orlando.
Given the pale blue skin and distinct human likeness, it's easy to suggest that they might be Kree, maybe a Kree outpost of only those blue-skinned seeking independence, possibly even on racist grounds (but this seems unlikely given Spirea's quick attraction to her human rescuer). But until we hear otherwise, they're not Kree.
They're not referred to as Viburnumites in-story, only that their planet is called Viburnum, so I've taken slight liberty there.
Viburnum is the name of a flowering shrub
found in the temperate northern hemisphere. In Ukraine, the viburnum
type kalyna is seen as the concept of a young girl's love and
tenderness. Likewise, spirea (also spelled spireae) is another flowering shrub,
often called meadowsweets or steeplebushes. Given this background info,
I would've expected them to use more flowery speech(!).
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Viburnumites has no known connections to:
Spirea
led the resistance against the
dictatorship on her home planet of Viburnum, but she was eventually
forced to flee and headed to Earth. A patrol ship was diverted to
pursue her and the three male Viburnumites chased her on once she
landed. Her scream alerted a nearby American man, who was a sound effects
technician with a radio show and coincidentally held a mini recorder of
sounds. But he was knocked unconscious, and he and Spirea were taken
prisoner onboard the patrol ship headed back to Viburnum. Spirea and
the American quickly fell in love during the journey. But the American
had a plan and when the spacecraft landed, he played screams that the
three patrol men thought were their wives. When the trio rushed
outside, Spirea and the American quickly escaped in the patrol craft.
Back on
Earth, they enjoyed domestic bliss, with Spirea bringing coffee to her
partner and house guest.
--Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2
images:
(without ads)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2,
p3, pan4 (main image, Viburnumite men)
p2, pan2 (Viburnumite woman, kneeling)
p3, pan5 (Viburnumite spacecraft)
p4, pan4 (Viburnum)
p4, pan6 (Spirea)
p2, pan3 (Spirea, headshot)
Appearances:
Strange Tales of the Unusual#7/2 (December, 1956) - uncredited writer,
Joe Orlando (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First
Posted: 03/02/2023
Last updated: 03/02/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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