GRAMOSIAN raceGRAMOSIAN race
Classification: Humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Planet Gramos, Sekar star system, Milky Way Galaxy (see comments);
Mercurio led a rogue armada from an unidentified partially-shattered planet/planetoid/moon;
Known Members: High Lord (aka "Noble One"), Kalnab, Mercurio, Tubin, Xalnor:
many unidentified
Population: 1.3 billion
Affiliations: Kio, Xorr the
God-Jewel (they used his particles to rejuvenate their world);
at least formerly Fandral, Silas Grant, Heimdall,
Hildegarde, Hogun, Odin Borson, Tana Nile, Thor Odinson;
Pik Rollo and other Ruu'lto warriors were formerly
coerced into serving Mercurio and his Gramosian agents' wills;
Karl Sarron was used as agent of the Gramosians, but apparently at the cost of his own life/will
Enemies: 803, the Bhiv, Captain Marvel
(Mar-Vell), Cora (and her wife and children), the Fmora, humanity, the
P'qui, the Ruu'lto (notably Pik and Hilla Rollo), the Underdwellers,
Venom (Flash Thompson), the Wugin;
Miners
of the Dark Nebula (Kagg, Quellor, Rothgar);
at least formerly Fandral, Silas Grant, Heimdall,
Hildegarde, Hogun, Karnilla, Odin Borson, Sif, Tana Nile, and Thor Odinson
formerly Xorr;
Karl Sarron was used as agent of the Gramosians, but apparently at the cost of his own life/will
First Appearance: (Mercurio, only in human form of Karl Sarron) Thor I#204
(October, 1972);
(Mercurio (true form) & High Lord/"Noble One") Thor I#208 (February, 1973)
Powers/Abilities:
Some Gramosians can -- or at least formerly could -- discharge energy through their hands.
Mercurio's (at least formerly) bi-colored appearance and ability to project ice/cold was a unique mutation.
Level of Technology: Highly advanced interstellar ships, including small two-person crafts and larger interstellar ships (although the latter may have been stolen from other races).
energy rifles
Machinery to store and transmit life force
They could communicate remotely via communications screens that could materialize in the air and follow a speaker.
Mercurio and his forces utilized technology like their drill and their volcanic device to steal resources from other worlds.
It is unrevealed whether these devices were of Gramosian construction or whether they stole this technology as well.
Additionally, Mercurio's forces possessed a number of Walker units.
Traits: Gramosians are at least reportedly generally pacifistic and artistic by nature.
At least a portion of Gramosians
were willing to manipulate, slay, or steal from other beings and races
to preserve their own world and/or in hopes of establishing some sort
of empire.
Type of Government: Elective monarchy
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two
(on head; solid white (Highlord) color seen; in their latter
appearances, they appear to be a similar light blue to their skin)
Fingers: Four (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Five
Skin color: Light blue or gray; (at least formerly) blue-black (see comments)
Average height: Approximately 5'11"
Other Distinguishing Features: The Gramosians -- including Mercurio -- involved in the efforts to steal power/resources for Gramos all were a much lighter shade of blue.
Additionally, they had more inhuman facial features, with dark
inhuman eyes and a flattened and widened nasal structure more divided
between the two nostrils (see comments).
History:
(Thor I#216
(fb)) - The <relatively> young world of Gramos was
rich with wisdom and culture, where life had conquered its heritage of
fear and death, where intelligence was worshipped for its mystic
beauty....and where 'man' lived with 'man,' peaceful and unafraid (see comments).
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#7: Mercurio profile) - Gramos had reached the
height of technology and culture.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#7: Mercurio profile)
- Gramosian scientists had discovered the means to "beam" the mind of a
subject into a host form on distant alien worlds for the purpose of
explorations.
(Thor I#216
(fb) / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#7: Mercurio profile) <Six years prior to the main story> - A freak space-warp opened near Gramos, resulting in gravito-magnetic disturbances, and somehow the sky to have appeared to have turned white while the stars appeared to be black.
Within a year, the magnetic polarity of
their world was altered such that its atmosphere
transformed, admitting only the extremes of the electromagnetic
wavelength.
(Thor I#216
(fb) - BTS) - The Gramosians did not know the cause of these changes.
(Thor I#216 (fb) - Deprived of ordinary life-sustaining light, many Gramosians began to go mad and then die.
In an effort to seal the space-warp, the High Lord of Gramos dispatched the world's top psycho-explorer -- Mercurio -- to Earth.(Thor I#208 (fb) - BTS / Thor I#216 (fb)) - Gramosian scientists beamed/"planted" Mercurio's mind into the body of wealthy landlord Karl Sarron.
(Thor I#204 (fb) - BTS) - Mercurio, as Karl Sarron, bought
the building at which Dr. Donald Blake (Thor's human aspect) practiced and had it closed in Blake's absence.
(Thor I#216 (fb)) - Over a period of months, Mercurio accumulated, via his Dimensional Oscillator, energy residue left behind by Blake's transformations into Thor from inside Blake's office. Mercurio hoped to gain enough power to return himself to his true form, from which he could then transfer Earth's electromagnetic field to Gramos, restoring its polarity.
(Thor I#208 (fb) - BTS) - During this time, Gramos continued to grow weaker.
(Thor I#208) - After receiving a potent charge from Blake's office into his Dimensional Oscillator, Mercurio contacted the leader of Gramos (whom he greeted as "Noble One"). Mercurio's time with his mind implanted in human form had rendered him unable to comprehend his lord's "high speech," and so the "Noble One" spoke English.
The High Lord reiterated the urgency of his mission, noting that Gramos had grown
weaker in the time since they had planted his mind into Sarron and
that they needed the electromagnetic field of Earth more than ever. He
continued that the success of Mercurio's mission was their only hope
for survival: "Do not fail us, Mercurio. Use the oscillator you have built and charged, and in the name of Gramos, use it well."
Mercurio used the oscillator, intending to transform his host body into his true form, but found it only possessed the charge to do so halfway, leaving only his left half his normal dark-blue, with his right half now red. Realizing he needed more power directly from Thor to complete the transformation, he waited for Thor to return and then attacked him. Mercurio continued to accumulate power as they fought, until Thor finally melted a steel girder on top of Mercurio, completely coating him in metal. His energies trapped, Mercurio's powers overloaded, his heat and cold powers mixing with each other and seemingly consuming him.
(Thor
I#214 (fb)) - Mercurio seemed to die, but was instead summoned to
another level of space, and he subsequently encountered Xorr the God-Jewel. Mercurio was then transported back to
Gramos, before the presence of his High Lord.
Mercurio's experience had apparently led him to appreciate that Xorr's power could save Gramos.
(Thor I#214) - (Presumably led by Mercurio), the Gramosians to assault the Miners of the Dark Nebula in order to gain the substance of Xorr. The miners knew them only as raiders, and they considered themselves fortunate to be able to repel the raidser before they reached the mine.
(Thor I#214) - Mercurio led a force of Gramosians to
assault the mines
However, the Miners were assisted by a force of Asgardians who had been
traveling through that region of space, including Fandral, Heimdall,
Hildegarde, Hogun, Odin, and Thor. As Thor fought Mercurio, the other
Asgardians fought the Gramosians, gaining the upper-hand, although one
of the Gramosian fired an energy into Hildegarde's back, felling her.
The Miners then reawakened Xorr itself, which extrduded a great crystal column (which contained the captive Sif and Karnilla) through the asteroid's surface, and it warmed the Asgardians that if he tried to interfere with their mission, that he would die immediately; although tomorrow, "you -- and all humankind -- shall fall" regardless.
(Thor I#215) - Speaking through his miners, Xorr instructed all those who had been battling to travel beneath the asteroid's surface into the mines. When Mercurio questioned what would happen if they refused, Xorr caused sonic disruptions that caused the ground to heave and rendered unconscious those on the asteroid's surface.
(Thor I#215 (fb) - BTS) - The Asgardians and Gramosians were moved into the mines.
(Thor I#215) - After the groups revived, Mercurio convinced Thor that he was fighting to save his planet and that Xorr was a threat to the whole universe. The group located and assaulted the miners, after which Xorr had a ship fly its jewel-form away, exiting the Dark Nebula.
Mercurio, at least, joined the Asgardians (as well as Tana Nile) aboard their Starjammer longship in pursuing Xorr. After manipulating smaller asteroids into the Starjammer's path, the Miners fired anti-molecular rays at them. The Asgardians ultimately boarded the ship driving Xorr and, after Odin incapacitated the miners, Xorr revealed that Sif and Karnilla had merged with its crystalline form and that if the god-jewel was damaged, they would perish. Mercurio cursed him as a coward.
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(Thor I#216) - Mercurio defied Thor's order to not assault Xorr, blasting Thor, but then Thor struck Mercurio with Mjolnir, setting him adrift. The Gramosians hurled a line to Mercurio and reeled him back in; although the Gramosians prepared to attack anew, Mercurio instructed them that the odds were against them at that time and that they must wait until the moment was ripe. Mercurio then transported himself and the other Gramosians away... (Thor I#216 (fb)) - ...apparently to Gramos... (Thor I#216) - ...vowing to return within the hour. (Thor I#216 (fb)) - Mercurio and the other Gramosians
requested an audience with the High Lord, who re-affirmed the
importance of his assignment and told Mercurio to use whatever means
necessary to obtain the God-Jewel and the electro-magnetic properties
its crystals possessed. (Thor I#216) - Mercurio and the Gramosians returned
with a number of personal spacecraft ("bubbles"), and Mercurio's ship
blasted Thor. Mercurio explained his world and people's need for Xorr's
substance to Thor but then attacked him anew, ordering advance scouts
two and three to contain and destroy Thor. However, Thor swiftly
demolished both ships with Mjolnir; the Gramosians air masks allowed
them to survive. When Thor attacked Mercurio's
ship, Mercurio convinced Thor to join forces to accomplish both their
goals, and Mercurio used a rapid combination of cold and heat to shatter the
section over Sif and Karnilla, freeing the goddesses. Thor then brought
Mercurio, Sif, and Karnilla back to the Starjammer, where they fled in
time to escape Xorr's overloading himself on the energies of a supernova
explosion (to which Odin had led Xorr). |
(Captain Marvel I#51) - Mercurio returned to Earth and
attempted to use a Beta-Wave Thought Processor to steal the secrets of
the Omni-Wave Projector from Captain Mar-Vell, but Mar-Vell detected the
scan and destroyed the processor. Mar-Vell then attacked Mercurio, who
explained that he only wished to use the Omni-Wave to save his world,
claiming that Xorr's energies had faded and only the Omni-Wave could
re-energize them. Mar-Vell agreed to accompany Mercurio, but as soon as
they arrived via Mercurio's Dimensional Oscillator, as planned, the Gramosians Xalnor & Kalnab ambushed Mar-Vell via energy blasters. Having suspected
treachery, Mar-Vell was prepared and dodged the initial attack and
fought off the Gramosians. overwhelming them both with physical strength and energy blasts. Mercurio then attacked, but Mar-Vell (who had experienced the cold of space and heat of the stars) resisted his power and flattened him with a single punch. Mar-Vell then accessed Mercurio's Dimensional Oscillator to return to Earth, feeling that Mercurio would not come back to Earth, knowing Mar-Vell was there to protect it. (Thor I#440) - Mercurio was one of several beings briefly summoned from across time to battle Beta Ray Bill, Thor (Eric Masterson), and Thor (Dargo Ktor). (Quasar#14 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Mercurio became a prisoner of the Stranger and was held within his laboratory world. (Quasar I#14-16) - Mercurio was summoned by the
Over-Mind, mentally enslaved, and sent to battle the Stranger and several
heroes opposing the Over-Mind. (Maximum Security#2/Captain America III#36) - During the
events of Maximum Security, Mercurio returned to the form of Karl
Sarron, and he unsuccessfully tried to drain Captain America's shield's energies into his Dimensional Oscillator. (Maximum Security#3) - Mercurio was apparently one of the aliens who joined the Avengers and other heroes of Earth in fighting the forces of Ronan and the Ruul/Kree to end the aliens' banishment to Earth. |
Something apparently happened to the Gramosians that altered their appearance and possibly removed their energy blast powers (see comments).
(Venom: Space Knight#4 (fb) - BTS) - Mercurio
and his people raided the planet of the Ruu'lto, kidnapping its
greatest warriors and extorting them all into criminal life presumably
via threats to their friends and/or family. (Venom: Space Knight#2 (fb) - BTS) -
Mercurio's agents placed a drill on the "outer rim" world of the P'qui.
This displaced the normally docile Fmora from their homes and took away
their food, causing them to prey on the P'qui. (Venom: Space Knight#3 (fb) - BTS) -
Mercurio's agents sent a device to the world of the Wugin and
Underdwellers, and it entered their Great Eye volcano, causing its
eruption. The Underdwellers blamed the Wugin and attacked them. (Venom: Space Knight#2 (fb) - BTS) - Mercurio's agents captured and contained a number of beings in holding cells. (Venom: Space Knight#4 (fb) - BTS) - Eventually, Pik Rollo -- controlled via Mercurio's possession of her daughter, Hilla -- was all that remained of the captured Ruu'lto. (Venom: Space Knight#1 (fb) - BTS) - Mercurio's agents apparently employed Kio (or K10?) to purchase (from Gholar on a planet whose name Flash Thompson could not pronounce) a group of aliens from whose blood the drug YT-19 was created. |
|
(Venom: Space Knight#6 (fb) - BTS) - Mercurio used stolen ships, robots, etc. to build his armada.
(Venom: Space Knight#2 - BTS) - Venom was drawn to the P'qui, and he had his ally the robot 803 remotely (from their orbiting ship) destroy the drill. Fellow Klyntar/Agent of the Cosmos Myntril informed Venom that whoever had left that drill had not been sanctioned by any known empire but were rather rogue parties...and that they had been the same parties that had tried to obtain the YT-19. (Venom: Space Knight#2) - From whatever
partially destroyed world/moon on which they had established a base,
Tubin reported that their drill in the outer rim had been destroyed.
When Mercurio commented that the life on that planet could not have
overcome the drill's automated defenses, Tubin confirmed this to be
correct, and Mercurio asked who had done this to them. Tubin noted that
they believed it was the same interloper they had uncountered before
(presumably indicating the being who had intercepted the YT-19
shipment), a Klyntar-bonded human who called himself Venom. Mercurio noted that they had a lock on their target's ship, and Tubin asked "Lord Mercurio" what were his orders, but Mercurio advised Tubin that he was no lord, not until they had taken back their planet. Regardless, he asked who was the worst, most vile creature in their holding cells, and when Tubin informed him that it was Pik Rollo, Mercurio instructed Tubin to place Rollo on their fastest ship and command her to bring him the head of the so-called Venom... |
(Venom: Space Knight#4 (fb) - BTS) - Calling
Venom "the usurper" and accusing him of having harmed his plans,
Mercurio sent Pik Rollo to collect Venom's head.
(Venom: Space Knight#3 - BTS) - Drawn to the
world of the Wugin and Underdwellers by the voice of the Cosmos, Flash
wore an exoskeleton/atmospheric suit -- as the Venom symbiote was
vulnerable to the fiery magma -- and
destroyed the Gramosian device within the Great Eye.
(Venom: Space Knight#3) - A Gramosian ship approached the Wugin planet just after Venom's ship departed. They reported his departure to Mercurio and then confirmed his query that the seed they had planeted there had been destroyed. Mercurio denied their query of whether they should replace the seed, and he instead instructed them to pursue Venom. When a Gramosian aboard thei ship reported that Venom was headed for the pleasure planet Xffgath, Mercurio ordered that they follow him and then unleash Pik Rollo.
(Venom: Space Knight#4 - BTS) - Pik Rollo shot Venom's ship, causing it to crash on the planet of the Bhiv, after which she landed on that world and attacked Venom, telling him that his head belonged to Mercurio. The fight was interrupted as both were incapacitated and captured by the Bhiv and brought before their master. As they were sent into gladiatorial combat, Rollo revealed that Mercurio held her child and subsequently shared how she had fallen under his control. Ultimately, Rollo agreed to Venom's proposition to go after Mercurio together and to rescue her child, and Rollo destroyed the Bhiv's master, leading the Bhiv to praise them as their new masters.
(Venom: Space Knight#5 (fb) - BTS) - Unbeknownst to Pik Rollo, Venom obtained back-up aid from the Iqa and the Wugin, as well as the Bhiv.
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(Venom: Space Knight#5) - Via using the symbiote as a spaceship, Venom/Flash and Pik Rollo traveled to the moon? base of Mercurio and his Gramosians and confronted a pair of guards. At this point, Pik seemed to betray Flash to Mercurio and his agents, and she helped them batter him before a sonic weapon was used to separate Flash from the symbiote. Mercurio then confronted Flash and easily overpowered him, severing the feet of his prosthetic legs. When Mercurio prepared to slay Flash, however, Pik convinced Mercurio that he might need Thompson's aid if he had trouble controlling the symbiote. Mercurio kicked Flash unconscious and had him taken to "the pit." Mercurio thanked Pik for her assistance, but as
Pik leapt to attack him -- having only feigned betrayal of Thompson as
they had planned -- Mercurio used electrical blasts apparently
discharged through his hands combined with physical strikes to
incapacitate her as well; Mercurio also mocked her daughter as a
hideous creature that belonged to him. Mercurio then ordered Pik taken
to be taken to the pit as well, and he instructed that when she
awakened that she should be instructed to kill Thompson or he would
drown her child. Mercurio subsequently bonded to the Venom symbiote, which seemingly reverted to its more maleveolent state. (Venom: Space Knight#6) - Feeling the symbiote's hunger, Mercurio promised to keep it well fed, after which he walked past his robots and ships and told the symbiote that together they would bring order to the Gramosian Empire and then put their empire in its rightful place in the galaxy. He further noted that they would destroy any who stood in their way, starting with the human. However, when Mercurio entered Thompson and Rollo's cell, the symbiote revealed its true loyalties, separating from Mercurio and revealing that he had an armada. Flash told his partner to give Mercurio a little squeeze, but the symbiote began crushing his ribs and only stopped following Flash's repeated insistence and the request/instruction from 803. |
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(Venom: Space Knight#6 (fb) - BTS) - The Wugin and Bhiv attacked the Mercurians, aided by 803 via their starship's weaponry. (Venom: Space Knight#6) - Recovering, Mercurio instructed his soldiers to kill Venom and Rollo, at which point Flash revealed the involvement of his allies, who took down Mercurio's armada. Mercurio credited Thompson's planning as he attacked Venom and then mocked the symbiote as being useless and weak for not taking what it wanted. In response, the symbiote battered Mercurio, ignoring
Flash's instructions to stop. It only stopped when 803 projected a loud
instruction to stop.
|
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway, John Buscema, and Vince Colletta.
Although the cover of Thor I#208
refers to Mercurio as "The Man from the Death Dimension," he is shown
as being from Earth's universe within the story. Mercurio has to scan
across "myriad galaxies" before homing in on Gramos, which would make
it seem to be from some distant galaxy. Perhaps they meant across many
systems (as in star systems)...
Thor I#216, with the same writer and editor, note
Mercurio's race to be native to "a world near the center of the galaxy."
Mercurio's Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
I#7 entry described Gramos as "a world on the opposite side of the
Milky Way Galaxy from Earth."
On Thor I#216 on the page before the description of
Gramos, Xorr consumed uninhabited planets and dying stars of the
galactic rim. I wonder if that description may have been mistakenly
thought to be referring to Gramos.
Captain Marvel I#51 discussed
Mercurio's world as being extradimensional, in contrast to other
stories, so that is presumably in error...but I can easily forgive
this, as I still have no idea why Mercurio is referred to as the
Fourth-Dimensional Man: It certainly seems like someone who would have
been from another dimension.
Also, in Thor I#208, the
Gramosian's skin is described as "pure, unreflecting black."
Most
things that are solid black in comics are shown with a blue hue to
allow shadowing, etc. The OHotMU clarifies that the Gramosians' skin is blue.
The Gramosians looked markedly different in Venom:
Space Knight. Not only was Mercurio no longer two-toned (red and blue),
but he and all of the Mercurians were a much lighter shade of blue (or
gray). Additionally, they had more inhuman facial features, with dark
inhuman eyes and a flattened and widened nasal structure more divided
between the two nostrils. They kind of remind me of the Acroyears, such
as Cilicia and Shaitan (and, of course, Acroyear).
I'm all for aliens looking alien, but I would think some
explanation for the sudden change would be indicated...perhaps just
artistic license vs. the older appearance was artistic license, making
them appear more human.
Additionally, neither Mercurio nor any of the other
Mercurians were project energy blasts, nor was Mercurio projecting ice.
As I review this profile, I am reminded that in Captain Marvel I#51, the Gramosians used energy
rifles and did not appear to be able to fire energy blasts...so maybe they had already lost that power.
Their sky was a brilliant white and the stars were pitch black.
After Xorr departed from the
asteroid via the miner's ship in Thor I#215, Mercurio was seen aboard
the Asgardian Starjammer, although the other Gramosians were not.
However, the Gramosians either had to be present on the Starjammer or
on the miner's ship, because they were there at the start of #216,
which continued immediately from #215.
'Man' lives with 'man.'
However, as I review the stories, it occurs to me that we have not seen female Gramosians, and so perhaps there are only men (or perhaps the Gramosians lack sexual dimorphism, meaning that the males and females did not differ significantly in anatomy beyond genitalia).
Mercurio's greeting/salute to the High Lord reminds me of the Nazis' raised arm "Sieg Heil" salute...I have no idea whether that was the intent or not. When not trying to save their planet, the Gramosians were supposed to be peaceful, wise, and cultured, so probably not...just a sign of respect...
I would presume that Mercurio's
plan to obtain the Omni-Wave and to attack Earth met the approval of
the Gramosian High Lord, or perhaps the High Lord retired, died, was
slain, or otherwise relinquished his throne.
Mercurio totally has delusions of
grandeur...he and his forces were both small in number and lacking in
significant power to carve out any sort of interplanetary/interstellar
empire.
Venom: Space Knight#10 showed a single panel flashback to Venom battling Mercurio, but there was nothing new to it.
I am in the process of updating Mercurio, so if you check out that profile right now, it's a bit of a mess...
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Gramosians should be distinguished from:
  Third planet from the star Sekar in the Milky Way GalaxyClimate: Temperate worldwide; planet covered with water Gravity: 89% Earth Atmosphere: 68% nitrogen, 28% oxygen (presumably breathable by humans) Gramos was apparently a world that required regular infusions of power --Thor I#208 (216, Captain Marvel I#51 Note: It is quite possible that Gramos was still doing well from Xorr's energies but that Mercurio led a group to acquire further power. The history of Gramos is covered in the main profile text. This sub-profile could be expanded with more detail from the above text filtered to refer only to Gramos, and/or Gramos could have its own profile... |
 
(Thor I#216
(fb) / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#7: Mercurio profile) <Six years prior to the main story> - A freak space-warp opened near Gramos, resulting in gravito-magnetic disturbances, and somehow the sky to have appeared to have turned white while the stars appeared to be black. (Thor I#216 (fb) - Deprived of ordinary life-sustaining light, many Gramosians began to go mad and then die. In an effort to seal the space-warp, the High Lord of Gramos dispatched the world's top psycho-explorer -- Mercurio -- to Earth.(Thor I#208 (fb) - BTS / Thor I#216 (fb)) - Gramosian scientists beamed/"planted" Mercurio's mind into the body of wealthy landlord Karl Sarron. (Thor I#208) - After receiving a potent charge into his Dimensional Oscillator, Mercurio contacted the
leader of Gramos (whom he greeted as "Noble One"). Mercurio's time with
his mind implanted in human form had rendered him unable to comprehend
his lord's "high speech," and so the "Noble One" spoke English. He
reiterated the urgency of his mission, noting that Gramos had grown
weaker in the time since they had planted his mind into Sarron and
that they needed the electromagnetic field of Earth more than ever. He
continued that the success of Mercurio's mission was their only hope
for survival: "Do not fail us, Mercurio. Use the oscillator you have built and charged, and in the name of Gramos, use it well." (Thor I#214 (fb)) - Mercurio encountered Xorr the God-Jewel before being transported back to Gramos, before the presence of his High Lord. Mercurio's experience had apparently led him to appreciate that Xorr's power could save Gramos.
(Thor I#216) - When Thor and his allies fought
off Mercurio's forces, Mercurio then transported himself and the other
Gramosians to Gramos. (Thor I#216 (fb)) - Mercurio and the other Gramosians
requested an audience with the High Lord, who re-affirmed the
importance of his assignment and told Mercurio to use whatever means
necessary to obtain the God-Jewel and the electro-magnetic properties
its crystals possessed. (Thor I#216) - Ultimately Xorr exploded into countless
fragments after overloading on the energies of a super-nova explosion. Gramosians in other bubble ships gathered up Xorr's remnants to take them back to
Gramos. --Thor I#208 |
Tubin was one of the Gramosians serving
Mercurio in his plot to steal resources from other worlds to power
Gramos...and apparently to build a powerful empire. He was based on the
shattered planetoid (or whatever) and assisted Mercurio directly. (Venom: Space Knight#2) - From whatever
partially destroyed world/moon on which they had established a base,
Tubin reported that their drill in the outer rim had been destroyed.
When Mercurio commented that the life on that planet could not have
overcome the drill's automated defenses, Tubin confirmed this to be
correct, and Mercurio asked who had done this to them. Tubin noted that
they believed it was the same interloper they had uncountered before
(presumably indicating the being who had intercepted the YT-19
shipment), a Klyntar-bonded human who called himself Venom. Mercurio noted that they had a lock on their target's ship, and Tubin asked "Lord Mercurio" what were his orders, but Mercurio advised Tubin that he was no lord, not until they had taken back their planet. Regardless, he asked who was the worst, most vile creature in their holding cells, and when Tubin informed him that it was Pik Rollo, Mercurio instructed Tubin to place Rollo on their fastest ship and command her to bring him the head of the so-called Venom... --Venom: Space Knight#2Note: Tubin may or may not appear in #3 (he could be the one who confronts Pik Rollo in her cell and sends her on her mission), #5, and/or #6, but he is not identified by name, and he looks much like any of the Gramosians that are bald. |
 
A pair of Gramosians allied with Mercurio in his plot to conquer Earth,
they were instructed to wait for Mercurio to bring back Mar-Vell, at
which they were to stun him with their blasters.Mar-Vell agreed to accompany Mercurio to his world, allegedly to help save it, but as soon as they arrived via Mercurio's Dimensional Oscillator, as planned, Xalnor & Kalnab ambushed Mar-Vell via energy blasters. Kalnab urged Xalnor to blast him before the master returned, and Xalnor replied that he was trying to do so, but that his target seemed to be moving more quickly than the rays themselves. Having suspected treachery, Mar-Vell was prepared and dodged the initial attack and took at the pair with another blast. --Captain Marvel I#51 Note: Kalnab is the one nearest the view, and Xalnor is the one farther away. Additionally, the above left panel was originally vertical, with the pair firing down on Mar-Vell, but I chose to rotate it 90 degrees as it seemed a better reference for their faces. |
Sent by Mercurio or his agents, the drill arrived
the world of the P'qui (it is unclear to me whether P'qui is the name
of the people or just their language, but I'm going with both). It landed in a valley and burrowed into the ground, cutting the Fmora off from their food supply and driving them out of their homes. As a result, the normally docile Fmora then became more aggressive, apparently threatening the P'qui. Summoned by a mental voice due to his role as an "Agent of the Cosmos," Venom (Flash Thompson) pet with the natives who brought him to the drill and told him of the problems it had caused. In response, Venom had his ally the robotic 803 target and destroy the drill from their ship. --Venom: Space Knight#2 |
 
The Gramosians used these ships both in their attack on Thor (and
everyone else on Xorr) and in the collection of the shattered remnants
of Xorr.They could maintain a breathable atmosphere, could fire energy blasts, and could extend grasping units to gather space debris. It is unrevealed whether they had the capacity to warp across interstellar distances, but it would seem likely that technology on Gramos warped them there and retrieved them, as they appeared to be small, short-ranged crafts. --Thor I#216 |  |
 
Whether this ship was of Gramosian origin or otherwise stolen from
others, it was used by a crew of Gramosians who pursued Venom and who
carried a restrained Pik Rollo before sending her after Venom.The ship could presumably rapidly travel interstellar distances, presumably either via faster-than-light travel or accessing warp space. --Venom: Space Knight#3 |
 These screens could materialize in the air and follow the target to facilitate remote video communication.--Venom: Space Knight#3 Note: Another image with the communication screen is here. I left it in the main image, as the hair on the other Gramosian was more unique. |
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 Amongst these weapons were walker units with various weapons originating from their torso sections.--Venom: Space Knight#6 |
images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#4: Appendix to Alien Races: Gramosians
Official
Handbook of
the Marvel Universe II (Deluxe Edition) #15: Gramosians----------------------------------->
Thor I#208, pg. 7, panel 1 (Gramos from orbit (in process of scan);
panel 2 (Gramos, surface, city);
panel 3 (Noble One, throne);
panel 4 (Noble One, face);
#214, pg. 11, panel 5 (Gramosian in profile, firing energy blast);
pg. 12, panel 2 (three Gramosians, with the central one full);
#216, pg. 10, panel 3 (Gramosian ships approaching, distant);
panel 6 (Mercurio in ship);
pg. 11, panel 3 (Gramos; from space);
panel 4 (Gramos, city);
panel 6 (Gramosians dying; too much covered by giant text box);
pg. 12, panel 1 (Mercurio communicating with High Lord);
pg. 19, panel 3 & 5 (Gramosians collecting Xorr's remnants);
Captain Marvel I#51, pg. 11, panel 4 (Xalnor & Kalnab firing on Mar-Vell);
panel 6 (Mar-Vell taking out Xalnor & Kalnab);
pg. 12, panel 4 (warriors gathered with weapons);
panel 6 (Mar-Vell battling warriors)
Venom: Space Knight#2, story pg. 7, panel 3 (drill on P'qui);
pg. 19, panel 1 (broken planetoid, full);
panel 2-3 (broken planetoid, surface, progressively closer; second showing base);
pg. 20, panel 3 (Tubin);
panel 4 (Mercurio seated, with Tubin);
#3, pg. 14, panel 2 (volcanic device in Great Eye);
pg. 17, panel 4 (Gramosian ship over the planet of the Wugin);
panel 5 (ship crew);
pg. 20, panel 1-2 (crewman, full; distant and rear oblique profile);
#5, pg. 7, panel 3 (Gramosian guards as Venom ship approaches);
pg. 10, panel 1 (guards/soldiers vs. Venom; with Pik Rollo);
#6, pg. 7, panel 2 (uppers; Mercurio ordering Gramosians to kill the prisoners);
pg. 8 (Gramosians vs. Wugin & Bhiv; tall image);
pg. 9-10 (Gramosians vs. Wugin & Bhiv; wide image);
Appearances:
Thor I#208 (February, 1973) - Gerry Conway (writer), John Buscema
(pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Thor I#214 (August, 1973) - Gerry Conway (writer), Sal
Buscema (pencils), Jim Mooney
(inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Thor I#215-216 (September-October, 1973) - Gerry Conway (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Jim Mooney
(inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Captain Marvel I#51 (July, 1977) - Scott Edelman (writer), Al Milgrom
(pencils), Terry Austin & Al Milgrom (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#4 (April, 1983) - Mark Gruenwald
(editor/head writer/designer), Michael Carlin (associate
editor/designer), Peter Sanderson & Mark Lerer (co-writers), David
Cody Weiss, Joanne Harris, Bob Simpson, Roger Stern (researchers); Gramosians art by Paty Cockrum and Frank Giacoia
Official
Handbook of
the Marvel Universe II (Deluxe Edition) #15 (March,
1987) - Mark Gruenwald (writer/producer), Peter Sanderson
(writer/researcher), Josef Rubinstein
(inker), Howard Mackie (assistant editor), Marc Siry, David Wohl, Marc McLaurin (editorial
assistants), Gregory Wright (assistant editor); Gramosians art penciled by Kyle Baker
Thor I#440 (December, 1991) - Ron Frenz & Tom DeFalco (writers), Ron
Frenz (pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Quasar#14-16 (September-November, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike
Manley (pencils), Dan Panosian & Keith Williams (#16) (inks), Len
Kaminski (editor)
Maximum Security#2 (December, 2000) - Kurt Busiek
(writer), Jerry Ordway (pencils), Will Blyberg, Paul Ryan, Walden Wong
(inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America III#36 (December, 2000) - Dan Jurgens (writer/pencils),
Art Thibert (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Maximum Security#3 (January, 2001) - Kurt Busiek
(writer), Jerry Ordway (pencils), Will Blyberg, Paul Ryan, Mark McKenna (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Captain America III#36 (December, 2000) - Dan Jurgens (writer/pencils),
Art Thibert (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Venom: Space Knight#1-6 (January-June, 2016) - Robbie Thompson
(writer), Ariel Olivetti (artist), Kathleen Wisneski (assistant
editor), Jake Thomas (editor)
First posted: 10/03/2023
Last updated: 01/21/2024
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.!
(Captain Marvel I#51 (fb) - BTS) - The energies of the
Xorr fragments restored Gramos' polarity, saving the Gramosians. The
changes returned them to peace and contentment, but Mercurio found
himself unable to live with this "slug-like life...basking in the
God-Jewel's rays." Over a period of months, Mercurio began organizing an
invasion force to attack Earth, and he decided that the Kree Omni-Wave
Projector would be the ideal weapon for their conquest. 
(Venom: Space Knight#4 (fb) - BTS) - Gramos
required vast quantities of energy to survive. When the Gramosians
refused to take the energy from other planets, Mercurio went rogue and
began amassing weapons and power from "all over the galaxy."
(Venom: Space Knight#1 - BTS) - Venom
(Thompson) -- drawn to the conflict by mental voices in his role as
Agent of the Cosmos -- saved the aliens (Cora and her wife and
children) and cast Kio into space where he was consumed by 
(Venom:
Space Knight#4 (fb) - BTS) - Gramos
required vast quantities of energy to survive. When the Gramosians
refused to take the energy from other planets, Mercurio went rogue,
established a base on some partially-shattered planet/planetoid/moon
and
began amassing weapons and power from "all over the galaxy."
(Venom: Space Knight#5 (fb) - BTS) - Venom obtained back-up aid from the Iqa and
the Wugin, as well as the Bhiv.
(Venom: Space Knight#3 (fb) - BTS) -
Mercurio's agents sent a device to the world of the Wugin and
Underdwellers, and it entered their Great Eye volcano, causing its
eruption. 
