"GRAMPUS" race(Reality-56862)
"GRAMPUS" race
(Reality-56862)
Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Planet Grampus, Grampus star system, presumably the Milky Way galaxy (see comments), Reality-56862
Known Members: Yago;
the population is unrevealed
Affiliations: Unrevealed
Enemies: Unrevealed;
Yago led a group of pirates, but the rest of the people were not affiliated with him or otherwise criminals
First Appearance: Astonishing#52 (August, 1956)
Powers/Abilities:
The people of Grampus apparently could survive the near-absolute zero
cold and vacuum of space while wearing only a helmet, presumably to
provide air to breathe and to facilitate communication (or maybe they
only needed the helmets to protect them from their own gas weapon).
Adults of Grampus were apparently
all virtually identical (at least to humans), lacking any obviously
female natives. They either lacked gross secondary sex characteristics
or were all the same sex, indicating some form of asexual reproduction,
whether it was parthenogenesis, mitosis, cloning, etc.
They did not demonstrate any other
superhuman abilities. They are relatively small compared to average
humans.
They had rocket ships, such as the Scorpion, that could apparently travel to other star systems (see comments), which would indicate faster-than-light travel and/or ability to access space warps, etc.
It may be that only Yago and his pirates had a
rocket ship, and they may or may not have constructed it vs.purchasing
it, stealing it, or recovering and repairing it after it crashed on
Grampus.
Yago's pirates used a device that
sent a cable from the Scorpion to other ships to facilitate transport
of objects or beings, as well as a cannister the both carried an
occupant and released a knockout gas that swiftly incapacitated the
crew of a small cargo ship. A space suit and/or helmet could provide
protection from this gas, as did the interior of the cannister.
They presumably had some
translation technology to facilitate communication with ships from
other worlds...it may be that there was some sort of universal
translator technology that was readily available in this future reality.
Traits: The people of Grampus seemed to be relatively docile as they did not provide any resistance to the space patrol that came to Grampus to investigate piracy originating from their world and rounded up all of the adults.
The people of Grampus wore only a pair of briefs.
A presumably small number of the people of Grampus were space pirates.
Yago, at least, was both treacherous and gullible.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; relatively large, white with central pupil; no visible/distinct irides)
Fingers: Four (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
(they appeared to have spatulate feet, with solid webbing between the
toes that made them appear to have no separate toes; or perhaps they
were flesh-toned stockings)
Skin color: Gray or light purple
Average height: Approximately 5'6"?
History:
(Astonishing#52 (fb) - BTS) - Circa 2301 A.D.,
Yago led a band of space pirates aboard the Scorpion to raid a number
of cargo ships.
(Astonishing#52 (fb) - BTS) - The members/crew of Space Station Galaxy had never had reason to visit Grampus.
(Astonishing#52) - Eventually,
Universe Insurance investigator Reg Carlton led a group from Patrol
Station Galaxy to Grampus on Yago's trail. The patrol rounded up all of
the adults people of Grampus, but found them all to be identical.
Carlton tricked Yago into believing he had a radiation-tracking device that would identify him via his exposure to the uranium he had stolen, and Yago fled, exposing his guilt.
The space patrol took Yago prisoner and brought him back to Earth; Carlton accompanied the patrol.
Comments: Created by Carl Wessler and Lou Morales.
The star is named Grampus and the
planet is named Grampus, as well...so why not the people? It worked for
the band Big Country who had a song and an album by that name.
The race and people may be the Grampus, the Grampi,
the Grampians, the Grampoids, Grampons (hmmm...), Grampions, Grampans,
Gampites, Grampos, Grampusians, or something completely different. For
the purpose of the profile, I'm just calling them the people of
Grampus...
Anyway, a race profile is more interesting than a
planet profile, in my opinion, and we know so little about the planet
that it would be mostly "unrevealed."
It is interesting that the ship
was heading for Jupiter, but when it reached the territory of the star
Grampus, they encountered Yago and his pirates, who claimed to have a
sick patient and lacked the fuel to reach Jupiter. Then, after the
theft, a patrol ship came to investigate Grampus and then brought Yago
to Earth as a prisoner, and it brought Reg Carlton there as well. That
would seem to indicate that Reg came from Earth and was delivering the
uranium to Jupiter, but even if he was coming from some other star
system, it seems crazy that Jupiter would be the closest place to take
a sick patient in relation to the star system Grampus.
Further, as Yago set the Swallow's robot controls to
crash into Earth's moon, that would seem to have been the closest
structure it could crash into...which is also odd since they were by
the star Grampus.
Obviously, Grampus is not a planet in Earth's solar
system, so presumably the uranium shipment was coming from someplace
beyond the Grampus system and then approached the Grampus system en
route back to Jupiter.
If not for the star reference, it would make sense
that Grampus was a planetoid on the outskirts of Earth's solar system,
or possibly even a moon or satellite orbiting a world in Earth's solar
system.
If the space pirates were only
hitting cargo ships that approached the Grampus star system, it would
seem likely that Grampus would have been identified as a likely source
of the piracy early on, so presumably Yago's pirates were active
throughout various star systems and possibly even other galaxies.
The fact that a space patrol of
only four men was able to round up all of the adults in short order and
that Carlton was able to force Yago to identify himself by walking
through a crowd would make it seem like there were only dozens or
hundreds of the people of Grampus.
However, it could be that they were able to follow
the Scorpion's trail and so they knew where he landed shortly before
their arrival, and they were only dealing with one
village/city/whatever.
Or, it could just be that the story, which was only
four pages long, under-represented them for simplicity's sake.
As Yago and his crew were
criminals but there was nothing to support similar behavior in the rest
of the people of Grampus, I chose to profile Yago separately.
Reg Carlton, Universe Insurance, the Sparrow, Captain Boyce, Hamilton Forrest, and Space Station Galaxy could all have profiles (or the others could be sub-profiles under Carlton). However, they're not associated with the people of Grampus, and they really don't belong as sub-profiles here. If someone else wants to do a profile on Reg Carlton, feel free, but please don't add him or the others as sub-profiles here.
Thanks to Loki for supplying the
story pages for me. If they become available digitally-remastered, we
can replace them with high-resolution versions.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The people, planet, and/or star of Grampus should be distinguished from:
A planet in the Grampus system and home to the people of Grampus, it
had a biosphere, atmosphere, and gravity that was comfortable to humans
without external apparatus (although they could have used some sort of
energy belt or some potion or treatment to allow them to function in a
different atmosphere.The only part shown had a rocky surface marked with craters, making it seem quite likely to be a low-atmosphere moon or planetoid. After Yago's pirates stole uranium from the Sparrow cargo ship, Universe Insurance investigator Reg Carlton led a space patrol to Grampus, where they located and captured Yago, with whom they departed. --Astonishing#52 |
 The Grampus star system included a planet also named Grampus. It was presumably within the Milky Way Galaxy (see comments for the main profile).(Astonishing#52) - When the Sparrow ship approached the region of Grampus' star, they were duped into an ambush by Yago and his pirates aboard their rocket ship the Scorpion. --Astonishing#52 |
images: (without ads)
Astonishing#52, pg. 2, panel 4 (Scorpion ship approaching Sparrow ship in Grampus star system);
pg. 3, panel 7 (Sparrow and patrol ship approaching Grampus);
pg. 4, panel 1 (people of Grampus rounded up);
panel 5 (Yago upper);
panel 7 (Yago full);
Appearances:
Astonishing#52 (August, 1956) - Carl Wessler (writer), Lou Morales (artist)
First posted: 11/25/2023
Last updated: 11/25/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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