History:
EARTH-4489
Type: Alternate
Earth
Environment: Earth-like
Usual Means of Access: Vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Humans
Population: Unrevealed
Significant Inhabitants: Gideon
Braddon, Cyrene,
Kristian
Delano, Dermot,
Griggs,
Jason, Vaun
Lysander, Martika,
Ben Payton,
Valida
Payton, Phaedra,
John
Running Bear, Carter
Shaw, Jericho
Shaw, Jordan
Shaw, the
Six
Extraterrestrials: Hkkkt,
Lamia, Lhasa,
Medusae
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere I#41 (April, 1978)
History:
(Marvel Premiere I#41 (fb)) - Earth was ruled by a governing council called the Six, led by Jason. When the Six learned of telepaths such as Phaedra, they began using their abilities to assist them in communications. The Six branded all telepaths with facial tattoos so they could be easily identified.
Having realizing the sun would go nova in 263 days, Jason hoped to save humanity with the vessel Seeker 3000. Although previous attempts at faster-than-light travel had failed, Jason believed that by using telepaths, they could successfully escaped the Solar System before the sun went nova, using the people aboard Seeker 3000 to help populate a new world for humanity. Jason placed Jordan Shaw in command of the Seeker 3000, using Jordan's wife as leverage to ensure he cooperated with the plan. However, Jordan despised Jason for concealing the upcoming nova from the public and he began plotting against Jason. Eventually Jordan learned his wife had died but Jason continued to pretend she was alive; Jordan didn't let on that he knew the truth.
(Marvel Premiere I#41) - 262 days later, Seeker 3000 was launched from Terra-Glide to Mars-Arm, led by Jordan Shaw, solar engineer Lt. Valida Payton, medic Dr. John Running Bear and terraformist Ensign Ben Payton. Shaw assembled his staff and told them about the nova. They all agreed to help Jordan against Jason and the Six. Rather than using just the genetic samples Jason wanted to use to repopulate humanity, Jordan instructed the crew to dump Jason's clone-cells and replace them with a random sampling of cells from scientists, philsophers and humanitarians. Jordan broadcast his plans to the entire crew of the Seeker 3000 and they all agreed to his plan. Jordan further explained they would need the telepath Phaedra in order to attain faster-than-light travel.
Arriving at the Mars-Arm, Seeker 3000 was greeted by the Six, who expected to be brought aboard. Feigning obdience, Jordan went to collect Phaedra and asked the Six where his wife was; they insisted Jordan's wife would board with them. The Six also intended to leave Jason behind at at the Saturn Complex, considering him excess baggage. Releasing Phaedra, Jordan brought her to Seeker 3000 while Running Bear and the Paytons launched an attack on the Six to cover their escape. The Six contacted Jason to try and stop Seeker 3000 from leaving the Solar System.
Ben Payton ejected the clone-cells as Jordan had planned and they took aboard the new cells. As they neared Saturn Complex, Jason sent pursuit-cruisers to engage them in battle. When Jordan tried to get Phaedra to activate Seeker 3000's warp drive she hesitated, asking what made Jordan any better than the Six. Jordan told her the cells they'd just taken aboar included some 400 of her fellow telepaths. Phaedra began to start the warp drive while Jordan led the crew in battle against Jason's forces. Jordan blew up Jason's fighter craft and Seeker 3000 went to warp, escaping the Solar System just instants before the nova destroyed the rest of huamnity. However, as they continued their flight, they discovered Jason had introduced himself into Seeker 3000's computer system Censys; the artificial Jason taunted Jordan that he couldn't be ejected from the computer system without sacrificing the accumulated knowledge of mankind. Jordan led Seeker 3000 onward as mankind's last hope.
(Seeker 3000 I#1 (fb)) - A year later, Jordan and Valida had a son, Carter Shaw. In time, the people of Seeker 3000 came to refer to naturally-born humans as "brats" and those who were grown in vats as "vats." Jason stirred up divisions within the crew, eventually causing a civil war, causing hundreds of deaths. John Running Bear drove Jason out of Censys' system, but at the cost of his own life. Seeker 3000 orbited Proxima Centauri for four years while they made repairs to Seeker 3000. During that time, Jordan used his own cells to create a second son, Jericho Shaw. Phaedra and her fellow telepaths began to withdraw from the rest of Seeker 3000's crew, become recluses; the telepaths named themselves the Pathfinder Guild.
20 years later, Jordan, Jericho and the telepath Martika went to survey planet Cyclades 778 to see if it could be a suitable home for the crew. Suddenly, a fissure opened up and Martika was knocked out. Jordan fell into the crevice.
(Seeker 3000 I#4 (fb)) - Jericho could have saved Jordan but instead let him die, seeing an opportunity to supplant him as Seeker 3000's captain.
(Seeker 3000 I#1) - Jericho brought himself and Martika back to Seeker 3000 with news of Jordan's death. Carter Shaw was teaching a class on the ship when Valida told him of Jordan's death. The senior officers of Seeker 3000 decided they'd have to hold a democratic election to determine who would replace Jordan as captain. Ben and Valida checked with Censys to see which of Carter's sons was more likely to be voted captain; Censys identified a 73% chance in favor of Jericho. Carter was swimming with his friend Cyrene when he heard the news that Jericho had won the election. As his first act as captain, Jericho sent Seeker 3000 to the next survey point in their charts: Region 93, the Calver Fermion Theta Cluster. Carter Shaw went to led the survey team, accompanied by Vaun Lysander and Cyrene. They quickly encountered the starship Jakarah, home of the Hkkkt race. Phaedra emerged from her seclusion to warn Jericho she'd touched the minds of the Hkkkt and found them hostile. The Hkkkt tried to destroy Carter's survey craft.
(Seeker 3000 I#2) - Carter's team were rescued by the Medusae, whose leader Lhasa learned English through Cyrene's telepathy. Warning Carter's team about the Hkkkt, the Medusae prepared to assist them. The Hkkkt began preparing an assault on Seeker 3000 and their leader Lamia sent a holographic warning to Jericho.
(Seeker 3000 I#3) - The Hkkkt sent foot soldiers to invade Seeker 3000 and the crew found they could barely hold them back. The Medusae boarded the ship and began assisting the crew in battle. Lamia began interrogating Censys and caused Jason's lingering personality to reassert itself; Jason claimed control over the Jakarah's computer systems.
(Seeker 3000 I#4) - Jericho's poor judgment led the crew into an ambush by the Hkkkt. Phaedra used the still-comatose Martika to generate a "mind bomb," killing most of the Hkkkt and once again destroying Jason. In the process, Phaedra learned from Martika's memories how Jericho had let Jordan die. Seeker 3000 was reclaimed by its crew and they welcomed the Medusae as allies in their wanderings. Jericho stepped down as captain and Carter Shaw replaced him.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Tom Sutton.
This profile was completed on 03/13/2026 but its publication was delayed, as it was intended for the Appendix's 25th anniversary celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Earth-4489 should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Marvel Premiere I#41, page 7, panel 3 (main)
Marvel Premiere I#41, page 16, panel 2 (supernova)
Appearances:
Marvel Premiere I#41 (April, 1978) - Doug Moench (writer), Tom Sutton
(artist), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Seeker 3000 I#1-2 (June-July, 1998) - Dan Abnett (writer), Ian Edginton
(writer), Andrew Currie (penciler), Art Nichols (inker), Timothy Tuohy
(editor)
Seeker 3000 I#3-4 (August-September, 1998) - Dan Abnett (writer), Ian
Edginton (writer), Andrew Currie (penciler), Hector Collazo (inker),
Andy Lanning (inker), Timothy Tuohy (editor)
First posted: 09/17/2026
Last updated:
03/13/2026
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 http://www.g-mart.com/ for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!