Doctor HUUKAMINAAN

Real Name: Huukaminaan

Identity/Class: Alternate reality (Reality-80199) extraterrestrial (Piurivar of planet Majipoor)

Occupation: Archeologist

Group Membership: Archeology group of the Seventh Shrine (six other humans, two Gharyrogs and eight other Piurivar (including Driismiil, Hileekraad, Kaastisiik, Klelliin, Pamikuuk, Thiuurinen, Viitaal-Twuu and Vo-Siimifon))

Affiliations: Magadone Sambisa

Enemies: Torkinuuminaad and a number of unidentified villagers

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    perished on the Seventh Shrine

First Appearance: The Seventh Shrine, published in the anthology Legend (1998);
    (Marvel) The Seventh Shrine, published by Marvel under the Dabel Brothers imprint (2006)

Powers/Abilities: As one of the Piurivar, Huukaminaan was a metamorph, able to assume various other forms and to mimic other beings. He was not shown to demonstrate this ability, and so his proficiency is unrevealed; his elderly nature may have indicated great experience and skill, or his abilities may have atrophied with age. He was considered robust for his age.

    He was an experienced and skilled archeologist.

    A true and pure scientist, he was utterly dedicated to uncovering and revealing the truth, regardless of the consequences to himself, his people or the entire planet.

    He was considered to be a gentle, sweet person and a brilliant scholar.

History: See comments for relevant background on Majipoor and the Piurivar

(The Seventh Shrine (fb) - BTS) - Twenty thousand years ago, a pair of sea-dragons, Niznorn and Domsitor, who were worshipped as gods by the Piurivar, willingly sacrificed themselves to the Piurivar king of Velalisier to grant them some magical abilities.

    However, nearby Piurivar villagers, unaware of the willing nature of the sacrifice, believed that the king had committed grotesque murder as a sacrifice to some darker gods. As a result, the villagers rushed to Velalisier, demolished the sacrificial temple, slew the "Final King," wrecked his palace, drove the "wicked citizens" of the city forth into the wilderness, smashed its aqueduct and damned its rivers, so that it would remain deserted and accursed. Seven pyramidic temples had existed, but the seventh, in which the sacrifice had occurred, had been destroyed in the process.

    While the shrines below the other temples had been destroyed, the shrine below the seventh temple remained preserved, as the Piurivar did not dare to touch the teeth of the sea-dragons within. A series of guardians were placed to ensure the sanctity and preservation of the seventh shrine
    The sacrifice was subsequently known as "The Defilement," and the seventh shrine became known as the Shrine of the Downfall.

    Some 8000 years ago, in the years relatively soon after the conquest of the Piurivar by Lord Stiamot, Pontifex (ruler) Ghorban heard the stories of the Defilement and the Shrine of the Downfall and resolved to explore that latter, presumably believing he could use magical artifacts within to gain god-like power. However, the guardian of the shrine slew Ghorban, who was secretly buried. To keep the existence of the shrine secret to prevent further such attempts as well as to cover up the murder of a Pontifex by the Piurivar, it was reported that he had been stricken by some disease and that the risk of spread of such a disease prevented his body being brought back for a public funeral.

    Dr. Huukaminaan was one of the Piurivar archeologists involved in the excavation of the ancient city of Velalisier. He was co-leaders of the expedition along with the human Magadone Sambisa, and he was universally liked and respected by the rest of the archeology party, which included six other humans, two Gharyrogs and eight other Piurivar. Additionally, 112 Piurivar day laborers were used, brought in from distant locations, as there were no villages nearby Velalisier. These laborers generally revered Huukaminaan, considering him an almost-sacred guardian of their past.

    Torkinuuminaad, a khivanivod (a Piurivar holy man, somewhere between a priest and a wizard) and secretly(?) the current guardian of the seventh shrine, was appointed by the Danipiur (Piurivar queen) to observe the excavation and report any objections to her. Once the seventh shrine was discovered, Torkinuuminaad passionately opposed its opening, stating it to be the most sacred place to the Piurivar, but both Magadone Sambisa and Huukaminaan nonetheless planned to open it as part of their expedition.

    Two weeks before his death, Huukaminaan uncovered the burial site of Pontifex Ghorban. Torkinuuminaad told Magadone Sambisa about the secret murder of Pontifex. While Magadone Sambisa ordered this information to be kept secret to prevent further backlash against the Piurivar, Huukaminaan disagreed strenuously with this decision, and they had a major quarrel; eventually Huukaminaan gave in.

    Feeling that nothing short of death could stop Huukaminaan from opening the Shrine of the Downfall, but that if the Piurivar objected strongly enough, Magadone could be convinced not to open it, Torkinuuminaad resolved to ritually murder Huukaminaan. Torkinuuminaad secretly recruited a number of Piurivar villagers to assist him in this murder.

    Huukaminaan stayed up late at night one evening with fellow archeologist Vo-Siimifon, discussing the inscription they had found the day before. Complaining of a headache,Huuk decided to go out for a walk.

    Huukaminaan was murdered upon the sacrificial altars in which the "Defilement" had been carried out, and his body was dismembered, with three parts of his body placed in various locations atop the altar. His head was placed within a chamber for sacrificial offerings immediately outside the shrine below the altar; this shrine was the only one of all of the pyramids

    After the discover of Huukaminaan's murder, his body was given to the Piurivar for interment.

(The Seventh Shrine) - Investigating Dr. Huukaminaan's murder, Pontifex Valentine was shown the sites in which his body parts had been placed. Valentine questioned various Piurivar archeologists and workers with the aid of the Vroon, Autifon Deliamber, whose wizardly skills granted him advanced perceptions. From a previous communion with the sea-dragon Mazmoorn, Valentine was aware that the "Defilement" had actually been a voluntary sacrifice. However, while Valentine suspected the murder to have likely have been been ritualistic sacrifice and committed by one or more of the Piurivar, he had little success in gaining further information.

    After learning the truth about the secret murder and burial of Pontifex Ghorban in the distant past and how this information had been concealed, Valentine ordered the summoning of Torkinuuminaad for questioning, during which Torkinuuminaad revealed that he was the guardian of the shrine. When Torkinuuminaad refused to provide further information, Valentine ordered the opening of the seventh shrine. There, Valentine found the teeth of the sea dragons, which imparted to him visions of Ghorban's and Huukaminaan's murders. Torkinuuminaad attempted to slay Valentine via a combination of entrancement and physical threat with his metamorphic abilities, but he was ultimately subdued.

    Valentine ordered that if the involved villagers confessed their involvement, they would be pardoned after undergoing a full cleansing of their souls. However, Torkinuuminaad was to be turned over to the Danipur's officials to be tried in her own courts.

    Valentine then ordered the sea-dragons' teeth to be returned the seventh shrine, which was to be resealed. He stated that the teeth and the shrine were holy to the Piurivar, even if they knew not why, and that they should not be put on archeological display.

    Seventh Shrine is an adaptation of a Robert Silverberg novella. It was originally published as two issues by Image in 2005, and then collected as TPB by Marvel/Dabel in 2007. The prose version was first published in the anthology Legends in 1998, and is set in Silverberg's Majipoor series that began with Lord Valentine's Castle, initially published in serialized form in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, starting in November 1979. I don't think any others in that novel series have been adapted into comics, but I could be wrong. And to be honest, it's a stretch to call the comic version a comic - it's really just the prose novella with some illustrations added. 

    Some additional background, courtesy of Wikipedia:

    Majipoor is a planet much larger than Earth, though far less dense, so that its surface gravity is almost the same as on Earth. It has been settled by humans, Ghayrogs, Skandars, Vroons, Liimen, Hjorts and other alien races for many thousands of years. The aboriginal inhabitants of the planet, the Piurivar, were conquered by humans many thousands of years ago and are now confined to a reservation. The planet is ruled by an unusual tetrarchy of Powers: an adoptive Coronal rules in a highly visible and symbolic manner from his palace atop Castle Mount; the previous Coronal retires to become the Pontifex, the head of the bureaucracy in an underground Labyrinth; the Coronal's mother becomes the Lady of the Isle of Sleep, promoting the morals of Majipoor by sending dreams to its inhabitants; while a hereditary King of Dreams on the distant continent of Suvrael punishes wrongdoers by visiting them with nightmares. The post of King of Dreams is created at the end of King of Dreams, while Valentine Pontifex ends with the creation of a fifth Power, representing the Piurivar.

    Majipoor receives the occasional starship, but is generally considered a backwater planet. Metals of all sorts are scarce, since the planet has a very light crust. Technology is pervasive but often of ancient origin and no longer fully understood. For example, draft animals called "mounts" are used for farming and transport, but the animals were artificially created in the distant past by genetic manipulation, and the technologies involved have been forgotten. Many great engineering works are described, but these were also usually created long ago. Many modern technologies, such as TV and radio, seem to be nonexistent or in very limited use. The average Majipooran lives a peasant lifestyle, and agriculture is a common occupation.

The Piurivar (also called Metamorphs or Shapeshifters)

    The original race occupying Majipoor. They were none too pleased when humans began colonizing the planet, and a smoldering guerrilla war lasted for many centuries before the Coronal Lord Stiamot rounded up and evicted the Metamorphs from Alhanroel, restricting them to a reservation on Zimroel. Normally bipedal, with flat faces and green/grey skin, the Shapeshifters have the ability to mimic virtually any bipedal race. When so disguised, they are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. This aided them greatly in their struggles with human colonists early in Majipoor's history. Eventually, techniques were devised to detect Metamorphs, and they were confined largely to a vast reservation on Zimroel. But the intelligent beings have never stopped dreaming of a day when they would retake the planet from the various other sentient species which now inhabit it.

Ghayrogs

A bipedal race with reptilian features, forked tongues, and black serpentine hair. While their population is concentrated in the crystal city of Dulorn, Ghayrogs can be found throughout much of Majipoor, some serving as high government functionaries. They generally display little or no emotion and do not sleep most of the year. Ghayrogs are egg-layers, but mammalian despite their scaly skins.

Skandars

    A four-armed, shaggy, tall and very strong race. They can be found as cargo-handlers, teamsters and sailing ship crew. A few Skandars take up juggling, and with four arms they are unparalleled at this art. Skandars are known to be obstinate and hot-headed.

The Vroons

    A smallish, somewhat cephalopodic race. Many are wizards, and they are known for the direction-finding and healing arts. Some can see the future in a limited way.

    Courtesy of Goodreads:  

     A grisly murder has taken place in the ruins of an ancient city on the peaceful world of Majipoor and the Pontifex Valentine has arrived to investigate the crime. But as Valentine and his companions delve deeper into the mystery, they discover that these ruins contain secrets much deeper than anyone ever knew... and that the indigenous Metamorphs are holding back information related to their own dark history. Can Valentine and his friends locate the murderer... or did the violent act have something to do with a ritual sacrifice related to the fabled Seventh Shrine?

   This profile was completed 03/15/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Doctor Huukaminaan should be distinguished from:

• other "Huukaminaan" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

First posted: 09/18/2026
Last updated: 03/15/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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