UNDERSEA GIANTS
Classification: Terrestrial aquatic humanoids (possibly a sub-species of humanity)
Location/Base of Operations: A base hidden beneath the Atlantic Ocean
Known Members: The leader and at least ten attacking troops (all unnamed)
Affiliations: None
Enemies: The Statue of Liberty (see comments)
First Appearance: Amazing Adult Fantasy#13/5 (June, 1962)
Powers/Abilities: The Undersea Giants were about 20 feet tall and were ocean dwelling creatures, but were also amphibious, having large gills that allowed them to breathe water and lungs that allowed them to breathe air. They also carried some type of handgun blaster.
History: (Amazing Adult Fantasy#13) - Nothing is known of the history of the Undersea Giants, as they kept their presence unknown from humanity and their fellow undersea civilizations. This isolationist behavior was broken when one of their scouts noticed a human scuba-diving near their domain. As the scout reported this to the leader, the leader decided to strike against humans first before they struck at the Undersea Giants -- as they were much bigger and stronger than mere humans, the leader confidently ordered his legions to attack.
Meanwhile in New York City, the entire metropolis was in the middle of a civil defense drill, leaving the streets deserted because all the citizens were in shelters.
As the Undersea Giants swam to the docks, they noticed no guards or sentries on duty. Thinking the element of surprise was on their side, the Giants climbed from the water and walked around the waterfront buildings, but finding no one around, the Giants figured the humans knew they were coming and fled in terror. Just then, at the stroke of midnight, the Undersea Giants looked up and saw a huge hand which scooped them up and threw them all back into the sea. Thinking that they were mistaken about the relatively small size of surfacemen ("It must have been an optical illusion!" ), the Undersea Giants swam back to the safety of the deep and vowed never to attack humans again because they seemed to be a race of invulnerable giants.
As dawn broke over the city, the civil defense drill came to an end and life in the city returned to normal, but two repair man had to be dispatched to the Statue of Liberty for some repair work...apparently the Statue now had skinned knuckles.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Since they look so similar, I wonder if the Undersea Giants are somehow connected with the Aquaticans -- although the Aquaticans were only about the same size as humans, perhaps the Undersea Giants were members of that race who altered their size with genetic engineering, Pym Particles, etc.
...and no explanation was ever given as to how the Statue of Liberty came to life and fought off the Giants -- myself, I'd like to think that maybe it was Dr. Stephen Strange (who was active in those pre-Marvel years) working behind-the-scenes and casting a spell to somehow animate the Statue, but your theory is as good as mine...
Profile by John Kaminski
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Undersea Giants have no known connections to
Given as a gift to the United
States by France in 1886, the 110-foot-tall Statue stands on Ellis
Island in the harbor outside New York City. When the Undersea Giants
attacked the surface world, the Statue somehow came to life and threw
all the Giants back into the sea, but it sustained damage to the
knuckles on its right hand.
--Amazing Adult Fantasy#13/5
images: (without ads)
Amazing Adult Fantasy#13, p21, pan4 (main image)
p22, pan6 (true size)
Last updated: 06/09/06
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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