XEMNU THE TITAN

Real Name: Xemnu

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial

Occupation: Would-be conqueror and world repopulater;
    formerly television star

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Calvin Beame, Korath the Pursuer, Phalanx, Shatterax, Ted Silverberg, Ultron

Enemies: Al the Alien, Mary McGrill Archer, Ulysses Solomon Archer, Big Enilwen, Defenders (Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Valkyrie), Joe Harper, Hulk (Banner), Louise "Weezi" Mason, Moondragon, Taryn O'Connel, Poppa Wheelie, Quasar (Phyla-Vell), Razorback, Retread, She-Hulk, Thing (Grimm), Adam Warlock, Wide-Load Annie, Jim Wilson, Wonder Man

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Hulk (see comments), the Living Titan, Amos Moses, the Titan, Richmond Wagner, "White-Thing" (called so by the Hulk (Banner))

Base of Operations: Currently unknown;
                                     (formerly) the Star Stop, outer space
                                     (formerly) a television studio in Queens, New York,
                                     (formerly) Fort Carson, Colorado,
                                     (formerly) Plucketville (Florida?),
                                     (formerly) a television station in New York City,
                                     (formerly) Pineville,
                                     (formerly) an unnamed prison planet

First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#62 (November, 1960)

Powers/Abilities: Xemnu possesses a variety of mental powers, including telepathy, telekinesis, hypnosis, possession. He can project a "Mento-Blast" - a psionic concussive force.  He only has three fingers (including opposable thumb) on each hand.

Height: 11' (originally 20')   Weight: 1100 lbs. (originally 2000 lbs.)
Eyes: Red  Hair: White

History: (Journey into Mystery I#62 (fb)) - Xemnu was placed on a prison planet for crimes against the universe. When a supply ship arrived on the planet, Xemnu sneaked aboard, stealing it. However, the spacecraft did not have enough fuel to return to his home planet, and Xemnu crash-landed on Earth.

(Journey into Mystery I#62) - Small town electrician Joe Harper found Xemnu near death in the swamp. Taking the creature back to his shop, he fed it electricity.  Revived, Xemnu explained to Harper how he came to Earth.  Terrified that he had just saved the life of a criminal monster, Harper attempted to escape, but was taken under mental control by the alien. Determined to return to his own planet, Xemnu took over the minds of the entire world, and forced humans to build him a new spaceship, one that would be so powerful, it would destroy the Earth in the process of launching.  As he commanded the others to do his bidding, Xemnu let go of his command of Harper, having gratitude that the human had saved him. However, Harper used his freedom to rewire some components in the Titan's ship, so that just as he got into orbit, a short circuit caused Xemnu to go into a state of shock. The ship flew towards the sun, and everyone except Harper regained their mental faculties, never aware of Xemnu.

(Journey into Mystery I#66) - Still in shock, Xemnu managed to telekinetically cause an asteroid to strike the craft, causing the ship to change course, heading back for Earth.  Crashing yet again, Xemnu found himself free of the electrical charge.  He came across a carnival owner and took over his mind.  The possessed carny then took Xemnu into town as a sideshow attraction, inviting the townspeople to come see the show for free. His powers having dwindled, the Titan was forced to threaten the people physically this time. Around this time, Joe Harper realized that Xemnu's ship was no longer circling the sun and when reports of Pineville shutting itself off from the world came on the news, he realized the alien had returned. Harper confronted Xemnu, and when the Titan attempted to hypnotize Harper's very molecules apart, Harper held up a mirror, causing Xemnu to hypnotize himself instead.  Xemnu then faded into nothingness.

(Marvel Feature#3) - The now-gaseous form of Xemnu traveled through space, finally returning to his home planet. There, he discovered a lifeless world wiped out by illness. Heading back to Earth, he found a space shuttle and possessed the astronaut Richmond Wagner. Returning to Earth, "Wagner" and his co-pilot Cal Beame experienced trouble coming into orbit and were saved by Namor the Sub-Mariner. The two publicly quit the space program. "Wagner" convinced Beame to use their newfound celebrity to host a childrens' show. With "Wagner" dressing up in an alien costume (actually reverting to Xemnu's true form).  The show, called The Astro-Nuts, became a hit, thanks in part to Xemnu's subliminal spells.  Watching the show, Jim Wilson realized something was wrong, and, lacking a way to contact his friend the Hulk, instead went to Dr. Strange. Strange took on the illusional form of the Hulk, and the two visited the set, even as The Astro-Nuts shot up in the ratings and merchandise sales boomed. Posing as the Hulk, Strange was granted a guest-role on the show.  However, Bruce Banner, the true Hulk, saw the sham on television, and reverting to his monstrous alter-ego, set out to find the fake. At that moment, Xemnu dropped his pretense, hypnotizing the children viewing his program, in an effort to repopulate his world. Strange, too, dispensed with his ruse, and attacked the Titan. Outmatched, Strange summoned Namor, who also fell to the alien. Beame, having enough, tried to help, but was killed by his "friend." The true Hulk then arrived and began to beat Xemnu savagely, causing the Titan to retreat via molecule dispersment.


(Defenders I#12 (fb)) - Again in gaseous form, Xemnu floated to Miami, where he found Plucketville's mayor, Amos Moses, walking around. He took possession of the man and, returning to Plucketvilled, commanded the townspeople to build a new spaceship for him.

(Defenders I#12) - Some time later, Xemnu attacked and defeated the Hulk as the green behemoth was taking solice in a forest. The Hulk managed to send out a cry of help that was heard states away by Dr. Strange, who, along with the Valkyrie, embarked to find their comrade. Arriving in Plucketville, they were greeted by Mayor Amos Moses. However, Moses/Xemnu commanded various machinery from the town, and the townspeople themselves, to attack the two Defenders, rendering them unconscious.  After they regained consciousness, Moses revealed himself as Xemnu. Strange used his powers to wake the Hulk up, who attacked Xemnu. When the Titan attempted to escape on a levitating piece of concrete, the Hulk lobbed Xemnu's rocket at the fleeing alien, causing a massive explosion.

(Incredible Hulk II Annual#5 (fb)-BTS) - Surviving yet again, Xemnu began to research classified extraterrestrial files of the U.S. government. Using them, he built five robots that looked like and possessed the powers of aliens that had previously terrorized mankind: the Blip, Diablo, Goom, Groot and Taboo.

(Incredible Hulk II Annual#5) - When the Hulk arrived in the area, Xemnu sent the robots, one at a time, to confront his hated enemy.  Each fell in defeat to the Hulk.  Finally, Xemnu himself confronted the Hulk. The two struggled, but Xemnu was distracted by blasts outside his underground lair, which turned out to be military depth charges. As the two behemoths battled into the air, then atop the Fort Carson Dam, a stray depth charge caused the dam to burst, washing both creatures away in a flood.


(Marvel Two-In-One#78 (fb)-BTS)) - Once again using the form of Moses, Xemnu met Ted Silverberg, head of a television studio.  Xemnu used his new unwitting ally to create all sorts of programs that would help spread Xemnu's subliminal messages.

(Marvel Two-In-One#78) - Silverberg was confronted by Benjamin Grimm, the Thing, who was upset that his tv studio had made a series based loosely on the Thing. Silverberg reported this to "Moses," who used his powers to calm his underling.  When actor Simon Williams, aka the hero Wonder Man, threatened to quit the show out of loyalty to his friend, Xemnu used his mental powers to gain control of Williams' mind.  The Thing returned to the studio and was attacked by Wonder Man. As the two battled across the various studios, Grimm realized that the cameras were designed to aid Xemnu's hypnotic powers.  He threw Wonder Man into one, shattering the Titan's grasp over the actor. The two then chased after Xemnu who got away in an escape pod.

Several months later, Silverberg used the incident to create his newest television show, "The Xemnu the Titan Show."

(Sensational She-Hulk#6 - BTS) - While on a coal sack run, Ulysses Solomon Archer's space-faring truck was infiltrated by Xemnu.

(Sensational She-Hulk#6) - The truck crashed into the Star Stop Diner, which was located thousands of miles in space from Earth.  When Archer's wife Mary McGrill, as well as Razorback, Taryn O'Connell and the She-Hulk (the three of whom had arrived looking for Archer) investigated, they witnessed Xemnu emerge from the craft.

(Sensational She-Hulk#7) - Xemnu revealed that he had altered his master plan slightly. Instead of kidnapping children to repopulate his planet, he now intended to genetically alter unborn children to replenish his race, beginning with Archer and McGrill's. He used his mental powers to knock everyone at the Star Stop unconscious.  Waking up, She-Hulk managed to break free of Xemnu's restraints and attacked him before being knocked out again.  When she reawoke, she was horrified to find that Xemnu had begun to change her molecular structure to make her more like him and thus, compatible to be his new bride.  Just then, Al the Alien, (a friend of Archer's) arrived with a massive space cavalry.  The defeated Xemnu was handed over to Big Enilwen, a giant alien that collected teddy bears. Believing Xemnu to be one, he added the creature to his collection.

(Sensational She-Hulk#42 (fb)) - Xemnu used his powers to convince Enilwen to free his teddy bears into the wild.

(Sensational She-Hulk#42) - In space once again, She-Hulk aided Archer and Al against Spragg the Living Hill. After defeating him, they met again with Big Enilwen, who showed them his rock collection. Realizing what this meant, they turned and confronted a freed Xemnu.

(Sensational She-Hulk#43) - Xemnu gloated about his freedom and his plans to defeat She-Hulk and sell her into slavery, but before he could go any further, he was hit in the back of the head by She-Hulk's friend Louise Mason, who was brandishing a large monkey-wrench.  Left unconscious, Xemnu's fate after that remains unknown.

(Beyond#4) - The Space Phantom transferred Xemnu into Limbo and adopted his form to fight the heroes on Battleworld. After Pym drugged the Space Phantom's Xemnu form, he replaced Xemnu with Northstar.

(Annihilation: Conquest#1) - Xemnu was turned into a select by the Phalanx. Along with Shatterax and Korath he joined Phalanx warriors on the planet Terma against Quasar (Phyla), Moondragon and Adam Warlock, but Adam Warlock fled with his allies. Xemnu, Korath and Shatterax returned to their leader Ultron to tell him about their failure. Korath was killed by Ultron to teach Shatterax and Xemnu a lesson.







Comments: Created by unknown writer, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

When he originally appeared, he was called Xemnu the Hulk. However, by the time he was brought into Marvel continuity, the "Hulk" name was being used by another character you may be familiar with.

Xemnu's first two appearances were reprinted in Monsters on the Prowl #11 and 14. In fact, #14 missed a couple of "Hulk" references. He was also colored a golden-brown in his original appearances, but that has since been forgotten, and his white fur from his reprint appearances is accepted as the way it was then.

Xemnu had what appeared to be cyborg parts in his first appearances in the 1960s and in Marvel Feature#3, but they disappeared during his later appearances, only to show back up in Sensational She-Hulk#42-43.  My guess is that once he started possessing bodies, they naturally didn't require the cybernetics that his original body did. Why they returned later is unkown.

Two deceased members of Xemnu's race have been seen. In Fantastic Four I#359, Devos the Devastator had the head of a Titan among his trophies (which also included the heads of a Skrull, an Elan and a Kree Sentry, as well as the living creature Dreadface).  In Wolverine II#134, the Collector (the Elder of the Universe) had turned the body of a Titan into a floor rug.

Apparently after Xemnu possesses a body, it becomes him. Originally, he was around 20 feet, but once he started possessing other creatures, his height shrunk, to around 11 feet at times, and sometimes even slightly shorter.

If I'm not mistaken, Xemnu was the first Kirby-era monster to be brought into proper Earth-616 continuity.

Xemnu had entries in the Update '89 and Master Editions of the OHotMU.

Profile by Madison Carter

Clarifications:

Xemnu has no known connections to

Calvin "Cal" Beame

Astronaut, came back with "Rich Wagner" and starred on children's show. When Xemnu revealed himself, Cal attacked him and was killed.

--Marvel Feature#3 ( Marvel Feature#3 (fb), 3




Joe Harper

Small town electrician who found and revived Xemnu. Defeated him twice, once by rewiring Xemnu's ship's control board, and then by turning Xemnu's hypnotic powers back onto him.






--Journey into Mystery I#62 ( #62, 66
Amos Moses

Mayor of Plucketville. Was vacationing in Miami when Xemnu possessed his form. Xemnu later re-used his form to form alliance with Ted Silverberg.







--Defenders I#12 (Defenders I#12 (fb), 12, Marvel Two-In-One#78
Richmond "Rich" Wagner

Astronaut who was possessed by the gaseous form of Xemnu.






-- Marvel Feature#3 (Marvel Feature#3 (fb), 3

images:
OHotMU Master Edition (main image)
Monsters on the Prowl#11, page 1, panel 1
Marvel Feature#3, page 8, panel 3 (on television show)
Defenders I#12, page 4, panel 1
Sensational She-Hulk#6, page 22, panel 4
Sensational She-Hulk#43, pages 7-8
Marvel Feature#3, page 7, panel 3 (Cal Beame)
Monsters on the Prowl#11, page 6, panel 1 (Joe Harper)
Defenders I#12, page 12, panel 5 (Amos Moses)
Marvel Feature#3, page 7, panel 3 (Rich Wagner)

Journey into Mystery I#62 (November, 1960) - Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Journey into Mystery I#66 (March, 1961) - Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Feature#3 (June, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Ross Andru (pencils), Bill Everett (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Defenders I#12 (February, 1974) - Len Wein (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Incredible Hulk Annual#5 (1976) - Chris Claremont & Len Wein (writers), Sal Buscema (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One#78 (August, 1981) - Tom DeFalco & David Michelinie (writers), Ron Wilson (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Sensational She-Hulk#6-7 (October-November, 1989) - John Byrne (writer/pencils), Al Gordon (#6) & Bob Wiacek (#7) (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Sensational She-Hulk#42-43 (August-September, 1992) - John Byrne (writer/artist), Renee Witterstaetter (editor)
Beyond#4 (December, 2006) - by Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Scott Kolins (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Annihilation: Conquest#1 (January, 2008) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (writers), Tom Raney (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)

12/15/06

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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