THE PEOPLE
Classification: Evolved terrestrial humanoid reptiles
Location/Base of Operations: San Andreas Mountains, New Mexico, USA
Known Members: Aracht'yr (Patriarch), B'ok, C'rel, Faelar, Guardian, Heamon, Jimi, Khadar (Warrior-Prime), Kurr'fri, Madri and his mother, M'Dhar, Mickey and his friends, Mirielle, M'kai, Serpentyne, S'gur, Tak, Viri
Affiliations: Delage, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), Savage Land United Tribes, X-Men (Beast, Bishop, Nightcrawler, Psylocke, Rachel Summers, Rogue, Sage, Storm, Thunderbird (Neal Sharra), X-23)
Enemies: Humans, Dire Wraiths, Savage Land Mutates, Saurian rebels, Hauk'ka
Aliases: Lizard People, Saurians
First Appearance: Ms. Marvel I#20 (September, 1978)
Powers/Abilities: The mutations induced in the reptiles' bodies led to the developement of different powers. The Giant Lizards had a Strength varying from enhanced to Class 20. Their thick skin made them highly resistant to physical attacks and likely invulnerable to bullets. They preferred hand-to-hand combat and knew how to use their tail to slap an adversary. Some warriors wielded a spear. Other members of the race developed more unique powers such as telepathy and flight.
Traits: Intelligent humanoid lizards walking on two feet.
The males were mostly taller and heavier than a normal human, approximately
between 5 and 10 feet tall. Their skin was scaled, spiked, rather thick and
resistant as steel. The females seemed smaller, about 5,2 feet tall and
her scales were less prominent and smaller.
For both sexes, the skin color varied around different
shades of green and brown, but some members had orange or red scales. They had four fingers per hand including
(usually) an opposable thumb. They had a tail and some males had a pair of horns or more. They
were able to walk erect, to run, and also to speak English but with a dragged "s" like in "...you sssseem
tired...".
They were used to live with few light, in the caverns. They didn't have many problems when they walked outside in the night. For
purpose of secrecy they preferred the night, although, as lizards, they should
have liked sun and warm. They also had an enhanced sense of smell.
They called themselves "The People". Their society seemed divided in classes. Males were stronger
and, for the most part, warriors or hunters. Females cared for children and home.
A High Council existed, as Government and/or Jurisdictional
Agency for the most debated cases. For less important cases, the decisions were taken by the
Patriarch.
Physical strenght and warriors were respected. The class of Warriors-Prime
was even more respected and admired.
Despite the importance they gave to physical strength and fighting ability they
had decided to live in peace, far from and hidden to the human race. They also
had started to develop forms of art like sculpting. Children went to school and
had to pass exams.
Some members of the lizards seemed less intelligent and were used as
mount.
History: (Ms. Marvel I#21 (fb)) -
The (Lizard) People didn't exist before the first nuclear experiment in New
Mexico. The radiations emitted by the bomb caused mutations in the reptiles
living in the Mesa near Almagordo. The reptiles' evolutionary process accelerated,
and in few generations they started walking erect. After 10 years, they
developed a tribal culture and a written language. They found vast caverns under
the San Andreas Mountains and settled there. They adapted the caves and built a
town.
In the early times, the lizards hunted the humans who went too near their
hideout, considering the soft-fleshed ones prey. But after they
understood how violent and destructive the human race was, they decided to hide
from them, aware of their physical superiority but also of their technological
inferiority. So, they tried to keep their society secret.
(Ms. Marvel I#17 - BTS) - In the region between Elephant Butte, Trinity Canyon, and the San Andreas Mountains the People kidnapped and killed some persons whose presence could uncover their secret society.
(Ms. Marvel I#21 (fb) - BTS) - Two men, among the captured humans, tried to flee from their subterran prison, but they were caught and killed by the Guardian.
(Ms. Marvel I#17 - BTS) - But the murders were noticed. Sharon Cole, a reporter of "Woman Magazine" working for the Daily Bugle, was sent to New Mexico to investigate.
(Ms. Marvel I#21 (fb)) - Sharon Cole and a
couple of rangers approached the lizards' town and were attacked.
The lizards killed the two rangers, although they were armed. Sharon Cole
managed to flee with her jeep but the lizards intercepted and captured her.
Meanwhile, the US Army had been alerted. Three days after Sharon Cole's kidnapping,
a line of tanks ran through Eastern region of Elephant Butte. The lizards,
aware of the great danger, assaulted the armored line. The lizards destroyed
the tanks in a few minutes, then captured the soldiers. Not so far from the
battlefield, Heamon, stunned the human soldiers, and only their Colonel, Henry
Butler, was taken captive.
(Ms. Marvel I#20) - Some hours later, Carol Danvers and Sergeant
Jim Whitmore found the battlefield. Withmore was kidnapped and Carol Danvers
transformed into Ms. Marvel and fought and defeated a Warrior-Prime, Khadar.
However, she was stunned by Heamon and taken captive.
(Ms. Marvel I#21) - The lizards were impressed by Ms. Marvel's
fighting ability, a trait they had never seen in the other humans they had
captured. Many Lizards considered her too dangerous to let her live. Their
Patriarch, Aracht'yr, gathered the High Council to decide her fate. During the
trial, Faelar, a warrior, started a fight with Ms. Marvel and the resulting
battle destroyed the Arena of Trial and, most importantly the Great Cobra Head above the jury, a statue, symbol of the Lizard People's progress.
To free the other prisoners Ms. Marvel had to kill the Guardian, an enormous,
intelligent Cobra. Aracht'yr and the other Lizards were impressed by Ms. Marvel's power so accepted her proposal. Heamon scrambled the prisoner's
memories, so none of them could remember what had happened. The prisoners were
released.
(Ms. Marvel I#21 - BTS) - Aracht'yr had a gift sent to Carol Danvers' house, to remind her to keep their secret safe.
(Rom#8-9) - But one of the human prisoners released wasn't actually
human, he was a Dire Wraith in disguise and the telepathic treatment didn't work
on him. So, the Wraiths learnt of the existence of
the Lizard People, They slaughtered them to use their hidden caves. One of the
lizards who survived was Serpentyne.
Serpentyne, wrongly believing to be the last of his race, took his revenge against the Dire Wraiths. Using his
keen smell he
managed to track down the Wraiths even in their human form. The lizard warrior killed
several Wraiths but his insane will of revenge drove him to fight ROM the
Spaceknight and he died.
(Marvel Age Annual#1) - The warrior Kurr'fri wrecked havoc in the Marvel Bullpen alongside a lot of other super-criminals as part of a Lethal Legion.
(X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#1) - The surviving lizards
became homeless exiles. They hid from humans till one of them learnt of the existence of
the Savage Land where real dinosaurs lived.
Led by C'rel, daughter of Aracht'yr,
they started a long journey, crossing half the continent
but when they arrived in southern Argentina, they were spotted by humans, and a
local militia pursued them to kill them. The X-Men arrived in time to disperse the
militians and joined the People to help them travelling to the Savage Land.
(X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#2) - During the journey, an innatural cataclysm caused by Brainchild forced the group to split. The lizard children, Bishop and Sage were lost in the everlasting snows, the group with M'kai, Beast, Rogue and Thunderbird were welcomed by Delage and the united tribes, whose Chamber of Duties included some Saurians. The third group of lizards, including Khadar, were deceived by Brainchild to be used in his war against the united tribes and the world along with Storm.
(X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#3) - Brainchild's rebel Saurian troops attacked, helped by Khadar and the other lizards. The humans held back the attack helped by the X-Men. C'rel and the X-Men convinced Khadar to cease the hostilities and two of the splitted groups eventually reunited. The third group with M'kai and the other lizard children were still lost.
(X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#4) - Bishop and Sage managed
to fix the Blackbird and transported the lizard children to the community of the
united tribes. But Brainchild attacked again, flanked by his Mutates and a
devolved Storm. Leash controlled the minds of lizards and Saurians, preventing
them to intervene, but eventually Sage succeded in knocking her down and when
they where free again, led by Khadar an attack on Brainchild's lair. The Mutates were
captured.
Delage and the humans didn't trust the Lizard People yet, believing
them to be allied with the rebel Saurians, but agreed to try to live together with them.
(Uncanny X-Men#457 (fb) - BTS) - The Saurians called Hauk'ka invaded the lands where the United Tribes lived. They killed or enslaved whoever tried to stop them, human, Saurian or lizard. Their more advanced technology enabled them to conquer great parts of the Savage Land and also to build a city. A lot of people were captured and kept prisoner in the Hauk'ka town.
(Uncanny X-Men#457 (fb) - BTS) - C'rel, understanding that the situation was critical, allied with Brainchild, the Mutates and also Ka-Zar.
(Uncanny X-Men#456-459) - The X-Men and the Savage Land Mutates defeated the Hauk'ka, freeing the captive humans, Saurians and Lizards. A truce was stipulated with the Hauk'ka.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont (writer), Dave Cockrum (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks).
Chris Claremont also wrote about the Saurians and the Hauk'ka of the Savage Land, the startpoints of their evoulution are different, but the two races are very similar. The Hauk'ka "hand" had two fingers plus the thumb, while the lizards of The People had generally three fingers plus a thumb.
The Guardian, and also the giant statue of the Trial Arena, were giant Cobras, I believed Cobras didn't live in New Mexico, but ony in Africa and Asia.
Kurr'fri's name was revealed in the Lethal Legion entry in OHOTMU A-Z HC#6.
Profile by Spidermay.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The lizard People have no known connections to
Aracht'yr was the Patriarch of the People and a member of the High Council. He had a wife, Mirielle, and some children, C'rel was among them.
Aracht'yr had no special powers but he was respected and wise. He was one of the less bloodthirsty and war-like lizards of the People.
After the defeat of the human army, Aracht'yr saw Ms. Marvel fighting
Khadar and was impressed. He ordered Heamon to capture her, against the will of the other lizards. He had Ms. Marvel undergo a trial
before the High Council with the hope to find a solution different than the woman's death.
Unfortunately, during the trial, a fight broke out in the Arena and the monument of the Lizard People
civilization was shattered and Ms. Marvel believed dead. Once at home, Aracht'yr
was approached by Ms. Marvel who asked him to free the prisoners. Aracht'yr
was sure that the Guardian wold kill them all, so when Ms. Marvel defeated the
enormous serpent, Aracht'yr agreed to her plan. He let the humans go after
Heamon had scrambled their memories.
After he knew Ms. Marvel, Aracht'yr believed that in the world there
was space for lizards and humans and that his people could live in peace. He
teached his ideas to his daughter C'rel.
Unfortunately, the Dire Wraiths learnt of The People's existence and location. The aliens killed almost all the Lizards, including Aracht'yr.
--Ms. Marvel I#20 (20, 21
Faelar was a warrior.
Faeler considered the humans as prey.
When Ms. Marvel was brought before the Council and dared to reply, Faelar hit
her, receiving a big blow in return. Their fight caused the
destruction of the great statue in the trial arena.
--Ms. Marvel I#21
The Guardian was a giant intelligent Cobra. He was probably the most powerful warrior/member of the People. He was strong (Class 50), He could move very quickly and also silently. A scratch caused by his big, poisonous teeth could kill a normal man or Kree within seconds.
The giant Cobra guarded the tunnels which led from the prisons to the town exit. A couple of human prisoners fled from the prison but were pursued and killed by the Guardian.
The Guardian was called by Aracht'yr and sent to stop Ms. Marvel
from freeing the other human prisoners.
He reached Ms. Marvel and sneakily attacked her, scratching her arm. The poison
weakened Ms. Marvel but she managed to break his grip. An
unfortunate uppercut threw the Guardians' head into a
stalactytem, which impaled his head and killed him.
--Ms. Marvel I# 21
Heamon was a member of the High Council. He had a wife and a child.
Heamon possessed telepathic powers. He could stun several people simultaneously into unconscoiusness with his gaze. He could not read thoughts or erase memories but could scramble them, letting their owner believe they had dreamed.
After the defeat of the human army, sent to explore the land
near their hidden town, Heamon saw Ms. Marvel fighting Khadar. Understanding
how much more dangerous she was, Heamon stunned Ms. Marvel with his telepatic blasting
gaze.
Later, he was present during the trial of Ms. Marvel. When a fight broke out
between the heroine and the guards, the monument above the trial arena was shattered and
fell on Heamon's wife and child. Ms. Marvel held up the structure until
they were safe. Despite being grateful to the human Heamon tried to kill her.
He blasted her with his gaze and the enormous statue fell on Ms. Marvel.
But Ms. Marvel was alive, defeated the Guardian and convinced Aracht'yr to
let the humans go.
Heamon scrambled their memories, but one of the humans was actually a Dire
Wraith so the hypnotic treatment didn't work on him.
The Dire Wraiths, learnt of the People's existence, attacked and killed almost all the lizards, including Heamon.
--Ms. Marvel I#20 (20, 21
Madri and his mother
Madri was a child of the People.
Madri and his mother had lost all their family and friends in the Dire Wraith massacre, but they blamed the humans for their tragedy.
During the exodus that led the survivors of the People to the
Savage Land, the X-Men helped them to travel under the Drake Passage.
Not all the lizards could stay in the Blackbirds, and some of them had to fly
staying on the wings of the Blackbird. Madri was one of them. During the flight
he fell and his mother launched herself into the void to catch him. She succeded
but both tumbled down. The Beast saved them but Madri's mother
instinctively tried to bite him.
--X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#1
M'dhar and B'ok
M'dhar and Bok were warriors.
They considered the humans weak and prey.
They heard about the fight between Khadar and Ms. Marvel. They were sent to bring
Ms. Marvel before the Council. When they saw the woman in prison, they
growled to the humans. Ms. Marvel stood still, and B'ok agreed
with M'dhar about the warrior soul of the woman. Then, they brought Ms. Marvel to her trial.
--Ms. Marvel I#21
Mickey was a child of the People.
Like other young lizards he travelled in the Blackbird during the Drake Passage crossing. He was really impressed by the fire shown by Thunderbird and Bishop and was afraid to be burned by them. Although his friends were dazzled by the firelight they promised to Mickey to defend him from the mutants.
The Blackbird crashed in the snows surrounding the Savage Land and after some repairs, Bishop and Sage flew the children to the United Tribes village.
--X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#2
Mirielle was a female of the People. She had a husband, Aracht'yr, a daughter, C'rel, and sons.
Mirielle took care of the house and the children.
After the destruction of the Serpent Statue, Aracht'yr went back home. Mirielle understood he was tired but she was suddenly sent away by Aracht'yr, who had heard that Ms. Marvel was fighting with his two bodyguards. Mirielle ran away with the children and called other warriors to help her husband.
The Dire Wraiths, learnt of the People's existence, attacked and killed almost all the lizards, including Mirielle.
--Ms. Marvel I# 21
Tak was a warrior and could fly.
Tak used his abilities primarily as recon.
Tak was together with the warriors who attacked the line of tanks. When Ms. Marvel defeated Khadar, the other warriors assaulted her. She managed to avoid them flying but Tak was as swift as her, hit her in flight and then lured Ms. Marvel into a trap. The arrive of the People Council stopped the fight. Tak warned his brothers that dawn was near and it was dangerous to stay outside in the morning but the group arrived in time in the subterran People town.
The Dire Wraiths, learnt of The People's existence, attacked and killed almost all the lizards, including Tak.
--Ms. Marvel I#20
Images:
Ms. Marvel I#20, p1, pan4 (Aracht'yr and Heamon on their mounts)
Ms. Marvel I#20, p16, pan1 (a member of the Council)
Ms. Marvel I#21, p7, pan1 (The Council beneath the giant Cobra statue)
Ms. Marvel I#20, p1, pan4 (Aracht'yr)
Ms. Marvel I#21, p7, pan1 (Faelar)
Ms. Marvel I#21, p15, pan4 (the Guardian)
Ms. Marvel I#21, p15, pan1 (Heamon)
X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#1, p19, pan6 (Madri and his
mother)
Ms. Marvel I#20, p5, pan2 (M'dhar and B'ok)
X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#2, p5, pan4 (Mickey and his friends)
Ms. Marvel I#21, p9, pan5 (Mirielle)
Ms. Marvel I#20, p13, pan3 (Tak)
Appearances:
Ms. Marvel I#21 (December, 1978) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Dave Cockrum
(pencils), Al Milgrom (inks)
Rom#8-9 (July-August, 1980) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (artist), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Marvel Age Annual I#1 (1985) - Jim Shooter (concept), Kurt Busiek (writer), James Fry (penciler), Keith Williams (inker), Jim Salicrup (editor)
X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#1 (November, 2001) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Kevin
Sharpe (pencils), Danny Miki & Larry Stucker (inks), Chris & Mike Garcia
(colors)
X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#2 (Dicember, 2001) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Kevin
Sharpe (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Chris & Mike Garcia (colors)
X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#3 (January, 2002) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Kevin
Sharpe (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Arsia Rozegar (colors)
X-Treme X-Men: Savage Land#4 (February, 2002) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Kevin
Sharpe (pencils), Arsia Rozegar (inks), Chris & Mike Garcia (colors)
Uncanny X-Men#457 (May, 2005) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Alan Davis
(pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Dean White (colors), Mike Marts (editor)
Uncanny X-Men#458 (June, 2005) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Alan Davis
(pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Dean White (colors), Mike Marts (editor)
Uncanny X-Men#459 (July, 2005) - Chris Claremont (writer) - Alan Davis
(pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Matt Milla (colors), Mike Marts (editor)
Last updated: 03/14/08
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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