ANCIENTS

Classification: Semi-humanoid extraterrestrial race 

Location/Base of Operations: Unrevealed (presumably some planet in Earth's universe)

Known Members: Unidentified seeker of the hybrid corn (all images in the main section are this seeker); population undefined

Affiliations: None identified

Enemies: Hulk (Bruce Banner, in his gray/Fixit aspect), unidentified extraterrestrial race (including One and Two)

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk III#21 (December, 2000)

Powers/Abilities: The Ancients can read and manipulate minds telepathically, project energy blasts of an undefined nature, and apparently levitate. They can sense the presence of certain objects of significance to them; it is uncertain whether that ability is inherent or via technology. They can travel to distant planets and may or may not use ships to travel through space or through a planet's atmosphere.
    With only a single Ancient seen, it is unclear whether all members possess the same abilities or whether the seeker of the corn had special abilities.

    The seeker of the corn referred to itself in the plural, even in cases where it clearly was not referring to its race but itself. Perhaps the Ancients' minds are part of a collective? Or maybe they're just not so great at assimilating grammar (much like a lot of people).

Traits: All that is known of the Ancients is that they sought to retrieve material stolen by an enemy extraterrestrial race. The Ancient seen seemed benevolent enough, content to retrieve the hybrid material without harming the Hulk or anyone on the military base, but when confronted by members of the alien race, he became violent and degenerated into trading insults as well.

Type: Bilaterally symmetric semi-humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; solid red color seen)
Fingers: Four (including opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Gray (text described them as gray, but the one seen appear to be consistently green during the story - a play on the gray/green Hulk, a mistake, or something more?)
Average height: Approximately 4'10"? (they appear to levitate, and there's not good scale where they are clearly standing next to someone else)

History:
(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) <millions of years ago> - Allegedly (and for reasons unrevealed), an unidentified extraterrestrial race stole a specimen from the world of another race known only as the Ancients.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) <millions of years ago> - Allegedly (and for reasons unrevealed), the unidentified extraterrestrial race visited Earth and seeded the planet with the stolen specimen, developing hybrid terrestrial-extraterrestrial species of corn and wheat.
    At least two of these aliens remained on Earth incognito, using the aliases One and Two.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) - Unable to retrieve the specimen due to various protective measures, the Ancients waited "many centuries" to recover the specimen.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) - The alien hybrid corn was kept inside a lead-lined radiation proof container in an underground tunnel beneath a shed in Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force base.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 - BTS) - Conspiracy-theorist and computer hacker "Hack" agreed to help Mr. Fixit (the gray Hulk) in exchange for Fixit obtaining for him the alien hybrid; Hack accompanied Fixit to Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force base and guided him to steal the hybrid. Observing their arrival and actions, One and Two assumed Hack and Fixit had been subliminally invited to the facility by the Ancients.
    As the Hulk approached, One and Two mentally influenced the base's Colonel St. Hubbins to order the troops to merely monitor the invading Hulk's presence. As the Hulk overcame the base's auto-defense mechanisms, One and Two worried the Hulk would be able to claim the hybrid.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 - BTS) - Sensing the removal of the protective measures surrounding the hybrid, one of the Ancients flew its ship there to reclaim the hybrid.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 - BTS) - One and Two apparently used Colonel St. Hubbins to assemble the base's tanks and helicopter forces to prevent the Hulk from escaping with the hybrid.

 

(Incredible Hulk III#21) - Detecting an approaching ship and correctly suspecting it to be one of the Ancients, One and Two decided they must take matters into their own hands to prevent the Ancients' operative from retrieving the hybrid. The Ancient confronted the Hulk, mentally influencing him to surrender the hybrid and offering its gratitude, but then One and Two arrived and demanded the Ancient surrender and relinquish the hybrid to them. Instead the Hybrid retaliated with an energy blast that exposed One and Two were aliens, and One and Two  returned fire with their energy weapons, knocking back both the Ancient and the Hulk. Contemptuously noting the weapons of the "feeble upstarts" had no effect on "us" and that their technology rivaled the buttocks of a Betelgeusian tadpole, the Ancient struck back with another energy blast. Two fired back again, cursing the Ancient in some alien tongue, and the Ancient continued the struggle, contending Two was actually whatever Two had cursed the Ancient as. The energy blasts and cursing continued until the Ancient realized the Hulk had departed while they had fought.
    Two blamed the Ancient, cursing him as a "mutonic excuse for a Vlapton Ice Pirate"and reminding that the Ancient had been the one mind-controlling the Hulk. The Ancient countered that One and Two's interference and distraction had caused the hybrid to be lost to them all. As their argument continued, the Hulk brought the hybrid's containment device to Hack and opened it. The Hulk was highly amused to find what they had sought was a pair of ears of specially-bred corn; Hack was less amused.
    Watching as the pair departed, One and Two were pleased that the humans had not learn about the hybrid wheat. Two further noted that his broker would be happy with this news, and One agreed.

 

Comments: Created by Paul Jenkins, Kyle Hotz, and Eric Powell.

    Perhaps the Ancients' true name is the Narcrusta...and their old enemies the Grogada?

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Ancient have no known connections to

hybrid corn


(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) <millions of years ago> - Allegedly (and for reasons unrevealed), an unidentified extraterrestrial race stole a specimen from the world of another race known only as the Ancients.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) <millions of years ago> - Allegedly (and for reasons unrevealed), the unidentified extraterrestrial race visited Earth and seeded the planet with the stolen specimen, developing hybrid terrestrial-extraterrestrial species of corn and wheat.
    At least two of these aliens remained on Earth incognito, using the aliases One and Two.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) - The corn (and presumably the wheat) was contained within a device the prevented the Ancient from retrieving it. Unable to retrieve the specimen, the Ancients waited "many centuries" to recover the specimen.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 (fb) - BTS) - The alien hybrid corn was kept inside a lead-lined radiation proof container in an underground tunnel beneath a shed in Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force base.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 - BTS) - Conspiracy-theorist and computer hacker "Hack" led the Hulk to obtain the mysterious alien hybrid. The Hulk disabled the base's security measures surrounding the hybrid.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 - BTS) - Sensing the removal of the protective measures surrounding the hybrid, one of the Ancients flew its ship there to reclaim the hybrid.

(Incredible Hulk III#21 - BTS) - One and Two apparently used Colonel St. Hubbins to assemble the base's tanks and helicopter forces to prevent the Hulk from escaping with the hybrid.

(Incredible Hulk III#21) - The Ancient confronted the Hulk, mentally influencing him to surrender the hybrid and offering its gratitude, but then One and Two arrived and demanded the Ancient surrender both itself and the hybrid to them. In the ensuing struggle, the Hulk escaped within the hybrid and delivered it to Hack. The Hulk was highly amused to find what they had sought was a pair of ears of specially-bred corn; Hack was less amused.
    Watching as the pair departed, One and Two were pleased that the humans had not learn about the hybrid wheat. Two further noted that his broker would be happy with this news, and One agreed.

--Incredible Hulk III#21 (21 (fb) - BTS

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk III#21, pg. 15, panel 2 (hybrid corn containment);
        pg. 16, panel 1 (Ancient, body cloak);
        pg. 17, panel 2 (Ancient blasting One and Two);
        pg. 19, panel 1 (Ancient, full body except feet);
            panel 2 (Ancient, face close-up)
        pg. 21, panel 3 (hybrid corn)

Appearances:
Incredible Hulk III#21 (December, 2000) -  Paul Jenkins (writer), Kyle Hotz (penciler), Eric Powell (inker), Marc Sumerak (assistant editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)

Last updated: 11/04/12

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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