XANNA
Real Name: Xanna
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Microverse) technology user (1950s era) (see comments)
Occupation: Dictator
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: His military forces, his subjects (including Granu the Prophet, Maritsa)
Enemies: Unidentified scientists
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "Sire" (as called by his people)
Base of Operations: His kingdom, an unidentified planet in the Microverse (see comments)
First Appearance: World of Fantasy I#17/2 (April, 1959)
Powers/Abilities: The absolute ruler of his planet, Xanna appeared to have the average strength-level of a male of his species.
Xanna (like the rest of his people) had large fish-like eyes, and was amphibious, able to survive on land or in water (see comments).
Xanna commanded military forces with advanced technology, including a fleet of spaceships and disintegrating machines.
Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: 190 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
History: (World of Fantasy I#17/2 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Xanna is largely unrevealed, but 20 years earlier, he and his soldiers ended all war on their planet by conquering it -- since then, his world had complete peace under the warlord's absolute dictatorship. But still, Xanna wanted greater glory, so he formulated plans for further conquest.
(World of Fantasy I#17/2) - Xanna stood upon a dais and addressed the thousands of his people.who had gathered to hear him speak. He proclaimed that his engineers and builders had learned how to construct spaceships capable of reaching all parts of the universe, then he announced his plans for universal conquest. The crowd erupted in cheers, but making his way out of the roaring throng walked Granu the Prophet, who begged Xanna to listen to him. Xanna granted the wise old one permission to speak freely; but Granu gave a dire prophesy when he predicted that any attempt to conquer other planets of the universe would result in their own world being flooded! Upon hearing the "fool's" warning, the angered Xanna scoffed and ordered a soldier to escort Granu away. Granu continued to rant that although the people would survive, their homes and all they built would be destroyed -- this elicited catcalls from the audience, who thought that surely the "old idiot" must be mad. Since none of the citizens would heed his warning, the dejected Granu had no recourse but to walk out of the city's gates.
Meanwhile, preparations for Xanna's vast undertaking were begun. An armada of spaceships was built, new deadly weapons were eagerly developed, military strategy was planned, and each soldier was intensively trained to fight on any planetary terrain. Finally, the momentous day to begin Xanna's military campaign arrived. With bands playing and the crowds cheering, the last of the troops boarded the spaceships awaiting take-off. Amidst all the hubbub, Granu returned to the city and stood quietly, stoically waiting for his terrible prophesy to be realized. Suddenly, over the tops of the Ango Mountains outside the city, there came a tidal wave! The deluge swept through Xanna's kingdom, destroying all the homes and factories, and all the weapons of war. Although their inundated civilization was in ruins, the amphibious race survived the cataclysmic flood-waters (see comments), and Xanna and his people could only tearfully regret that they didn't listen to the old prophet...
At that very instant in a laboratory on Earth, a scientist questioned his colleague why he had washed a microscope slide -- there may have been some kind of life-form on it; but the other scientist replied that there was nothing on the slide but a speck of dust...(see comments)
Comments: Created by Stan Lee & Larry Lieber (writers) and Don Heck (artist).
So from the story's ending, I guess we can infer that Xanna's world was just a dust-speck on a microscope slide -- according to modern Marvel pseudo-science, that means it was actually a planet in the extradimensional Microverse.
This ironic surprise-ending (the all-powerful alien conqueror revealed to actually be tiny and insignificant in comparison to Earthlings) had earlier been used for Lord Sett, and would later be used for such characters as Tim Boo Ba, Monsteroso, and the Goloks.
In regards to Xanna and his race rather conveniently being amphibious and thus surviving the flood: My guess is that detail was included because the Comics Code had been enacted only a few years earlier, and the writers probably didn't want any trouble from them and be accused of frightening the younger readers with a story about planetary genocide.
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Xanna has no known connections to:
Granu the Prophet has no known connections to:
An elderly wiseman, he tried to warn Xanna to call off his plans for interplanetary conquest. Granu had a prophesy of doom (He claimed to have "read it in the stars"; perhaps he was clairvoyant), and he warned that if Xanna attempted to invade other planets, it would result in their own world being flooded. But Xanna and the people of the city only jeered at his claim, so Granu was forced to leave the city.
Later, when Xanna's forces were about to begin their attack, Granu returned to the city to see his prophesy come to pass. Suddenly, a massive wave washed over the mountains and destroyed the city.
(Although unconfirmed, Granu likely survived the flood, as he was amphibious like the rest of his people)
--World of Fantasy I#17/2
Xanna's seat of power, it was a large city on an unidentified planet in the Microverse. It was located in a forested land-area near the Ango Moutains, and populated by an amphibious race.
The entire city was eventually destroyed by a gigantic wave, however the amphibious citizens were able to survive the destruction.
--World of Fantasy I#17/2
The soldiers of an amphibious race, they were commanded by Xanna to ignore Granu's prophesy of doom and embark on a mission of universal conquest. The soldiers underwent rigorous physical training so they could fight on any planetary terrain. When the day to begin their conquest arrived, they bid farewell to their families and loved ones and climbed aboard their spaceships. Before the spaceships were launched, a gigantic tidal wave swept over the city, destroying all the buildings and weapons, but the amphibious people survived.
--World of Fantasy I#17/2
Two scientists who worked in a laboratory on Earth. One scientist questioned his associate as to why he had washed a microscope slide, because there might have been some kind of life-form on it; but the other scientist replied that there was nothing on the slide but a speck of dust.
(Apparently, Xanna's planet was the dust-speck on the microscope slide (see comments))
--World of Fantasy I#17/2
images: (without ads)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p1, pan1 (Main Image, Xanna standing on dais, addressing his subjects)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p2, pan4 (Headshot, Xanna ordering Granu to leave)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p3, pan2 (Xanna on balcony, watching demonstration of disintegrating machine)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p2, pan1 (Granu emerging from crowd)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p2, pan4 (Granu gives his dire warning)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p2, pan3 (Xanna's kingdom)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p4, pan2 (inside Xanna's kingdom, citizens watch as the deluge begins)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p4, pan3 (Xanna's kingdom destroyed)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p3, pan6 (Xanna's soldiers hear the order to attack)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p3, pan7 (a soldier bids farewell to his wife (Maritsa) and children)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p4, pan5 (two scientists on Earth, one (right) holds microscope slide)
World of Fantasy I#17/2, p4, pan6 (close-up of microscope slide in scientist's hand)
Appearances:
World of Fantasy I#17/2 (April, 1959) - Stan Lee (plot), Larry Lieber (script), Don Heck (pencils & inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Last updated: 01/28/17
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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