murania-jaqe-okspacestation-shabbymurania-jaqe-okspacestation-face-mostfullJAQE MURANIA

Real Name: Jaqe Murania

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (unidentified feline race, based on the O.K. Space Station in the Deneb system (see comments))

Occupation: Professional criminal ("owlhoot")

Group Membership: Leader of Jaqe Murania's gang

Affiliations: Formerly associated with the Stranger;

Enemies: Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), Shabby Dayes, Rick Jones, Rusty-Paint;

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None;
    Rick Jones called him "pardner," playing on the Old West slang

Base of Operations: The the O.K. Space Station on an asteroid in the Deneb system (see comments)

First Appearance: Captain Marvel I#42 (January, 1976)murania-jaqe-okspacestation-face-close

Powers/Abilities: Jaqe was a experienced brawler, good with his fists and carrying a handheld blaster of unspecified power (despite such weapons being outlawed), although he was no match for the strength of Mar-Vell. While he could take a punch from a normal-strengthed (or perhaps slightly enhanced) Rick Jones, a kick in the back of the head by a robot horse was more than enough to put him down for the count.

    Jaqe is a feline-humanoid from an unidentified extraterrestrial race. He has sharp claws on each of his four fingers and his thumb, as well as enlarged and sharp canine teeth. He has a prominent philtrum and slit-like pupils. He may have enhanced nocturnal vision (with poor color vision) and/or enhanced olfactory senses. His whiskers may or may not have served in detection of air movement, etc. He also has a roughly 2.5' long tail that may have helped him with balance.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'11")
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Green
Hair: Bald head with black eyebrows and whiskers
Skin: Yellow

History:
(Captain Marvel I#42 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Jaqe Murania came to live in the OK Space Station a domed city protecting its inhabitants from a poisoned atmosphere. Chronic exposure to these poisons nonethless affected the inhabitants' minds, and this -- and perhaps other factors -- caused them to live a life mirroring that of Earth's American "Old West era" (approximately its 19th century).

    After the Stranger happened upon the OK Space Station and set himself up its "Big Boss," Jaqe Murania apparently became the Stranger's agent, using his gang to control the space station's inhabitants. Although firearms were outlawed as a single stray shot could crack the dome, Jaqe carried a blaster within his shirt.murania-jaqe-okspacestation-blaster

(Captain Marvel I#42 (fb) - BTS) - Local prospector Shabby Dayes had  problems with Jaqe Murania and his gang, who threatened him and advised him to never show his face again in the O.K. Space Station. Many (most?) of the station's residents feared Murania and his gang.

(Captain Marvel I#42) - When Shabby rescued Kree hero Captain Marvel and his partner, Rick Jones, who had been transported to the asteroid by the Supreme Intelligence and brought them into the OK Space Station, one of Jaqe's men then pointed out Shabby, leading Jaqe and his gang to confront them. Jaqe picked up Shabby and threw him to the ground, after which Mar-Vell punched Jaqe off his feet, and then Jaqe ordered his gang to get "that guy." When Mar-Vell and Rick proved more than a match for Jaqe's gang, one of Jaqe's men called for reinforcements, and other locals poured out of nearby buildings to join the fight against the visitors.

    Wondering where Shabby had gotten "these rannies" and considering that he had thought Shabby was "afeared of us, like the rest," Jaqe pulled a hand-blaster, informing Mar-Vell (whom he -- like Shabby and many if not all of the residents of the space station -- assumed to be a marshall) that while he didn't like to shoot inside the dome, he would make an exception in his case. However, before he could fire, Rick smacked the weapon out of his hand and then punched him in the face.

    Calling Rick "Greenhorn," Jaqe noted that his punch was "a gooder," but that he wasn't strong enough to put Jaqe Murania down. While Rick noted he could get strong enough, Rusty ended the fight by kicking Jaqe in the head.

(Captain Marvel I#42 - BTS) - The rest of the gang members then acknowledged that they knew when they were beaten, but that the visitors would be "pushing up locoweed" when the Big Boss heard about what they had done. murania-jaqe-okspacestation-kicked

    While they then departed, Marv picked up and decided to hang onto Jaqe's blaster.

    The Stranger subsequently confronted Marvel and forced him into a "gunfight." Initially holding back, Marv eventually fired Jaqe's blaster at the Stranger, but the Stranger absorbed the energy and then expelled it upwardly, with the energy burst striking and cracking the top of the dome. As the poison gas began to seep in the townspeople almost instatnly began to collapse, although the outworlders were scarcely bothered by the minute levels of noxious fumes. When Marv turned to check on the fallen Shabby, he was struck down by one of the Stranger's blasts. Upset to have inadvertently shot his enemy in the back, the Stranger considered his experience ruined and departed, passing through the dome harmlessly in energy form.

    After Rick repaired the dome, Rick and Marv departed on Rusty to travel to Deneb IV.

Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Al Milgrom, and Mike Esposito.

    Without the Stranger around, it would seem likely that the people of the OK Space Station were more willing to stand up to Jaqe Murania and his gang, but we don't know for sure.

    Jaqe Murania had a sub-profile under Shabby Dayes, but I figured his gang needed to be shown, and that just seemed to be too much for a sub-profile under Shabby. So, here he is, in all of his glory!

Whatever cat race that Mandu belongs to.

    Mandu was not confirmed to be a member of any known alien race. Other known feline extraterrestrial races include

Deneb IV

Deneb IV was a Skrull world before the Kree drove them off the planet. The population was oppressed by sentient war machines left behind by the Kree: the Null-Trons, which had been outlawed by the Supreme Intelligence when he came to power.

Deneb IV is Zenn-La, one of 37 planets and 93 moons in the Deneb system (as mentioned in the comments of the A'askvarri profile). Could Shabby Dayes be from Zenn-La?
--Gammatotem

   I doubt the fact the planet seen in this storyline was Zenn-La because last time I checked neither the Kree nor the Skrulls had a big presence on Zenn-La and I also didn't hear about any Null-Trons terrorizing Norrin Radd back home. People at Marvel just liked the star Deneb for some reason and used it on multiple occasions and using the logic of our sun system repeatedly named the third or fourth planet as some species' homeworld. Mistakes happen!
--Markus Raymond

The idea that the A'askvarii homeworld O'erlanii is located in the Deneb star system comes from the Official Handbook...further, O'erlanii and Zenn-La are both described as "third from sun."
However, SILVER SURFER III#2 shows the Surfer going home to Zenn-La. As part of that journey, the omniscient narrative on page two reveals that his destination is a place where "shines a steely bright star - - Deneb! Around that star spin its thirty-seven planets, with their 93 moons! The fourth planet from Deneb is Zenn-La!" So, Zenn-La should actually be listed "fourth from the sun."
    Also, while the Deneb shown in that issue is yellow like our sun, Sol, the Deneb which exists in the real world is a blue-white super-giant which is so young that it has absolutely zero chance of being orbited by habitable planets with sentient native lifeforms.
--Donald Campbell

As noted above, there is certainly some confusion regarding Deneb IV, etc. It seems likely that some races may identify their own star differently than what other, outside races call it, and/or there may be more than one star named Deneb in the universe. Or perhaps one of the Deneb IV's an outpost, "New Deneb IV" or something. By my notes, the earliest use of the term Deneb IV occurs in story in the Captain Marvel stories, which proceed the OHotMU entries by several years. But, it is an issue to be addressed in the future, hopefully.
--Snood

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Jaqe Murania should be distinguished from:


gang
All first (and only) appearing in Captain Marvel I#42

murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-greenskin-pointed-ears











This guy, with green skin and pointed ears is the one who pointed out Shabby's return to the OK Space Station. He looks like he might have a thumb and three fingers (with the latter two fused), but  it could just be the angle, lack of detail. His chin is a little bulky, but I'm not sure it is big and jagged enough for him to be a skrull.















These are the first guys to respon to Jaqe's call to "get that guy" (Captain Marvel), who had just punched him out. Like most, if not everybody, in the OK Space Station, they incorrectly assumed Marvel to be a marshal because of the star on his chest. The green-skinned guy with pointy ears in the top right (telling the marshal he had just bought into Boot Hill) is different than the above guy with green skin and pointy ears, both in skin ton, lack of hair, and facial structure. He looks to have three fingers and a thumb on each hand.

     On the bottom left is guy with a skin pattern like the Entemen race, but he has hands with fingers and thumb, rather than digit-less tentacles like the Entemen. I THINK it is the same character shown from the front in this image.

     I'm pretty certain that the green guy with a fin on his head and tentacles for arms is an A'askvarii, which makes sense, as their homeworld, O'erlanii, is the third sun in the Deneb system (or is it...?; see comments)

The other two characters we can't see well enough (just a pale (yellow?) hand on one, and the other guy kind of looks like a human-sized version of classic Ultimo.
murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-aaskvarii



murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-green=shorthorns


As the owlhoots rushed to engage Marv and Rick, on the left, we see a fin and facial structure that looks like a Sagittarian...however, I've fallen for that trick before, and I'm pretty certain its the same character getting punched by Marvel in the next panel. That character has some facial structures that remind me of an alpha centaurian, but overall, it's a poor match. The fin/crest and the shape of the ears make me think Sagittarian. I think he's got some facial hair that gives his jawline that appearance.

I don't know anything about the two legs and gray-handed charactere covered up by the word balloon.

The green-skinned guy with horns has four fingers and a thumb per hand, but perhaps only three toes per foot.
















The first owlhoots to engage Marv and Rick got a fist to the face. As noted from the picture above, I THINK the guy in front is a Sagittarian, while I think the guy in back with the orange skin, odd skin pattern, and raised hand is the same guy I noted above as being NOT an entemen.
murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-alphacentmaybe




murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-reinforcements




These guys were the reinforcements called in when Marv and Rick started laying a smackdown on the gang.

With the exception of the bug-eyed guy on the lower left (who I thought might be a Sneeper, but then checked and saw that he didn't really fit), everyone here is too distant to say much about.








Either one of the reinforcements or one of the leftovers, this guy got punched out by Marvel. His blue skin and skullcap kind of remind me of Zarek (whom he is not), so maybe a blue Kree? Or not.
murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-punched




murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-reinforcements-surround














The very distant crowd of reinforcements, including some who had climbed out of the  building to rush to join the fight. Not much can be said, although one at the top center looks to be a quadruped, while another seems to have a central somewhat spherical to ovoid combined head and torso with arms extending from it.








To help with the numbers, Marv broke off a post and used it as a weapon. The main taking a hit looks somewhat  familiar, but other than being a green-skinned reptillian, I don't think I can say much more.

murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-polled




murania-jaqe-okspacestation-gang-departingAfter Jaqe was taken out, the rest of the gang gave up and departed. I'm not sure what the guy on the far left is supposed to be...distinctive in his lack of a nose or other features, but that's all I've got.

I got nothing for too distant guy walking away...

The central insectoid is unique, but it doesn't really look like a Brood, a Chr'ylite, Klklk, Kt'kn, Sidri, Slig, or any other insectoid race I can think of.

Another green skinned guy...eyebrow ridges like a Pheragot (but wrong color) or a Gegku (like Igwanus; but lacking the central ridge atop the head)...

The white-skinned guy could be a Deonist, but he has the wrong number of fingers. Maybe he lost some in a gunfight or an accident.


images: (without ads)

Captain Marvel I#42, pg. 5, panel 5 (Jaqe face in profile; gang member with green skin, pointed ears, and green hair);
             panel 6 (Jaqe face close-up)
       pg. 7, panel 1 (Jaqe picking up Shabby);
          panel 4 (face; mostly full);
       pg. 8, panel 2 (gang; aaskvarii);
          panel 4 (gang; green skin; short-horns);
          panel 5 (gang; Alpha Centaurian?);
       pg. 9, panel 1 (gang; reinforcements);
          panel 2 (gang; blue-skin; punched);
          panel 3 (gang surrounding Marv and Rick);
       pg. 10, panel 1 (gang; struck by poll);
          panel 5 (Jaqe drawing blaster)
       pg. 11, panel 2 (Jaqe kicked by Rusty);
          panel 4 (gang members; leaving)

Appearances:
 Captain Marvel I#42 (January, 1976) - Steve Englehart (writer), Al Milgrom (penciler), Mike Esposito (inker), Marv Wolfman (editor)

First posted: 04/07/2021
Last updated: 04/07/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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