Kherubim
Encyclopedia
The Kherubim or Kherans are an alien race in the fiction
al Wildstorm Universe
. They were created by Jim Lee
and first appeared in WildC.A.Ts
#1 (1992).
. However an evolutionary drawback to their near-immortality is that nearly all Kheran females are infertile, only very rarely will a Kheran produce offspring. This effect is seen in real world natural environments, as longer living organisms will have fewer offspring than organisms with short lifespans. This is a natural check against overpopulation. Only one in 10,000 kheran females is capable of giving birth, and only then at her very first mating. Of those, only one in approx. 10,000 will become pregnant, and only 1 in 1000 of those babies will be born alive. The rest are stillborn. This infertility doesn't seem to apply when the Kheran is mating with another species though as Earth has various Kheran/human hybrids. Their vocal cords are highly developed allowing a far wider range of tones than is possible for a human being. More powerful Kherans, known as Lords, have the ability to manipulate energy and psionic
abilities.
Shapers are a subspecies
of Kherans. They are shapeshifters who are able to manipulate the molecular structure of their bodies, transforming part or all of their bodies into a substance with metallic properties, which they can manipulate and reshape at will. The Wildcat Warblade
is an example of their powers.
Though genetically a different species, the Titanthropes (or simply Titans) have been part of Kherubim society for so long that they are also often called Kherubim. However they are considered, and treated as, second class citizens of Khera by the Kherubim. They are large, purple-skinned humanoids who are able to increase or decrease their mass. They have large yellow horns growing from their backs. When increasing his size, a Titan will lose intelligence, but gain strength.
s.
Millennia ago the Kherans came into contact with the Daemonite
s and a war erupted between both species. This war would last several centuries. A small group of Kherans and Daemonites would crashland on Earth and would inspire humanity with tales of gods, angels, demons and monsters. Their conflict would continue till the end of the 20th century, while in space the Kherans would go on to defeat the Daemonites. Kherans imposed heavy indemnities
on the Daemonites and their society went bankrupt trying to pay them off. Khera allowed Daemonites to migrate to the more prosperous planet, but all Daemonites on Khera had to live in ghetto
s.
When a small group of Kheran and half-Kheran heroes from Earth, known as the WildC.A.Ts
, arrived on Khera, they were welcomed as heroes, but they quickly found out that Kheran society had changed over the years. They left the planet, but now the Kherans knew of Earth.
Recently, the Kherubim lord Majestros
found hidden Kheran devices, known as Planet Shaper Engines, beneath the surface of the Earth. It turned out that humanity and Kherans are closely related and that the universe has been seeded with their type of species. Similar Planet Shaper Engines landed on Khera, converting the original Titantrophes species into a subservient species and raising a Kheran species. It was also revealed that a similar device landed on Daemon and tried to turn the population into slaves. The device gave birth to the Daemonites as a servitor race and the local 'Kherans' tried to exterminate them when they turned out to be rebellious, but the Daemonites killed their would-be masters.
The Shaper Guild from Khera arrived on Earth and announced that factions within Kherubim society had noticed that Khera was falling apart and that Earth would be an ideal place to relocate to. They planned on using the Planet Shaper Engines to terraform the Earth into another Khera. Kherans are divided over the matter and a civil war is the result.
Due to their low fertility, a ritual has been introduced where every Kheran man and woman coming off age has to mate with an appointed partner. When the woman gives birth, she has to become a priestess. If not, she may go on to live her life as she wishes. Lady Zannah
has managed to avoid becoming a priestess, despite giving birth, because her mother told others that the baby had died, allowing Zannah to become a warrior. Her mother then passed Zannah's baby, Kenesha
, off as Zealot's sister. Unplanned was that as the mother of two, Zannah's mother, Harmony, has become a living legend. No Kheran can remember the last time a Kheran woman gave birth to more than one child in her life. Zannah became the founder of the Coda
Sisterhood.
Older and more powerful Kherans are named Lords. It remains unclear what makes a Kheran a Lord, but a Lord is capable of undergoing the ritual of Ascension when he is ready. The Ascension ritual is an important part of Kheran culture, where a Lord asks a partner or good friend to destroy his body so that his spirit can be free. A Lord usually has so much energy stored in his body that this process tends to consume both Kherans.
The Coda worship a goddess, Hecate, but little is known about this religion. Other Kherans apparently don't worship any gods, but believe in individual enlightenment through Ascension.
Though originally portrayed as noble and protective of other species, recently the Kherans have shown themselves to be very speciesist
. They look down upon other species while thinking that they are in fact very tolerant and benevolent (see White Man's Burden).
The minor factions:
serve as soldiers. Spartan Guards have shown high intelligence and superhuman physical capabilities. Kherubim Planet Shapers can terraform worlds and alter living DNA, and can remain functional for billions of years
Their most impressive creation is probably the Kheran Dream Engine, which is capable of turning dreams and thoughts into reality. It is unclear whether this is a rare artifact or a mass-produced item of entertainment.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al Wildstorm Universe
Wildstorm Universe
The Wildstorm Universe is a fictional shared universe where the comic books published by Wildstorm take place. It represents an alternate history of the real world where ideas such as interstellar travel and superhuman abilities are commonplace...
. They were created by Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
and first appeared in WildC.A.Ts
Wildcats (comics)
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
#1 (1992).
Biology
Kherubim are various groups/races of people from the planet Khera. Kherubim resemble humans in appearance, but are physically far stronger and more durable and extremely long-lived, nearly immortalImmortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
. However an evolutionary drawback to their near-immortality is that nearly all Kheran females are infertile, only very rarely will a Kheran produce offspring. This effect is seen in real world natural environments, as longer living organisms will have fewer offspring than organisms with short lifespans. This is a natural check against overpopulation. Only one in 10,000 kheran females is capable of giving birth, and only then at her very first mating. Of those, only one in approx. 10,000 will become pregnant, and only 1 in 1000 of those babies will be born alive. The rest are stillborn. This infertility doesn't seem to apply when the Kheran is mating with another species though as Earth has various Kheran/human hybrids. Their vocal cords are highly developed allowing a far wider range of tones than is possible for a human being. More powerful Kherans, known as Lords, have the ability to manipulate energy and psionic
Psionics
Psionics refers to the practice, study, or psychic ability of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis, and other workings of the outside world through the psyche.-History and terminology:...
abilities.
Shapers are a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of Kherans. They are shapeshifters who are able to manipulate the molecular structure of their bodies, transforming part or all of their bodies into a substance with metallic properties, which they can manipulate and reshape at will. The Wildcat Warblade
Warblade (comics)
Warblade is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm. Warblade starred in his own miniseries, The Razors Edge: Warblade in 2004/2005.-History:...
is an example of their powers.
Though genetically a different species, the Titanthropes (or simply Titans) have been part of Kherubim society for so long that they are also often called Kherubim. However they are considered, and treated as, second class citizens of Khera by the Kherubim. They are large, purple-skinned humanoids who are able to increase or decrease their mass. They have large yellow horns growing from their backs. When increasing his size, a Titan will lose intelligence, but gain strength.
History
Thousands of years ago, the Kherubim destroyed their own planet, according to Titan myth. They then came to Khera and settled it, subjugating the Titans. The Titans would slowly become more or less accepted within the Kherubim society, but remained second-class citizenSecond-class citizen
Second-class citizen is an informal term used to describe a person who is systematically discriminated against within a state or other political jurisdiction, despite their nominal status as a citizen or legal resident there...
s.
Millennia ago the Kherans came into contact with the Daemonite
Daemonite
The Daemonites are a fictional alien race in the . They were created by Jim Lee and first appeared in WildC.A.T.s. #1 .-Biology:Daemonites are reptilian aliens from the planet Daemon, who are capable of possessing host bodies...
s and a war erupted between both species. This war would last several centuries. A small group of Kherans and Daemonites would crashland on Earth and would inspire humanity with tales of gods, angels, demons and monsters. Their conflict would continue till the end of the 20th century, while in space the Kherans would go on to defeat the Daemonites. Kherans imposed heavy indemnities
Indemnity
An indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnitor may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnitee...
on the Daemonites and their society went bankrupt trying to pay them off. Khera allowed Daemonites to migrate to the more prosperous planet, but all Daemonites on Khera had to live in ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
s.
When a small group of Kheran and half-Kheran heroes from Earth, known as the WildC.A.Ts
Wildcats (comics)
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a fictional superhero team created by the American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.-Publication history:...
, arrived on Khera, they were welcomed as heroes, but they quickly found out that Kheran society had changed over the years. They left the planet, but now the Kherans knew of Earth.
Recently, the Kherubim lord Majestros
Mister Majestic
Mister Majestic is a fictional character, a Wildstorm Productions superhero created by H.K. Proger and Jim Lee. He first appears in a backup story within WildC.A.T.s #11. One of the most powerful heroes in the WildStorm universe, he bears a strong, deliberate resemblance to DC Comics's...
found hidden Kheran devices, known as Planet Shaper Engines, beneath the surface of the Earth. It turned out that humanity and Kherans are closely related and that the universe has been seeded with their type of species. Similar Planet Shaper Engines landed on Khera, converting the original Titantrophes species into a subservient species and raising a Kheran species. It was also revealed that a similar device landed on Daemon and tried to turn the population into slaves. The device gave birth to the Daemonites as a servitor race and the local 'Kherans' tried to exterminate them when they turned out to be rebellious, but the Daemonites killed their would-be masters.
The Shaper Guild from Khera arrived on Earth and announced that factions within Kherubim society had noticed that Khera was falling apart and that Earth would be an ideal place to relocate to. They planned on using the Planet Shaper Engines to terraform the Earth into another Khera. Kherans are divided over the matter and a civil war is the result.
Culture
Kherans are a warrior race with strong emphasis in hand-to-hand combat and an honor system. Bladed weapons seemed to be preferred despite the vast technological abilities the Kherubim have.Due to their low fertility, a ritual has been introduced where every Kheran man and woman coming off age has to mate with an appointed partner. When the woman gives birth, she has to become a priestess. If not, she may go on to live her life as she wishes. Lady Zannah
Zealot (Wildstorm)
Zealot is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.Artist Mike Deodato loves the character of Zealot so much that when he took over as artist of the comic book Wonder Woman he used Zealot's physical appearance as a template for the then new character Artemis of...
has managed to avoid becoming a priestess, despite giving birth, because her mother told others that the baby had died, allowing Zannah to become a warrior. Her mother then passed Zannah's baby, Kenesha
Savant (Wildstorm)
Savant is a comic book fictional character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.-Fictional character biography:Savant's real name is Kenesha. She is the daughter of Lord Majestros and Lady Zannah, better known as Zealot. However, Zannah, wanting to be a warrior, could not be a mother...
, off as Zealot's sister. Unplanned was that as the mother of two, Zannah's mother, Harmony, has become a living legend. No Kheran can remember the last time a Kheran woman gave birth to more than one child in her life. Zannah became the founder of the Coda
Coda (Wildstorm)
The Coda is a group of fictional female warriors in Wildstorm comics. The Coda first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. volume 1 #1 and were created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.-Fictional background:...
Sisterhood.
Older and more powerful Kherans are named Lords. It remains unclear what makes a Kheran a Lord, but a Lord is capable of undergoing the ritual of Ascension when he is ready. The Ascension ritual is an important part of Kheran culture, where a Lord asks a partner or good friend to destroy his body so that his spirit can be free. A Lord usually has so much energy stored in his body that this process tends to consume both Kherans.
The Coda worship a goddess, Hecate, but little is known about this religion. Other Kherans apparently don't worship any gods, but believe in individual enlightenment through Ascension.
Though originally portrayed as noble and protective of other species, recently the Kherans have shown themselves to be very speciesist
Speciesism
Speciesism is the assigning of different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership. The term was created by British psychologist Richard D...
. They look down upon other species while thinking that they are in fact very tolerant and benevolent (see White Man's Burden).
Politics
The Kherans have a political system where various parties vie for power. The major factions:- The Pantheon, the party of the Lords. They are currently in power and stand for stability and economic progress.
- The Coda, a Sisterhood of warriors. They want war and combat to prove their worth.
The minor factions:
- The Shapers Guild represents all Shapers within Kheran society. They follow the orders from the Pantheon, but have their own secret agenda. They claim to shape the destiny of Khera and are aware of its true origin.
- The Titantropes, while individually repressed by the Kherubim, hold great power as a faction. While being only a small political faction, it is in fact their vote that either keeps the Pantheon in power or puts the Coda in power. So far the Pantheon has been the lesser evil according to the Titans.
- The Brotherhood of the Sword: a male version of the Coda, its members are created through genetic engineeringGenetic engineeringGenetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
and cloningCloningCloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
. They devote their whole life to the mastery of bladed weapons and suppressing their own emotions. Some Bladesmen sacrifice themselves to become Scimitars, using stolen DNA from the Shapers Guild to become living war machines. The Brotherhood on Earth betrayed Khera and allied themselves with Daemonites. - The Adrastea: a race of Kherubim empaths, originally bred to be slaves, but they soon became the largest crime syndicateOrganized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
in Kheran society.
Technology
While preferring bladed weapons in combat, Kherans are technologically highly advanced. They own spaceships capable of interstellar flights. They are capable of inscribing knowledge in the form of organic molecules, which when injected into the bloodstream downloads that knowledge straight into the brain. They are capable of manipulating the laws of chance, simply for the purpose of entertainment as their 'Coincidental Mansion' shows. Armies of very advanced androids known as the Spartan GuardsSpartan (comics)
Spartan is a fictional character in the American comic Wildstorm universe and one of the central characters and current leader of Jim Lee's superhero team WildC.A.T.s.-Yohn Kohl:...
serve as soldiers. Spartan Guards have shown high intelligence and superhuman physical capabilities. Kherubim Planet Shapers can terraform worlds and alter living DNA, and can remain functional for billions of years
Their most impressive creation is probably the Kheran Dream Engine, which is capable of turning dreams and thoughts into reality. It is unclear whether this is a rare artifact or a mass-produced item of entertainment.
Notable Kherans
- Lord MajestrosMister MajesticMister Majestic is a fictional character, a Wildstorm Productions superhero created by H.K. Proger and Jim Lee. He first appears in a backup story within WildC.A.T.s #11. One of the most powerful heroes in the WildStorm universe, he bears a strong, deliberate resemblance to DC Comics's...
, the greatest living hero for all Kherubim. - Lord EmpLord EmpLord Emp is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.-History:Like the other Kherubim on Earth, Emp arrived on the planet when the Explorer ship he was travelling on crash-landed thousands of years ago, following an orbital battle with a Daemonite vessel...
, ascended from the physical plane. Former member of the Pantheon. - Lady ZannahZealot (Wildstorm)Zealot is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.Artist Mike Deodato loves the character of Zealot so much that when he took over as artist of the comic book Wonder Woman he used Zealot's physical appearance as a template for the then new character Artemis of...
, former member of the Coda. - KeneshaSavant (Wildstorm)Savant is a comic book fictional character from DC Comics/Wildstorm.-Fictional character biography:Savant's real name is Kenesha. She is the daughter of Lord Majestros and Lady Zannah, better known as Zealot. However, Zannah, wanting to be a warrior, could not be a mother...
- Yohn KohlSpartan (comics)Spartan is a fictional character in the American comic Wildstorm universe and one of the central characters and current leader of Jim Lee's superhero team WildC.A.T.s.-Yohn Kohl:...
- Lord S'lyton, father of Marc Slayton
- Lord Entropy, brother to Lord Emp.
- Ferrian, member of WildcoreWildcoreWildcore was an American comic book series created and co-written by writer Sean Ruffner and artist Brett Booth that debuted in 1997. Focusing on a team of superheroes of the same name, it was published by Wildstorm comics, then still a part of Image Comics, as a continuation of the series Backlash...
. May have died in Gen-ActiveGen-ActiveGen-Active is a comic book anthology-series from Wildstorm. It was published from 2000 to 2001 and ran for six issues.It is also the term used to describe a form of superhuman beings in the Wildstorm Universe, those who possess the Gen-Factor....
#4 - Lord Mythos
- Lord Khull Imperator
- Javen of the Shapers Guild
- Charis, also known as NemesisNemesis (Wildstorm)Nemesis is a fictional comic book character owned by DC Comics/Wildstorm Comics. She is an immortal member of the Adrastea class from Khera and a trained Coda warrior.-Life on Khera:...
. An Adrastea with empathic abilities, trained by the Coda. - Raven, a Bladesman. Former lover of Charis.
- Stratos. Former lover of Zealot.