Leviathans (Chitauri)

Leviathans are colossal beasts used as weapons and troop transports during the invasion of Earth by the Chitauri. While their history, and how they came to be used by the Chitauri, is unknown, they were notably involved in an attack on Earth by Loki. Initially one was brought through a dimensional rift over Manhattan, and caused a significant amount of destruction before being beaten by the Hulk and Iron Man. Five more were beaten by further actions of the Avengers before Loki's portal was closed.^[3]

Hydra obtained a fallen Leviathan and studied it and the technology used to augment it. Hydra later lost the Leviathan when the Avengers raided its hideout.^[4]

Alternate Realities[]

Prime Marvel Universe (Earth-616)[]

Also known as Chitauri Dragons,^[1] the Leviathans are a race of bio-mechanically engineered Acanti-Starshark hybrids produced by the Chitauri. They are weaponized so that they can house hundreds of Chitauran soldiers and their skiffs.^[2] The Leviathans also double as living bombs, detonating with such force they are capable of hurling objects gigameters into the distance.^[1]

The Chitauri deployed Leviathans in their invasion of Earth. While various heroes of Earth battled the Chitauri, one of the Leviathans ate Quasar.^[5] Quasar was later found alive.^[6]

Flight: Despite their massive bulk the leviathans are able to offset the effect of gravity and fly through unknown means. They appear to use a series of fins to aid them in steering and move through the air in cetacean fashion, gaining stability and possibly forward locomotion from vertical oscillations in their flexible bodies.

Grafted Enhancements:

• Defensive Plating: The leviathans used in Loki's attack may have had extraordinarily tough hides, but they were also further reinforced with rigid plates attached to their bodies, granting them a high resistance to physical harm; it was estimated that their external armor was so strong that Iron Man would run out of power before penetrating it, and Thor was only able to damage them with lightning when he used the Chrysler Building as an amplifier.
• Troop Pods: Numerous individual troop pods were embedded in the ventral plates, each one equipped with an ablative blast panel and a grapple line.

External Control: The leviathans were seen to be controlled externally by the Chitauri mother ship and one was rendered inert when that mother ship was destroyed.

Weak Internal Structure: Despite their immense size, leviathans appear to have a relatively weak internal structure. One was killed when forward momentum was halted at the nose and inertia caused the tail of the beast to both crush and apply sheer force to the front. Another was destroyed from inside by weaponry that could barely scratch the exterior surface.

Outwardly, Leviathans are primitive beasts. However, the way in which one collapsed after its Chitauri mother ship was destroyed suggests that they may be connected to some form of hive mind or group governance by the Chitauri or another higher intelligence. Many Chitauri themselves collapsed at the same time.

• The designs for the Leviathans were created by Phil Saunders.^[7]

• Leviathan scales are apparently quite expensive in the market.^[1]