Glx

The Glx are semi-humanoid beings with silicon-based body chemistry,^[3][4] unlike carbon-based as Earth's life is.^[5] They eat metal for nourishment,^[3][4] and can even absorb metal through their skin to restore their health: There is a precedent of^[2][3][4] a fatally-wounded^[5] Glx who recovered his health after being shot^[2][3][4] thrice in the chest^[2] with lead bullets.^[2][3][4] The species come from the Glxx planet, in the Zpist star system of the Milky Way; Glxx has a very high gravity, a low-nitrogen atmospher and little water, which leads to its barrenness.^[3]

One of the most unusual physical adaptations of this species, besides its four-fingered hands, is the huge head, flat on the top like a disc.^[2][5] The upper part has a grid of square bulges that are not apparent unless seen up close and with the right light;^[2][6] in some circumstances, the top of the head seems flat.^[7] The head is proportionally too big for the Glx body, which is in turn proportially bigger than an Earthborn human, contributing to giving the creature a strange appearance, especially for beings that had never seen other species; panicking at a first contact with a Glx is not unheard of.^[2][3][4] The Glx face, while weird, has several similitudes with a other species', and shares many expressions with Earthborn humans: A Glx can recognizably smile, express surprise,^[2] and frown.^[6] The unusual shape of their head has led to other species using the expression "Glx-head" as an insult, especially addressed to people whose thought process is inadequate and divorced from reality.^[8] There is however no reason to really believe that the Glx's head affects their intelligence negatively, as Glx can be successful scientists, even leading research groups made up of other advances species,^[6] and they have developed very advanced technology themselves, which includes:^[9][10]

• The Energy-Synthicon,^[2] an item looking like a golden cable^[5] that connects two individuals by the wrists.^[2] These two individuals, the users of the Synthicon, then receive several superhuman powers, including increased strength and endurance, as long as the Synthicon is connected to both and absorbs kinetic energy from its environment.^[5] The users are also linked by the Synthicon, meaning that damage to the item may affect them.^[2] The Synthicon can be modified by human science and technology,^[11] but is originally designed and manufactured by Glx technicians.^[9][10]
• The Molecular Transfuser, a hand-held device that a Glx can use to generate an Energy-Synthicon from thin air, and also to disintegrate some items like metal chains.^[2]
• The Glx have their own starships, which are not perfect as proven by the crashland of Chleee's starship on Earth,^[5][1] which left Chleee himself fatally wounded. After recovering his own health, however, Chleee managed to take off in his starship with either no repairs on it, or repairs that took minimal time.^[2] Glx working for other organizations were seen in different starships that may not be Glx technology.^[6][7]
• Glx in violent situations have used a Forearm Guard covering each of their forearms, while their hands and upper arms were naked. The forearm guard allowed them to handle personal arms that, by design, reached the forearms. While using these items, the Glx arm had some protection and they may provide extra offensive capacity, as Glx wearing those managed to break the arm of Northstar, an Earth-born Mutants superhero; Northstar then decided to wear one of these devices that, due to the Glx technology, adapted to his far smaller arm.^[7]

In social interactions, the Glx have proved to be less insightful, not understanding the intentions^[2] and situation of beings of other species without careful analysis;^[6] however, they generally adapted a non-violent, generous approach:^[3][12] A Glx that was shot by a human failed to noticed that he was being attacked (because the metal projectiles instead improved the Glx's health), and bestowed a present on the human, while simultaneously thinking that the wrist manacle joining his attacker with another man (a fellow escaped convict) was a "drab adornment";^[2] and another Glx who submit a human to a painful, humiliating experiment, was afterward willing to explain what had happened, reassure the no-longer subject and politely offer reparations, as soon as the Glx was sure there was not a threat.^[6] Weirdly, the Glx do not feel the need to say good bye before leaving.^[2]

This does not mean that the Glx are neccessarily peaceful, as several Glx have also served as foot soldiers for the Consortium, an aggressive business conglomerate. While the Glx are fairly strong, as adapted to their bigger size^[7] and to the much higher gravity of their homeworld,^[3] they are far from invulnerable and have suffered important wounds^[5] in the crashlandings of their starships^[2] and in fights with superhumans on Earth.^[13] The Glx, a starfaring species, have also interacted with beings of other species and belong to heterogeneous groups, including the research science group Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistical Development (SHIELD)^[6] and the Mourners, a religious order to commemorate the passing of great things and individuals.^[14] Glx were also seen in the audience of galaxy-wide sports events^[15] and attending auctions in representation of their civilization.^[16]

Known interactions with other species[]

In modern times, Earth was visited by Glx Chleee,^[3][4] who crashlanded his starship^[5][1] in the United States,^[17] possibly in the New York State.^[18] Mortally^[5][1] wounded in the impact, Chleee left his ship looking for help and met with Leroy "Hammer" Jackson and Johnny Anvil, two chain-gang escaped convicts whom he approached^[2][5][1] speaking in convoluted English.^[2] Panicking at the weird sight,^[5][1] Hammer shot at the Glx,^[2][5][1] unaware that the alien body chemistry would absorb the metal bullets and restore the being's health.^[2][5] The Glx decided to thank Hammer and Anvil and, believing that the chain linking them was some kind of lackluster ornamentation, used his Molecular Transfuser^[2][5][1] to disintegrate it^[2] and then to create an Energy-Synthicon that gave them superhuman powers.^[2][5][1] Hammer and Anvil initially believed it was just a different shackle, so Chleee explained how it worked and suggested that they tried it by breaking a tree (which he did not recognize as such,^[2] due to his world having little vegetation).^[3] As soon as Hammer and Anvil broke the tree, Chleee returned to his starship and took off, leaving without saying goodbye.^[2] This first known contact between the Glx and the Earth civilizations^[3][4] marked the start of Hammer and Anvil's criminal career as supervillains, during which the Synthicon was broken^[2] repeatedly, repaired, and even modified, using human science and technology.^[11][19] Chleee failed to mention^[2] that the Synthicon linked Hammer and Anvil's life forces, so when eventually one of them was murdered, the other died immediately afterward.^[20]

Another Glx who interacted with Earthborn individuals is Prime Theoretician Chlreee, a high-ranking member of the multi-species scientific community Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistical Development (SHIELD), in good standing with the Intergalactic Institute of Advanced Learning of the planet Rus. SHIELD correctly deduced that the superhuman powers shown by Firebird of the Avengers West Coast were due to extraplanetary meddling related to SHIELD itself and feared that they could endanger Earth inhabitants; Chlreee had Firebird abducted and, along with other SHIELD members, analysed her past to discover that an unauthorised experiment from Base-Level Pupil Yoof was to blame. Chlreee and other SHIELD scholars were impressed at Firebird's courage but, once they had reached their conclusions and Firebird released herself, threatening the aliens, Chlreee used a translator technology to explain their actions, also telling her how to use her powers more efficiently, before returning her to Earth. On the other hand, Chlreee was furious with Yoof.^[6]

Not long after that event, Earth native Rick Jones wrote his biography, talking about the time where he used the Destiny Force to end the Kree-Skrull War. Many intelligent alien species, including the Glx, were interested in finding out how he could have accessed such power, and they tried to do so by obtaining the intergalactic publishing rights of the book. Beppe III, a R'malk'i, gathered the Glx and many other species for an organized auction, giving every involved race a fair chance (Previously, several less moral races had tried to coerce Jones with wiles to give them the rights). Beppe III abducted Jones and two people with him (his friend Betty Ross and an undercover Kree, Vron-Ikka) - but when he started the auction, the species discovered that the book did not contain the secret to access the Destiny Force, and no species bid. Jones and Ross were returned to Earth.^[16]

A number of Glx worked as ground forces^[7] for the Consortium, an intergalactic business conglomerate with financial interests in thousands of world through the Milky Way^[13] employing beings of many different species.^[21] The Consortium's Glx soldiers wore long trousers, a padded vest with shoulder pads, and naked head and arms. They had specific protective Forearm Guards that probably served to an agressive function too by increasing the arm strength, along with personal arms similar to handguns or rifles but with a very long butt. These troops, and many other Consortium forces, were sent to Toronto,^[7] Canada,^[7][22] to apprehend Her, a being who tried to escape the Consortium by going to Earth and had crashlanded in Toronto. She was protected by Canada's hero team Alpha Flight, who proved enough to prevent the Consortium's agents to apprehend her (but not to prevent the Consortium from heavily damaging the city). The Consortium eventually decided to release Glx ground troops, but one of the Alphas, Northstar, battered several Glx into defeat using his superspeed. One of the Glx broke Northstar's arm; after knocking the soldier down, Northstar decided to try out the Glx Forearm Guard, in case it could be used to protect his injured limb, but he either discarded the Forearm Guard soon afterward, or it has some stealth mechanism so it isn't noticed in Northstar's arm.^[7] The Consortium was utterly defeated in the battle;^[21] it is unclear what happened to its Glx soldiers.

One Glx was a member of the Mourners, a religious order to commemorate the passing of great things and individuals. When the cosmic being Eon died, the Mourners arranged a funeral ceremony for him (within Eon's cosmic body), to which this Glx attended and in which he or she listened to Mourner leader Fath. The service was interrupted by Thanos, an enemy of Eon who wanted to disrespect Eon's memory. Eon's champion Quasar tried to expel Thanos and, when violence seemed unavoidable, prompted Fath to evacuate the Mourners. Thanos started his attack before the Mourners could leave, but Quasar protected them from harm.^[14] At a later point, several Glx were seen among the audience in the finish line of the Galactic Marathon, a sports event to find the fastest single individual in the Milky Way. Earth-born Eternal Makkari won the race, the audience cheering him; but soon afterward, the whole race was deemed null due to one racer having cheated.^[15]

Arid with little vegetation and only 37% water.^[3]

182% Earth standard.^[3]

32% nitrogen, 31% oxygen.^[3]

3.9 billion.^[3][4]

Technocratic socialist republics.^[3][4]

Highly advanced in molecular manipulation, and bioengineering. They have intermediate level starships.^[3][4]

Peaceful and philanthropic.^[3]

• Chleee^[2][3][4]
• Chlreee^[6]

• Species name revealed in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4.
• The species is mentioned in the History section of Hammer and Anvil's profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #17, which is replicated almost verbatim in their profile Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2. This text has two issues:
  • Gamer's Handbook systematically writes the word "Glx" as "Gix", the only case where this happens.
  • This text in both sources identifies the Glx with the name Chleee, and first identifies Chleee unambiguously as a male - but the last sentence about him is "Glx then departed in his starship." ("Gix" in Gamer's Handbook) instead of "Chleee then departed in his starship." or "The Glx then departed in his starship."
• GLX, in all capital letters, is an acronym used by the Great Lakes X-Men,^[23] not related to the Glx species.

• The Glx language was heard in the battle of Toronto, when the Glx ground forces attacked Northstar.^[7]
• Related to their knowledge of English language, Chleee used convoluted words in his encounter with "Hammer" Jackson and Johnny Anvil, but talked to them in English.^[2] On the other hand, when Chlreee studied Earth-born superhuman Firebird, Chlreee did not speak Earth languages and eventually used SHIELD's translator technology, after which he addressed Firebird with accurate words and education.^[6]