Mephitisoids

Twelve hundred years ago, the Mephitisoids were a starfaring race. Their empire was expanding across the Shi'ar Galaxy, when it encountered another expanding empire, that of the Shi'ar. The two growing empires went to war with each other for dominion of the galaxy. It was an interstellar war that went very well for the Mephitisoids and at the moment that the Shi'ar were on their last legs, disaster struck and the tide turned. The Shi'ar defeated and subjugated the Mephitisoids.^[1]

Because of the dishonorable and shameful method the Shi'ar won the war, history was rewritten and the truth buried. Shi'ar propaganda over the millennia depicted the Mephitisoids as a savage, brutal murderous race. The homeworld of the Mephitisoids has been kept under quarantine since and only the females are permitted to leave the world, the males forced to remain on the homeworld.^[5]

Biology[]

The Mephitisoids are mephitic musteloid ("skunk-like") humanoids with several adaptations including night vision, retractable claws, a semi-prehensile tail, and thick fur.^[3]

Their senses and perceptions are acute, allowing them to use pheromones for communications. The males use their pheromones to control other males in war. In turn the females only use their pheromones for mating purposes.^[6]

Crossbreeding[]

On Earth-295, Mephitisoids have proven able to breed with Shi'ar, creating hybrids dubbed the Jath'che, defenders of the Shi'ar royal family. They were later exiled to Ch'Reesharaa to live as farmers under D'ken Neramani's rule.^[7]

Alternate Realities[]

2099 A.D. (Earth-928)[]

The Mephitisoids were mentioned by Doom when exposing to the public the true face of Avatarr, declaring that he didn't belong to the Mephitisoid race.^[8]

The Mephitisoids were a skunk-like species with several natural powers including:

• Superhuman Agility^[3]
• Superhuman Reflexes
• Superhumanly Acute Senses: Their senses and perceptions are acute, allowing them to use pheromones for communications.^[3][5]
  • Superhuman Smelling
  • Night Vision
  • Pheromone Manipulation: Mephitisoids can emit specific mind-/mood-altering pheromones at will.^[3] These pheromones odors used to communicate and suggest actions.^[1] The males use their pheromones to control other males in war. In turn the females only use their pheromones for mating purposes.^[6]
• Retractable Claws^[3]
• Semi-Prehensile Tail

Temperate, with cities located underground^[3]

110% Earth standard^[3]

78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen^[3]

350 million^[3]

Small independent colonies^[3]

Interstellar travel^[3]

Warrior-like, territorial^[3]

• Hepzibah (pronounceable name; real name is an unpronounceable combination of pheromone odors)
• Jonath, the only known Jath'che (Shi'ar/Mephitisoid hybrids)
• Centurion Morrow, a Nova Corps member
• The Butcher

List of known Mephitisoids

• Tryl'sart is the Shi'ar name.^[3]

• It is largely believed that Hepzibah was conceived as an homage to the cartoon skunk Miz Mam'selle Hepzibah from the comic strip Pogo by Walt Kelly. The Mephitisoids were originally intended to be humanoid skunks as the common skunk belongs to the genus Mephitis. This is visually evident in the earlier appearances of Hepzibah, where she is drawn with black and white fur. For some reason, likely simple aesthetics and sex appeal, the skunk aspect became more and more feline over the years.