History
Mekka, formerly known as Maarin, is the second planet from the sun in the Kirthom star system of the Milky Way galaxy. The planet was originally populated by the Maarin,[2] an organic race of humanoids who closely resembled pale-skinned humans from Earth.[3]
As their civilization progressed, the Maarin created both the mechanical servants that they called Mekkans and the Tower of Life that generated and broadcast the energy that powered the robotic lifeform. When these "metallics" proved to be very efficient, the Maarin continued the "mekkanization" of their world, eventually overlaying the entire surface of their planet with metal and developing artificial plants while allowing true plant-life to die off. However, this proved to be a fatal mistake because these artificial plants were especially vulnerable to a certain type of spore-virus that drifted in from space. When oxidized by those plants into the atmosphere, this alien virus infected and killed the entire Maarin population. It was Torgo, the first Mekkan to be created, who buried the last of the dead and renamed the planet Mekka.[3]
Centuries later,[3] the atmosphere had mostly cleansed itself of the virus and was no longer lethal to organic beings.[4]Points of Interest
- Tower of Life
Residents
Notes
- Although Torgo's home planet was originally listed as Maarin on a Skrull Slave Price List that appeared in Fantastic Four #91, the planet itself was not seen until two members of the Fantastic Four arrived in Fantastic Four #173 and were welcomed to Mekka. Torgo confirmed in Fantastic Four #174 that Mekka had previously been known by another name, and it was the Mekkans entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #6 that established that Maarin was both the previous name of the planet and the name of the now-extinct organic race who had created the Mekkans.