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The Flb'Dbi are a short, semi-arachnoid alien species that live on the planet Jhb'Btt, orbiting in the star system known as Beta Lyrae[4][2][3] on Earth.[3] The Flb'Dbi are 3'8"-tall creatures[2][3] with brown skin fur that is covered around their faces and in the rears with tufts of red hair.[4][2][3] 3'8" at the shoulder,[2][3] they move on four hind, four-toed legs, which leaves four tentacle-like limbs (the two upper ones far longer than the others) to manipulate the enviornment. Their faces are dominated by two huge, reflective, red gloves that look like the eyes, and a very similar globe in the place of the mouth, the latter surrounded by for more tentacles.[4][2][3] This mouth is not required to speak, as the species evolved to communicate telepathically.[2][3] The telepathy allows for conscious communication between two willing people (including Fld'Dbi and Earth-born humans), and also to invasively enter another person's mind to see their memories (thou the Fld'Dbi are cautious because they can be tricked during this process by accessing false memories). It can also be used by several Fld'Dbi to triangulate the position of a conscious being they can not see.[4]

The Flb'Dbi are also a very long-living species, with a lifespan of many thousands of years from the perspective of Earth.[2][3] Flb'Dbi do not wear clothes, but pendants have been seen to identify a group's highest-ranking membercalled "First-Among-Equals".[4]

Benjamin Grimm (Earth-616), Reed Richards (Earth-616) from Fantastic Four Vol 1 220 001

Drone plastoids in the foreground; in the background, combination of plastoids to fight the Fantastic Four.

Although their world was shaking by late planetary volcanism that created mountain ranges,[2] the Flb'Dbi enjoyed a stable society for hundreds of millions of years,[4] politically living under a socialist republic.[2][3] They have very advanced technology: Half a million years ago, they had "plastoid drones":[5][4] Non-sentient, non-mechanical anthropomorfic individual pitch-black creatures less than two feet tall, that can be programmed by the Flb'Dbi to do their bidding to the best of their skills, from programming and operating machinery, to protect an area from possible attacks. While not too strong individually, the drones can combine with other nearby drones and fuse into bigger beings that are far more powerful, and even adapt to counter the capacities of their enemies in real time, turning for instance into a flying creature. The drones are also very resilient and resistant, meaning that they can become shackles and coccoons to ensnare opponents; or they can turn into tools for any purpose requiring great strength. They will follow their instructions until the commanding Flb'Dbi orders them otherwise.[4]
Flb'Dbi from Fantastic Four Vol 1 220 001

Flb'Dbi starship.

The Flb'Dbi also had intermediate-level interestellar vessels[2][3] that allowed them to reach other systems a thousand lightyears away, like Sol,[4] which they intended to use for exploration[3] and colonization purposes.[4][1] The ships have oxygen-based atmosphere in the inside, and use force screens as airlocks, which are useful both in outer space and underwater. They use micro-grids, electrical systems and power relays that are not too disimilar from those used on Earth's technology.[4] So as to ensure their survival and avoid boredom in long stretches of time,[4] they used hypno-sleep chambers.[4][1] A good deal of the Fld'Dbi technology, not including the hypno-sleep chambers or the drones, but including the starship takeoff system, was dependant on the magnetism of the planets they were on.[4]

While the Flb'Dbi have enemies, their identities have not been revealed. The Fld'Dbi claim that their telepathic access to someone else's memories can lead to deception, suggesting that it has happened in the past. However, even knowing that there are foes, the Fld'Dbi are a very moral species who will immediately stop any activity if it threatens other sentient beings.[4]

Earth colonization effort[]

Fantastic Four (Earth-616), Benjamin Grimm (Earth-616), Jonathan Storm (Earth-616), Susan Storm (Earth-616), Reed Richards (Earth-616) from Fantastic Four Vol 1 220 001

The solution to all the Flb'Dbi's problems went through digging a huge hole in the ice.

Half a million years ago,[4][3][1] the Flb'Dbi sent a three-person[4] team on a exploratory[4][1]] colonization mission to Earth[4][3][1] led by Flb'Dbi Primus[4][1] as "First-Among-Equals".[4] They used an intermediate-level interstellar ship[2][3] and had access to several plastoid drones.[4] Finding that Earth lacked a technologically advanced species, the Fld'Dbi spent several thousand local years there,[4] then the magnetic poles of Earth flipped naturally[4][1] on what the Fld'Dbi witnessed as simply "a peculiar display of aurora".[4] They then discovered that the change had affected their technology, meaning that several of their technology was no longer operative due to the change, leaving them stranded;[4][1] and they decided that the best way to solve their problem would be with a new planetary polarity reversal (thou their machines could also have been reconfigured, the crewmen did not have the knowledge or skill to do this). The Flb'Dbi programmed their plastoid drones to start building the technology to cause such a change, while the three Fld'Dbi retired to deep hypno-slave trance,[4][1] settling in the magnetic North Pole,[4][5][1] as it was the best place to alter the magnetic fields with their technology.[5] The Flb'Dbi starship, with the crew in it, was submerged under the waters, with the drones keeping a a half-mile-wide hole in the ice cap over it.[4]

Once the drones had the technology available,[4][1] they woke up the Fld'Dbi (who failed to notice how much time had passed or that the Earth had an intelligent, civilized species at that point),[4] and activated their machinery, which caused worldwide havoc[1] due to a short-lived electromagnetic dysfunction everywhere, that affected unprotected electronic devices everywhere. This cuased several disasters, but luckily no known casualties. Scientist and superhero Mr. Fantastic was asked to investigate, and he correctly deduced a force was altering the planet's magnetic fields from one of the poles. He travelled to investigate, along with his team the Fantastic Four,[5] through Canadian territory,[5][6] to find the drones operating machine on their hole, and raising in a moment a one-mile-tall christaline tower[5] which Mr. Fantastic theorised could destroy mankind. The Fantastic Four tried to approach the tower for analysis, but the drones detected the intruders and tried to stop them with no little success: The Thing was surrounded by drone goop that hardened around him, then fell under the icy water, while Mr. Fantastic and the Human Torch found that their enemies adapting to their powers while exhausting them. However, the Invisible Woman escaped from them, finding and entering the underwater ship, and making first contact with the Fld'Dbi. Interesting in this being unknown to them, the Fld'Dbi used their telepathy to enter the Woman's mind and, wary to some extent in case she could be tricking them, explained their plight. The Invisible Woman then told the Fld'Dbi that they had been in hypno-sleep for 500,000 years and, in that time, the civilization had progressed. Primus understood that they had endangered the locals and, with his peers and the Woman, left the ship to order the drones to stop their attack (although at that point Mr. Fantastic already had a plan to use against the drones) and save the Thing.[4]

Flb'Dbi, Susan Storm (Earth-616) from Fantastic Four Vol 1 220 001

Fist contact between Fld'Dbi civilization and Earth's, represented by the Invisible Woman.

The Fld'Dbi immediately stopped any action that may endanger the Earthlings, even if this prevented them from leaving the planet.[4] The Fantastic Four decided to help the fortuneless Flb'Dbi,[4][3] first using the drones to recover the ship from its underwater prison and improvising a launch ramp. Mr. Fantastic then reconfigured and reprogrammed the circuitry of the ship, thinking that this should not have been beyond the Flb'Dbi culture's capacities. This left the ship ready for takeoff. The Fld'Dbi offered to repay the Fantastic Four or Earth for the trouble they caused, but Mr. Fantastic exonerated them; they also explained that their culture was particularly stable, so they did not expect to find anything much different back home. The ship left for Beta Lyrae, then the Thing destroyed the chrystaline tower to prevent it from falling in the wrong hands.[4]

Further activities[]

Nowadays, Flb'Dbi are in contact with other interstellar species, and one Fld'Dbi was seen as a member of the Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistical Development (SHIELD), onboard their ship Shield Orbiter, devoted to study, experimentation and ensuring that their activities would not endanger other civilizations. SHIELD apprehended Earth-born superhuman Firebird, correctly assuming that her powers had been caused by one of their own experiments, and painfully studied her in a meeting attended by a Fld'Dbi. They discovered that the unauthorized experiment of SHIELD pupil Yoof had caused her mutation. Firebird released herself and confronted SHIELD, threatening the Flb'Dbi and the others with her powers; SHIELD Prime Theoretician Chlreee explained the situation and returned her to Earth.[7]

At a later point, a Fld'Dbi was 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.[8]

Alternate Realities[]

Earth-610102[]

On Earth-610102, the Flb'Dbi were one of the alien species affected by the cumbersome Apostrophe Plague, as described by Galacta on Twitter.[9] It is unclear whether this event happened also in Earth-616 and other realities.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Telepathy and long lives[10]

Habitat

Habitat

Water covers 40% of the planet, late planetary volcanism created great mountain ranges.[2][3]

Gravity

135% Earth standard.[2][3]

Atmosphere

120% Earth density.[2][3]

Population

3.2 billion[2][3] (estimated).[3]

Miscellaneous

Type of Government

Socialist republics.[2][3]

Level of Technology

Very advanced.[4]

Representatives

Notes

Flb'dbi from Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Vol 2 15 001

A Flb'Dbi with only six limbs instead of the typical eight, from Official Handbook Vol 2.

Trivia

  • The Flb'Dbi swear "by the Grid!"[4] The nature of this Grid has not been revealed yet.
  • While the Fld'Dbi learned a way to telepathically communicate in English immediately after meeting a human, they failed to grasp some linguistic concepts and addressed Mr. Fantastic as "One-Called-Reed."[4]

See Also

Links and References

References

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