The Fathers were the founders of the colony of ageless beings known as La Hacienda. Because they drank the water of the Fountain of Eternal Youth instead of bathing in it, they were transformed into purple ogres. When F. A. Schist found La Hacienda and wanted to buy their water of life, they offered him a bottle of it to drink, transforming him into one of them[1].
History
In 1513 AD, Juan Ponce de León led on behalf of the Spanish Empire led the first known European expedition to La Florida. He landed with his Conquistadors somewhere along east coast, then charted the Atlantic coast down to the Florida Keys and north along the Gulf coast. He travelled there to find the legendary Fountain of Youth.[2][3] A group of Conquistadors found the Fountain of Eternal Youth in the Florida swamps. The initial group that drank the water were transformed into the ogre-like immortal beings called the Fathers. The remaining members of the party bathed in the water instead, and gained immortality in return for their emotions, but were not physically changed like the Fathers. They founded the village of La Hacienda at the site of the Fountain, and when they discovered they could not leave their village without losing their immortality, they stayed in La Hacienda and cut themselves off from the rest of the world.[4]
Modern Age[]
In the Modern Age, the Man-Thing inadvertently caused chaos at la Hacienda when it was provoked by Conquistadors trying to capture it. The encounter led to the rapid aging and death of one Conquistador due to the depletion of life-preserving energies within him. Subsequently, a villager named Lorena used the Fountain's waters to momentarily restore the Man-Thing's human hand, but disruptions by outsiders like F. A. Schist and Professor Slaughter halted the process. Schist's misguided attempt to control the waters transformed him into an "ogre," causing chaos until he perished in flames during a struggle with the Man-Thing. The incident prompted the Fathers of la Hacienda to cease transforming outsiders, and the Man-Thing, regaining strength, retreated into the swamp.[5][6]
Later Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, was reverted to her human form by the Fountain's waters after an encounter with an alligator in the Citrusville swamp. Accepting her transformation, she integrated into la Hacienda but faced challenges, including the death of a villager due to an alligator attack. Leading the villagers in constructing a protective barrier against gators led to condemnation by the Fathers initially. However, Jen's impassioned speech advocating for a more enriched life persuaded the villagers and the Fathers to shatter the Fountain. The people of la Hacienda chose a more fulfilling existence over eternal youth.[7][8]