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This page is (currently) about all generic species of "fishmen" / "fish-men" and similar batracian humanoids, related or not to the Cthulhu Mythos' Deep Ones.

The Fishmen are mer-creatures,[7] near-humanoid amphibian/batrachian-like[8][9] and/or aquatic and fish-like creatures, related to the ancient gods Dagon[5][10][9][1] and Uluath,[3] and inhabiting sunken lost cities.

History

Origins and early years[]

The aquatic monster (and possibly part of the Old Ones) Dagon was served and worshiped by a race of fish-men,[5][10][9][1] to whom there are two known (and non-exclusive) origins:

Uluath, an "Undergod" slumbering in his City Below the Seas in the Pacific Ocean, was served by fishmen as well,[3] though their origin remains unknown.

The demonic dark god Murgor-Tsoggua was served by batrachian humanoid monsters.[8]

Pre-Cataclysmic Age (18,500 BC)[]

Circa 18,500 BC, a group of fishmen, followers of Dagon, inhabited on the Western Ocean's floor in a city[10] that was already ancient even before man walked the Earth.

City of the Fishmen from Savage Sword of Conan Vol 1 132 0001

The city on the ocean's floor

At the time Brule was a child, his father, while fishing, caught such a creature in his nets, and released it, thinking it to be a sea-god.[6]

After the evil sorcerer Ohris Dehjmal's living head was thrown into the deepest part of the sea by King Kull of Valusia,[11] he was found by the fishmen inhabiting the ancient city, who took him as their god (or at least that how Dehjmal presented himself to them). Sensing Kull close, on the coastline,[6] Dehjmal incited them to attack[7] the fort maned by Zardis, in order to assassinate Kull. Kull fend off the attack and, joined by Brule and Alecto, slaughtered the assassins. As the fishmen directly attacked the fort, chanting his name, Kull deducted that they were in service of one of his many enemies. Regrouping and leading his forces, Kull pushed back the assailants into the sea. Returning to the city, the beaten fishmen grabbed Ohris' head, stopping to obey and worship him, and threw it in the lair of a giant squid.[6] The head was somehow returned back into the box and in the city later.[10]

Fishmen from Savage Sword of Conan Vol 1 186 0001

As described in books circa 10,000 BC

Great Cataclysm (18,000 BC)[]

The city was leveled and buried by the Great Cataclysm, and would end up in the Hyborian Age in the nation of Ophir.[10]

Hyborian Age (10,000 BC)[]

Ages ago, Murgor-Tsoggua and his batrachian servants terrorized the city of Tarantia (the capital of Aquilonia); the latter providing souls for the former, who in turn provided services to further the power and goals of the sorcerer that had summoned and bound him. Suddenly, it came to an end, presumably when the sorcerer died, leaving Murgo-Tsoggua dormant in his plane. His servants persisted, surviving unsuspected and living on the dead of the city.[8]

Though the fate of the fishmen worshiping Dagon remains unrevealed, archaeologist Quintus Scaria, who searched the ruins of the city in 10,000 BC, stated that an object he had found in the city was "nearly twenty centuries in age",[10] meaning the city was still inhabited circa 12,000 BC (though it is likely that the statement was incorrect).

The following mention describes material mentioned only in a vision in an alternate reality of the Hyborian Age:
The disciples of Dagon, once men, "[became] one with the sea". They were known in tales of "men of the sea", "mermaids", and "sirens" in Argos and Baacha.[5]

As part of a greater plan devised by the sorcerers Jumbassa, Urazai, and Scyllanato to defeat Conan, to avenge himself from Conan, Mimus had prepared a vision of himself to appear to his daughter Darweena and make her go in a tomb to preside over a sacrificial ceremony aiming to strengthen Murgor-Tsoggua, a tavernkeeper, the guard Bellus, and Conan's son Conn, all captured by Murgor-Tsoggua's servants. With each sacrifice, Murgor-Tsoggua grew stronger, and could complete his entry to the Earth plane with the third and final life. Conn managed to escape, and when Conan and Alcemides finally arrived to the crypt, the guard accompanying them was used azsc the third life, and the door opened, Murgor-Tsoggua attempting to cross the threshold, but was stopped by them. Alcemides then sealed the mystic portal and urged Conan to seal the catacombs as well. Murgor-Tsoggua's servants infiltrated the palace and completed the ceremony, allowing Murgor-Tsoggua to pass the threshold in order to enact Mimus' vengeance, but was finally banished, thanks to Darweena's sacrifice. Though many of his servants were killed,[8] it remains unknown if any survived.
Fishmen from King Conan Vol 2 3 001

During his travels westwards across the Western Ocean after he abdicated from the throne of Aquilonia, Conan and his crew were attacked by a group of an unidentified kind of fishmen who cast lines from the deep, snaring their ship before boarding it.[12]

Modern Age[]

Fishmen from Haunt of Horror Lovecraft Vol 1 1 0002

Dagon's worshipers dancing

20th Century[]

At the time of World War I, a group of fishmen living on an island in the South Pacific worshiped Dagon, and offered him sacrifices in the form of fish and drowned men. One man witnessed their unholy ceremony and the coming of the gigantic Dagon. Rendered insane by the experience, the man managed to flee the island and found himself in San Francisco, where he tried to learn more about what he had seen, and wrote down his story, until he was found back by the fishmen.
That story was later published by H.P. Lovecraft, who wrote it with the man as narrator, under the title "Dagon".[9]

21st Century[]

Fishmen from Monsters Unleashed Vol 3 10 0001

Uluath's fishmen facing Elsa Bloodstone

McTavish founded Headscroll.com and gathered the faithful of Happyology to end the slumber of Uluath, using an ultrasonic transmitter specifically calibrated to communicate with him in his city. Despite the intervention of Elsa Bloodstone, the device was activated and the city rose from the seas, along with hordes of fishmen. Bloodstone was captured by the fishmen and cultists, until the arrival of Kid Kaiju and his partner Aegis, who accidentally completed the awakening of Uluath. Advised by Kid Kaiju, Aegis was able knock out Uluath. McTavish, under arrest, stated the Dread Lord would rise again.[3]

Alternate realities[]

Fishmen from Savage Sword of Conan Vol 1 176 0002

"Dagon... Dagon... Dagon..." "Ïa Ïa! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Ctulhu R'lyeh wgah-ngal fhtaga!"

Earth-17698[]

Dagon's fishmen were men who "[became] one with the sea". They were known in tales of "men of the sea", "mermaids", and "sirens" in Argos and Baacha.

They raided villages to capture new members, who were controlled and transformed by Dagon. They seemingly caused a change in the sea and the people around a port in Shem or Argos, as the fish left the waters, then the fishermen, then the traders, as fear established into the place. Eventually, they attacked that port, and Conan, who tried to foil the transformation of the townspeople and charged the fish-men, was one of many to be turned by Dagon into one of his mindless slaves. Those fishmen worshiped Dagon, as well as Cthulhu, seemingly.[5]

Religion[]

During the Pre-Cataclysmic Age,[6] Hyborian Age,[5] and Modern Age,[9] the fishmen worshiped Dagon, as well as seemingly Cthulhu, at least during the Hyborian Age.[5]

During the Pre-Cataclymisc Age, a city of fishmen worshipers of Dagon[6] took Ohris Dehjmal's living head (thrown into the deepest part of the sea by King Kull of Valusia)[11] as their leader and their god (or at least that how Dehjmal presented himself to them). After a failed attack on Kull ordered by Dehjmal, his rulership was rejected.[6]

In the Modern Age, the fishmen of the City Below the Seas worshiped the Undergod Uluath.[3]

Notes

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update #3 ; Annunaki's entry, Dagon's second paragraph
  2. 2.0 2.1 Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Various Monstrosities #1 ; Demons' entry
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Monsters Unleashed (Vol. 3) #10
  4. Savage Sword of Conan #104 ; Men of the Shadows Part III
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Savage Sword of Conan #176 ; The Three Deaths of Conan
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Savage Sword of Conan #132 ; Kull the Conqueror! The Sea King
  7. 7.0 7.1 Conan Saga #97 ; The Kull Comics Chronology by Fred Blosser: Enemies From the Shadows
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 King Conan #12
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft #1 ; Dagon
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Savage Sword of Conan #186 ; Horror Out Of Time
  11. 11.0 11.1 Savage Sword of Conan #121 ; Pieces of Horror
  12. King Conan (Vol. 2) #3
  13. Deep Ones at Wikipedia
  14. Marvel Comics in the 1970s: An Issue-by-Issue Field Guide to a Pop Culture Phenomenon, 2011, Pierre Comtois, quoted in "Lovecraft, Lee and the Elder Gods: Who will win?" by Gredogtales, march 16, 2017
  15. Scream: Curse of Carnage #12
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