The Knights of Wundagore. From left to right: Sir Delphis, Lord Anon, Sir Tyger, Lady Vermin, Lady Ursula, Sir Steed (tan shadow), Lord Churchill,Quicksilver (human leader), Sir Ram, and Sir Gator.
The New Men are the result of Wyndham's first experiments in accelerated evolution. When Wyndham learns thatWundagore Mountain (on which his advanced genetics research citadel was based) is the prison of the powerful demon known asChthon, he decides to train some of his creations in chivalry and battle tactics so that they can oppose Chthon should he ever return where these elite New Men warriors are called the Knights of Wundagore. The High Evolutionary equips the Knights of Wundagore with advanced weaponry and armor and gives them flying "atomic steeds" on which to ride. He is assisted in this endeavor by theghost of the 6th centurymagician namedMagnus the Sorcerer.[2]
When the wife ofMagneto had died, the High Evolutionary enlisted a New-Man named Bova to watch over Magneto's childrenQuicksilver andScarlet Witch[3]
As seen in flashbacks, the New Men become an extended family toLuna Maximoff.[4]
Wyndham later converts his citadel into a spaceship and he and most of his New Men leave to explore the stars.[5] They eventually settle on a planet which they nameWundagore II.[6]
When the Evolutionary learned that the god-likeCelestials were coming to Earth to judge whether humanity should continue to exist or perish, he allied with the Evolutionaries in order to eradicate those they have deemed "tainted", fearing that their unnatural presence may cause the Celestials to deem the planet unworthy. He himself began slaughtering systematically his own creations.[7]
When the High Evolutionary'sCounter-Earth resurfaced under unknown circumstances, some of the New Men were seen living on it.[8] They are routinely exterminated and recreated by the High Evolutionary when they fail to meet his standards. Some of these New Men "flaws" have taken refuge in Lowtown where they are given shelter by a man called the Low Evolutionary.[9]
Several New Men showed up inLexington, Kentucky when the High Evolutionary plotted to sync the vibration frequencies of Earth and Counter-Earth so that he can combine them.[10]
During the "Hunted" storyline,Kraven the Hunter hunted the New Men in order to draw out the High Evolutionary. Kraven makes a deal with the High Evolutionary to take his DNA sample and create 87 clones of him in order for them to go out into the world and prove themselves to Kraven. The High Evolutionary agrees to the terms.[11]
Ani-Mutants - A group of New Men who the High Evolutionary cast aside in favor of the Godpack. They became followers of Man-Beast.[13]
Simbus - An upliftedlion and an ally of Man-Beast. Although Simbus was first seen with an orange mane, it changed to purple when he sided with Man-Beast.[14]
Urson-Wellz - Urson-Wellz is an upliftedbear from the Bronx Zoo. The High Evolutionary admitted he had a sense of humor and suggested it was the reason to name this New Man after movie starOrson Welles.[14]
Barber - An unnamed upliftedmouse that works as a barber. After Thor shaved his beard, the barber gave the shaving bowl containing Thor's blood and hair to Count Tagar which the High Evolutionary later used to createNobilus.[15]
Bova - An upliftedGuernsey cattle who serves as the foster mother to Pietro Maximoff andWanda Maximoff. She was also used by the High Evolutionary to raise and nurture the young New Men as theirnanny.[16]
Cult of the Jackal - A group of New Men who formed a cult that worshipsJackal and long to be fully human. The cult was dissolved whenScarlet Spider and High Evolutionary told them that it's not their path to be given human forms and to accept the forms that they have.[18]
Dempsey - Adalmatian who was the High Evolutionary's first creation. He was killed by some poachers and his body was taken away by the High Evolutionary.[19]
Dicero - A young upliftedblack rhinoceros and a student of Prosimia and Lady Bova.[20]
Drhovo - An unspecified uplifted amphibian that is one of the High Evolutionary's bodyguards.[8]
Gorr - An uplifted goldengorilla, Gorr first appears inFantastic Four #171. He acts as the High Evolutionary'svalet.
Inheritor - An uplifted bladehandlecockroach. Inheritor rebels against the High Evolutionary. During a battle withHulk, he is returned to his original form.[22]
Kingii - Kingii is an upliftedfrilled lizard who was created by the High Evolutionary and then experimented upon by Man-Beast. He was devolved by the High Evolutionary.[20]
Kohbra - An upliftedsnake that resides on Counter-Earth.[23]
Knights of Wundagore - The Knights of Wundagore are a group of elite New Men warriors who were trained by the High Evolutionary to prepare for the return of Chthon. Each of its members were advanced armors and ride "Atomic Steeds" which the High Evolutionary constructed with help from the ghost of Magnus.
Count Tagar - An upliftedtiger created on Counter-Earth, Tagar first appears inThor #133 (October 1966). He rebels against the High Evolutionary.[24]
Lady Ursula - Lady Ursula is an upliftedbrown bear who is boisterous and vicious.[25] She proves to be just when she commits suicide rather than allow the Man-Beast to enslave her.[26]
Lady Vermin - Lady Vermin is an upliftedrat who uses a small jetpack to get around.
Lord Anon (formerly Sir Wulf) - Lord Anon is an upliftedred wolf. He is killed byMan-Beast.[27]
Lord Byson - Lord Byson is an upliftedbison. Even though it was stated that he was evolved from a bison, Lord Byson had the appearance of acape buffalo.[28]
Lord Churchill - Lord Churchill is an upliftedbulldog who is honorable, loyal, and clever.[29] He is killed by Man-Beast.[30]
Lord Gator - Lord Gator is an upliftedalligator who is quiet and mysterious striking only when foes least expect it.[25]
Lord Tyger - Lord Tyger is an upliftedtiger who is scholarly and wise. He is paradoxically just as decadent as any civilized person. Lord Tyger is the leader of the Knights of Wundagore.[29]
Sir Delphis - Sir Delphis is an uplifteddolphin who is an inquisitive character that thinks through his plans before acting.[25] He later left the team.[31]
Sir Lepard II - A second character with this name and successor to the original Sir Lepard.[36]
Sir Lyan - Sir Lyan is an upliftedlion. He is the second-in-command of the Knights of Wundagore.[34]
Sir Ossilot - Sir Ossilot is an upliftedocelot.[34] He dies during a battle with theRigellians.[35]
Sir Panther - Sir Panther is an upliftedpanther.[37]
Sir Porga - Sir Porga is an upliftedpig.[38] He is killed by his fellow New Men when they started to give in to their animalistic natures.[39]
Sir Ram - An upliftedram who is noble and knightly. He is pledged in faith to his lord and master.[40] He is killed when the ship he was on with Bruce Banner was hit with radiation.[41]
Sir Ram II - A second character with this name that was the successor of the original Sir Ram.[35]
Sir Steed - Steed is an upliftedhorse. He jumps in front of a blast intended to killLuna.[29]
Snow Queen - Snow Queen is an upliftedwhite tigress who is the sister of White Tiger. She appears in chapter 2 ofX-Men: Endangered Species where she fightsBeast when he tries to enter Wungadore without permission.
Lady Shadra - An upliftedblack panther who is one of the High Evolutionary's first New Men. She is known for training Count Tagar and Sir Ram. Her legend is first told inWolverine: First Class #3.[20]
Man-Beast - Man-Beast is an upliftedred wolf that has developed vast mental powers. He schemes to destroy humanity and the High Evolutionary, but he is eventually devolved back into a red wolf with the help of Quicksilver.[43] He first appears inThor #134 (November 1966).
Man-Beast's Followers - A group of New Men that are on Man-Beast's side.
Barachuudar - An upliftedfish who works for Man-Beast as one of his presidential aides on Counter-Earth.[44]
Cobrah - An upliftedcobra who works for Man-Beast as one of his presidential aides on Counter-Earth. He is not to be confused with Kohbra.[44]
Squire Gulo - Gulo is an upliftedwolverine who is trained by Lady Shandra. His legend is first told inWolverine: First Class #3.[20]
Tabur - Tabur was an upliftedcat. He is at one point the leader of theCat People.Agatha Harkness casts a spell on him while he is fightingTigra and he is reverted into a cat.[52]
White Tiger - White Tiger was an upliftedwhite tigress created to hunt down Man-Beast. She returns to her animal form following Man-Beast's defeat.[43] White Tiger was later revealed to have a sister named Snow Queen.
The New Men, referred to asBestials, appear inSpider-Man Unlimited. The Knights of Wundagore consists of Sir Ram (voiced by Ron Halder), Sir Tyger (voiced byDavid Sobolov), Lady Ursula (voiced by Tasha Simms), and Lady Vermin (voiced byJennifer Hale). The Bestials are residents of Counter-Earth and serve as the dominant species with humans being a second-class minority.
The New Men serve as loose inspiration for theHumanimals who appear inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. They are uplifted animals created by the High Evolutionary who resided on Counter-Earth. Most of them were killed when the High Evolutionary destroyed it upon activating his spaceship.
