#thraxan

Thraxans are a unique and interesting alien species. Highly intelligent and tricky, Thraxans have the natural ability to disguise, evade, and learn at lightning speed.

FULL-BLOODED THRAXANS:

Thraxans have segmented, highly flexible joints in their limbs, giving them a spider-like grace and the ability to make sudden, darting movements with ease. They’re quicker and lighter on their feet than Viltrumites

Thraxans have compound eyes that allow for a wide field of vision and high motion detection.

They use pheromones and subtle scent cues to convey emotional states (calm, warning, excitement, affection). Thraxan parents will often emit calming pheromones when soothing young nymphs, especially when injured or frightened.

Thraxan affection is shown through gentle grooming and tactile contact: intertwining antennae, smoothing arm segments, stroking the sides of the face, or nuzzling.

When threatened or defending nymphs, Thraxans flare their limbs and lean forward, making themselves look larger,  like an earth mantis in a warning pose.

Thraxans are taught to remain still and silent when listening deeply.  it’s a mark of respect to give someone full attention, especially elders, mates, or rulers. 

Thraxan voices can click, buzz, and trill, particularly during emotional spikes thanks to their mandibles.  

They’re hyper-aware of vibrations, able to feel footsteps through walls, terrain shifts, and even detect distant motion by the way the surface beneath subtly trembles. This makes them highly skilled trackers.

Because of their ability to stick to any surface, some Thraxans find it comforting to sleep upside down or sideways, as it gives them a predators vantage point and provides safety. 

There are three subspecies of Thraxans: Florathrax, Terrathrax, and Viridithrax. They live in different parts of Thraxa which is why some have earthier tones and others have more vibrant colors.

THRAXAN/VILTRUMITE HYBRIDS:

Oliver, though more humanoid, retains some joint articulation, especially in his shoulders and knees, allowing for unique movement patterns that scared the crap out of Mark, Debbie, and Rex when they first witnessed it.

By far one of the weakest hybrids a Viltrumite can make in terms of defense. While lightning fast, graceful, and highly intelligent, Thraxans are very weak and can’t take a punch from a Viltrumite. The positives to creating this hybrid are the fast maturity, early learning, access to powers at a young age, and high intelligence. 

Oliver inherits a mild version of compound vision: while his eyes look mostly human/Viltrumite, his peripheral awareness and reaction time are unnaturally sharp, as he often “catches” something coming before others do. 

All hybrids can sense scent cues, but cannot fully produce them.  instead, they develop a faint pulse or vibration in their chests when overwhelmed, a silent call for comfort.

Each hybrid has a variety of Thraxan genes physically present; some could appear almost entirely Viltrumite, others more Thraxan, or a mix. Regardless of their appearance, all hybrids subconsciously mimic the Thraxan defensive posture when angry: planting their feet wide, shoulders squared, head tilted downward; an intimidating blend of both alien heritages.

Hybrids go through molting seasons, it’s typically very uncomfortable and leaves them irritable, grouchy, and edgy for a few days. However, after the process is complete, they feel shiny, confident, and new, showing off their new shells. Oliver likes to screw with Rex and leaves his molted skins in his bed or hangs them up in the corner of his room to scare him. 

If a hybrid has antennae, they’re highly expressive. They twitch and move instinctively based on emotional state: they perk up when curious, fold back when upset or anxious, and gently sway when relaxed or affectionate.

Oliver in particular is half Florathrax, hence his purple hue in his true form.

i had so much fun w these!! i def feel like the Thraxans were wasted potential in terms of design bc praying mantises are so colorful irl, i would've loved to see different patterns or even subspecies, they def deserve some more love!!

He's on his way back to earth after helping them rebuild on their world until Andressa asks him to take Oliver. He was willing to help them some more but would be accepting to finally leaving until that point. He even conveys disbelief with a gasp at her request for a moment because his concept of family is strong (mentioning that she's his mother/so she should be the one to raise him). Instead of coming at her and giving her an attitude or outright refuse after all he's been put through and the lies he was told in order to even be there, he instead tries to comfort her during her speech. Which she stops him from doing while getting her piece in.

It would be understandable if he refused her request. After all, he still has his own life to live and the conflicting relationship he has with his father. Helping rebuild Thraxa would've been as far as he was willing to go for for all he was put through during his time there.

He's only known her for a couple of weeks at this point and understands to some degree that she's right. He tried to comfort her, and that specific scene/gesture is only a solid second, but it does well to display how willing he was to reassure her. Whether it was about the love his father had towards her or about the family he made there or even just his brother.

He even holds out his hand, indicating that he is about to physically console her during a vulnerable moment. His "wait that's not-" you can tell he was gonna tell her what she thought wasn't "true" [Wait, that's not true]. To give her some relief even though things have gone awry and with them being practically strangers. He probably even felt bad at the cold truth that his father would look for him instead of his other family, one Nolan took better care of and showed more affection to.

To him, she's just another woman his father was romantically involved with aside from his own mother and is the mother of his only brother. However, he had enough sense and compassion to try and make her feel better, even if it would've only been a moment. This probably would've been the farthest their complicated relationship could've gone, but she dismisses his attempt to try and get him to understand and try to convince him.

I also slightly think the reason Andressa kept him from getting another word in was because she didn't want this decision to weigh on him later on, to keep him from feeling bad about the situation and circumstance and take things as they are. I think in doing so, she also manages to teach him that there's value in the little things and that facing bad situations head-on can end with a positive outcome. This can also be taken as her being motherly towards him even though he isn't her child.

Yes, things went to shit but good things can still be found in the bad (Oliver). It doesn't all have to be terrible in the end. Her and her people already managed to show him that their lives are important even with how short of a lifespan they have, and by entrusting Oliver to him she directly causes him to have a better appreciation of his family, given how little time she had with hers.

I just overall loved their dynamic with how conflicting of a time it was for him. Technically, he had no reason to accept her request (nore did he owe her anything) but did so anyway. He had no relationship with Oliver, nor was it even implied he was around him often while on Thraxa. That just makes this scene all the more satisfying later on when Oliver becomes a part of his family.

I like to think he at least grieved her in his own way or thinks of her sometimes, wondering if she's finally lived out her lifespan. I also think that Andressa is part of the reason why he ends up loving Oliver so much, apart from being his only brother, he's able to see the sacrifice she was willing to make at that moment. She was content with never seeing her son again if it meant he'd take him.

At this point in the story, he understands he will have a bigger lifespan and outlive Earth, so maybe having Oliver by his side helped alleviate some of his anxiety towards that. I dont want to think about how he felt when he got back home to Debbie, especially with his interaction with Andressa being the last conversation he probably had.

That would just be heartbreaking for me to think about because later on, we see how much Debbie is willing to go for Oliver. Mark surely knows how much his mother loves him at this point, but having to see both these women be so loving and willing to sacrifice themselves for their children had to have some effect on him mentally.

[This also slightly pmo later on when the Invicible war happens, but that's a conversation for another time]