Incubites are mutations that have succumbed to Warhol Fever, one of the post-Armageddon plagues.
History
Emerging from the aftermath of Armageddon, Incubites are feral superhumans created from victims who succumbed to a virus known as 'Warhol Fever'. The virus is hemorrhagic and lethal because it gives its victims a brief period of approximately 15 minutes of feral superpowers and berserk rage before they burn out their metabolism and explode, spreading the infection to any nearby organisms.
The origins of the virus was as ancient as the universe; it was dormant in the blackness of space, drifting on the solar winds of the new-born universe until it landed on Earth when the planet was still being made. When the first lifeforms and civilizations emerged on Earth long before humans existed, the virus infected them and wiped them out, one at a time. By the time the first Ice Age came, the virus hibernated until the ice retreated and wiped out the next form of life, the dinosaurs, before it once again fell into slumber in the last Ice Age. It lay dormant until the mass nuclear detonation of the Reapers during Armageddon awoke it and plagued human survivors.[1]
Apollo of the Authority was infected with Warhol Fever and tried to burn the virus by staying inside Earth's sun. However, Apollo too late realized the virus thrived off of heat, feeding it and making it stronger, allowing it to evolve and gain sentience. The sentient virus named itself "The Burn" and took full control of Apollo, turning him into a deadlier Incubite.[1] Using Apollo as its vessel, The Burn attacked the Carrier to access its Door technology and spread its infection across the multiverse. Fortunately, its attempt was stopped by the Authority who tricked it into traveling into a Door leading to the coldest and most hostile world that froze The Burned-infected Apollo and causing the virus to go dormant again.[2] The Burn was eventually and completely purged from Apollo when Midnighter fed him a piece of apple, which contained the cure to the virus, created by the Century Baby Gaia Rothstein.[3]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Weaknesses
Incubites' longevity only last for 15 minutes. The virus is very vulnerable to extreme cold conditions.
Miscellaneous
Type of Government:
Hive Mind
Representatives:
The Burn
Trivia
- The term Warhol Fever is taken from American artist Andy Warhol who coined the phrase "15 minutes of fame" which refers to the fleeting condition of a celebrity that grabs onto an object of media attention, then passes to some new object as soon as people's attention spans are exhausted. This is where the "15 minutes" of Incubite longevity comes from.
See Also
- Appearances of Incubites
- Race Gallery: Incubites
- Images of Incubites