Viltrumite

Biodata

Power Progression

Lu Heng’s system assigns ranks to his bloodline; the table is not a universal advancement path for every Viltrumite. His later regeneration and energy beams are explicitly described as nonstandard Viltrumite abilities 25 115.

History

After Emperor Argall’s assassination, Thragg assumed the regency and ordered the Great Purge, declaring weak Viltrumites unworthy of the Empire. Billions turned on one another. The subsequent Scourge Virus attacked Viltrumite genetics and devastated the survivors 66 114.

Lu Heng arrived during the Purge, gained renown as a fighter, and later healed nearly fifty thousand Viltrumites during the virus outbreak. When Thragg rejected his claim to rule, Lu Heng led his followers away and founded a rival empire, beginning with the former colony of Orantis 115 123 126 127.

The New Empire expanded through an interstellar alliance and established the City of a Thousand Stars as its capital. Its Viltrumites increasingly settled among other peoples and served as protectors rather than the Old Empire’s conquerors. Thousands on Earth voluntarily defended their homes and human families from invading alternate versions of Mark Grayson 128 236 244.

Lu Heng eventually killed Thragg. Surviving Old Empire pure-blooded warriors were sent to Earth for rehabilitation, while mixed-blood soldiers were placed under military discipline. Decades later, Lu Heng passed the imperial throne to his son Lu Ji 249.

Appearance

Viltrumites have humanlike appearances and varied builds; the warriors shown include scarred veterans as well as slender, powerful fighters. Imperial uniforms carry a three-bar insignia, while Lu Heng’s breakaway faction uses a red “V” 62 114 244.

• Their long lives leave little visible aging once they reach their physical prime 1.
• Offspring with other species can develop an increasingly Viltrumite appearance as they mature, though some retain traits of their other parent species 66 237.

Culture

Old Empire society prizes physical strength, combat achievement, and survival of the fittest. The Great Purge put that principle into practice on a catastrophic scale; warriors also treat defeat and reproductive choice as matters governed by strength 114 121 236.

That culture does not describe every Viltrumite. Nolan’s family life, the rescued survivors’ loyalty to Lu Heng, and Earth-based Viltrumites’ defense of their families show how attachment and protection take root under the New Empire 124 236 244.

Abilities & Skills

Physical power and flight

• Viltrumites possess exceptional strength, speed, and durability without relying on technology. Even Lu Heng’s lowest documented bloodline rank can fly and withstand conventional weapons 1.
• Experienced warriors such as Matt Grell can fight in space and inflict enormous damage through hand-to-hand combat 62 63.
• Raw power is not the whole measure of a fighter: Matt initially outmaneuvers the stronger but less experienced Lu Heng 63.

Longevity and recovery

• Viltrumites reach their fighting prime and then age very slowly, allowing some pure-blooded warriors to live for thousands of years 1.
• Ordinary Viltrumites can survive grievous wounds but require time or treatment to recover. Lu Heng’s near-instant regeneration is an exception 63 115.
• Their durability does not make them immune to every threat: the Scourge Virus targets their genetics, and a star’s heat can suppress their Smart Atoms 66 125.

Genetics and offspring

• Viltrumites can produce offspring with many other species. Nolan identifies human-born Mark as part of a “New Generation” whose body was almost indistinguishable from a pure-blooded Viltrumite’s from birth 237.
• Lu Heng’s system-granted Genetic Supremacy is a distinct enhancement: it states that his children with members of other races will be born pure-blooded Viltrumites 59.

Notable Viltrumites

• Emperor Argall — former emperor whose assassination preceded the Great Purge 114.
• Thragg — Regent who ordered the Purge and led the Old Empire against Lu Heng 114 126.
• Lu Heng — founder of the New Empire; saved tens of thousands during the Scourge Virus and later defeated Thragg 123 126 249.
• Matt Grell — veteran outpost soldier whose hostility to Lu Heng’s red “V” illustrates the divide between imperial orthodoxy and the breakaway faction 62 63.
• Conquest — veteran warrior and Lu Heng’s longtime rival who eventually entered his service 117 242.
• Nolan and Mark Grayson — father and human–Viltrumite son whose lives on Earth exemplify the New Empire’s changed relationship with humanity 236 237.
• Lu Ji — Lu Heng and Anissa’s son and successor to the imperial throne 248 249.