Thraxans

Native to the world of Thraxa, the Thraxans are a peaceable insectoid people whose bodies strongly recall praying mantises. Their coloring runs a bright cyan-blue, and each individual carries a pair of antennae above two red, multifaceted eyes. Long, sharp spines line their arms, their hands split into two fingers, and their forelegs taper into a matching pair of toes. Having reached the point of spacefaring capability at some stage of their history, they range beyond their home planet.

Culturally, the Thraxans prize peace, loyalty, and gratitude, and their society runs on tight communal bonds. Their neurology is tuned for sharp reasoning and quick problem-solving, letting them absorb languages, skills, and ideas at a pace few species can match, an advantage that has fueled the swift climb of their civilization even if it sometimes leaves small details overlooked.

The Thraxans enter the wider story after Nolan, reeling from his clash with Mark and the weight of his crimes, leaves Earth in search of a place to die. He instead rescues a Thraxan vessel and its crew, who repay him by carrying him home to Thraxa. There he grows close to their queen, Andressa, and the two have a son, Oliver Grayson. Later a Thraxan named Nuolzot travels to Earth claiming a meteor storm threatens the planet, luring Mark back with him. The true aim is a reunion with Nolan, which is soon shattered by a Viltrumite strike team of Thula, Lucan, and Vidor dispatched to seize Nolan.

Nolan sends Mark to shepherd Andressa and Oliver into the mountains while he confronts the attackers, but Lucan hunts them down and nearly kills Mark before Nolan steps in to guard his sons. Many Thraxans die in the assault, and Nolan is captured, with General Kregg warning Mark to ready Earth for Viltrumite rule. Once the fighting ends, the Thraxans begin rebuilding with Mark's help. Because Oliver's half-Viltrumite blood spares him their runaway aging and would leave him stranded among them, Andressa asks Mark to raise the boy on Earth, and he agrees.

Empress Andressa reigns over the Thraxans and is the mother of Oliver Grayson, who counts among their royalty through his father Nolan. Nuolzot is the emissary who journeys to Earth to draw Mark back to Thraxa. Beyond their leadership, the species is marked by a punishing biological limit: their bodies mature with extraordinary speed but decline just as fast, giving them lifespans of under a year and, over time, a creeping memory loss that erodes clarity and continuity of thought.