Halfworlders are cybernetically and genetically modified animals created on Halfworld to be the caretakers of the Loonies.
Biology[]
Halfworlders were genetically and cybernetically modified into their current forms from a variety of animal species, including raccoons, pigs, otters, walruses, rabbits, deer, skunks, moles, turtles, and more, thus giving them incredibly varied appearances. Overall, Halfworlders are sapient anthropomorphic versions of whatever animal they were made from, normally standing at a short stature relative to Humans.
Culture and society[]
Halfworlders are primarily the caretakers of the Halfworld Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Tasked by the Halfworld robots with the care of the Loonies, Halfworlders served as security guards and therapists, with their "cute" appearances meant to calm the patients. The process of being converted to sapient humanoids left many thoroughly traumatized, and some would later leave Halfworld to wander the galaxy or become mercenaries.
History[]
Centuries ago, an alien Human-like species exiled their insane population off-world. The doctors of the insane, known as Shrinks, brought the insane, known as Loonies, to the largest planet in the Keystone Quadrant, turning it into a Matrioshka brain and renaming it the Halfworld Asylum for the Criminally Insane, known simply as Halfworld. While the Shrinks tried to cure the Loonies, their funding was eventually cut, so they left the Loonies in the care of robot stewards on Halfworld. After a few centuries, a nearby supernova's radiation caused the robots to become sapient. Quickly becoming disgusted by the illogical behavior of the Loonies, they gathered animals from Earth to be service animals to the Loonies. While this was able to pacify some Loonies, it did not give the results the robots wanted. The robots resolved to leave Halfworld, and thus took the animals away from the Loonies, and used extensive genetic and cybernetic modifications to turn the animals into sapient humanoids, through a very traumatic process using dozens of razor blades. The animals, now known as Halfworlders, kept their "cute" appearances to calm the Loonies and keep a "fun" atmosphere throughout the asylum, and were assigned as the caretakers of the Loonies. Some became security guards, while others became doctors or took on other roles. A Halfworlder named Rocket, formerly a raccoon given to a Loony military veteran named Khevix, became the security chief of Halfworld, with a rabbit-like Halfworlder named Blackjack O'Hare as his second-in-command.
After thirty years without security breaches, a formerly Human entity known as Star-Thief was taken to Halfworld in the body of a committed man. Star-Thief caused chaos throughout the Loony population with his mental abilities, and threatened to infect the entire galaxy if he escaped. To stop him, Rocket had Star-Thief locked in the deepest level of Halfworld, and turned the Halfworlder wardens, including himself, into a giant biometric lock: all Halfworlder wardens must be present in order for Star-Thief to be released. To ensure that Star-Thief remained imprisoned forever, Rocket resigned from his position and left Halfworld, setting out to wander space. Before leaving, he redesigned the security system to have clown-like security robots made from bioreactive dendronic wood of Planet X, and rewrote his memories to prevent himself from getting a desire to return using the asylum's immersion therapy technology, erasing his memory of Star Thief and making new memories of the Loonies being mostly harmless, of Halfworld being a far more pleasant place, and of a "toy war" fought between the Halfworld robots and the Halfworlders, ending with the Loonies being cured and the Halfworlders setting out to find a new purpose in the stars. After Rocket left, Blackjack O'Hare became security chief of Halfworld, with a mole-like Halfworlder named Judson Jakes becoming the new second-in-command. Lylla, a female otter-like Halfworlder who was romantically involved with Rocket, moved on after he left and married Blackjack O'Hare. As for Rocket, he soon forgot his origin, even the implanted memories, and was soon captured by an enigmatic Gigantian known as The Stranger, although he was eventually freed by the Eyung Overmind. Afterwards, he continued to wander space, soon getting accustomed to a generally low standard of life, constantly in and out of jail and fending for himself.
Notes[]
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), also known as Earth-199999 in-continuity, the equivalent species to Halfworlders were instead created by the High Evolutionary, and were the 89th batch of the High Evolutionary's attempts of creating sapient lifeforms from animals he took from Earth. Additionally, the MCU's version of Halfworld is truly the planet Counter-Earth, an artificial world created by the High Evolutionary, as opposed to the two worlds being separate locations like in the comics. Despite this, Counter-Earth is commonly known as "Halfworld" by other races of the galaxy, and the designation of "Halfworlder" refers to the subjects of the High Evolutionary's early experiments on animals. However, all Halfworlders save for Rocket were exterminated by the High Evolutionary in favor of the more ideal batch 90, who became the Humanimals, and were later replaced again by the Star Children.