Bug

Bug
Vital statistics
Location	New Genesis
Leader	Mantis
Members	Forager
Production details
First appearance	"Away Mission"

Bugs are a race of humanoid insects that inhabit the surface of New Genesis.

Culture

Bugs live in units called hives. Members of a hive are defined by those who provide food for one another. Members of the hive, or drones, have fierce loyalty to one another. A drone who is perceived to have betrayed the hive may be banished.

Bugs are named based on their function. A Hive may contain multiple individuals named Forager or Larva, for example. Foragers find resources for the hive, and believe that once something is foraged it belongs to the forager.

The Bugs live on the surface of New Genesis, below the hovering city of Supertown inhabited by the New Gods. The Bugs are considered inferior to the New Gods, and some feel great hatred toward the New Gods because of this. Regardless, the Bugs sometimes trade with the New Gods, exchanging minerals they have excavated for resources. They also take some inspiration from New God culture; Bug armor visually mimics that of the New Gods.

Bugs celebrate birthdays, and have a song for the occasion.

Bugs practice accelerated courtships compared to humans or New Gods. Forager considered waiting two days to make up his mind about staying with Forager an excessive time.

Physiology

Bugs have four arms and a thick, protective exoshell. Bugs can curl themselves into a spheroid, folding in their head and limbs to create a durable ball encased entirely in their thick dorsal exoskeleton. As well as it's defensive applications, this allows them to roll at great speed. They can also shed their exoshell, but are vulnerable during the several weeks it takes for their shells to grow back and harden.

Bugs also possess a keen sense of smell, allowing them to track by scent.

History

On August 4, 2018, Ma'alefa'ak, in a deal with the New Gods of Apokolips, posed as the New Genesian God Orion. He was tasked with instigating a Bug uprising on New Genesis. "Orion" insulted the Bugs of the Forest Hive and betrayed them in a trade deal, all while Ma'alefa'ak used his psychic abilities to further inflame the Bugs' anger. Though the Martian was exposed and stopped by Bear and the Team, Mantis refused to believe any of it and declared any non-Bug his enemy. Forager was banished for working with the Team, which made Mantis view him as a race traitor.

On August 26, 2020, a Forager of the Mountain Hive stole a Ruction Cell from Supertown. Orion led a group to retrieve it. The Bugs initially feigned ignorance, and believed warnings about the danger it posed were typical New God arrogance. Forager was able to convince the thief that the Cell was genuinely dangerous, and she agreed to return it, but they had to track down a pair of larvae who had run off with it.

Known Hives and Bugs

• Forest Hive
  • Forager
  • Mantis
• Lake Hive
• Mountain Hive
  • All-Widow
  • Forager
  • Forager
  • Larva
  • Larva

Appearances

• Season 3
  • 05. "Away Mission"
  • 06. "Rescue Op"
  • 07. "Evolution"
  • 08. "Triptych"
  • 09. "Home Fires"
  • 10. "Exceptional Human Beings"
  • 11. "Another Freak"
  • 12. "Nightmare Monkeys"
  • 13. "True Heroes"
  • 14. "Influence"
  • 15. "Leverage"
  • 16. "Illusion of Control"
  • 17. "First Impression"
  • 18. "Early Warning"
  • 19. "Elder Wisdom" ^(picture)
  • 20. "Quiet Conversations"
  • 21. "Unknown Factors"
  • 22. "Antisocial Pathologies"
  • 23. "Terminus"
  • 24. "Into the Breach"
  • 25. "Overwhelmed"
  • 26. "Nevermore"
• Season 3.9
  • 01. "The Prize"
• Season 4
  • 01. "Inhospitable"
  • 02. "Needful" ^(picture)
  • 16. "Emergency Dive"
  • 18. "Beyond the Grip of the Gods!"
  • 19. "Encounter Upon the Razor's Edge!"
  • 20. "Forbidden Secrets of Civilizations Past!"
  • 21. "Odyssey of Death!"
  • 22. "Rescue and Search"
  • 24. "Zenith and Abyss"
  • 25. "Over and Out"
  • 26. "Death and Rebirth"