So, Mithras and Gaia had some children

December 16, 2010 7:49 AM

Forming (NSFW - cartoon nudity) is a webcomic by Jesse Moynihan (NSFW) that tells the history of the evolution of man via the machinations of various alien entities whose familiar names (and unfamiliar stories) have been recorded in various religions throughout time.

Mithras is a powerful space traveller on a mission from Ahura Mazda to exploit earth's resources by any means necessary (including the genetic manipulation of Earth's native inhabitants). Along the way, plots and counter-plots are hatched by various mythological luminaries such as Cronus, Lucifer, Gaia, Noah, and the Ain Soph ultimately revealing the true history of homo sapien's origin.

posted by lyam (24 comments total)

I've been following this for a while. It is deeply weird.
posted by Gator at 7:58 AM on December 16, 2010

This... this is pretty awesome. Thanks.
posted by keratacon at 8:08 AM on December 16, 2010

I like it! thanks for sharing this!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 8:12 AM on December 16, 2010

This is fantastic!
posted by saladin at 8:20 AM on December 16, 2010

This sounds awesome. Can't wait to read it.
posted by empath at 8:24 AM on December 16, 2010

I've been enjoying this as well, glad to see it posted here.
posted by oulipian at 8:25 AM on December 16, 2010

Great stuff!
posted by gigbutt at 8:33 AM on December 16, 2010

Site seems really slow right now, so I'll have to catch up with it later. But the concept of "gods are aliens" is not a new topic; back in the 70's when UFOs were all the rage, a lot of books were sold on the subject.
posted by Old'n'Busted at 8:34 AM on December 16, 2010

Also, I just wanted to quickly note that Jesse Moynihan is writing/story-boarding some plots for Adventure Time. What? You're not watching Adventure Time? What the hell is wrong with you??!!
posted by lyam at 8:39 AM on December 16, 2010 [2 favorites]

Old'n'Busted, true, but I don't think von Daniken or Sitchin really envisioned the craziness that is so artfully depicted in Forming.
posted by lyam at 8:41 AM on December 16, 2010

This seems like as good a place as any to point out Wayward Sons [first page here]. Its a webcomic in a similar vein:

"The Pantheans have just prevailed in a bloody civil war. Things go quickly awry while attempting to imprison the traitorous Kronos and a multitude of monstrous intergalactic criminals. Now the crew of the Ulympea, led by Captain Suras, must do whatever it takes to stem a full-scale prison break. What happens next, however, is completely unexpected! What starts as a straight forward Sci-Fi story, soon takes twists and turns into a genre-bending epic that defies explanation."
posted by xqwzts at 8:43 AM on December 16, 2010

Fabulous! Also, somebody should register the username: no, that's just some random dude with a beard.
posted by Kattullus at 8:46 AM on December 16, 2010

Old'n'Busted: Site seems really slow right now, so I'll have to catch up with it later. But the concept of "gods are aliens" is not a new topic; back in the 70's when UFOs were all the rage, a lot of books were sold on the subject

Even a movie, in 1994
posted by paisley henosis at 8:58 AM on December 16, 2010

Someday I'd like to see a webcomic based on actual mythology and archaeology, rather than Von Daniken "Chariots of the Gods style bullshit.
posted by happyroach at 9:27 AM on December 16, 2010

Oh wow, interesting. I was just thinking to myself a little while ago, what if cats are really just alien agents, sent here (or systemically influenced in their evolution) to infiltrate and spy on us? And then I thought, well, if that's the case, why do they ignore us? And then I thought, oh, but that's just what they want us to think they're doing...
posted by limeonaire at 9:31 AM on December 16, 2010

happyroach: Someday I'd like to see a webcomic based on actual mythology and archaeology, rather than Von Daniken "Chariots of the Gods style bullshit.

Not a webcomic but Jacques Martin's Alix series has that in spades. They're also brilliant examples of visual storytelling. Martin started out as Hergé's assistant, and certainly learned a trick or five from his master. It's really great stuff. I haven't read them all but I've yet to read a dud.
posted by Kattullus at 9:49 AM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

I was really enjoying this comic until Separis (sp?) suddenly has sex with Eve in a way that doesn't seem very consensual. I have a hair-thin trigger for sexual violence, as I'm a survivor of years of childhood sexual abuse, so I can't even pretend to be objective about this. But I do feel like, "oh, yay, rape culture ruins yet another reading experience for me." The creepiest thing about it is that they hold hands after, as if, yup, it's normal and great for someone to just mount you from behind with no warning or communication, that's great fun for everyone involved, let's cuddle afterwards. Gross gross gross.
posted by overglow at 10:33 AM on December 16, 2010

I am loving this. Is there a book I can buy?
posted by parmanparman at 10:33 AM on December 16, 2010

Overglow, that kind of thing seems pretty common in Mythology. Specifically here I'm thinking of various Zeus myths.
posted by keratacon at 10:44 AM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

Holy crap. What happened to the last two hours.
posted by Popular Ethics at 12:18 PM on December 16, 2010 [2 favorites]

I LOVE IT.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 4:24 PM on December 16, 2010

Awesome read. Also thanks for the Wayward Sons link, xqwzts. Also a good read and interesting concept but more of a mainstream comicbook style than forming.
posted by AElfwine Evenstar at 5:43 PM on December 16, 2010

'what do you want?'

'for you to stop being such a penis.'

this comic is one of the most bizarre and hilarious things i've ever read. thanks for the link, lyam!
posted by edguardo at 7:46 AM on December 17, 2010

I am loving this. Is there a book I can buy?
posted by parmanparman

Not to my knowledge. Maybe when it's completed. Somewhere, the author wrote that he had a couple hundred pages planned. I wonder if he'll be able to complete it...

He does have a two volume collection of another comic, The Backwards Folding Mirror, available on the site. I haven't read it.
posted by lyam at 8:26 AM on December 17, 2010