Morlocks are a fictional species who dwell underground, created by H. G. Wells for his 1895 novel, The Time Machine. The Morlocks exist in the future world in the year 802,701 A.D. in The Time Machine. They are said to have descended from humans, although they have evolved to become a completely different species (better suited to their subterranean habitat) by the 8028th century.

Morlocks are humanoid creatures. They don't seem to wear clothing, and are instead covered with fur. The Time Traveller describes them as "almost spiderlike" in their demeanor, in that they silently slink around in the dead of night and snag their prey. Theirs is a troglodyte civilization, where they maintain ancient machines that they may or may not remember how to build; their only entrance to the surface world is through a series of well-like structures which dot the future English countryside. As a result of living underground, the Morlocks are extremely sensitive to light, and apparently have little or no melanin in their skin.

The Morlocks' main source of food is the Eloi, another race descended from humans who lives aboveground. They seem to treat the Eloi as cattle, and the Eloi make no resistance.

The above describes the Morlocks from the original novel. Since then, many other sources (such as movie adaptations, sequels to the original novel, etc.) have given variant descriptions of them.

Morlocks, in addition to appearing in The Time Machine and all movie adaptations of the book and sequels by other authors, have also been adapted by other authors to fit their works. They have also appeared in several unrelated television shows.

Morlocks in The Time Machine

The Morlocks are at first a mysterious presence in the book. The Time Traveller, the main character, initially thinks that the Eloi are the only examples of future humanity, although the existence of Morlocks is hinted at. When he first encounters a Morlock, the Time Traveller begins to piece together a new image of the future world of 802,701 A.D.

The Morlocks and the Eloi have something of a symbiotic relationship: the Eloi are clothed and fed by the Morlocks, and in return, the Morlocks eat the Eloi. The Time Traveller perceives this, and guesses that the Eloi/Morlock relationship developed from a class distinction present in his own time: the Morlocks are the worker class who had to work underground so that the rich upper class would have luxury. The Morlocks live underground, tending machinery, and are seen by many to represent the "soul-deadening" effects of the Industrial Revolution.

After he discovers the Morlocks, the Time Traveller becomes increasingly paranoid of them, as well as upset. He devotes more effort to fighting them, eventually creating a huge forest fire in the night.

In the end of the book, the Time Traveller proceeds further into the future, and sees, on a desolate beach, giant crab-like creatures hunting after beautiful creatures that resemble butterflies. The Time Traveller theorizes that this is an eventual result of the Eloi/Morlock struggle.

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K.W. Jeter wrote a book titled Morlock Night, in which the Morlocks have stolen the Time Machine and used it to invade Victorian London. The Morlocks in this book are much more formidable than they are in The Time Machine, and are a clever, technological race with enough power to take over the entire world. They also get support from certain traitorous 19th century humans, especially a dark wizard named Merdenne. It is also revealed that the Morlocks living in their native time (the 8028th century) have stopped allowing the Eloi to roam free and now keep them in pens.

The Morlocks are also separated into two types, or castes, in the book. One is the short, weak, stupid Grunt Morlock, which is supposedly the kind that the Time Traveller encountered, and the Officer Morlock, who are taller, smarter, speak English, and have high rank within the Morlock invasion force. An example of the latter type is Colonel Nalga, an antagonist later in the book.

For some reason, the Morlocks in this book are always described as wearing bluish spectacles, presumably they are supposed to be some sort of protection from the light on the Morlocks' sensitive eyes.

Other books

Two other books involving Morlocks, by different authors were:

The Man who loved Morlocks, by David Lake
The Return of the Time Machine, by Egon Friedell

Morlocks in Other Fiction

In addition to the books and stories directly based on The Time Machine, some authors have adopted the Morlocks and adapted them to their works, often completely unassociated with The Time Machine.

Allan and the Sundered Veil

The Morlocks appeared in a story by Alan Moore titled Allan and the Sundered Veil, which appeared as part of the comic book collection The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, volume 1. In the story, the Time Traveller takes some of the regular League characters into his future world, where he has made a base out of the Morlock sphinx. The party is soon attacked by Morlocks, who are fierce, simian creatures in this story. They are physically much more powerful than Wells' creatures, although they're not much unlike the Hunter Morlocks from the 2002 film.

The Time Traveller also calls the Morlocks by a variant name, "Mi-Go" (derived from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos tales), and states that they are "known to other ages as Abominable Snowmen." They are implied to be fairly intelligent, as the Time Traveller talks of a suspicion that they are working for the malevolent forces which are attacking the time stream.

Known Space

Larry Niven included a version of the Morlocks in his Known Space books. They appear as a subhuman alien race living in the caves in one region of Wunderland, which is one of humanity's colonies in the Alpha Centauri system.

Morlocks in essays and other nonfiction

In Neal Stephenson's essay on modern culture vis-à-vis OS development, In the beginning there was the Command Line, he demonstrates similarities between the future in The Time Machine and contemporary American culture. He claims that most Americans have been exposed to a "corporate monoculture" which renders them "unwilling to make judgments and incapable of taking stands." Anyone who remains outside of this "culture" is left with powerful tools to deal with the world, and it is they, rather than the neutered Eloi, that run things.

The assumption seems to be that the Eloi will manage to fill their heads with garbage one way or the other, so American culture exists to ensure that it is harmless garbage rather than the dangerous types that lead to disruptions, violence, wars, and inquisitions.

To quote Stephenson directly:

"But in our world it's the other way round. The Morlocks are in the minority, and they are running the show, because they understand how everything works. The much more numerous Eloi learn everything they know from being steeped from birth in electronic media directed and controlled by book-reading Morlocks. So many ignorant people could be dangerous if they got pointed in the wrong direction, and so we've evolved a popular culture that is (a) almost unbelievably infectious and (b) neuters every person who gets infected by it, by rendering them unwilling to make judgments and incapable of taking stands."

Morlocks in film and television

The Time Machine

George Pal version

In a movie version of The Time Machine directed by George Pál, the Morlocks are eventually defeated by the Eloi, who are motivated to fight by the Time Traveller. One of the differences of the movie Morlocks (who are blue-skinned brutes with glowing eyes) is that the divergence was created not by a varying caste system, but by being forced underground due to nuclear warfare. This history was told by three recording rings found in an ancient palace.

The Morlocks in the film also have a system for summoning the Eloi into their sphinx by using a disaster siren. Supposedly, this was originally employed to warn people to take shelter underground when bombs or other hazards were expected to fall on the land above. Responding to the siren has become inborn, and the Eloi now do so like cattle. It is one of the ways that the Morlocks get their food.

Simon Wells Remake

In 2002, another film based on The Time Machine was directed by Simon Wells, the great-grandson of H. G. Wells. The Morlocks in this film, as well as the Eloi, have been changed in several major ways. The Morlocks have become more physically strong and fast, and are very ape-like now. In addition, the Morlocks have split into several types. In addition to the "Hunter" Morlocks, which are the most like apes, there are also the Morlocks who aren't as physically fit. These "Spy" Morlocks shoot darts at escaping Eloi, marking them with a pungent substance, making it easier for the Hunter Morlocks, with their powerful sense of smell, to track and capture them.

All the Morlocks are controlled by a race of Über-Morlocks, who appear more human than the other two castes seen in the movies. Instead of having gray skin and patches of fur, the Über-Morlock that appears in the film has long, flowing hair that is the same pure white color as his skin, has the physique of a human, and wears clothing. His brain is so large that it doesn't quite fit into his head, but instead trails down his back and envelops his spine. He is telepathic, articulate in English speech, and eventually ends up fighting Alexander Hartdegen (the main character of this film).

As explained by the Über-Morlock (in terms of the 2002 movie), the Morlocks originated from humans that sought shelter underground after an attempt at constructing a lunar colony on the Moon sent fragments of the Moon crashing to Earth. They remained underground so long that they developed bodies with very little (if any) melanin in their skin and very light-sensitive eyes that can't deal with sunlight for long. As a result of the past catastrophe and the resulting strain on resources, the proto-Morlocks divided themselves into several castes. They inbred within each caste until the Morlock race became composed of genetically fine-tuned sub-races designed for specific tasks.

The movie displays three of these races: the Hunters Morlocks that herd Eloi, the Spy Morlocks that shoot them with blowgun darts, and the Über-Morlocks that command the first two races.

The Morlocks seen in the movie are destroyed when Alexander causes his time machine to malfunction and explode in their tunnels, but there are other Morlock colonies that remain and are unseen.

Television Shows

Doctor Who

In the Timelash episodes of the twenty-second season of Doctor Who, the Sixth Doctor takes H. G. Wells into the future where they encounter an underground-dwelling, reptilian species called the Morlox (a homophone of "Morlocks"). The Borad, an evil ruler, accidentally becomes half-Morlox during the episode.

G Vs. E

In 1999, the USA Network started a show titled G vs. E, which stood for "Good Versus Evil." The series depicted a struggle between the forces of Heaven and Hell. The Morlocks appear in the series as one of the main forces of evil to be dealt with.

In this series, they are demons. They often appear as normal humans, but have strange reflections in mirrors. It seems that anyone they kill joins their ranks.

These Morlocks are completely unlike those in The Time Machine, and it is unknown if they are based on or named after H. G. Wells' creatures or whether they got the name elsewhere. It could be argued that they are subterranean creatures, as they reside in Hell.

Monster in My Pocket: The Quest

In 2003, Peak Entertainment relaunched Monster in My Pocket with former lead villain Warlock as the hero. The new villain became Warlock's evil twin, Morlock. The series was passed on by Cartoon Network and Peak's rights to Monster in My Pocket were revoked on December 22, 2004. With the series' limited distribution, it is difficult to say if the connection was more than a nominal one.

Power Rangers: Mystic Force

In 2006, a new incarnation of Power Rangers, titled Power Rangers: Mystic Force, includes Morlocks as the enemies of the Power Rangers. Sources from before the show's premiere described them as "zombie-like foot soldiers", and it was also implied that they live underground below the town of Briarwood (where the show takes place) and plot to rise up and destroy everything.

However, it has since been revealed that the Morlocks in the show are not simply foot soldiers; they comprise the entire group of enemies of the Power Rangers. The Morlocks in the show are entirely unlike those in The Time Machine, except that they still live underground and are villains. These Morlocks are not portrayed as a divergent species of humanity, but instead as an ancient, evil legion who were sealed underground centuries ago. The Morlocks have finally broken the seal and are planning to invade Briarwood, and later the world.

The Morlocks in this show are apparently undead, with machine components built into their bodies. Their leader is Morticon, who often quarrels with his top warrior, Knight Wolf. The main area shown of the underground Morlock headquarters is a large throne room, with an audience of Morlocks who look down and cheer at Morticon.

Also, the zombie-like foot soldiers which were originally thought to be the Morlocks are actually called "Hidiacs", who are foot soldiers who serve the Morlocks. It is unknown whether they can be considered a variety of Morlock themselves.

Specific Morlock characters

Although Morlock life has rarely been fully explored, and The Time Machine didn't depict individual Morlocks, various other sources (sequels by other authors, movie versions, etc.) have introduced characters belonging to the Morlock race. Examples of these include:

Nebogipfel - An example of an advanced, highly civilized Morlock race living in a different reality than the one in The Time Machine. The Time Traveller encounters Nebogipfel here, and learns about Nebogipfel's Morlocks. Nebogipfel joins the Time Traveller on his journeys through time. This occurred in The Time Ships, Stephen Baxter's sequel to The Time Machine.
Colonel Nalga - One of the generals of a Morlock invasion force trying to overrun England in 1892 in K.W. Jeter's Morlock Night. Nalga spoke English, unlike his Morlock brethren, and so dealt with the protagonists.
The Über-Morlock - In Simon Wells' 2002 remake of the 1960 film, the Über-Morlock, played by English actor Jeremy Irons, was the leader of the Morlocks, controlling them through telepathy. He had an incredibly large brain, which extended out of his head and down his back. The Über-Morlock is the main villain of the movie.
Morticon - In the children's show Power Rangers: Mystic Force, Morticon is the leader of a group of Morlocks, who, in the show, are cybernetic, undead creatures who dwell underground. He is the main villain of the series. Unlike traditional Morlocks, Morticon appears as a blue monstrous creature with bulky mechanical attachments which occasionally emit steam.

Creatures based on Morlocks

In the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, there is a race of creatures called the Grimlocks which seem to be based on Morlocks. They dwell underground, only ascending to raid villages, and are extremely sensitive to light. In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, the backstory for these creatures reveals that they did evolve from a tribe of humans. They are extremely xenophobic.

In H.P. Lovecraft's story The Lurking Fear, the protagonist discovers that the (fictional) region of Thunder Mountain in the Catskill Mountains is inhabited by a population of ape-like, cannibalistic, degenerate humanoids who live underground. It is unclear whether these creatures are based on H. G. Wells' Morlocks, but they are remarkably similar.

In The Descent, the 2005 horror film, the 'Crawlers,' a blind cannibal race living in a deep cave system in Appalachia, closely resemble H.G. Wells' Morlocks.

In Orson Scott Card's Homecoming Saga, The fourth book Earthfall features the 'Diggers' who live below ground and terrorize the cattle-like 'Angels' who live on the surface. The Diggers share similarities with Wells' Morlocks.

Morlocks in Popular Culture

Ransom

In the film Ransom, Gary Sinise' character compares himself to a Morlock, and Mel Gibson to a fragile Eloi.

Comic Books

In Marvel Comics, a tribe of mutants who lived below New York's sewer system, the Morlocks, were named after H. G. Wells' Morlocks. They appeared originally as adversaries of the X-Men, but after Storm defeated their leader, Callisto, in battle, they became their allies.

Most of them were slaughtered in the Mutant Massacre, and the survivors later moved to Gene Nation, located in a parallel dimension. A later retcon made some of them the failed creations of the Dark Beast.

Paper Computer Games

The Paper Computer Game series features Morlocks in some of its adventures. In "Tutorial Bot's Past", a single Morlock will attack the main character if he/she comes too close. The Morlock emerges from a dark cave on a mountain.

Also, in "Welcome to Death Ward Hospital", one area of the areas has a well which leads down to the Morlock habitat. Here, the player can meet Gorbertron- the leader of the Morlocks.

It

It is a novel by Stephen King about a group of misfit children who gather together to do battle against an evil that lurks in the swamps around their town. The evil is later identified as a killer clown. The counterpart good spirit is a giant turtle who drifts through the cosmos, who may be asleep, but to all appearances is dead. Stephen King may be the only contemporary author who could prevail upon a reader to suspend disbelief enough to take such a scenario seriously. The place where the clown "lives" is in the drains under the swamps that help to carry excess floodwaters to the ocean. These drains are called "morlock holes" throughout.

The Simpsons

Homer Simpson is about to jump off the Empire State Building because of his fame diminishing when Otto Mann is bungee jumping he sees morlocks, C.H.U.D. and mole men when they go through a manhole. Also, in Homer the Moe Homer is telling a story at the bar and summarizes a story he's been telling with "Eventually I become king of the Morlocks". Carl Carlson replies "Aren't Morlocks from the future?".[1]