| “ | Theo: "He's a Löwenmensch." Hayden: "What the hell is a Löwenmensch?" Mason: "It's part-wolf, part-lion, I think...." |
” |
Löwenmensch (German: "Lionhuman"), are a species of supernatural hybrid shape-shifters, being part wolf/part lion they were introduced during Season 6. Like their lupin cousins, Löwenmensch have the power to transform from an regular human appearance to a partially hybrid wolf/lion-like form that includes glowing eyes, pointed ears, claws and fangs and a ridged brow though these features are noticeably different from those of Werewolves. Only one known Löwenmensch has been seen so far: Garrett Douglas, a former Captain in the Nazi German military and member of the Anenherbe unit.
A Löwenmensch functions much like a Werewolf in that they follow the same hierarchy structure, judging by the fact that Garrett was an Alpha with red eyes. This theory is supported by the fact that, in the natural world, Lions operate in prides, suggesting that a supernatural hybrid shapeshifter like the Löwenmensch would be free to either join/form a Löwenmensch pride or join a regular Werewolf pack and may even gain a power boost from being in one. However, since there is a lack of information about this species, this has yet to be confirmed to be true.
It is unclear why Mason Hewitt incorrectly described a Löwenmensch as being part-wolf since in the all the legends, a Löwenmensch is not actually half-wolf and half-lion at all but half-lion and half-man, essentially a werelion; the ”alpha” Chimera Theo Raeken also incorrectly described Douglas as a regular Alpha Werewolf, mostly likely because the Dread Doctors had never bothered to correct him. The legend itself comes from a figurine also known as the Lion-man of the Hohlenstein-Stadel, which is a prehistoric sculpture made from ivory that was discovered in a German cave of the same name.
Powers and Abilities.[]
Löwenmensch seem to possess almost identical powers to Werewolves, but due to the fact they are hybrid in nature , their powers seem to be much more potent; Chris Argent noted that the bite force of a Löwenmensch (which he originally thought was a Werewolf) was much more powerful than anything he's ever seen. The powers demonstrated by a Löwenmensch thus far include:
- Super Strength: Löwenmenschen are incredibly strong creatures, able to easily match other related shapeshifters such as Werewolves; Garrett, an Alpha Löwenmensch mutated by the Dread Doctors' green serum and the venom on a Rider's whip, was incredibly strong and overpowered a Ghost Rider effortlessly, something that even the combined might of Corey Bryant, Scott McCall, and Liam Dunbar could not do. Garrett's strength was so powerful that he was able to bite through the skulls of both humans and Ghost Riders and could throw grown men across a room with ease.
- Super Speed: Löwenmenschen possess superhuman speed that allows them to run faster than even the most athletic human being, and can run on all fours in both human and Löwenmensch form.
- Super Agility/Reflexes: Löwenmenschen possess superhuman agility, allowing them to jump very high and across large distances, jump from several stories up while landing lightly on their feet, and perform a multitude of acrobatic, gymnastic and martial arts feats such as flips, handsprings, and spinning kicks. This power also extends to their reflexes; as a result of their ability to perceive moving objects much better than humans can, they can catch projectiles such as arrows in mid-air and dodge speeding bullets before they can be hit.
- Super Durability: Löwenmenschen, like their Werewolf cousins, are much more durable than average humans and can withstand much more blunt force trauma, though they are still vulnerable to open wounds. As a result, they can tolerate being punched, kicked, being thrown into walls, and falling from extremely tall heights without serious injury.
- Super Senses: Löwenmenschen, like their Werewolf cousins, have incredibly keen superhuman senses of hearing, smell, and sight. They can see in the dark and across large distances, track scents for up to several miles, and hear whispered conversations across great distances and from inside buildings. Using their sense of smell in particular, they can interpret the chemosignals in scents that indicate identity and emotional state. These enhanced senses help them fight at night, hear approaching enemies, and locate people by scent. A Löwenmensch's enhanced sight can also be used to see supernatural phenomena that cannot be seen with human eyes, such as the Nemeton or a Kitsune's aura.
- Accelerated Healing: Like their Werewolf counterparts, Löwenmenschen possess extraordinarily enhanced regenerative healing, allowing them to recover from most mild to moderate wounds within moments. Garrett was shown to have such a powerful healing factor that he was able to heal from the full-body injuries caused by being in the Dread Doctors' tank for seventy years, due in part to the green regenerative serum inside of it made from his blood. They are seemingly immune to human diseases and conditions and cannot get high or drunk on drugs or alcohol.
- Longevity: Because a Löwenmensch's rapid cellular regeneration prevents them from contracting any illness or condition and replaces aging cells at a constant rate, they presumably have an extended lifespan, judging by the fact that Garrett spent seventy years in the Dread Doctors' tank and maintained the appearance of a man in his late 20s or early 30s.
- Shapeshifting: Löwenmenschen, as hybrid wolf/lion-like shifters, possess the power to shapeshift their features into that of the aforementioned species, including glowing eyes, fangs, claws, mutton chops, pointed ears, and ridged brows that are again similar to Werewolves but with noticeable differences. The only known Löwenmensch, the Alpha Garrett Douglas, had glowing red eyes, so it can be assumed that they can also have gold or blue eyes like Beta or Omega-level Werewolves.
Weaknesses[]
The Löwenmensch presumably possesses similar weaknesses to Werewolves and likely shares the same weaknesses that most supernatural creatures, such as Mountain Ash, Mistletoe, electricity, wolfsbane, etc.
Trivia[]
- The Löwenmensch are the first natural hybrid species. The only other hybrid species, called Chimeras, were artificial and created by science rather than the supernatural.
- It is unknown how this happened, as children born to parents of two different species of shapeshifters appear to inherit the traits of only one species; For example, Malia Tate has a Werewolf father and a Werecoyote mother, but was born a pure Werecoyote. However, it's possible that Malia simply didn't inherit her father's Werewolf power, as happened with some members of the Hale Family.
- Another explanation could be that a Löwenmensch is similar to a Werejaguar in that it is an offshoot of the Werewolf gene, having taken on a different form due to the nature of the host, although this is supposed to be a very rare occurrence. However, a Werejaguar is not a hybrid like any other shapeshifter, which is part animal, part human - the Löwenmensch is different in that it is part wolf, part lion, as well as part man, possessing two animal traits instead of one.
- The Löwenmensch is described by Mason Hewitt as part wolf and part lion; however this is factually incorrect as a Löwenmensch is simply another breed of shapeshifter with the characteristics of a lion much like Werewolves have the characteristics of wolves and Werejaguars have the characteristics of a jaguar.
- They are the fourth species of shapeshifter in the show that are based on real life animals after wolves, coyotes and jaguars.
- Löwenmensch are probably stronger, faster and more durable than werewolves, which is accurate, since in the wild lions are much stronger than wolves.
- They must feed on the pineal glands in humans and other supernatural creatures though they are also capable of consuming regular food as well.
Gallery[]
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