The name Delphi appears twice in the Planet of the Apes mythos as the name of a human community. It is uncertain if they are intended to refer to the same location.
In 2680, soon after the murder of the Lawgiver, the assailant's father, Bako, recalled the events of approximately twenty years earlier. He and his family, including the newly-born Chaika, lived in Delphi - a human settlement which had asserted its independence from the dominant ape species. Under General Mattias, the army of Delphi (including Bako and his friend Doolan) had attacked the mixed ape/human settlement of Red Creek and indiscriminately massacred the population. A coalition of armies from 'ape nations' including Ape City and Mak was sent to crush the human rebellion. Bako and Doolan took part in the defence led by Mattias, but the city was crushed and most of Bako's family slaughtered by the ape forces of General Nix. Bako took Chaika to live in the Southtown ('Skintown') human district of Mak, while Doolan and other remnants of the human army took refuge in a mountainous region for many years. A later map in the possession of Nix showed a town marked 'Delphy' to the southwest of Ape City (close to modern New York City), suggesting that Delphi could have been the former human city of Philadelphia. (BOOM!: Planet of the Apes)
Sometime around 3085, Virdon, Burke and Galen entered the Forbidden Zone and visited the home of the Delphi - mysterious and independent-minded cave dwelling humans who worshipped a metallic god at the top of their mountain. When the Delphi appeared, they told them they wanted no confrontation with the apes and asked them to leave. But when the astronauts mentioned they had come from Earth, they told them of a prophecy that Earth-men would come from the sky to save the Delphi, and they were welcomed into the caves. As the Delphi and the apes fought, the Delphi sent the astronauts through a secret passage to visit their god - "Ytrebil". Alan discovered their god was in fact the Liberty Bell and that 'Delphi' was Philadelphia, just as the gun battle triggered an earthquake in which the whole mountain collapsed in on itself, killing all of the Delphi. (PR: Mountain Of The Delphi)
Appearances[]
- Mountain Of The Delphi
- Planet of the Apes: The Devil's Pawn #2
- Planet of the Apes: Children of Fire #1 (map only)