Demons (Marvel Comics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A demon is a fictional entity in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the demons from world myth. All possess varying degrees of mystical power and are inclined towards dark or “black” magic - evil.
Contents |
[edit] Demonic Origins
During the era in which the first single-celled organism formed on Earth, the Elder God Demiurge achieved consciousness after being formed and coalesced from the Earth's biosphere. As conditions on Earth began to support life, it became aware. And wanting to know itself - the Demiurge split itself into countless aspects, each of which wanting consciousness and manifest into new entities:
and others. They would become known as the “Elder Gods”.
[edit] Elder Gods
The Elder Gods are the forerunners to the modern gods and Demons of Earth.
Chthon began devoting itself to the study and manipulation of mystical energies, becoming Earth's first master of black magic. [Silver Surfer Annual #2]
Gaea came into being and was the “Protector of the Emerging Life” that began in the Seas.
Set, the “God of the Dead” spawned a number of offspring (eg. “Sligguth” and “Damballah”).
Realizing he could increase his own power by consuming the energy of his fellow “demons”, Set became the first being on Earth to kill another. By consuming the life energies of a fellow Elder God, Set started down the path to degeneracy. Other Elder Gods quickly began following Set's example, killing each other to for their power. The more they consumed, the more they hungered for power. And with more power, the hunger becomes insatiable.
Many became corrupt and began warring to satisfy the thirst for power. The victor feeding off the other - and after millions of years, all the Elders except for Gaea had degenerated to less than their Godhood, becoming evil.
Gaea began fearing that the Elders' warring with each other would destroy the evolving life on the planet. Gaea mated with a reincarnation of Demiurge and gave birth to Atum, who became dedicated to eradicating his Forefathers.
Foreseeing the threat Atum was to his existence, Chthon inscribed all the mystical knowledge he had learned through a millennia of evil incarnate on a parchment to be his touchstone within the Earth dimension.
Atum indeed became a threat to the Elder Gods, as he began destroying them for their evil and degradation, absorbing their energies into himself. The energies he absorbed caused him to undergo a metamorphosis into the form of “Demogorge”, the God-Eater.
Many of the Elders fell to Atum, those who weren't destroyed fled to other dimensions:
Chthon, sensing the end was near, cast a spell which allowed him an escape into another dimension before the Demogorge could slay him. Before he left, Chthon left the parchment containing his mystical knowledge in this dimension.
Set, witnessing what Chthon had done, replicated the spell allowing he and his offspring escape. Gaea was the only original Elder God permitted to exist on the planet, and she infused her godly essence into the Earth and into all living things - ultimately becoming “Mother Earth”.
The Demogorge released the energies he had absorbed, reverting back to the form of Atum. He then took residence within Earth's Sun.
Over millennia, the energies that Demogorge had released when he reverted back into Atum eventually manifest Godly into a number of different beings:
(Note: whether the original founders/creators of Earth's pantheons were fathered by Atum is speculative, as is whether or not Atum is the creator of Earth's pantheons. Similarly, Gaea was said to be the mother of “Ouranus”.)
- Nun
- Ouranus
- Buri, Father to a number of different pantheons of “New Gods”.
To fuel his own powers the Elder God Set, from his pocket dimension, began drawing psychic energy from the dinosaurs, the dominant life forms of Earth. Eventually Set's continued feeding on the dinosaurs helped bring about significant drops in their population.
Gaea, the embodiment of all living things on Earth, knew the dinosaurs were at an evolutionary dead end and allowed Set to continue his feeding knowing that he was quickly depleting his main supply of energy. Set, aware that Gaea was allowing the extinction of the dinosaurs became infuriated and commanded the dinosaurs to seek out and kill all mammals (which Gaea had select as Earth’s dominant species over the dinosaurs.
Gaea sensed Set's command over the dinosaurs and summoned the Elder God. Set appeared on Earth in the shape of a giant serpent, the first time in this form, and attacked Gaea. She summoned her son Atum to protect her. Atum (in his form of Demogorge) engaged Set in battle and destroyed his head.
However, Set was not killed and two heads grew back. Set and Atum battled for years. Many disasters befell the Earth during this time, some caused by the titanic struggle (which brought about the extinction of the dinosaurs in the Marvel Universe).
The mammals were sheltered from the devastation by Gaea. Eventually Set, drained of power, was forced to withdraw from the Earth dimension. By this time Set had grown seven heads to replace the ones destroyed in battle. With his power all but exhausted Set could no longer journey to the Earth dimension without aid. Demogorge reverted back to Atum and returned to his dwelling place in the sun.
[edit] Devils
Several demonic entities dwell in extra-dimensional realms referred to as Hell, using humans as pawns and subjects; some have claimed to be Satan.
Their origins are shrouded in mystery - a few are fallen angels or gods who fell out of favor with their pantheon, whereas some are the descendants of degenerate Elder Gods and others were shaped by the subconscious desires of their earliest worshippers.
This category also includes messengers and servants who work for these “Rulers of Hell”; "lesser demons" that share the same origins as their masters, but are usually less powerful (although still superior to most mortals).
Members include:
- Allatou
- Asmodeus
- Baphomet
- Blackheart
- Dagoth
- Damballah
- Haazareth Three
- Daimon Hellstrom
- Hoss
- Ikthalon
- Inanna, "demoness of inspiration and madness"
- Kazann
- Ludi
- Marduk Kurios
- Mephisto
- Ningal
- Satana
- Satannish
- Sligguth
- Thog
- Zahgurim, "armorer to Satan"
- Zarathos
[edit] Extra-Dimensional Entities
Some demons seem to be entirely unrelated to earth and humanity's past - these creatures are often non-humanoid in form and utterly alien in motivation. They are referred to as Class Three Demons in Marvel's OHOTMU.
Demons of this sort include:
- Lloigoroth
- The N'Garai
- Shuma-Gorath
- The Undying Ones
- Asteroth
[edit] Others
Several extra-dimensional mystical beings exist in the Marvel Universe (that do not fall into any of the three preceding categories). They are powerful and evil enough to be considered demons. Beings of this sort include evil mortal beings who have attained to great power, as well as beings who have been referred to as demons but whose origins have yet to be definitively defined or revealed. They include:
- Adversary
- Dark-Crawler
- Dormammu
- Hellfire
- Hydron
- Kathulos
- Lilith, sometimes called the Mother of All Demons, is an ancient and powerful being. Imprisoned centuries ago by Atlantean sorcerers, she regained her freedom in modern times.
- Magnum
- N'Gabthoth
- Rangsabb
- Shazana
- Shialmar
- Tiboro
- Visimajoris served the sorcerers known as The Creators, bringing it into conflict with Doctor Strange when he opposed their schemes. Its mystical abilities allow it to splinter opponents into a number of confused and weakened duplicates - this effect is temporary and can be cancelled if the demon is defeated. Visimajoris first appeared in Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #24 (August 1977).
- Xander
- Zephyr
- Zom
[edit] The Octessence
[edit] The Fear Lords
[edit] The Six-Fingered Hand
A group of six demons, The Six-Fingered Hand once plotted to merge Earth and Hell. Their plan was successfully opposed by the Defenders. The six are also responsible for the creation of the Lesser Grey God, a statuette which has the power to reactivate old curses.
- Avarrish
- Fashima
- Hyppokri
- Puishannt
- Unthinnk
- Maya, the sixth and final member of the Six Fingered Hand, was actually a disguised Mephisto, who manipulated the rest the group.
[edit] Lords of the Splinter Realms
A loose collection of various demons, most prominently Mephisto and Dormammu. While normally opposed to each other they formed a tenuous alliance against the Archenemy at the request of Amanda Sefton.
