Mystic (comics)

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Mystic has been used as the title of four comic-book series.

The first two versions, formally titled Mystic Comics, were superhero anthologies published by Marvel Comics' 1930-'40s predecessor, Timely Comics, during what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. The third was a horror fiction-suspense anthology from Marvel's 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics. The fourth, published in the 2000s by CrossGen Comics, starred two sisters on a world in which magic is commonplace.

Contents

[edit] Mystic Comics (Timely)

[edit] Volume 1

Mystic Comics #10 (Aug. 1942), featuring the Destroyer. Cover art by Al Gabriele and Syd Shores.
Mystic Comics #10 (Aug. 1942), featuring the Destroyer. Cover art by Al Gabriele and Syd Shores.

The first two series titled Mystic came from publisher Martin Goodman's Timely Comics, which by the early 1960s would evolve into Marvel. Initially edited by future Marvel chief Stan Lee very early in his career, and by Vincent Fago after Lee left for military duty in early 1942, it ran 10 issues (March 1940 - Aug. 1942).

A superhero anthology with no regular starring feature, Mystic Comics introduced at least two notable characters: the Blazing Skull (issue # 5, March 1941), who made appearances both in the Golden Age and in the 2000s; and the Destroyer (issue # 6, Oct. 1941), noted by comics historian and former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas as "Stan's most popular superhero creation before the Fantastic Four"[1]. The Destroyer was cover-featured for the last half of the run.

Additional superheroes introduced in this initial series include the Thin Man, by artist Klaus Nordling and an unknown writer (issue #4, Aug. 1940); the Blue Blaze, by writer-artist Harry Douglas (#1-4); the robot hero Flexo the Rubber Man (#1-4); the Black Marvel (# 5-9), another early Stan Lee creation, with artist Al Gabriele; and the Terror (# 5-10) by writer Phil Sturm and penciler Syd Shores.

Also notable was the non-superhero trio of detectives, the 3Xs (issue # 1), who comprised Timely's first team feature.

[edit] Volume 2

Timely's second series titled Mystic Comics was a shorter-lived superhero anthology that ran four issues (Oct. 1944 - March 1945). Paul Gustavson's costumed detective the Angel was cover-featured for the first three, with one or two stories in each, and the Young Allies on issue #4. Timely star the Human Torch appeared in the first two issues, and time traveler Tommy Tyme in the first three. The Destroyer was the only character with a story every issue.

[edit] Mystic (Atlas Comics)

Titled simply Mystic and published by Marvel's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics, this was a 61-issue horror-suspense anthology (March 1951 - Aug. 1957). Begun prior to the creation of the comic-book industry's self-censorship board, the Comics Code Authority, Mystic softened its horror and began sporting the Comics Code seal with issue #37 (May 1955).

Notable contributors included artists Bill Everett and John Severin.

[edit] Mystic (CrossGen Comics)

Mystic #43 (Jan. 2004). Cover art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan.
Mystic #43 (Jan. 2004). Cover art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan.

Published by the since-defunct, Florida-based CrossGen Comics, this series ran 43 issues (July 2000 - Jan. 2004). Created by writer Ron Marz and artists Brandon Peterson and John Dell, it was one of five flagship titles in the company's Sigilverse shared universe. Set on the planet Ciress, in which sorcery is an apprenticed profession organized in guilds, the story centered on sisters Genevieve and Giselle. The former had devoted her life to becoming a top sorceress; the latter is a spoiled socialite who much against her wishes is granted great power and responsibility via a mysterious sigil.

The magic guilds at the start of the series are:

  • Dark Magi Guild
  • Astral Guild
  • Shaman Guild
  • Enchantress Guild
  • Tantric Guild
  • Djinn Guild
  • Nouveau Guild
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The first six issues of Mystic describe Giselle's gaining of the Sigil and the efforts of the guild leaders to regain her power. Giselle gains her Sigil in the first episode and without intending to, steals the spirits of the ancient (and long dead) guild leaders. She also gets a guide in the form of a talking cat-like creature with yellow eyes and a love interest named Thierry Chevailier (an artist but without any magical ability). Starting in Episode 4, Giselle gains the attention of one of The First who goes by the name Darrow. At first Darrow seems to help Giselle but later we learn he is under orders from Ingra to sway Giselle to the side of House Sinister.

The efforts of the other guild leaders to strip Giselle of the spirits of the long dead guild leaders fail (episode 6) but the leaders of all but two of the magic guilds regard the situation as unacceptable. To destroy Giselle the guild leaders (with the exception of Astral and Nouveau) break the prison which confined Animora. This sets in motion a conflict which lasts for the next 12 episodes between Giselle (and her sister Genevieve, the leader of the Nouveau guild) against Animora and the other guild leaders. Darrow rapidly switches sides and supports Animora also. With the reluctant aid of the spirits of the former guild leaders, Giselle is able to defeat all her enemies (episode 14 and again in episode 20) but at a cost.

After her second defeat, Animora was able to establish a psychic link to Giselle and over time this turned into a form of possession. As this control was growing, Giselle alienated her good friend Thierry Chevailier and he fell in love with the older sister Genevieve (episode 24). Eventually Giselle meets Ingra and after a battle - in which Ingra easily defeats Giselle - Ingra breaks Animora's hold over Giselle and imprisons Animora (episode 23). Part of the reason why Ingra is able to defeat Giselle is that due to Giselle's recent behavior, the spirits of the guild leaders refuse to help her. Giselle, without their aid, finds that her knowledge of magic is very poor. She resolves to become a master of magic and starts with learning the magic of the Shaman's guild (episode 26).

Note: In CrossGen Chronicals #8 it was learned that an 8th guild named Taroc used to exist but it disappeared long ago. The guild leader of the Taroc guild sacrificed herself to imprison Animora, one of The First, who had been banished by Ingra, the leader of House Sinister.

Spoilers end here.

Series contributors included:

[edit] Collections

CrossGen released four trade paperbacks containing the first half of the series:

  • Mystic 1: Rite of Passage
  • Mystic 2: The Demon Queen
  • Mystic 3: Siege of Scales
  • Mystic 4: Out All Night

In addition, the company announced two additional which went unreleased due to CrossGen's bankruptcy.

  • Mystic 5: Master Class
  • Mystic 6: The Mathemagician

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ The Golden Age of Marvel Comics (Marvel, 1997; ISBN 0-7851-0564-6) Introduction, p. 3

[edit] References

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