Dormammu

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Dormammu
Art by Frank Brunner.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Strange Tales #126 (November 1964)
Created by	Stan Lee Steve Ditko
In story information
Alter ego	Dormammu
Team affiliations	Mindless Ones
Partnerships	Umar
Notable aliases	The Dread One
Abilities	Living furnace of mystic energy Virtually unlimited magical powers Immortality

Dormammu is a fictional character, a supervillain, in the Marvel Comics universe. He is an extra-dimensional mystic entity and an enemy of Doctor Strange. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 (November 1964) and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Contents 1 Fictional character biography 2 Powers and abilities 3 Parodies and references 4 In other media 4.1 Television 4.1.1 Spider-Woman 4.1.2 Spider-Man: The Animated Series 4.2 Doctor Strange DVD movie 4.3 Video Games 5 Footnotes 6 References

[edit] Fictional character biography

Dormammu is a 6-foot humanoid with a flame-cloaked head. His sister, Umar, is more human in appearance, though her head also bears a mantle of flames. The siblings were once two of the Faltine, a race of extra-dimensional energy-based beings. However, they became greedy, bonding matter to themselves to accumulate power. The other Faltine exiled the siblings to a dimension known as the Dark Dimension, where they accumulated power and eventually came to rule. Dormammu has been stated to be the grandfather of Daimon Hellstrom. It is revealed this was part of a plan to fool Daimon's love, in order to keep her away from his dangerous life.

Doctor Strange and his lover and partner, Umar's daughter Clea, have fought both of the Faltinians numerous times, deposing them on several occasions. However, Dormammu and Umar continue to further their arcane schemes and menace both the Dark Dimension and the Earth.

Dormammu first encountered Doctor Strange many years ago,^[1] and then battled him for the first time.^[2] Dormammu allied himself with Baron Mordo.^[3] He summoned various lords of the netherworlds to witness a battle with Doctor Strange.^[4] He then later encounters the cosmic entity Eternity.^[5]

Years later, Dormammu captured Clea and Victoria Bentley.^[6] He became ruler of the Dykkors, and battled Strange again.^[7] He then returned to the Dark Dimension.^[8]

Dormammu later allied with Loki, and instigated a war between the Avengers and Defenders.^[9] He then used the power of the Evil Eye to invade Earth.^[10] He betrayed Loki,^[11] and battled the Avengers and Loki until he was absorbed by the Evil Eye.^[12]

Dormammu was eventually reincarnated at the Earth's core as a giant, and imprisoned Gaea.^[13] He then battled the Scarlet Witch to avenge his imprisonment in the Evil Eye, but lost.^[14] His power was stolen by Umar, and he was expelled from the Earth.^[15] He later traveled back in time to 1943.^[16] He was driven out of the body of Viscount Krowler by Doctor Strange.^[17]

Later, Dormammu took possession of Doctor Strange's body.^[18] He was driven from Strange's body by Topaz.^[19] He later began a way to regain sovereignty over the Dark Dimension from Clea,^[20] and even invaded Earth.^[21]

During a battle in Times Square, Reed Richards creates a device to evict the Mindless Ones back to their home realm by channeling the energies of all the heroes present. This served to recreate Dormammu, whose energies had been scattered, forcing Doctor Strange to try and trick Dormammu into expending his energy before he was back to full power, thus tearing them both apart across the dimensions. However, thanks to the intervention of Spider-Man, the two heroes were transferred outside of time itself, giving Strange the opportunity to send Spider-Man a few moments into the past and prevent Dormammu from ever being released in the first place ^[22]

[edit] Powers and abilities

Dormammu is composed of pure mystic energy, eclipsing even the greatest of sorcerers in terms of raw power and the ability to manipulate the forces of magic, including Doctor Strange, which is increased and replenished by worship throughout various dimensions. Among many examples, he is capable of matter transmutations, interdimensional teleportation, size transformations, time travel, creating artificial beings, vastly powerful magic blasts, changing his appearance, or empowering others. He can draw upon the power of the entire Dark Dimension, but is somewhat more limited when present in another universe. He has been shown as more powerful than Satannish and Mephisto, and apparently served as the creator of the former.^[23] As a representative of Lord Chaos, Dormammu also held the upper hand in a formal game of cosmic chess against Odin, who was representing Master Order, but it ultimately ended in a draw as Odin wished.^[24] He has even dared to directly challenge a manifestation body of Eternity itself, and in one case even overcame it.^[25] However, there are still limits to his might. For example, the demon known as Zom has been referred to as far more powerful than his sister Umar, and thus presumably than himself, if not by quite as much.^[26]

Dormammu is virtually indestructible, and has strength, speed, and stamina, which he can directly empower to levels shown capable of challenging a slightly angered Hulk,^[27] or by growing to gigantic size. Dormammu is a capable hand-to-hand combatant, trained in an extra-dimensional fighting style, but was once bested by the human Doctor Strange when neither was using mystic powers. His chief resources are his tremendous magical powers and considerable intellect.

[edit] Parodies and references

• Dormammu was parodied in the comic Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.. A fellow Faltine named 'Rorkannu', appears as the ruler of the 'Dank/Dim Dimension', who trades the services of his henchmen, The Mindless Ones, for the Suicide Girls and one hundred dollars.

• The Venture Bros. included a character, Torrid, in the episode Fallen Arches. Dr. Orpheus, himself a parody of Dr. Strange, interviewed Torrid to be his arch-nemesis. Torrid was given the job after kidnapping Orpheus' daughter Triana and hiding her in the Torrid Zone, which was actually a tropical zone, where Orpheus himself owned an island.

• Dormammu was also parodied in the Spanish comic Fanhunter as Muermammu (as in slang "muermo": tediousness), one of the lords of the Dark Side of the Pichurrina. He arrived to Barnacity, took rulership from the hands of the current dictator, Pope Alejo I, and put the whole city to sleep in an attempt to gather power from their boredom.

• More seriously, the Staff of One in the series Runaways is described as capable of making Dormammu tremble.

[edit] In other media

[edit] Television

[edit] Spider-Woman

In the Spider-Woman cartoon, he appears in the episode "Realm of Darkness".

[edit] Spider-Man: The Animated Series

He also appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series; he was voiced by Ed Gilbert and debuted in Sins of the Fathers Chapter I: Doctor Strange. In the show, Dormammu is a demon from another dimension who must consume life-force in order to sustain himself. In this episode, he orders Mordo to steal the Wand of Watoomb to free him so he can enter this dimension and feed on the life-force of New Yorkers. Dormammu is stopped by the combined efforts of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange. Dormammu and Mordo appear again in the episodes "Venom Returns" and "Carnage". In these episodes, Mordo reunites Eddie Brock with his symbiote, releasing the threat of Venom once more. Mordo then orders him to retrieve a device from Stark Enterprises that can open portals from other dimensions, so that Mordo can bring Dormammu to this dimension. After seeing that Venom's hatred of Spider-Man is preventing him from retrieving the device, he orders Mordo to give the symbiote's recently born offspring to madman Cletus Kasady, which creates the composite villain Carnage. After retrieving the device, Carnage is tasked with collecting life energy for Dormammu in order for him to get enough strength to enter our world, which he does. However, in the end Dormammu, Mordo, and Carnage are defeated by Spider-Man and Venom, and Spider-Man sucks Dormammu back to his dimension. Carnage is pulled into Dormammu's dimension along with Venom, and with the device destroyed (thanks to Iron Man, who makes a guest appearance in this episode), Dormammu is stopped from entering our world again.

Appearances:

• "Doctor Strange"
• "Venom Returns"
• "Carnage"
• "Goblin War" (flashback appearance)

He was set to make another appearance in the series. The episode in question involved Mysterio and an appearance by Ghost Rider. The episode was rejected due to Ghost Rider appearing on the Marvel Cartoons aired by UPN.[1]

[edit] Doctor Strange DVD movie

Dormammu serves as the main villain of the Doctor Strange movie. He appears as a fiery skeleton with horns. In the end, Dormammu is absorbed by Doctor Strange.

[edit] Video Games

• Dormammu appears inside a crystal ball in the Dr. Strange Loading Screen in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.

[edit] Footnotes