Etrigan the Demon
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| The Demon | |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Demon #1 (August-September 1972) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Etrigan/Jason Blood |
| Team affiliations | Justice League |
| Notable aliases | Iason Blood, Jason Blood |
| Abilities | Superhuman physical attributes, Extrasensory powers, Regenerative healing factor, Magical powers, Precognition, Telepathy,Can project flames of mystical hellfire |
The Demon is a DC Comics superhero series created by prolific comic book writer-artist Jack Kirby. The title character, named Etrigan, is an actual demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied to the forces of good, mainly because of the alliance between the heroic characters of the DC Universe and Jason Blood, a human to which Etrigan is bound. Etrigan resembles a squat, muscular human with orange (or yellow) skin, horns, red eyes, and ears resembling bat wings. Blood is a tall, thin, suave man with dark red hair and a lined face.
Etrigan was inspired by a comic strip of Prince Valiant in which the title character dressed as a demon. Kirby gave his creation the same appearance as Valiant's mask.[1]
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[edit] Publication history
Jack Kirby created The Demon in 1972 when his Fourth World titles were canceled.
While his first monthly comic book series was short-lived, and his second was canceled after five years, Etrigan remains a popular supporting character with occasional additional mini-series. Popular series in which Etrigan has appeared include The Sandman (see Characters of The Sandman - Minor Angels and Demons) and Swamp Thing.
- The Demon, 16 issues, 1972-74
- The Demon, in Detective Comics #482-485, 1979
- The Demon, 4 issue mini-series, 1987
- The Demon, in Action Comics Weekly #636-641, 1989
- The Demon, 59 issues + 2 Annuals, 1990-1995
- The Demon: Driven Out, 6 issue mini-series, 2003/2004
- Blood of the Demon, 17 issues, 2005-2006
- Etrigan also appeared in one issue of the DC comic G.I. Combat, which features a WWII Haunted Tank possessed by the spirit of Civil War Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart.
[edit] Fictional character biography
Etrigan was originally summoned by the wizard Merlin as part of a last-ditch defense of Camelot against the evil witch, Morgaine le Fay. When it became clear that the kingdom would fall regardless, Merlin sent the demon away and changed him into a human named Jason Blood to wait until he was summoned. One account retconned this, so that Blood was now an actual human, bonded involuntarily to the demon as his punishment for aiding Morgaine le Fay in overthrowing Camelot. Currently the series co-written and penciled by John Byrne states that the Demon is a monster possessed with the soul of a human, that being Jason Blood, who existed only to bring out his true demon self when absolutely necessary.
Centuries later, Jason was called to the crypt of Merlin and discovered a poem that could change him into Etrigan. Unfortunately, he was followed by the long-lived Morgaine who lusts for Merlin's secrets. That led to Etrigan's first major battle, and to the solidification of Morgaine as a major enemy. In addition, he later gained another enemy in Klarion the Witch Boy, a permanently prepubescent mage who creates trouble with his magic.
Some time after his first appearance, Etrigan began speaking entirely in rhyme (the quality of which varied considerably depending on who was writing him at the time). This was explained in Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing as the result of a promotion, with the rhyming speech being a badge of his new rank in the infernal hierarchy. Len Wein introduced this new feature of Etrigan's dialogue in DC Comics Presents #66, with simple rhymed couplets, but Moore's use of more complex and eloquent rhyme and meter established it firmly as the character's trademark.
However, he is not strictly limited to rhyme, as evidenced in the Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire mini-series, "I Can't Believe it's Not the Justice League", although the canonicity of this story is questionable.
The poem that releases Etrigan is:
| “ | Yarva Demonicus Etrigan. Change, change the form of man. Free the prince forever damned. Free the might from fleshy mire. Boil the blood in heart of fire. Gone, gone the form of man, Rise the demon Etrigan! |
” |
Jason Blood's first transformation into the Demon occurs when reading the inscription on the surface of a stone tomb:
| “ | Change! Change, O form of man! Release the might from fleshy mire! Boil the blood in heart of fire! Gone! Gone! -- the form of man -- Rise, the Demon Etrigan!!" (Demon no. 1 August/September 1972 p. 22) |
” |
Generally, only the last two lines are actively recited, and the words have been known to vary slightly; the phrase "yarva daemonicus etrigan" has occasionally been used, but not consistently.
The reverse spell has several different wordings, all with the basic form "Gone, gone, O Etrigan! / Resume once more the form of man!" Alternate words include "Begone, begone, O Etrigan!" and "Rise again... (or once more); virtually every combination has been used at one time or another. The spell itself does not need to be recited by Jason or Etrigan to be effective, merely within their range of hearing. In emergencies when Jason cannot speak (for instance, when he was turned into a fly), writing it is sometimes sufficient to effect the change. On one occasion, Blood released Etrigan by using a parody of the spell ("Gone, O little man so tame / and rise the demon Whatshisname").
In the pages of the Shadowpact series in 2007, after a failed attempt to take control of Hell using Lucifer's Trident, Etrigan was turned to stone by a pair of magic pistols in the Oblivion bar. Etrigan will only turn to his regular form upon daybreak - which never happens within the Oblivion bar. However, it's entirely possible for Etrigan to turn back into his demonic form eventually, as the Shadowpact are currently in an ongoing war with the evil sun king.
In Birds of Prey #118, Black Alice is able to access Etrigan's powers in the Dark Side Club when she is drugged to only be able to steal magic from inside the building.
[edit] Powers and abilities
[edit] Etrigan
Even among demons, Etrigan is considered to be extremely powerful. He has above superhuman strength (mystically enhanced) to the degree of literally punching people to the moon and he has a high degree of resistance to injury and can project hellfire from his body; usually from his mouth. He has a very high command of magic: other powers include mystically enhanced fangs and claws, enhanced senses, super speed, agility, telepathy, and precognition. His healing factor can handle an incredible amount of damage, allowing him to recover from wounds that have removed large sections of his body. His powers can be extended by other magical devices, such as the Crown of Horns.
Etrigan is also provided with insight to religious aspects and other forbidden or secret knowledge.
[edit] Jason Blood
Jason Blood is a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant. His skills include mastery in swordmanship. Jason is also an adept of magic, and is often called upon to act as an advisor or investigator in occult matters (such as in the series Arkham Asylum: Living Hell). He also has limited precognition and telepathy.
[edit] Limitations
Etrigan has all the limitations usually associated with a demon, including a weakness towards Holy powers. Additionally, when Green Arrow once shot a "fire extinguisher arrow" into his mouth, Batman told Etrigan that the only way to stop the pain was to change back to Jason Blood. His command of magic is strong but considered to be less than his father, Belial, and half-brother, Merlin the Magician. Additionally, Belial granted "power of Etrigan" to both Merlin and another son, Scapegoat.
[edit] Blood of the Demon
The series Blood of the Demon, plotted and drawn by John Byrne, scripted by Will Pfeifer, began in May 2005. Etrigan apparently loses the restrictions imposed upon him by the wizard Merlin which turned him from evil, caused by his "murder" at the exact moment he was transforming from his human guise Jason Blood into his demon self. It turns out that the incident has resulted in Jason Blood being able to exert some will over Etrigan's violent nature, whereas previously the two remained separate, only one existing at a time.
Etrigan's last book was the monthly Blood of the Demon, which ended with issue #17 in July 2006.
[edit] Other versions
Etrigan first appeared in The Batman Adventures Annual #2, where he teamed up with Batman to fight against Ra's al Ghul[2]. Set in the same continuity as Batman: The Animated Series, Jason Blood/Etrigan were also introduced and fought along side Batman to stop Klarion from obtaining a magical artifact in the episode "The Demon Within".
Due to his immortality and friendship with Bruce Wayne, Jason Blood/Etrigan was able to team up with the future Batman in several issues of the Batman Beyond comic series, although he never appeared in the actual show. He was featured in "Magic is Everywhere!" (Batman Beyond miniseries # 4 of 6, July 1999) and "Many Flights of Demons Sing Thee To Thy Rest" (Batman Beyond #14, December 2000).
In Justice League Europe Annual #2, a time-lost Dimitri Pushkin ends up in the court of Camelot. He becomes a favorite of King Arthur, partly due to the futuristic capabillities of his armor. Filled with jealousy, Merlin summons Etrigan, who slays Dimitri with hellfire. This alternate-past is neutralized by the efforts of Waverider.
Etrigan was shown back in Hell in Vertigo's Sandman series, acting as guide to the Dream King as he entered to face down the Demon for his lost helmet. All of his words rhymed.
[edit] In other media
- Jason Blood/Etrigan has made a single guest appearance in each of The New Batman Adventures (in which he was voiced by Billy Zane and fought Klarion) and Justice League (in which he was voiced by Michael T. Weiss). Etrigan does not speak in rhyme in either series continuously. In the Batman episode he only rhymes when casting a spell, such as banishing Klarion ("Mother's grief, Father's shame, soon he goes from whence he came"). When Robin asks what that means, Etrigan responds plainly "I'm sending him to his room". Klarion's "room" is really a crystal ball, which he has been imprisoned in ever since.
- Blood's appearance on Cartoon Network's Justice League in 2002 was significant on several fronts. In addition to having a new animated voice (Weiss), his look was redesigned by the production team so as to more closely resemble his original Kirby roots. In the two-part story "A Knight of Shadows," his origin was explained in detail: during the siege of Camelot, Blood was bound by Merlin to Etrigan as a punishment for betraying the kingdom to his secret lover, the sorceress Morgaine Le Fey. While Blood, a nobleman, has been rendered immortal, he must share his soul with a demon for eternity — it is his 'curse,' the price of unforgivable lust.
- Etrigan also appeared as one of the many members of the expanded Justice League in Justice League Unlimited. In one of his most notable appearances, the episode "Kid's Stuff", he was turned into a baby when all adults had been banished to another dimension by Le Fey's son, Mordred. When Green Lantern pointed out that he needed a diaper change, Batman said that was a job for Superman. He was restored to normal by the end of the episode and went on to make several more small appearances throughout the series.
[edit] References
- ^ The Demon at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
- ^ The Batman Adventures: Issue Summaries. worldsfinestonline.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
