Homo Magi
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Homo magi is a term to describe a sub-race of magic-using humans in the DC Universe. According to Doctor Mist in Secret Origins #27, the Homo magi evolved in a parallel but separate line, alongside Homo sapiens. Homo magi and Metahumans account for most of the superhuman abilities in the DC Universe. The term, Homo magi, was introduced to DC Comics readers in the pages of Secret Origins #27 written by Jean-Marc Lofficier (credited as Ehrich Weiss), Randy Lofficier, and Roy Thomas.[1] The story titled A Symphony of Shadows features a Homo magi named Zatanna, who is searching for her mother Sindella, and provides the possible origins of Zatanna Zatara, Giovanni Zatara and Doctor Mist.
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[edit] Publication history
According to the Lofficiers, the story that introduced the Homo magi was heavily revised prior to publication, this is the reason they gave for signing off with a pseudonym.[2]
| “ | In the original plot, Nommo, a sorcerer from the Empire of Kor in Ancient Africa, (from H. Rider Haggard's "She") created the Flame of Life from the life forces gathered after the sinking of Atlantis. Nommo later fought Wotan (changed to Felix Faust by DC), unwittingly causing the destruction of Kor when he absorbed the full power of the Flame.
Changing his name to Dr. Mist, Nommo embarked on a breeding plan to foster the creation of a race of sorcerers known as "Homo magi". As part of his centuries- spanning scheme, Dr. Mist created the various Stones of Power used by Arak, Sargon, Zatara, etc. and the Global Guardians after World War II. Zatanna is the final product of Dr. Mist's plan for a perfect mate. But Wotan (Felix Faust) returns to steal his power and revenge himself. |
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[edit] History of the Homo magi
[edit] Darkworld
Darkworld was a dimension created by an unnamed cosmic entity who later fell into a deep sleep. This entity's dreams were responsible for creating the first Lords of Chaos and Order, Chaon (chaos), Gemimn (order), and Tynan the balancer. These beings and others became the gods of Atlantis. Darkworld was tethered to Atlantis by a massive chain created by Deedra goddess of nature, much in the same way Ifé, the home dimension of the Orishas, is tethered to Earth by an iron chain.[3]
[edit] Atlantis
In the DC Universe the Homo magi apparently originated on the lost continent of Atlantis. The continent was a focal point for unharnessed magical energies (wild magic), and the local Homo sapiens evolved into Homo sapiens magi as a result of their exposure to these energies.[4] Those humans who gained these nascent mystic abilities interbred for thousands of years, concentrating and strengthening the genetic predisposition. Upon the fall of Atlantis, people who carried the predisposition scattered to the four winds. Today, every human being capable of casting spells is a descendant of the "Homo magi".[5]
Homo magi are genetically compatible with normal humans, and are genetically identical to normal humans. The mysterious property that makes them homo magi is somehow "dominant" like a gene, the child of a normal human and a Homo magi will always be Homo magi.[6] How and why this trait expresses itself the way it does has yet to be recorded. Apparently that altered Atlantean genome is the difference between Homo magi and regular human magic users. Sindella (Zatanna's mother), Arion, Atlan and Tempest are all famously powerful magic users and presumably all Homo magi. Known offspring of Homo magi are Zatanna, daughter of Sindella and the original Zatara, and Traci Thirteen the daughter of Doctor Thirteen and an unknown female member of the Homo magi.
[edit] Gemworld
The dimension where the Gemworld is located was originally owned by the Lords of Chaos. However, thousands of years ago, when magic began to drop in level on Earth due to a change in the alignment of the stars (due to a star going nova) the sorceress Citrina went there and struck a deal with the Lords of Chaos so she would be allowed to create a realm there for those wizards who wanted to emigrate from Earth. It would seem that Gemworld like Skartaris was colonized by Homo Magi emigrants from Earth. All of Gemworld's inhabitants can use magic, though most only at a very pedestrian level. Gemworld was the setting of DC's Amethyst, Princess of Gem World series.
[edit] Hidden City
Led by Doctor Mist the Homo magi created a hidden retreat in the mountains of Turkey called Hidden City, out of fears their uniqueness would be absorbed and diluted by the Homo sapiens. Powered by the Medulla Jewel the City is then shifted into another dimension for protection.[7]
[edit] Kor
Another hidden retreat of the ancient Homo magi out of Atlantis was apparently Doctor Mist's African kingdom known as Kor. Seven thousand years ago Doctor Mist, also known as Nommo, was the wizard-king of the mighty African empire of Kor, and he was the guardian and chosen disciple of the mystic Flame of Life. The Flame was coveted by a sorcerer known as Felix Faust. When Faust attempted to kill Nommo, and take the Flame for himself, Nommo absorbed the Flame and used its power to hurl Felix Faust into another dimension, sadly destroying Kor in the process. In order to nurture the growth of the Homo magi and produce a candidate powerful enough to be his bride, Nommo created magical jewels known as the Stones of Life. He gave the stones to the Homo magi to aid in their growth. [8]
[edit] Land of the Nightshades
The Land of the Nightshades was home to Even Eden's (Nightshade) unnamed race of Homo magi exiles. Her brother while possessed by a demon called the Incubus killed all the former inhabitants.
[edit] New Atlantis
Atlantean survivors of the city of Challa-Bel-Nalla, then ruled by Lord Daamon an ancestor of Deimos, formed an alliance with an alien race they called the Red-Moon Gods. These aliens provided the Atlanteans with advanced technology that Travis Morgan would later discover in New Atlantis.[9]
[edit] Skartaris
Atlantean descendant humans and Homo magi led by Lord Norrad the Younger, apparently made it all the way to the strange dimension known as Skartaris, a world of eternal sunlight. Jennifer Morgan daughter of Travis Morgan the Warlord is a Sorceress of Skartaris, as is Deimos the Warlord's archenemy.
[edit] Organized Magic
[edit] Chaos & Order
The Lords of Chaos and Order have been fighting a cyclical battle for eons. First Order is dominant, then Chaos, then destruction and renewal, and it starts all over. Originally, the struggle was depicted as one between Good (Order) and Evil (Chaos); it is currently depicted as a balance between stagnation and anarchy. The two opposing forces are bundles of mystical energy who usually depend on servants to accomplish their goals. They can take physical form by possessing a living being, as in the case of Nabu or Mordru, or empower humans to act as their agents, as in the case of Terataya and T'Charr (a Lord of Order and a Lord of Chaos respectively), who empowered Hawk and Dove to act in their stead.
[edit] The Leymen
The last incarnation was formed by Doctor Mist going by the name of Maltis. Ancient teams of mystical defenders calling themselves the Leymen have always come together to defend the planet in times of need.
[edit] Sentinels of Magic
The Sentinels of Magic was a fictional group of Homo Magi and other magically powered heroes in the DC Comics Universe who teamed up in order to keep a watch over the one weapon that could stop the Spectre, namely the Spear of Destiny.
[edit] Shadowpact
The Shadowpact is a group of magical DC Comics heroes who fought against the Spectre in the 2005 limited series Day of Vengeance. Originally founded on the impulse given by Enchantress, Ragman and Detective Chimp to get rid of the menace that the Spectre started to represent for all the magic of the Universe it soon grew in number. Nightmaster then baptized the group Shadowpact. It was later revealed that the name had coincidentally been used by various groups throughout history who champion lost causes.
[edit] Higher Powers
[edit] The Endless
The members of the Endless are Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair and Delirium. And they are a group of beings who embody various aspects of the universe. They have existed since the dawn of time and are thought to be some of the most powerful (or at least influential) beings in the universe.
[edit] Lucifer
The fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar ruled as lord of Hell for ten billion years. Over that time, he had manipulated the various demons of Hell against each other, provided a place for dead mortals to be tormented, and lead the war against Heaven. However, at some point during his rule, he had become bored with his existence. He became tired of the different stereotypes that mortals held of the devil, such as the idea that he purchased and traded for souls, that were largely untrue. He had become tired of his reign over Hell, and felt it an unfair punishment that he should have to rule there forever simply because he once rebelled. He then expelled all demons and damned souls from Hell before locking Hell's gates and handing over the key to Hell to Dream of the Endless, the title character of The Sandman series. Eventually, control of Hell was handed over to two Angels, Duma (the angel of silence) and Remiel ("who stumbled rather than fell"), while Lucifer simply retired to Earth.
[edit] The Presence
The Four hosts of Heaven (Eagle, Human, Bull and Lion) have apparently served a powerful supposedly omnipresent being named The Presence since the dawn of creation.
The Presence is a name for the Supreme Being in the fictional DC Comics Universe, believed to be the God of Judeo-Christian (and other) beliefs. The name was coined to avoid referring to this character as God, despite its obviously being intended to be that being. It wouldn't be until the Comics Code Authority began to lose its influence that DC Comics would allow it to be referred to as God, mainly in its Vertigo line of comics.
[edit] Strange Blood
Magic users in the DC Universe are not all Homo magi.
- Some are Half-Demons like Merlin brother of Etrigan the demon, Witchfire, Kid Devil, Blue Devil, Felix Faust, Sebastian Faust, White Magician, and Raven.
- Or Half-Fae like Timothy Hunter, Morgaine le Fey, and Doctor Occult.
- Some are humans in possession of powerful occult artifacts such as the helmets of Doctor Fate, and the B'Wana Beast, even Vixen's Tantu totem, Ibis the Invincible's Ibis-stick or Sargon's Ruby of Life, and Bloodwynd's blood gem.
- And others have been permanently "changed" by outside agents such as dimensional magics, elder gods or wizards as in the case of Captain Marvel, the Enchantress, and Extraño.
- Some have been bound to specific mystical locations from which their power stems, like Baron Winter (Night Force) who is bound to Wintergate Manor, and Barter (Hawk and Dove) who is bound to his shop.
- Some are Elemental in nature like the Swamp Thing, Naiad, the Hat and Solomon Grundy
- Magician John Constantine is a skilled occultist but was not born with magical powers.
[edit] References
- ^ Lofficier Resume
- ^ Lofficier Secret Origins
- ^ Cosmic Teams: Atlantis
- ^ The Unofficial History of the DC Universe
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ The Unofficial History of the DC Universe
- ^ Cosmic Teams: Doctor Mist
- ^ New Atlantis first appears in Warlord Annual #2.
