Wizard's Rainbow
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The Wizard's Rainbow or "bends o' the bow", are a group of magical objects that play an important role in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. It is made up of 13 glass balls, each one representing one of the Twelve Guardians of the Beams that hold the Dark Tower up, the last representing the Dark Tower. Some show Mid-World, some show All-World, and some have the power to take you to another world.
They are also referred to as "Bends in the rainbow" by Roland's father. The Bends as a group are referenced at least twice in the series: first, when Roland is talking with his father just before leaving for Mejis and the Outer Arc; second, when the ka-tet are standing in front of the glass gate. Those identified are the Pink, Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow and Purple. Each Bend is associated with a terminus of one of the Beams, plus Black, which stands in the middle of the Rainbow for the Dark Tower.
According to The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #2 (March 7, 2007) the thirteen bends are: Crimson, Orange, Yellow, Pink, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Indigo, Lime, Azure, Violet, Brown, Pearl Grey, and Black.
It is also stated in the same issue that six of these Bends are in the possession of the Crimson King. The only one mentioned by name in the issue is Black 13. The other five appear to be Blue, Lime, Yellow, Orange, and Purple. The Crimson King uses Black 13 to communicate with Walter O'Dim. These events occur around the same time that the Pink Bend is given to Rhea of the Coos.
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[edit] The Green Bend
According to Roland's father, it is or was reputed to be in Lud.
[edit] The Orange Bend
Last known to be in the city of Dis.
[edit] The Blue Bend
Last seen with a band of slow mutants who called themselves "The Total Hogs"; however, they lost it more than 50 years before the series began.
[edit] The Pink Bend
Also known as Maerlyn's Grapefruit, was in the possession of John Farson, but was left with the witch Rhea of the Cöos in Mejis when Roland and friends were sent there. Roland managed to take it home with him to his father, but it was stolen after the death of Gabrielle Deschain. Roland and his new ka-tet come across it in the Green Palace after a confrontation with the man in black at the end of Wizard and Glass.
The crystal acts like a conventional crystal ball within the scope of the written stories, although more diverse uses are implied. When looked upon, it can show a single person visions of current and future events elsewhere, presumably only in the same world. Like the monkey's paw, the visions can be back-handed, lying through reflection or other tricks to manipulate the viewer towards evil actions. By showing a vision cast in a mirror, the Pink Bend was able to confuse Roland into killing his mother, thinking her to be in the opposite direction while he struck out for Martin. Additionally, the glass can entrance the viewer and cause a severe addiction to be viewed. A prime example of this was Rhea.
[edit] The Black Bend, AKA Black Thirteen
Given to Father Callahan by the Man in Black behind the scenes while Roland was chasing him in the first book of the series. He was transported to Calla Bryn Sturgis by it. He subsequently hid it away after settling down in Calla. Later, when Roland's ka-tet arrive in Wolves of the Calla, he offers it to Roland as incentive for their aid, though unbeknownst to him, Roland would have helped anyway.
Mia steals it after the showdown with the Wolves of Calla and uses it to escape to the New York of 1999, where she planned to give birth to Mordred Deschain. Jake Chambers and Pére Callahan follow and retrieve Black Thirteen, then store it in a locker beneath the World Trade Center. It is not known precisely what happened to it afterwards, though the implication is that on September 11, 2001, the building it was stored in fell on top of it and destroyed it (if in fact it could be destroyed at all).
