| Daimon Hellstrom | |
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Daimon Hellstrom on the cover of Marvel Spotlight #13 |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Ghost Rider (vol. 2) #1 (September, 1973) |
| Created by | Gary Friedrich Tom Sutton |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Daimon Hellstrom |
| Team affiliations | Defenders Hellfire Club Shadow Hunters God Squad S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit |
| Notable aliases | Son of Satan, Hellstorm |
| Abilities | Dark magic user Fire projection Ability to heal others Peak human physical capabilities |
Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.
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He first appeared in Ghost Rider (vol. 2) #1 (September 1973), then was featured in the Marvel Spotlight series issues #12–24 (October 1973–October 1975) He later starred in two short-lived series: Son of Satan, written by John Warner, and Hellstorm: Prince of Lies, written (in part) by Warren Ellis.
Daimon Hellstrom was born in the fictional town of Greentown, Massachusetts. He is the son of Satan and a mortal woman named Victoria Wingate (his father was later retconned into a demon named Marduk Kurios[1] who was actually the biblical Lucifer, according to the N'Garai). Daimon and his sister, Satana, were trained by their father in the art of magic, tapping into the power granted them by their dark heritage. However, while Satana embraced her heritage, Daimon clung to his humanity. When their mother discovered who her husband really was, she was driven mad. Daimon and Satana were separated and put in different homes after his mother was institutionalized and his father banished back to Hell. Daimon grew up in a Jesuit-run orphanage, never hearing a word from his father or sister. He became a professor of anthropology at St. Louis University. He then set himself up as an occult investigator and defender of humanity, battling dark arcane forces—primarily those of his father—under the name of the "Son of Satan", as a demonologist and exorcist.
In his first appearance, Daimon battled Satan and Witch-Woman, alongside Ghost Rider.[2] Soon after that, he began a long association with the Defenders by helping them battle Asmodeus (leader of the Sons of Satannish) and Satannish himself.[3] He also helped the Defenders battle the third Sons of the Serpent.[4] Later, alongside the Human Torch, he battled the Dryminextes.[5] He then encountered Satana for the first time as an adult.[6] Alongside the Thing, he battled Kthara.[7] Alongside Ghost Rider again, he battled Challenger.[8] Hellstrom next battled the Possessor.[9] After St. Louisan Steve Gerber ceased writing the book, Hellstrom began working at the University of the District of Columbia Parapsychology Department, where he had a friendship with a female professor who was a Wiccan.[10] Alongside the Defenders, he battled the Hulk.[11]
He then became a recurring member of the Defenders in good standing. Alongside the Defenders, he battled the Six-Fingered Hand, and was taken to Hell by Satan.[12] He was subsequently expelled from Hell by Satan, and rejoined the Defenders.[13] Alongside Luke Cage, he battled the Sons of Satannish again.[14] Hellstrom then battled an unnamed demon who had taken his place as "Daimon Hellstrom".[15] Alongside the Defenders, he battled the Miracle Man, who stole Daimon's "Darksoul", the essence of his evil heritage.[16] Alongside the Defenders, Hellstrom battled Mad Dog and Mutant Force. He then married his teammate Patsy Walker, alias Hellcat.[17] Alongside the Defenders, Cutlass, Typhoon, and Hannibal King, Hellstrom then battled Minerva Bannister.[18]
Alongside Hellcat and the West Coast Avengers, he later battled Master Pandemonium, Allatou, and the Cat People.[19] He later exorcised Lincoln Slade's spirit from Hamilton Slade's body. Alongside the West Coast Avengers again, he battled Seth's forces.[20]
Daimon and Patsy retired from adventuring, and Daimon went on a personal quest for meaning. He traveled to a monastery where the Miracle Man had taken refuge. When the Miracle Man stole Daimon's "Darksoul", Daimon discovered that he was human, but he was also dying. Patsy eventually used a dark book in Daimon's possession to summon "Satan" and pleaded for him to save Daimon's life. However, to do this, Daimon had to regain his Darksoul and once again become the "Son of Satan". Daimon was re-imbued with his essence, but upon witnessing Daimon's "true face" of evil, Patsy went insane. Daimon kept her away from prying eyes in his estate at Fire Lake, where she spent most days asleep or babbling seemingly randomly. She would remain there until one day she regained enough sanity to weep for having brought back such evil into the world, and committed suicide with the aid of a being known as Deathurge.
Daimon battled the Black School.[21] Now calling himself "Hellstorm", he ultimately discovered a way to finally defeat his father. Daimon discovered his father's true name -- Marduk Kurios -- and used the power of this knowledge to finally kill him. Daimon became the new "Satan", ruling over his father's Hell. He used this power to allow Hawkeye and his Thunderbolts to return Patsy from the dead.[22]
In the Hellcat mini-series, Daimon told his wife that he was never truly the son of Marduk Kurios; his true father was Satannish, who was himself the son of the Dread Dormammu. Daimon claimed he had been fathered as part of a plot to take control of the various "Hell" dimensions. These claims, however, heavily contradicted Hellstorm's established history. It has since been established that Hellstorm was deliberately lying to Patsy when he made these claims; his love for Patsy led him to push her away in hopes that she would be happier without him.
Hellstorm used this claim to assume control over Satannish's realm, and inherit Dormammu's right to rule as designated by the powerful "Flames of Faltine". However, without either Satannish or Dormammu backing Daimon, Mephisto was able to gain control of the vast majority of "Hell".
Daimon was recruited by Kyle Richmond for the Defenders as part of the Fifty States Initiative.[23] Working outside of the Initiative, this team is later forcibly disbanded by H.A.M.M.E.R.[24]
Daimon was then brought to A.R.M.O.R. to join the Midnight Sons in facing an inter dimensional zombie threat. The Midnight Sons head to Taino to contain the virus but end up in a battle with Hood's forces. During the course of the outbreak on the island, the demonic Dormammu possesses fellow member Jennifer Kale, though Daimon excorcises him from her. The mission ends up a success, though the zombie Deadpool's head escapes. [25]
He is sought out by Doctor Strange as a potential claimant of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. However he is attacked by the Hood first, who is attacking potential magic users who could also claim the title and, helped by him and Brother Voodoo (now going by Doctor Voodoo, as the new Sorcerer Supreme), they manage to banish Dormammu. leaving the Hood powerless for awhile.[26] Some time around the Dark Reign, Hellstrom, after being informed by a Satanist priest of the Antichrist, vows to slay the boy and, joining once more with former girlfriend Jaine Cutter, rescues the Ghost Rider from Zadkiel's forces, and eventually the Riders united are able to reclaim Heaven, overthrow the renegade Zadkiel, and triumph over the forces Satan unleashed against them.[27] Hellstrom later rises from the pits of Hell itself to inform the newly assembled "God Squad" that his father's fiery realm had fallen to the hordes of the Chaos King, and that all the dead souls of the Underworld were now under his thrall.[28] Hellstrom joins forces with the God Squad and pits his demonic powers against those of the enslaved Zeus, Hera, and Ares, to little avail, and later journeys with them in a last desperate attempt to seal Mikaboshi in Yomi.[29]
As a ruler of a dimension of Hell, Hellstrom commands virtually unlimited power in his own dimension. Potentially, he can perform virtually any magical feat.
As Hellstorm, thanks to his demonic heritage, Daimon Hellstrom could sense the presence of the supernatural and could cast spells to transport himself and others into mystical dimensions and back to Earth. Other powers he exhibited at this time may not have stemmed from himself (as he had lost his "Darksoul," see below) but from his magical trident. Hellstorm could project mystic energy in the form of "soulfire" (also called "hellfire") from his trident, causing excruciating pain within living beings through direct contact of a person's life force. The soulfire did not physically burn in the sense that true fire does, and Hellstrom could project soulfire as a concussive blast of force. He could use soulfire for various other effects, including flight and physical transformations.
As the Son of Satan, Hellstrom possessed supernatural powers derived from his "Darksoul," a demonic counterpart to his human soul, which physically manifested itself in the pentagram-shaped birthmark on his chest. The Darksoul granted him very mild superhuman strength (able to lift/press around 800 lbs) and the ability to project soulfire. He was able to magically change into his demonic costume at will by extending the middle three fingers of each hand in the shape of a trident, concentrating, and letting his soulfire engulf his body. Once, Hellstrom used his powers to travel through time to ancient Atlantis.
As Hellstorm and the Son of Satan, Hellstrom wielded a trident made of netharanium, a "psychosensitive" metal found only in "Satan's" extra-dimensional realm. The trident was a medium through which magical energies, such as Hellstrom's soulfire, could be amplified and projected. By projecting the soulfire through the trident, Hellstrom could gain enough thrust to levitate and to fly for short periods of time.
He also used a fiery chariot drawn by three flying demonic horses.
Daimon Hellstrom is an expert in demonology, and a highly experienced exorcist with some knowledge of mystic rites. He has an advanced degree in theology, and is self-taught in demonology.
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, the Son of Satan is a member of that universe's Defenders, all of whom are also lacking in powers except for Giant Man. Just as Ultimate Power Man is never called Luke Cage, the name of his mainstream equivalent, the Ultimate Universe's Son of Satan's real name is never said to be Daimon Hellstorm. He wears a "costume" that is a mix of punk rock and goth elements, including dark facial make-up, bright pink hair, and multiple piercings. It was revealed in The Ultimates Annual #1 that this Son of Satan is actually a spy (à la COINTELPRO) for S.H.I.E.L.D., presumably to keep an eye on both Giant Man and the wannabe heroes and a reserve member of Ultimates.
Son of Satan re-appears as a new member of the Ultimates in Ultimate Comics: New Ultimates, having gained powers, much like the rest of the Defenders team.[30]
In June 2006, Marvel announced that speculative fiction writer Alexander Irvine would write Hellstorm: Son of Satan, a new mini-series, starring Hellstrom as a hero in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.[31] This was produced for the MAX imprint, Marvel's mature readers line.[32][33]
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