| Wand of Watoomb | |
|---|---|
The Wand of Watoomb, as featured in a panel from Avengers/JLA #2 (October 2003). Art by George Pérez. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Created by | Stan Lee Steve Ditko |
| In story information | |
| Type | Mystic item/artifact |
The Wand of Watoomb is a fictional artifact that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The Wand first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (December 1965) and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
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The Wand of Watoomb first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (December 1965), being sought by the sorcerer Xandu. The object reappeared - with Xandu - in Marvel Team-Up #21 (May 1974) before being lost. After yet another appearance with Xandu in Marvel Fanfare #6 (January 1983), the object does not appear again Marvel continuity until being featured in Doctor Strange vol. 2, #81 (February 1987) and Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme vol. 3, #8 (October 1989).
The Wand of Watoomb also appeared in a retroactive story set thousands of years before the modern Marvel Universe in the magazine publication Savage Sword of Conan #188 (September 1991). After being used as a plot point in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme vol. 3, #36 (December 1991) which was part of the larger Infinity Gauntlet storyline, the Wand reappeared in the graphic novel Spider-Man/Doctor Strange: The Way to Dusty Death (June 1992). Although apparently destroyed, the Wand reformed in Secret Defenders #6 - 8 (Aug - October 1993), and was acquired by a criminal mastermind in Avengers Annual 1998. Writer Kurt Busiek used the Wand and eleven other objects from Marvel and DC Universe continuity in the limited series JLA/Avengers. Issues #1 & 3 (Sep & December 2003) carried this title, while issues #2 & 4 (October 2003 & May 2004) were titled Avengers/JLA.
The object reappeared briefly in She-Hulk vol. 2, #2 (January 2006) and Ms. Marvel #4 - 5 (Aug - September 2006).
The Wand first appears in the Hyperborean era (thousands of years before the modern age), when the barbarian Conan battles a priestess of the god Yog, who attempts to use the Wand to summon the entity. The priestess, however, panics in a final confrontation with Conan and drops the Wand, which Conan uses to fatally wound her.[1]
The Wand is used in an unsuccessful attempt by the sorcerer Xandu to destroy the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange. Although the artifact is at first divided into two halves, Xandu manages to reunite the pieces and restore the Wand after hypnotizing two thugs to steal one half from Strange, having stolen the other from a magician. He joins the two halves and attempts to destroy Strange, but is defeated by Strange and the hero Spider-Man both attacking him at once. Strange scans Xandu's mind, then apparently erases his knowledge of the Wand, then drains the Wand of all power and discards it.[2]
Xandu locates the Wand uses another artifact, the Crystal of Kadavus, to recharge it. Xandu hopes to use the Wand to revive his wife Melinda from a coma, although after another battle with Strange and Spider-Man discovers that his wife is in fact dead. The Wand is abandoned by Strange in an alternate dimension created by Xandu.[3] Xandu continues to obsess over the revival of his wife and relocates the Wand, using it to transfer the soul of the heroine the Scarlet Witch into the body of his dead wife. This is reversed when Xandu is defeated once again by Spider-Man.[4] The Wand is revealed to be transported to the dimension of the entity Agamotto for safekeeping during Strange's final battle with the villain Urthona,[5] although it and other artifacts are recovered by Strange.[6]
Strange uses the Wand of Watoomb and other artifacts during the Infinity Gauntlet storyline.[7] Xandu eventually returns and possesses Spider-man, stealing the artifact. Strange aids Spider-Man in thwarting Xandu, with the Wand finally being shattered.[8] The Wand reforms when Xandu uses it to attempt to merge the Earth-616 universe with the dimension of the dead. Doctor Strange; the Scarlet Witch; Spider-Man and Captain America attempt to stop Xandu, but the villain is ultimately stopped by his former wife.[9]
The Wand is used as a weapon used by criminal mastermind Imus Champion to defeat Squadron Supreme member Moonglow,[10] and then as one of twelve objects of power collected by the villain Krona when he attempts to learn the secrets of creation. It is hidden in the Flash museum and won by Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.[11] After an attempted theft from Doctor Strange[12] the Wand is used briefly by an interdimensional being called the Traveller.[13]
The Wand is controlled by the thoughts of the wielder, and can used to project and absorb mystical energy; create forcefields; control weather; open dimensional portals; observe events in other locations and heal wounds.
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