Warlock of YS

The Warlock of Ys is a fictional DC Comics Silver Age Zatanna supervillain introduced in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #42 (January 1966) in story titled "The Other Side of the World!". The character was created by Gardner Fox.

Fictional history

The dimensional universe known as the Other Side of the World was created in a different way from any other known universe. There was no big bang, but all was created in a steady state flow of primal matter, resulting in a place where time - as we know it - doesn't exist. There, nothing ages or dies; and if something's destroyed it is immediately replaced. The being known as the Warlock of Ys is the only known native of that universe. In time he became bored with his world and, with the aid of his magic mirror, saw Earth. He longed to go there in order to experience something new and perhaps to conquer the world, but even his might powers could not enable him to leave his own world.

In the late twentieth century the Druid, a long-time friend of the Warlock and ruler of an enchanted subatomic realm, requested to banish his foe, the magician Zatara to the Other Side of the World. The Warlock agreed to this, as Zatara would be unable to use his magical powers in his realm. The Warlock ignored the pleas of Zatara, believing the magician was helpless and left him to wander the land alone. The Warlock was occupied creating a magical crystal ball out of a rare element, a process that took millennia to bring to completion and would finally allow him passage to Earth. Zatara somehow found out about the Warlock's plans and took the crystal ball to prevent the Warlock from leaving the Other Side of the World. Zatara vanished without a trace afterwards.

Searching for her missing father on Earth, the heroine Zatanna had faced the Druid alongside the size-changing Ray Palmer. Zatanna had read ancient manuscripts and learned of the land of Ys. She tried to conjure the blue flame but was able to stop it from bringing her to the Other Side of the World when she learned how truly powerful it was. Her magic kept her held between Earth and Ys. Forced to find another avenue to Earth, the Warlock sought out the power ring of Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Zatanna was aware of this but could not prevent the Warlock from using her as a stepping stone to send a sorcerous entity, Patch-Eye Pete the Pirate, to draw Green Lantern into his clutches. Zatanna dueled with the Warlock's magic and granted Green Lantern her powers.

Green Lantern did not know of the battle being fought for control of his ring. Surprised by his new foe, he was shocked by his power ring's new found ability to defend himself against the color yellow. Green Lantern pursued his magical foe across the continent, then across the Atlantic Ocean. Arriving at the doorway to Ys, the emerald warrior was swallowed by the blue flame. Drawn to the Other Side of the World, Green Lantern met Zatanna in the limbo between realms. Zatanna warned Hal of the threat he would face when they arrived in Ys.

Once there, Green Lantern found himself unable to will his ring to function and was unable to stop the power ring from flying off his finger. Zatanna realized she would have to speak her sentences backwards, rather than her words for her magic to work in Ys. The ring returned to Green Lantern's finger thanks to her magic. The Warlock sent his army of time lost Earth warriors against the pair of heroes, only to have Zatanna stall them by ordering them to fight each other. Next, the Warlock sent demons, incubi, djinns, imps, fiends and familiars, all spirit beings from the myriad worlds beyond Earth. These magical creatures were able to break Zatanna's spell over the human warriors. Fortunately for the heroes, Green Lantern was able to use his power ring by moving from his right hand to his left.

Though he and his minions were defeated, the Warlock held the knowledge of Zatanna's father's whereabouts as a bargaining chip. The Warlock would reveal what he knew if Green Lantern would willingly give him the power ring without ordering the ring to capture him. Green Lantern agreed, against the wishes of Zatanna who reached out to stop the emerald warrior. Once he had the ring, the Warlock told them of the crystal ball and Zatara's disappearance. His part of the bargain complete, the Warlock ordered the ring to take him to Earth, only to find himself unable to move. Green Lantern had kept his word and given his power ring to the Warlock without any prior commands, but Zatanna had commanded it when she put her hand over Green Lantern's hand. The humans that had been brought to the Other Side of the World were grateful for their freedom from the Warlock. Though they were offered the chance to return to Earth they chose not to. They had left Earth many years ago and believed they had nothing to return to. In the Other Side of the World they would live forever. Green Lantern and Zatanna traveled back to Earth so the young magician could continue searching for her missing father.

Subsequent appearances

In Justice League of America #161, his adventures continued. Zatanna and Hal Jordan never realized in the split seconds before Warlock was frozen in place, the Warlock placed a magical thought curse on Green Lantern, causing a slow, unnoticeable transference of their life energies. The process took many months until the day came when the Warlock changed places with the emerald warrior. The Warlock was brought to Earth while Green Lantern took the Warlock's place in the castle in the land of Ys. Green Lantern fell victim to the paralysis which trapped the Warlock for so long while the sorcerer walked Earth with the power ring. He quickly cast a spell over Zatanna, forbidding her to warn the heroes of the Justice League of America and preventing her from using her backwards magic.

"Green Lantern" appeared at the JLA satellite to vote on the induction of Zatanna into the League. Though she was accepted, Zatanna could only hope her friends understood something was wrong when she turned down the offer of membership. After the Leaguers had departed and only the Atom remained on monitor duty, the Warlock returned as Green Lantern and used his blue fire to dispose of the tiny hero. The power ring was no longer working for the Warlock and he tried to use the JLA computers to learn why. The Warlock learned of the Battery of power needed to charge the ring. Without it, he could only regain his strength at Angkor Wat in northwest Cambodia.

Seeking to rescue her Justice League comrade, Zatanna traveled to Ys, only to come under siege by demons and trolls loyal to the Warlock. Her capture was brief as the humans in the Warlock's realm remembered her assistance the last time she had visited Ys. She was soon able to free Green Lantern from the spell. In the temple at Ankor Wat, the Warlock had defeated the Justice League. They had realized "Green Lantern" was an impostor but did not realize the full extent of the threat they now faced. The Warlock dropped his disguise and appeared as his true self. He was renewed and no longer needed the power ring which he foolishly cast aside. While he was gloating, Green Lantern and Zatanna arrived. A power ring generated fist put the Warlock out of the fight once more.

In JSA #54, The Warlock of Ys recently resurfaced, this time allied with the Justice Society of America's old foe, Kulak the Sorcerer. The Warlock had helped Kulak escape imprisonment and both set out to enact revenge on their foes. Unfortunately, they chose to attack during the Justice League and Justice Society's Thanksgiving dinner. The magic wielding villains tried to make a quick escape when they realized both teams were at full strength. They were easily defeated by the heroes.

References