#DEMONICUS

[doctorstrangereview]

Strange Tales #128

Cover Date: January 1965 On-Sale Date: October 8, 1965

Doc's cover real estate is growing again. He's got the bottom third of the cover (if you don't count the magazine title on top) and it's our first view of Doc wearing his new cloak and upgraded All-Purpose Amulet. Earlier I said the stakes get bigger from here, but Doc actually gets a break for a couple of stories until things really start heating up. This story wants to show off the new cloak and amulet. The Cloak of Levitation isn't quite in it's final form yet. Fortunately they rethought the yellow and it's now a lovely red. The filigree edging is slightly darker red for now. It will turn it's familiar gold eventually.

Following directly from the previous story, Doc is returning to his Sanctum Santorum from The Ancient One's pad. In a remarkable show of consistency, he returns via a floppy bullseye just like the one that kidnapped him two stories ago. Ditko's rendition of Doc's penthouse level study with the funky skylight is lovingly detailed. But I really wish he'd bring back the gorgeous armoire. The splash page both serves as an introduction to the story instead of just an advertisement, and gives a great view of Doc's more color fashion sense. No sooner has he materialized, someone is frantically knocking at his door.

"I just got home," thinks the exhausted sorcerer. "What the hell do they want?"

At the door is a haggard individual who explains that he escaped from another sorcerer. "I joined up with him as lark, but the dude can really do stuff and want's to take over the world!" We change scenes to this other sorcerer we now know is called The Demon. After recovering from this flood of originality in names and motivations, we find out the Demon is able to look in on Doc. Doc, you really, really, really need to cast some security spells. After blathering on about how he's stronger than Doc and he'll defeat him, his disciple disappears while ratting him out to Doc. All that's left are his clothes. The Demon, in a fit of modesty, has made sure that his disciple's underwear travelled with him. The Demon may be evil, but that doesn't stop him from being a big prude.

Speaking of clothes, the Demon's outfit is pretty wild. I wouldn't have gone with that olive green, but the wild headpiece and color absolutely make it. Coloring them fuchsia is icing on the cake. Those wing sleeves are out of this world!

The Demon even manages block the Orb of Agamotto. It's still called the Eye of Agamotto which will later be the name of the upgraded All-Purpose Amulet. Ditko and Lee can keep their floppy bullseyes straight, but all the gadget names get mixed up here and there. The disciple falls through a trapdoor and the Demon dissolves his spells. I guess this is like pouring bleach on the floor after a particularly messy murder. "I'm safe," he thinks as he sits and a funky looking chair. I think I need to go through all of Ditko's stuff and start a furniture line based on his funky chairs and armoires.

The Orb (Eye) of Agamotto is open again, but clueless. "I ain't beaten yet" says Doc, since he continues to prefer spouting exposition to no one in particular. "A chance to use the new amulet!" and he shines the amulet light (amulight? I may start using that) on the pile of clothes which get up and start walking (commando) to the Demon's hideout. Doc levitates behind the clothes for some, unexplained reason. Like the new amulet, he was probably excited to try out his new gadget. This is also where we discover what the cloak's power is. It wasn't mentioned last month and the splash page just says "new powers of levitation."

The Demon senses Doc's approach and is prepared for Doc's home invasion. Doc is immediately ensnared by the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. They are presented here as a pink polyhedron thing. In the future they tend to be depicted as a ball of red gift-wrapping ribbon. Doc actually shrinks to the size of a big paperweight and the Demon attempts to destroy him, to no avail.

Now comes the part that I still find confusing after all these years. Doc claims he escaped before the bands fully closed, but he is depicted as his astral self and his body still appears inside the bands. Doc claims this is merely an image while he cheats by studying the Demon's musty old tomes. Once he's caught up he returns to him image and gets all ominous. "Gotcha, weird dude!" and proceeds to shatter his pink prison. The Demon tries to pile on the spells, but Doc deflects them all. We get another visually great battle, even if Doc is just playing with the Demon. I've always found this image particularly striking.

Finally the Demon is like "I'll just throw everything and kitchen sink at him all at once and see if anything sticks!" Doc pretty much flicks it all aside with a wave of his hands. Then Doc's like "time to show off the new amulet again!" The amulet opens, grows to giant size and just vacuums up all the Demon's evil spells!

How great is that?! It's the light of truth and a big Electrolux! Think of all the money Doc saved by not having to buy a Roomba. The Demon throws a Hail Mary pass activating the trap door that claims his disciple. Thanks to Doc's new freaky horned cloak, it's ineffectual and even gives Doc a chance to rescue the stupid disciple that started this whole fiasco. Doc non-consensually wipes the Demon's mind of his sorcerous knowledge and the now-clothed former disciple waves good-bye as Doc flies home.

I have affection for this story. It's really just meant to introduce Doc's souped up powers and more colorful look, with enough original elements to leave him recognizable. The story is a typical supervillain tries to conquer the world. His minion feels remorse and rats him out to the authorities. While the Demon is pretty one-note and two dimensional here, his look is carefully and well crafted. He'll pop up a few more times, but won't grow as a character. Ditko did a great job illustrating the story giving us good looks at the interior of Doc's house and the Demon's hideout. The exterior of the Demon's pad even looks a bit like a vertically squashed version of Doc's pad. It's a fun romp that gives us an occasionally returning villain, if not a very useful one.

[darktripz]

[malet-depressive-psychosis]

D E M O N I C U S

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

The Pacific Overlords wanna take Mockingbird and U.S. Agent as hostages... and Clint ain't having it... but Rhodey takes him down and pulls him out of the ship... real auspicious start to his time on the group hope that doesn't come back to haunt them...

[cyberneticienne]

"δοκίμαζε τους φίλους εκ τε τής περί τόν βίον ατυχίας και της εν τοις κινδύνοις κοινωνίας· το μεν γαρ χρυσίον εν τώ πυρί βασανίζομεν, τούς δε φίλους εν ταίς ατυχίαις διαγιγνώσκομεν."

Ισοκράτης, Προς Δημόνικον

"Scrutinize your friends in life’s misfortunes and in shared dangers, for we test gold in the fire but discern our friends in misfortunes."

Isocrates, To Demonicus

tr. by David Mirhady & Yun Lee Too

"Prove your friends by means of the misfortunes of life and of their fellowship in your perils; for as we try gold in the fire, so we come to know our friends when we are in misfortune."

tr. by George Norlin

[7ooo-ru]

Dynamite даст нам кровавый спецвыпуск про демоницу-вампиршу Пургатори

Издательство Dynamite Entertainment выпустит пляжный спецвыпуск про демонессу Пургатори. Солнце, лето и кровавая резня, что может быть лучше? Называться это чудо будет так: Altered States: Purgatori: Grindhouse. И как бы всё сразу понятно. За сценарий отвечает Рей Фоукс (Constantine, Justice League Dark), а рисует Альваро Саррасеки. Эта

Подробнее https://7ooo.ru/group/2024/10/19/517-dynamite-dast-nam-krovavyy-specvypusk-pro-demonicu-vampirshu-purgatori-grss-348953004.html

[downthetubes]

Shaman Kane storms back into action for an action-packed finale to latest adventure

Indie British creator David Broughton releases the latest issue of his long-running SF thriller comic, Shaman Kane, next week

Indie British creator David Broughton releases the latest issue of his long-running SF thriller comic, Shaman Kane, next week. Issue 12, “The Demon Drones of Demonicus” Part Two, wraps up several long-running plot threads – and opens the way for further adventures. Problems with those pesky Poltergeists, maybe it’s a Vampire infestation or a Zombie plague outbreak to deal with?  Then look no…

[yetanothercomicbook]

Demonica Calling

Avengers West Coast #93

Average.

Attacked by Morning Star and Klaw.

We open with an 8-page flashback telling us what that scamp Doctor Demonicus has been up to since issue 74. It's actually pretty interesting, but it's told in dull fashion with some dreary dialogue.

Then we learn that Darkhawk has joined the WCAs, for some vague reason. This is followed by some standard villain-attacks-hero-HQ action. It's not always clear from that art what exactly is happening. But a different fill-in inker on the last 4 pages makes everything suddenly gorgeous.

On Sale Date: February 2, 1993.

Wizard Top 100: #96.

Roy Thomas (37 of 47).

Dann Thomas (33 of 35).

David Ross (21 of 29).

6/10

[americanminervan]

Blavatsky and Theosophy: Prebunking Jim Stewartson and other Hacks

“If you are fond of learning, you will soon be full of learning.” – Isocrates, To Demonicus 18 unedited. cunningly false descriptions of Theosophy It is generally accepted that Helena P. Blavatsky was proven to be a fraud, when an original report on Richard Hodgson by the Society for Psychical Research was published in London, December 1885. However, in April 1986, that case was examined by…

[doctorstrangereview]

Strange Tales #132

Cover Date: May 1965 On-Sale Date: February 11, 1965

Doc gets a nice little panel on the cover this month. It's actually relevant to the story. We get a cameo from a returning villain, a cameo from a returning heroine, and a brief introduction to a character who will become a real pain in the rear. While this issue extends the chase from the previous issue, fortunately it ends here for the time being. It's definitely more than filler this month.

Doc has returned to the United States and Greenwich Village. Of course it's night and raining. Atmosphere is everything, after all! He gets out of a taxi near his Sanctum Sanctorum. I gather he has a reputation as the cabbie doesn't ask him if he should wait. Hiding in an alcove across the street, Doc goes ghost and enters his house. Who's waiting for him? The Demon from a few issues ago. Doc is distracted by The Demon dying his costume from that ugly olive green to a fetching purple. While distracted, The Demon senses Doc and sends out the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. While the last time he conjured them they were some weird polyhedron looking thing, here they are blobby bands. Doc manages to escape by the skin of this ghost teeth and returns to his body.

As Doc broods about his next steps, we change scene to the Himalayas where Mordo's ninja ghost minions continue their search for Doc and the Ancient One. Conveniently for the old dude they miss the cave he's currently stored in. The Ancient One continuously babbles about "Eternity" while his retainer, the yet-to-be-named Hamir does his retaining.

Flying back to New York, Doc passes by a costume shop and a light bulb that isn't the All-Purpose Amulet flashes in his mind. Giving vibes of the short, fat sorcerer dude from two months ago, Doc goes to his house in disguise. His disguise is a hideous yellow and green abomination, but maybe that's what he was going for. He's upstairs and pounding on a door. Now let's think about this for a moment. While it's reasonable to think that Doc can get into his own house, he is in disguise and doesn't want to alert Mr. Demon. Why would he go in the house? Does Doc not only not have no mystic protections, but also leaves the front door open?

Doc confronts Mr. Demon and after threatening to go to the newspapers for some contrived idiocy, sucker punches him. Then he makes his big mistake and tries to use the Orb of Agamotto. The sucker won't open. It must be stuck! No, it's been enchanted. Mordo knows where he is! What now? Well, Dormie and Mordo have plans. We see Mordo with the stolen orb talking to Dormie on the magic floating, smoky flat panel TV.

Dormie charges up Mordo who departs for Doc's pad while Dormie waits for news of Doc's destruction. I really like the way Ditko drew his eyes all low and sinister.

Nearby, we see Clea and, through dialogue, her father, the yet-to-be-named Orini. Orini is a disciple of the dread one and tells his daughter he doesn't know what's going on and they'll have to wait and see. The passage of years will reveal that Orini isn't a nice old dude. Mordo arrives at Doc's pad and immediately starts to pummel Doc. There's a nice battle going on, but it's not as well drawn as the battle with The Demon in issue #128. Ditko manages to draw a similar magical construct for Doc, but it's less effective here.

Doc may be distracted trying to discover who is Mordo's charging station. Mordo is still cracking Doc's magic like it's nothing. The battle continues and Doc is about to hit Mordo with everything including the kitchen sink. Dormie grows bored, says "Freak it, I'm taking over!" Mordo starts talking in Dormie's voice. Doc says he recognizes it.

As Doc has this revelation, he disappears. My, oh my! What's next?!

This is definitely improvement over the previous installment. It's more than filler and we have some movement on the plot. While Doc appears to recognize Dormammu, when he finds out for certain in a couple of issues, he seems somewhat surprise, only suspecting it. Doc is pretty contemptuous of The Demon and doesn't even bother to zap him, just punch him. Doc is still pretty powerful, after all. Mordo is delightfully ruthless. He's beating the heck out of Doc and relishing every moment. It's a satisfying read. Next month we sidestep the main arc which is necessary in a story of this length.

[darktripz]

[malet-depressive-psychosis]

Who is your favorite incredibox character?

Hmmmm idk if you mean modded or the actual game, so I'll just do all of em!

Incredibox: Cry (Alive, effect 3)

orin ayo: CLASSIFIED (beat 5)

Breakthrough: Demonicus (hc name, [effect 4])

Grey scale LIMBO: Entryway (beat 3)

E.V.A.C.U.A.T.E: Threat (hc name effect 3)

Colourbox (covers all): Storn (Blue, effect 5) Taveler (brown, effect 5) is a close second tho

Evadare:

Evadare: Shakala AND Infectat (voice 1 and melody 2)

Xrun: Tragic AND Brass (Voice 4 and melody 5)

Void: Aughjaiuruskk AND TV AND Infectat (effect 2 and voice 2 and voice 5)

Downtown: Dawg Leo AND 10ft Edgy AND Blessed Mony (effect 3 and effect 5 and voice 5)

Express: Madmask AND Careen (Effect 2 and voice 3)

Monochrome: Radio man AND Jeff (melodys 1 and 2)

And tysm anon for asking this!!!!!!

[justdealingwithsomeissues]

and this is pretty much it for the members of the Pacific Overlords... we see the Doctor again in like... 12 years? but for the rest of them, this is it...

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

The Parasite’s origin is right up there in sheer dumbness with Marvel’s Doctor Demonicus, who deliberately exposed himself to radiation to get super powers and only got skin cancer.

Sure "responsible" that he brought the lab the radioative materials you were stupid enough to stick your face in. Action Comics 361

[night-gay]

Into the Anthill pt 23 - Dodging The Infinity Bullet

Anyone who knows the MCU knows Thanos and the Infinity Stones were big trouble. By virtue of luck (or because Marvel just wasn’t interested in using him for these events) Hank was not heavily involved with either the Infinity Gauntlet or Infinity War comics. He was even a survivor of Thanos’ snap. Hank’s latest retirement from active Avengers duty came at a great time, giving him enough page presence to help but not so much that the fate of the universe was on his shoulders.

And a fun side-note: this will be my last post where all the comics I read are older than I am.

🐜🐜🐜

Avengers West Coast vol 2 #69-74

Per their new charter with the U.N. all Avengers teams were required to have 7 active members and 7 alternates, so the WCA gathered to vote. Iron Man, Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch, Tigra, Hawakeye, Wasp, and Hank won the vote. Hank and Jan announced that they’d prefer to be alternates, opting to just stay friends and do their own thing (Jan would leave to travel and Hank would return to his first love (lab work)). Spider-Woman came to Avengers Compound to get help defeating the Dr. Demonicus and the Pacific Overlords, who had extorted Living Lightning into serving them and planned to raise their own sovereign landmass from the sea. Lightning betrayed them to join the Avengers, but Demonicus bought enough U.N. influence to establish his new island of Demonica as a recognized nation.

Avengers vol 1 #335-338

When Thane Ector and his brethren escaped from The Collector’s ship and threatened Earth the Avengers sent Hank, Black Panther, Beast, and Quasar up to the ship to revive him. Once Collector was up and able to identify the correct habitat, Hank shrank the rest so that they could enter it and gather information about his biology. Hank wished he could go too, but he still feared what changing his own size would do to him after all this time. When he drew the comparison between Ector’s tactics and how viruses spread, The Watcher appeared before him. Though his oath prevented him from directly interfering, he stoically indicated his advice to Hank. Once they had gathered enough information from a live specimen, Hank sent the others to join Cap and Sersi on the battlefield.

Infinity Gauntlet vol 1 #2

Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half of all life in the universe. Hank was among the survivors and worked with the West Coast Avengers to help survivors any way they could. Among the billions of lost lives were Wasp, Hawkeye, U.S.Agent, and Quicksilver.

Avengers: Death Trap, The Vault

When Mentallo and Venom started a riot to break out of The Vault, Hank was among the Avengers who responded. Warden Truman Marsh, who hated heroes and villains due to his parents’ death as bystanders, planned to use the failsafe bomb under the prison to make sure there were no survivors. Freedom Force arrived to help as well, but before Marsh could change his mind the detonator was activated. Hank worked with Captain America and Thunderball to deactivate the bomb, but this did not stop the meltdown. Iron Man and Radioactive Man were able to absorb the radiation and save everyone inside.

Avengers vol 1 #345, Avengers West Coast vol 2 #81-82

The Kree and Shi’ar were using our sun as a power source for the wormhole connecting their galaxies, destabilizing it in the process. Cap called in as many reserve members as he could to divide into teams: one to meet with the Shi’ar, one for the Kree, and one to stay home. Seeing Hawkeye’s frustration at being assigned to the home team, Hank offered him Pym Particles so he could suit up as Goliath again and take U.S.Agent’s place on the Kree team. After they left, the home team failed to stop their Shi’ar and Kree prisoners from breaking out of containment and escaping Earth.

Minor/Cameo appearances from this period:

Avengers West Coast Annual vol 1 #6

Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual vol 1 #1

Marvel Super-Heroes vol 1 #9

Avengers West Coast vol 2 #83

Captain America vol 1 #400-401

Uncanny X-Men vol 1 #286

Marvel: 1991 the Year in Review

Infinity War vol 1 #1-4

Wonder Man vol 2 #12

New Warriors vol 1 #27

Incredible Hulk vol 1 #399

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

“WELCOME

TO DEMONICUS PARK”