With a name like 'Demogorge,' it's got to be...a big, lumpy monster, apparently.

Sometimes, you can come across a character in a comic book, that you may never need to see again in a comic, but goddamn, you need an action figure of them right now. Marvel's Onslaught, for example. (I just did a quick search and while I've mentioned Onslaught more than once, I've never posted a scan of him!) Or the Spider-Hulk. Or maybe Demogorge, from Thor Annual #10, "A Time to Die!" Written by Alan Zelenetz, pencils by Bob Hall, inks by Bryant, Rubinstein, Mushynsky, Gordon, and Dzuban; with a co-plotter credit to Mark Gruenwald.

While the story opens with a bunch of backstory about Marvel's theology, and the funeral of Balder's beloved Nanna, things don't get moving until Odin notices Norse death goddess Hela didn't bother to show up. Hela's got her own problems, though; having been called to a summit meeting of death gods. Which sounds way more awesome than it turns out...

The death gods are having a bit of a downturn in damned souls, since apparently they can't claim a soul that doesn't believe in them. And when you're Ahpuch of the Mayans, and are a little lacking in name recognition, that's a problem. The death gods plan on banding together for the first time, to drum up new followers and reap new souls. Having recently gotten trounced while trying to expand her own turf, Hela isn't down with the idea, but reluctantly accepts. And as she expected, the plan goes sour: instead of uniting their realms, they accidentally unleash Demogorge, the God-Eater.

Unsurprisingly, Demogorge eats most of the death gods in attendance--Mephisto, in particular, goes out crying like a little girl--and gets grosser with each one, the eatens' faces appearing on Demogorge's body. He also does at least most of the eating with gross orifices in his hands, not unlike the Wraith of Stargate: Atlantis, but predating it by decades. Odin had sent his raven Hugin to see why Hela was a no-show; and gets the heads-up. Odin then alerts the other pantheons, and they agree to each send their mightiest to stop Demogorge.

Yeah, I had this issue as a kid, and I remember being peeved that the Olympians sent Apollo instead of Hercules. (Ares was still a straight-up villain at that point...) I loved Herc's limited series from Bob Layton, and he also got shafted out of the big Champion boxing match in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7. Man, I still need a new copy of that one.

Anyway, long story short, the pantheons' champions all get eaten save Thor, who lets himself get eaten in order to kick Demogorge's ass from the inside. For anyone else, that'd be a colossal fail, but he's Thor.

Demogorge's scale seems to vary wildly in this one, partially because he seems to grow with each god he eats; but for the Marvel Universe scale figures, a good-sized version would still be smaller than the larger Marvel Legends. (Yeah, that made sense...I was thinking comparable to the ML Abomination or Hulkbuster Iron Man, although his wings would make him seem even bigger.) Sculpt him with at least three or four faces sticking out of him, and make him out of a softer plastic, so he feels lumpy and gross...ah, that'd be sweet.

I know Demogorge has made other appearances, including in Incredible Hercules, but I don't care. He'd be a neat looking monster, and that's enough.
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Come for the inside-out Elder God, stay for the questionable romantic shenanigans.

I had thought this issue was the conclusion of Atlantis Attacks, but no dice there: from 1989, Thor Annual #14, "Set Ascending" Written by Roy Thomas, breakdowns by Al Milgrom, finishes by Don Heck. Earth's heroes are on the ropes, as the Deviant Lord Ghaur has used the power of the captured super-heroine "Brides of Set" to bring the Elder God to earth! But Thor has a plan, using Quasar, the de-powered Ben Grimm in a Thing exoskeleton, and newly one-eyed and believed dead Dr. Strange: those three had previously worn the Serpent Crown, and Thor hoped that would give them an edge. (Conversely, it could've made them more apt to fall under Set's power again...)

The quartet of heroes fly into one of Set's gaping maws, pushing their way into Set's home dimension, where they face the disgusting, inside-out Set! Outmatched, Thor takes off to try and get support from Gaea, the spirit of earth itself and Thor's mom; but even she can't help, either directly or by summoning Atum...that name rings a bell.

Undaunted, Thor goes to get Atum, living in the sun and not caring much what happens on earth. After a fight, though, an enraged Atum transforms into his monstrous alter-ego, Demogorge, the God-Eater! Who promptly eats Thor!

Still fighting Set, the Thing is somewhat dismayed to be "depending on a couple'a guys whose powers look like they're powered by flashlight batteries," since Quasar and Strange are not doing well. But Demogorge arrives, controlled by Thor...who is being digested, but wants to destroy Set first; and tears the seven-headed god into seven pieces! Thor is then absorbed by Demogorge, and Ben, Quasar, and Strange ready themselves to try and fight Demogorge for their friend. Demogorge relents, releasing the noble Thor, then returns to the sun as Atum. The heroes return to earth, aided by Ghaur, who thought he was helping Set through! Ghaur escapes with his Brides, since there's one more chapter to go...

Also this issue: a nice looking story of Thor after the apocalypse, from Bob Layton and Ernie Chan.

After the death of his beloved Nanna, Balder refuses to be comforted by Karnilla the Norn Queen; who offers to sacrifice herself to Hela to bring her back! Which is big of her, considering Nanna killed herself to get Balder out of an arranged marriage to Karnilla. (Maybe? I thought I read one where Nanna's ghost admits she killed herself because she was tired of life.) Karnilla digs Balder, and he does decline her sacrifice...her fake sacrifice, since Hela was really an illusion: Karnilla doesn't dig Balder that much. (Great art by Bo Hampton on this one.)

Next, "Thy Neighbor's Wife!" Or, the courtship of Loki! After taking the wizard Eldred's castle, magical knowledge, and riches (and presumably, life) Loki decides he needs some female companionship, and sets his sights on the goddess Sigyn. Since he's got mad gold, Loki figures she'll throw herself at him; but she's not impressed, and already has a man: the noble Theoric, one of Odin's Crimson Hawk soldiers, who wears a helmet that reminds me of Masters of the Universe second-stringer Zodac. They are to be wed in a month, and anyway she finds Loki "loathsome." Brutal rejection, however, turns Loki on; and he starts a scheme to hook Sigyn. First, when Odin sends Theoric on a patrol of Asgard's southern border, Loki arranges to have him trolled. As in, murdered by trolls. Next, Loki disguises himself as Theoric, and returns to Sigyn. At their wedding, Loki reveals himself with a grin that is beyond utterly bastardy. A pissed Odin declares the wedding annulled, but Loki says even Odin can't "repeal the imperial command." And Sigyn agrees! She has to remain Loki's faithful wife, her "body and obedience" Loki's to command! Odin declares noble Sigyn "goddess of fidelity," and banishes Loki until he proves himself worthy to walk the streets of Asgard again. A smirking Loki strides out, apparently unaware that Thor, the Warriors Three, Sif, Volstagg's wife, Sif again...look, there's a line of gods there who were going to kick Loki's ass outside. (We saw Sigyn in a previous Thor Annual some time back, but a comment from an anonymous reader suggests Loki and Sigyn's relationship was stronger than this would have you believe. I'm thinking Anonymous may have been Loki...)
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"Lemuria Attacks" would've been a worse title, if more accurate here.

I haven't blogged a chapter of Atlantis Attacks for some time, but I had the final installment waiting for me, so I scheduled this for some ways out: from 1989, Fantastic Four Annual #22, "For Crown and Conquest" Written by Roy Thomas, pencils by Rich Buckler, inks by Tony DeZuniga.

With Set dismembered by Demogorge the previous chapter, Ghaur and Llyra are playing defense, even though they still have their captured "Brides of Set" and a giant Serpent Crown; as the Avengers and Fantastic Four make their final push to beat them. Ghaur no longer has the Power Cosmic, but they still have an army of Lemurians, and the outside chance that sacrificing the Brides will manifest Set. Llyra does get another setback with the return of the believed-dead Sub-Mariner, who then gathers the FF (minus the captured Invisible Woman) to fight past a lower airlock; but Ghaur then uses the Serpent Crown to turn them against each other. Llyra tries another tactic, claiming she could use the Crown's power to resurrect one of Namor's lost wives, either the Lady Dorma, or Marrina, if he smashes the other one. Choosing neither, Namor instead recovers Namorita: Llyra had hoped to trick him into killing his cousin.

Ghaur turns up the Crown's power (leaving Llyra hanging out to dry, although she escapes) but is then confronted by the returning spirit of Naga, who had been killed while using the Crown years ago. Fighting it out, the two destroy each other, and the freed Brides push the Crown into a crevice to be crushed. (There's a slight nod to continuity: Storm is recognized, even though she was also believed dead at the time.) Reunited with his cousin, Namor tells the assembled heroes he plans go with her, and not rejoin a team or look for the Atlanteans. Which I would've thought would lead to Namor hanging out with the New Warriors, but he'd be getting his own book again in about a year. Still, a slightly underwhelming finish to the whole crossover.

Also this issue: "Savior of the Lost Artifacts!" (Written by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Tom Morgan, inks by Mike DeCarlo.) As Reed and Sue host the dedication ceremony for the brand-new Four Freedoms Plaza, Reed doesn't feel at home, missing the Baxter Building. (It had been destroyed by Kristoff, re-running Dr. Doom's old plan to launch the building into space.) Sue comments on the keepsakes and such they lost, when a massive pile of them appear! Old uniforms, Fantasticars, Dr. Doom's time machine, all saved from the Baxter Building--but by who? Then, Stan Lee stars in "Mission: Impossibleman" (Written by Gregory Wright, art by Hillary Barta) and the final chapter of "The Saga of the Serpent Crown" recap. (Written by Peter Sanderson, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Keith Williams.)
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I was feeling a little down on comics the other day, but I managed to get to my local Comic Book Shop for their back issue Mondays sale, and recharged the batteries with a solid pile of stuff. Including one that brings us so close to the finish line! From 1989, Iron Man Annual #10, featuring "Two If By Sea" Written by David Michelinie, pencils by Paul Smith, inks by Mike Gustovich.

This was the second chapter of Atlantis Attacks, and the revived Lord Ghaur is already starting to build his alliance, with Attuma, Llyra, and Krang. But someone else is under the sea today: the invincible Iron Man, tailing a pair of Mafia Maggia mini-subs off the California coast. The subs are tailing a larger ship, which is itself stopped by Namor, the Sub-Mariner! It's innocent enough: Namor was looking for the creepy alien spawn of his wife Marrina, and was just going to ask if the crew had seen any. Instead they panic, since they were secretly Hydra! Routed, the Hydra goons elect to blow themselves up, leaving Iron Man to wonder what they were up to and why the Maggia was after them.

Iron Man and Namor team-up and work the case, which leads them to the Panama Canal, where Hydra is planning a big drug giveaway, in the hopes of taking over in the ensuing chaos. Speaking of ensuing chaos, the Atlantean army is also there, using the canal to prepare a sneak attack! While Iron Man scuffles with the Atlanteans, Namor has to split off to stop Hydra's drug ship, and that captain also opts to blow himself up--and Namor with him! This barely gets a page, so I don't know if this was mandated somewhere and had to be squeezed in, or if they just ran out of space, or what. Even with that, this isn't a great showing for Hydra: they're completely disposable villains, who act like even they think they're completely disposable.

I also don't think Smith and Gustovich were a good match, but the art was stronger for some of the next feature, the pin-up story "Can You Top This?" (Written by David Wohl, with art by Jackson Guice, Gene Colan, John Byrne, Keith Pollard, and Bob Layton.

There's also the inexplicably titled "There Are No Wire Hangers Underwater!" (Written by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Don Ald.) Returning to Atlantis after the reports of Namor's death, Andromeda confronts her father, Attuma. Then a few pin-ups, and the second chapter of "The Saga of the Serpent Crown," in which we discover that in the Marvel Universe, the battle between Set and Demogorge was what killed the dinosaurs! (Written by Peter Sanderson, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Keith Williams.) I don't think that comes up very often; I'd love it if it took like five different things to kill the dinosaurs there: a comet, giant god battle, the Celestials, multiple alien invasions...
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God Eater, God Slayer, God Butcher; there's kind of a theme.

Demogorge the God-Eater had a better design, and Gorr the God Butcher has a better name, but today we've got Desak, Destroyer of Gods! Or God Slayer. Either or. From 2001, Thor 2001, "When Fall the Gods!" Written by Dan Jurgens, pencils by Tom Grummett, inks by Al Vey, Karl Kesel, and Scott Hanna.

This issue guest-stars Hercules and Beta Ray Bill, largely so Desak can be built up as a big deal, but Herc's also there since on Olympus, Zeus has a mysterious visitor. It's the mysterious watcher, the Silent One, who I would've thought was just a placeholder for Uatu; but actually was a character older than I am, from Thor #184! And he may not have appeared since, but he was not unlike DC's Pariah, only showing up at times of utter catastrophe. The Silent One shows the guys a destroyed Olympus in the future, and then the origin of Desak, who had been a devout man whose gods failed him, and was given power to get revenge by a mysterious apparition. Desak starts taking out gods, many of whom aren't as benevolent as the Marvel pantheon we're used to.

Off the top of my head, I want to say Jurgen's stint on Thor tried to introduce some new villains, but I'm not sure how many went on to the regular rotation. Desak might've hassled Thor for a few months, but I think that was about it.
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If you only read one Count Abyss appreciation post today, read this one!

We first mentioned him almost eight years ago, as "he kind of looks like he should be giving He-Man or the Thundercats the hassle." And we still don't have his first appearance, but today we finally see the conclusion of the storyline of Count Abyss! From 1994, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #33, "Carnival of Souls" Written by John Arcudi, pencils by Pat Oliffe (I think it's supposed to be Olliffe!) and inks by Bob Almond.

The Count has clobbered the Infinity Watch, but only one of their Infinity Gems is important to him: Adam Warlock's Soul Gem. Abyss didn't have a soul himself, having sold it to the Zalkorr for infinite power in his dimension. Still, that state of soullessness had left him feeling a little empty inside, unable to feel as he used to; and the Soul Gem may fill that void. Abyss begins by "tasting" the souls that resided within the gem, in Soul World, and finds it "intoxicating."

Meanwhile, Warlock's ally Darklore's familiar, the pixie-like Meer'lyn; having survived seemingly being crushed by Abyss, returns to her master with a talisman that could stop Abyss. Adam retakes the gem, and sadly takes a gamble, giving Abyss a soul, that of Brother Kray-tor. You might not know his name, but he was a familiar face in Soul World; partially because he was largely face...With the soul comes conscience, which burns at Abyss's massive crimes. He runs to his patron Zalkorr for help, but Zalkorr doesn't recognize him with a soul! Adam punches it up with Abyss while Darklore uses the talisman to open a gateway to another reality where Abyss wouldn't have his omnipotence; and after Adam retakes Kray-tor's soul, Abyss is cast out. Darklore rejoices at success with "minimal sacrifice," but Adam knows how much this has hurt Kray-tor.

Moreover, while Darklore is able to use his magic to reverse many of Abyss's spells and free the locals; the potion that made Warlock and Lady Maya love each other is still in full force. Except while Maya will become queen, Darklore will become king! "A marriage of diplomatic convenience," he says; but it seems like another way for him to shaft Warlock. And in the basement of the palace, the Zalkorr remains, with his "skrimblatt" just out of his reach...

I may have harshed on his design at first, but Count Abyss's look really grew on me. And I would kill for an action figure of him with his bottle of wine. Ugh, I almost wish he had become one of Thanos's stupid Cull Obsidian or whatever, just for a figure! As is, he's one of those villains only I care about, like Equinox or Helleyes or Demogorge...
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Kind of want to go back to the B-plot...

I don't know if this quite qualifies as halfway plot switch, but I kinda wanted to see this thread more than the main one! Not that the main one was bad, but still...from 2008, Hulk vs. Hercules #1, "Smash of the Titans" Written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, art by Khoi Pham, Paul Neary, Dennis Calero, Eric Nguyen, Reilly Brown, Carlos Cuevas, Terry Pallot, Chris Sotomayor, Bob Layton, and Guru EFX.

Athena is trying to advise young genius Amadeus Cho, who's lost faith in the Hulk but gained it in Herc, that maybe he shouldn't. She tells him a story, from when the Hulk was a mindless brute roaming the extra-dimensional Crossroads (and Dale just covered the last issue of that stretch the other day!) and the goddess Gaea sends him to Olympus! (Athena as much as says Gaea is crazy and spiteful, but Athena seems to badmouth just about everyone.) Ares and Athena have a run-in with the Hulk, who is taken in by the Titans Callias and Zeno, who may have been horrible monsters at one point but were beaten, pathetic, and kind of OK guys now. Still, the Titans convince the Hulk to attack Olympus, and Herc is called in to stop him...

...interrupting his Unlimited Class Wrestling match for charity at Madison Square Garden! Having trounced every super-strong wrestler on the undercard, Hercules throws down with Ben Grimm, the Thing himself! Sadly, there's not enough time this issue for the Thing's match to go on past this page. The rest of the issue goes back to Olympus, where the Titans are revolting, and Hercules goes straight to murdertown on them. Mindless but relatively innocent, the Hulk is dismayed at the carnage, and the spell he was under at the time sends the unhappy brute back to the Crossroads. Athena tells Amadeus that maybe Herc might be as much a monster as the Hulk, maybe worse; and Herc seems to scowl over at them over his drink. Also this issue: the return of Demogorge, who's apparently part of Gaea's ongoing "kill the previous gods to see what comes next" plan.

Great issue...maybe not as good as a solid issue of Hercules wrestling the Thing, but still.
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