Dweller-in-Darkness
The Dweller-in-Darkness is a comic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Dweller-in-Darkness
In the prior universe, the Dweller-in-Darkness was noted to had caused a fracture within the M'Kraan Crystal thus bringing universal destruction so that he could absorb the fear of all the inhabitants of that cosmos. However, the Phoenix Force telepathically reached out to all life in the universe and united them in peace thus thwarting the plans of the Dweller. The universe then came to an end leading to the birth of the new universe. (Adventures of the X-Men v1 #12)
Around 18,000 B.C., the Dweller came to learn of the existence of Earth during the era of Atlantis when it resided on the surface. In this time, he came to feed off the fear generated from the wars fought between humanity and the Deviants of Lemuria. After the Atlantean sorceress Zhered-Na was banished, she came to learn of the existence of the Dwellers plans along with his plans. To best the Dweller, she came to call upon the power of the gods Agamotto and Valka though despite this aid she was unable to destroy her foe. Instead, she plunged the demon into a mystical slumber where he remained aware but was immobilised in a pocket dimension outside of Earth's dimension. From there, the Dweller-in-Darkness was able to feed off the fear created by the Cataclysm from the Celestials assault on Lemuria that resulted in the sinking of it alongside of Atlantis. Using this power, the Dweller imbued some of his consciousness with independent life, creating the entity known as D'Spayre. D'Spayre was responsible for the murder of Zhered-Na, by a neighboring tribesman, during the Cataclysm. Over the succeeding millennia, D'Spayre contested with Zhered-Na's champion, Dakimh the Enchanter, with neither able to quite gain the upper hand. Nonetheless, the Dweller gained power from the fear generated by their struggles, always getting closer to freeing himself from his imprisonment. The Dweller created several other puppets to help him spread his fear in the realms of men. (Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme v1 #33)
By the modern era, the Dweller influenced the dreams of a sculptor named Zoltan Drago who came to develop a fear gas. He then created a mask patterned after the demon as he became a masked villain called Mister Fear. (Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme v1 #33)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, the Dweller-in Darkness could take the form of a humanoid with a skin completely opaque to the point that he resembled a shadow or a figure formed from darkness itself. (Thor v1 #229)
Powers and abilities
Notes
- Dweller-in-Darkness was created by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler where he was first mentioned in Thor v1 #229 (November, 1974).
- The character was then developed by Roger Stern and Tom Sutton where he made his first actual appearance in Doctor Strange v1 #30 (August, 1978).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Films
- In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the Dweller-in-Darkness appeared in the setting of the live-action film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This version was a wyvern-like creature possessing numerous tentacles where it consumed the souls of its victims and had swarms of bat-like Soul Eaters that served it. Long ago, it attacked the realm of Ta Lo and destroyed many of its cities until the dragon known as the Great Protector opposed it. Alongside the last surviving inhabitants, they were able to imprison the Dweller-in-Darkness in a cavern whose entrance was sealed for all time. Despite its imprisonment, the Dweller would reach out to receptive minds in the world over the course of a thousand years and offered them their deepest desires in exchange for its freedom. Most of these repelled until one day Xu Wenwu fell under the sway of the Dweller who took the form of his deceased wife Ying Li claiming she was imprisoned in Ta Lo and wanted her husband to free her. Thus, it was able to manipulate Wenwu into reforming his Ten Rings organization which in 2024 attacked Ta Lo and unwittingly freed the Dweller. After killing Wenwu, the Dweller battled his son Shang-Chi who with the aid of the Great Protector and his friends along with the ten rings were able to slay the demon.
Video games
- In Marvel Avengers Academy, the Dweller-In-Darkness appeared as a boss level antagonist in the setting of the mobile video game.
Appearances
- Thor v1: (1974)
- Doctor Strange v1:
- Adventures of the X-Men v1:
External Links
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