Null the Living Darkness
Null, the Living Darkness is a demonic supervillain who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Null the Living Darkness
A few months after his birth, Null appeared in Christiansboro, Virginia, a town in an economic depression. He began frightening off the town's citizens with ghosts, apparitions, and recurring nightmares. He also raised many of the dead in the town and used them as his pawns for force. Other members of the town he corrupted, using illusions and mind control. His mind took control of Simple Joe, a small child, a cat, and perhaps others. (Defenders v1 #103)
When Gargoyle, former mayor of Christiansboro, returned to the town, he was accompanied by Clea, Devil-Slayer, Hellcat, and Valkyrie. Gargoyle was confronted by apparitions of his dead family while Simple Joe, the little girl, and the cat confronted the other heroes. Once Null had a sense of the uniqueness of the heroes, he revealed himself to them and explained his origins and purpose. He then bid his zombie army to attack them. Gargoyle soon attacked, but found his life-force draining powers ineffectual on Null, however, when Gargoyle tried feeding life force into Null, Null lost all substance. His zombie army returned to the grave. (Defenders v1 #103)
Null realized how much he had to learn as he matured, before his power would be supreme. He wandered the Earth, studying the human race, and looking for a bitter human heart he could merge with. Null then came to Cherry Hill, Illinois, and came across a despairing man named Adam Henderson. Null merged with the man, and wandered through the town extinguishing hope at a party, killing a dog, and shoving aside people at a carnival. He visited Madam Olga, a fortune teller, and overwhelmed her with the story of his origins. He exploded her tent, leaving her into shock, then revealed himself in the sky above the carnival. He pulled Pastor Matheson into the air with him, and accused him of being a liar and a manipulator. He shrunk the pastor to doll-size, went before Maureen (Adam's wife), then tossed the pastor out the window. Ghost Rider attacked, hitting Null with a blast of hellfire that Null turned to energy, then they went flying through the wall to the ground below, breaking Adam's wrist. Ghost Rider and Null traded blows, and Null tried reducing Ghost Rider in size ineffectually. Null/Henderson grew enraged, and tossed a car at Ghost Rider. When Null tried toppling a statue on Ghost Rider, Maureen's life was put in danger, awakening hope in Adam's heart. With this hope weakening Null, Ghost Rider was able to drive him out. (Ghost Rider v1 #71)
Null realized that it could not effectively destroy Earth until its own evolution into a higher form was complete, so it sought out a powerful pawn through which to operate until that time. Null's mind reached out to kindred spirit the Over-Mind, a powerful telepath who was also the embodiment of an entire race's hatred, who had been cast into a microworld. Finding the Over-Mind apparently maddened by loneliness, Null brought Over-Mind from the Microverse to what it thought was its Earth, but soon found that they were on a parallel Earth. Still determined to conquer this Earth/universe, Null guided the Over-Mind's shattered psyche and set into motion its plan to take control of Earth's political leaders, starting with the head of the most powerful nation of that world, President Kyle Richmond of the United States of America. (Defenders v1 #114) Over-Mind used too much power in the process of trying to take over Kyle Richmond, damaging his consciousness. Null somehow utilized a biological construct of Richmond, which housed Null's essence while Null continued to evolve. Meanwhile, the psychic collective from Earth-616 that would later be designated Chorus -- having failed in its attempt to save the life of Kyle Richmond-616 and having instead saved the criminal August Masters, who was responsible for Kyle's death, by shunting him out of reality to Earth-712 -- followed Masters to Earth-712 and then imprinted the memories of Richmond-616 onto Richmond-712. (Defenders v1 #115)
Null in Richmond and Over-Mind imposed a martial law over the U.S., convincing the public that they were taking down a conspiracy group, but in actuality gaining control of the country's influential citizens. Eventually, they contacted the Squadron Supreme and met them at their base, where Over-Mind claimed to be the force behind it all. Over-Mind physically defeated each member of the Squadron in turn, though Hyperion escaped. Null and Over-Mind gained control over world leaders by inviting them to the White House and mentally subjugating them. They then declared war on all other opposing nations, with the mentally-controlled Squadron as their personal force. Null, through Over-Mind, soon controlled the planet. After the Over-Mind had other satellites blanket Earth in Argonite radiation, Hyperion dismantled Rocket Central and used its lead-lined walls to construct an underground base. Unable to travel to Earth-616, he instead sent an interdimensional distress call. (Defenders v1 #112)
Overview
Powers and abilities
Personality and attributes
Originally incorporeal, Null's evolved form was solid but immensely durable. (Fear Itself: Fellowship of Fear v1 #1)
Notes
- Null the Living Darkness was created by J. M. DeMatteis and Don Perlin where he made his first appearance in Defenders v1 #103 (January, 1982).
In other media
Television
- In Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Null appeared as an antagonist in the episode "Fear Itself" where he was voiced by actor John DiMaggio. The entity appeared as a black cloud in deep space who fed on fear. The Silver Surfer learnt of Null and battled the creature but became engulfed by his fear of being trapped within the darkness forever. The Agents of S.M.A.S.H.s vessel was looking for their way back to Earth when they stumbled through Null and were unaware of the entity real nature. Once inside the darkness they became plagued by their worst fears such as Hulks fear of losing control of his anger, She-Hulks fear of freezing completely, Red Hulks fear of being physically weak, A-Bombs fear of clowns like Obnoxio and Skaars fear of technology. The Silver Surfer managed to help free them from their fears but this was too late as it allowed Null to achieve a physical form. Null then
Appearances
- Defenders v1: (1982)
External Link
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