Octessence
The Octessence are a group that features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
The Octessence was a group of powerful mystical beings that had gathered millennia ago with these eight including Farallah, Cyttorak, Balthakk, Ikonn, Raggadorr, Watoomb, Valtorr and Krakkan. A disagreement erupted among them on which of them was the strongest. To settle the matter, they entered into the Wager of the Octessence where each created a totem that contained a fraction of their power. These would transform the fist human that touched them into a living embodiment of that beings power and becoming one of the Exemplars. Each of mystical entities then had their agents build temples around the world that held the totem. The terms of the covenant required each of the eight deities to channel a fraction of their supreme power into a specialized mystical totem, employing outside agents to conceal the artifacts inside hidden temples across Earth. The first baseline human to locate and touch each respective totem would be systematically rewritten into a mind-warped, super-powered avatar known as an Exemplar. The syndicate's centuries-old plot mobilized during modern times when the activation of the first totem triggered an automated mystical beacon drawing hosts to the remaining artifacts, initializing a catastrophic cosmic event known as the Eighth Day. The cohort intended to use their combined thralls to construct a massive God Machine, divide the planetary human population into eight warring factions, and let their champions duel to the death until a singular winning principality claimed ultimate sovereign control over the Earth. (Iron Man v3 #22)
The deities utilized their respective earthly agents to construct eight grand temples across the globe to house these artifacts, establishing a spell that would automatically activate and draw ordinary mortals toward the remaining totems the moment Cain Marko touched the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak. (Thor v2 #17) The Octessence successfully expanded their influence across the Earth as several new mortals discovered the hidden mystic totems and underwent painful physical transformations into the remaining cosmic Exemplars. The mystical entity Valtorr chose a human named Yoshiro Hachiman to serve as his avatar, transforming him into Decay after the man touched the Verdant Vial of Valtorr. Simultaneously, the entity Watoomb claimed a woman named Nicolette Giroux, reshaping her identity into Tempest through the power of the Wonderous Waterfall of Watoomb. The entity Farallah completed his own contribution to the collective wager when an excavation team led by Colonel Nigel Pigman uncovered the Fearsome Fist of Farallah, which transformed an explorer named Andreas Zorba into the feral predator known as Carnivore. (Iron Man v3 #22) The Octessence achieved the final phase of their initial planetary activation when a young boy in a hidden Thai temple touched the Ivory Idol of Raggadorr, completing the octet by transforming into the final super-powered Exemplar known as Stonecutter. Operating under the collective, subconscious will of the eight deities, Stonecutter traveled to New York City and breached the foundations of the Daily Bugle building to begin constructing the God-Machine. This specialized, massive technological construct was actively engineered to divide the global human population into eight distinct sectors. The primary objective of the machine allowed each of the eight principalities to claim absolute control over an eighth of the Earth, forcing humanity into an endless global war until only a single champion remained standing to claim the world for their respective master. (Peter Parker: Spider-Man v2 #11)
With their Icons of Sovereignty, the transformed champions were to complete the wager on the Eighth Day where they were to bring about the subjugation of mankind. Each Exemplar were then to gain 1/8th of the population and battle one another where the last one standing would represent their patron's victory in the wager. (Avengers v3 #25)
The Exemplars were ultimately defeated when Captain America convinced Bedlam to turn against her comrades. She then used her telepathy to restore the original personalities of each Exemplar thus turning them against their patron leading to them departing the scene. As such, the wager was stalled by the efforts of the Avengers with no resolution to it. (Avengers v3 #25)
In his attempt to restore his Green Goblin identity, Norman Osborn journeyed through perilous conditions in the mountains of Asia to find the Temple With No Name where he took part in the trials starting with the Emerald Oracle of Ikonn. The gem revealed that Osborn had magical potential with the monks fast tracking his training in the mystical arts. However, the vision bestowed that Norman went mad with power and turned against everyone with the order of monks banning him from their temple with them ensuring that the other mystical sites being informed not to take in Norman Osborn. (Amazing Spider-Man v4 #32)
Overview
In appearance, the Octessence were a gathering of eight great mystical entities. The principal members completely rejected any shared biological traits, uniform profiles, or a single standard physical framework. They featured a drastically mismatched collective physical presence, manifesting across their respective pocket dimensions as towering extra-dimensional entities, formless energy masses, and monstrous extra-planar anomalies that completely surpassed baseline mortal anatomy. The organization possessed no single shared natural hairstyle, skin uniformities, or shared facial parameters due to the distinct cosmic origins of its separate members. They expanded their visual identity across their hidden earthly temples by utilizing distinctive geometric designs for their signature totems rather than standardized labels or matching corporate logos. These specialized power conduits featured highly distinct material forms tailored to their specific creators. When their respective mortal Exemplars underwent their physical transformations, the principalities forced their avatars to completely abandon standard civilian clothing or military camouflages, draping them in elaborate, heavy-duty combat armor plates, tattered fabric wraps, and ornate full-face metallic helmets that visually projected the terrifying majesty of their otherworldly patrons. (Iron Man v3 #22)
They naturally lacked any shared organic biological traits or carbon-based vulnerabilities because its member base was composed of hyper-evolved principalities, primeval mystical abstracts, and incorporeal data matrices rather than living planetary species. They relied on their collective eons of tactical wisdom and an exceptionally high machine-like intellect to execute complex mathematical calculations, map multiversal timelines, and process advanced sorcerous matrices down to the millisecond. They did not possess a single shared, technology-dependent weapon array or physical small arms, relying instead on a near-unlimited stream of extra-dimensional energy that granted them absolute reality-warping manipulation over cosmic sorcery. Their specialized capabilities allowed them to bestow paracausal upgrades upon chosen mortal human hosts, instantly granting their Exemplars advanced tracking fields, complete immunity to natural physical aging, high-velocity flight, and unyielding physical durability. Individual members channeled hyper-focused magical properties that could be invoked by Earth's Sorcerer Supreme through specialized incantations, enabling mystics to manifest the unbreakable binding energy strands of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, cast the bewildering sensory illusions of the Phantoms of Ikonn, or summon the protective hard-light atmospheric shields of the Winds of Watoomb. Their primary capabilities allowed separate entities to project devastating plasma blasts across light-years, sustain independent pocket dimensions complete with specialized magical prisons, and maintain an unbroken, highly disciplined cosmic barrier capable of altering the destiny of entire universal timelines unless their psychic connection was systematically severed by a mortal wielding a supreme level of independent willpower. (Iron Man v3 #22)
The Exemplars were empowered by the following relics tied to each of the Octessence:
- Brazier of Balthakk : tied to Balthakk who transformed the bearer into Inferno. (Iron Man v3 #21)
- Crimson Gem of Cyttorak :
- Fearsome Fist of Farallah : tied to Farallah who transformed the bearer into Carnivore. (Iron Man v3 #22)
- Ivory Idol of Ikonn: tied to Ikonn who transformed the bearer into Bedlam. (Thor v2 #17)
- Kestrel Key of Krakkan : tied to Krakkan who transformed the bearer into Conquest. (Thor v2 #17)
- Ringed Ruby of Raggadorr :
- Verdant Vial of Valtorr :
- Waterfall of Watoomb : tied to Watoomb who transformed the bearer into Tempest. (Iron Man v3 #22)
One spell that called upon their power was the Omnipotence of the Octessence. (Superior Spider-Man v2 #5)
Members
- Balthakk : The long lost Temple of Balthakk was located at Nunavut beneath the ice glaciers. (Iron Man v3 #21)
- Cyttorak :
- Farallah :
- Ikonn : a being said to be the very personification of illusion whose power could be called upon by magicians. (Doctor Strange v2 #47) An item tied to him was the Bell of Ikonn that could be rung allowing for Ikonn to manifest on the mortal plane. (Doctor Strange v2 #47)
- Krakkan :
- Raggadorr :
- Valtorr : The Temple of Valtorr was located beneath the waters by the northern coast of Tahiti. (Iron Man v3 #22)
- Watoomb : Tomes linked to his power included the Grimoire of Watoomb that could unleash a powerful wind from its pages. (Doctor Strange v4 #4) The Temple of Watoomb was located on the floor of the Indian Ocean where mystical statues spewing lava on any intruders. (Doctor Strange v4 #4) Though another one was situated within the rain forests of northern Australia. (Iron Man v3 #22)
Notes
- The Octessence were created by Kurt Busiek where they made their first appearance in Iron Man v3 #22 (November, 1999).
- In the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic v1 #1 (2007), the Octessence received an entry in the guidebook where they were described as not being god or demons but were referred to as Principalities who first gathered a millennium ago. It was noted that they possessed a malevolent nature but their powers were invoked by Earth’s mystics.
- In Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z v1 (2010), the Octessence were referenced in the guidebook where it was also said that Dyzakk the Dungeon Dimension and Krakkan were used to imprison magical beings who had offended the Octessence.
In other media
Video games
- In Marvel: Avengers Alliance, the Octessence were referenced in the setting of the Facebook video game.
- In Marvel Heroes, the Octessence was referenced in the brief information on certain items available in the video game. Balthakk was mentioned as a member of the fabled Octessence in the description for the Embers of Balthakk with his name being used in the casting of powerful spells.
Appearances
- Iron Man v3: (1999)
- Thor v2:
- Avengers v3:
External Links
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