AUGUSTYNE PHYFFE

Real Name: Augustyne Phyffe

Identity/Class: Human (former) magic user; British citizen

Occupation: Fine artist (painter)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Doctor Strange, Grogronk of Gronk, Henri-Désiré Landru

Enemies: Belphegor, Dyskor the Purveyor, Wondrous Wandor

Known Relatives: Julian, Lord Phyffe (father, deceased)

Aliases: Marquess of Phyffe, Count of Pelborough, Viscount of Morland

Base of Operations: London; New York

First Appearance: Marvel Super-Heroes III#12 (January 1993) 
    aka Winter Special 1992

Powers/Abilities:  Augustyne Phyffe was, by inheritance ("the scion of a line of wizards stretching back to the days of Cromwell" according to Doctor Strange), a naturally very powerful magician; however, his spirit was never into it and instead, he preferred to devote his life to his art. He eventually relinquished his magical powers through a spell of annulment performed by Doctor Strange.

    He was addicted to the drug Orphium, which further limited his abilities and their control.

History:  
(Marvel Super-Heroes III#12 (fb)) - Augustyne was trained in sorcery by his father, Julian, Lord Phyffe. They once combined their powers against the demonic Belphegor.

(Marvel Super-Heroes III#12 (fb)) - After the death of his father--who at the behest of Baron Mordo had turned into the creature Azrael and had been killed (in Doctor Strange II #40)--Augustyne found he didn't have what it takes to assume his mantle. Julian's acolytes refused to serve him, and soon after he developed a taste for the forbidden extradimensional mind-expanding drug orphium, which he had found hidden in his father's wine cellar. Augustyne found orphium to be addictive, and he had soon nearly used up his entire supply.

(Marvel Super-Heroes III#12) - Augustyne Phyffe visited Doctor Strange, wanting Strange to help him find a new supply of orphium. In exchange, he offered the accursed Diary of the Aged Genghis, taken from his father's library. Strange told Augustyne that they had to get rid of the Diary and, together, they traveled to the extra-dimensional Bazaar at the End of Unreason, where they met and fought various alien wizards (such as Wondrous Wandor) and eventually made an arrangement with a Grogronk of Gronk to take the Diary away. During this journey, Augustyne came to realize that he was not truly dependent on orphium as he believed, and shook off his addiction, which was entirely a psychological crutch caused by the realization of his father's weakness, betrayal, and ultimately death.

(Marvel Super-Heroes III#14/2; Summer Special 1993 ) - Augustyne Phyffe, having chosen to pursue his own path, and become a fine artist in New York, was suddenly beset by shadow creatures who attacked him and killed two of his friends. Thinking that it might be a side-effect of his repressed magical powers, he sought Doctor Strange's help, who agreed to train him as a mystic. Despite his considerable raw power, Augustyne lacked in skill. It was ultimately revealed that the shadow creatures had been sent by Dyskor the Purveyor, who sought to have Augustyne enter into a compact with one of the major demon lords (Dormammu, Tiboro, Satannish, Mephisto). Dyskor preyed on Augustyne's doubts, making him believe (wrongly) that his father too had signed such a contract. Eventually, Doctor Strange defeated Dyskor and drove him away. Augustyne, realizing that he was not cut out to be a wizard, asked Strange to perform a Spell of Annulment on him and relinquished his powers for ever.

Comments: Created by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Roy Thomas, based on a concept by Stuart Hopen (writers) and Brian Postman (penciller) and Armando Gil (inks). Second chapter by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Roy Thomas, based on a concept by an Unknown Writer (writers) and Greg LaRocque (penciller) and Vince Colletta & Jerry Acerno (inks).

    The "saga" of Augustyne Phyffe has a rather unusual backstory. Mike Rockwitz and Rob Tokar, then respectively editors of Doctor Strange and Marvel Super-Heroes, located two complete Doctor Strange stories in inventory, penciled and inked but not scripted, which had been commissioned in the past (no one knew by whom), presumably paid for, but had never been used. The first story had a plot attached by Stuart Hopen; the second story had no such credit. There were no art credits and these had to be guessed by the editors. Wanting to use the stories, Tokar asked Roy Thomas and Jean-Marc Lofficier if it was possible to script them. Lofficier came up with the idea of linking the two otherwise unconnected stories through certain thematic similarities and the appearance of a bearded young man in both of them -- that character became Augustyne Phyffe. None of the characters from the original Stuart Hopen plot survived during the rewriting necessary to script the new concept, except the name "Bazaar at the End of Unreason". The last page of the first story had been lost, and a new page was redrawn by an uncredited artist from the Bullpen.

    I got my copies of the first of the two Dr. Strange stories.  I found your adaptation entertaining and professional, though, of course, not at all close to way I would have scripted it, if I had the opportunity.
    The original sale took place in 1982, not 1980 as I had previously thought.
    I had heard, sort of second hand, that the script had been given to one other artist.  Perhaps the other version is still lying around in Marvel's vaults--Stuart Hopen. 
    That would be interesting to see. I sort of remembered they were going to simply destroy or send back (to the artists) whatever couldn't be used so I doubt it survived the purge!--JML
    I would offer a few corrections to the comments on Snood's website.  The name "Bazaar at the End of Unreason" did not come from my plot, though the name "Orphium" did, as did the concept of the substance.  My name for the bazaar dimension was "Czabah," which I find 22 years after the fact embarrassingly close to "Kasbah."  The character who was to become Augustyne Phyffe was not "bearded," at least not in the first story, though he was unshaven.  Postman's art made him look like a dissipated young man, whereas in my plot, he was a dissipated old man.--SH
    That is VERY interesting because I don't think I came up with that name. (It doesn't sound like me at all.) "Augustyne" wasn't my name either, I forgot what I originally called young Phyffe but it wasn't Augustyne with a "y".  Roy often changed the names I gave him, so it might be one of his changes--JML.
    The missing last page of art would have showed the smell of spilled Orphium spreading, drawing Orphium addicts from their nooks and hiding places, to battle furiously among themselves for wasted potion.
--Stuart Hopen (original author)
    That would have been cool too. Obviously we never got that page. Maybe it was lost or never drawn? Go figure. I don't know who drew that replacement last page. We just provided the copy and the editor took it from there--JML.

    The titles of "Count of Pelborough and Viscount of Morland" are taken from Edgar Wallace's 1923 novel, Chick.

    Also, though I don't know diddlysquat about royalty, etc., it's not technically correct to call him Lord Julian Phyffe. It's Lord Phyffe, Julian Phyffe, or Julian, Lord Phyffe. You might see me sometimes write Lord (Julian) Phyffe sometime, which is done for conciseness and clarity, hopefully, even though it's not technically correct.
    --Snood.

"Profile by" Jean-Marc Lofficier (yes, that Jean-Marc Lofficier!--Snood).

CLARIFICATIONS:  
Augustyne Phyffe should be distinguished from:

• Julian, Lord Phyffe -- his father, a powerful British mage, Doctor Strange's friend and, ultimately, betrayer--Dr. Strange II#9

Images:

Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special 1992 Vol. 2, No. 12, p.24
Marvel Super-Heroes Summer Special 1993 Vol. 2, No. 14, p.41, panel 1

Last updated: 04/16/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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