ELSPETH CROMWELL

Real Name: Elspeth Cromwell

Identity/Class: Human magic user

Occupation: Exorcist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Alma Chalmers, the Knights of Hades, Mephisto

Enemies: Mephisto, Franklin Richards, Invisible Girl (Susan Richards), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: (Pictured) Fantastic Four I#274 (January, 1985)
(actually appeared) Fantastic Four I#276 (March, 1985)

Powers/Abilities: A student of the black arts, Elspeth Cromwell was able to manipulate light, darkness and electricity; she could also open an interdimensional portal to a pit of demons (presumably Mephisto's realm). She was able to penetrate Susan Richards' invisible force field with no problem whatsoever, and could summon a cadre of undead knights to do her bidding, although they didn't always do as they were told.

But Cromwell had been corrupted by her skills of dark sorcery, and ultimately paid a high price for her knowledge: her life, and her immortal soul.

Height: 5'9"
Weight:  136 lbs.
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: White

History:
(Fantastic Four I#276 (fb) - BTS) - On her way to becoming a famous exorcist, Elspeth Cromwell isolated herself from the rest of the human race and traveled the world, seeing all the blackness which could corrupt the human soul. During that time, she spent twenty years studying black magic as a way to combat the forces of evil, believing that only black magic could stop black magic -- as her fame grew, so did her confidence in her skills.

(Fantastic Four I#274 (fb) - BTS) - Cromwell became a fairly well-known exorcist (see comments), and at some point in time, she was featured on the cover of OCCULT magazine.

(Fantastic Four I#263 - BTS) - In order to give their son Franklin a more normal childhood, Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four moved out of the Baxter Building and to a house in the small town of Belle Porte, Connecticut. They adopted the secret identities of "Reed and Sue Benjamin," with Sue wearing a brown wig, while Reed simply used his powers to change the shape of his face. They mostly kept to themselves, trying to act as unremarkable as possible...

(Fantastic Four I#274) - ...but their careless use of their powers at home was seen by their snooping neighbor Alma Chalmers. Terrified that her new neighbors were witches and demons, Alma contacted the famous exorcist Elspeth Cromwell.

(Fantastic Four I#276) - Cromwell arrived at Alma's home while the "Benjamins" were having a housewarming party with some of their neighbors. Before confronting the "monsters," Cromwell insisted on waiting until all their guests had departed, so no innocent blood would be spilled, for fear of unleashing an even greater evil.

   Later that night, Cromwell made her presence known to Reed and Sue by appearing in their backyard, surrounding herself in an all-encompassing field of pure white light. She accused Reed and Sue of witchery, but when Reed tried to convince her that they were really members of the Fantastic Four, Cromwell stunned him with an electrical shock. While Sue attended to her fallen husband, she trapped Cromwell with her invisible force field; but Cromwell was able to penetrate it, then she opened a hellish pit beneath Sue and sent her falling. Reed extended his arm and tried to reach for his wife, and a demon broke his arm, but Sue still managed to escape.

   Elspeth next summoned a trio of undead knights to assist her, and one of the demonic creatures attacked Sue and Reed with its flaming sword--during this time, young Franklin accidentally fell and sustained a minor wound. The three Knights of Hades began to rampage, setting several houses in the neighborhood ablaze. Reed tried to convince Cromwell that the black magic she was using had corrupted her, and that the Knights were truly evil things. Cromwell believed she was still in control and confronted one of the Knights, but the demonic creature slapped her across the face. Then, upon seeing the bleeding Franklin, Cromwell was horrified to learn that she had inadvertently caused the blood of an innocent child to be spilled, and the Knights' true master made himself known: the demon-lord Mephisto, who announced himself to be the final judgement!

(Fantastic Four I#277) - As Sue, Reed, and Franklin Richards' souls were sent to Mephisto's hell dimension, Cromwell's body lay beside theirs. After the Richards family--with a little help from Dr. Strange--defeated Mephisto, they all returned to their physical bodies on Earth, but Cromwell didn't wake with the rest; Alma Chalmers asked Dr. Strange if he could revive Cromwell, but Strange told her there was nothing he could do -- Elspeth Cromwell was truly dead, and had received her final judgment.

Comments: Created by John Byrne.

Elspeth Cromwell was a fairly well-known exorcist, as even Reed Richards and Dr. Strange knew of her.

Profile by Zerostar. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.







CLARIFICATIONS:
 Elspeth Cromwell has no known connection to:

The Knights of Hades have no known connection to:

The Knights of Hades

A trio of demonic warriors held within Mephisto's hellish dimension, the Knights of Hades were unleashed by Elspeth Cromwell in Belle Porte, Connecticut; Cromwell intended for them to attack Reed and Sue Richards.

But before Mephisto made his presence known, the Knights simply went on a rampage instead, setting several houses in the neighborhood ablaze, and striking Cromwell when she tried to regain control of them.

When the souls of the Richards family and Elspeth Cromwell were sent to Mephisto's realm, it's presumed the Knights were returned there as well.

--Fantastic Four I#276

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#276, p12, pan6 (main image - Elspeth Cromwell)
Fantastic Four I#276, p16, pan2 (headshot - Elspeth Cromwell)
Fantastic Four I#276, p13, pan3 (Elspeth Cromwell attacks Mr. Fantastic with electrical shock)
Fantastic Four I#276, p20, pan4 (Elspeth Cromwell realizes that the blood of an innocent has been spilled)
Fantastic Four I#277, p22, pan3 (Elspeth Cromwell in death)
Fantastic Four I#276, p17, pan2 (Knights of Hades, brought forth by Elspeth Cromwell)
Fantastic Four I#276, p20, pan2 (Knight of Hades strikes Elspeth Cromwell)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#276-277 (March-April, 1985) - John Byrne (writer/pencils), Jerry Ordway (inks), Michael Carlin (editor)

First posted: 03/18/2004
Last updated: 01/20/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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