DWELLER-IN-DARKNESS
Real Name: Unrevealed, if any
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Everinnye, Sixth Cosmos) mystical entity/demon
Occupation: Demon, generator of fear
Group Membership: Fear Lords (D'Spayre, Kkallakku, Lurking Unknown, Nightmare, Nox, Straw Man)
Affiliations: D'Spayre, Spite (creations);
Shade-Thralls (Moe Hartwell, Jack Krammer, Theresa Mendel,
Morton, unidentified, unidentified, unidentied, and many others), Slithe, and other demons (servants);
Andras Bertesy, Dream Weaver (Barbie Robb),
Ludi, Mr. Fear (Zoltan Drago),
Ningal (agents);
Sixth Cosmos: D'Ken, D'Spayre, N'Garai;
the Shamblu (see comments)
Enemies: Murdoch Adams, Agamotto, Det. Sgt. Ralph Blumkenn (NYPD), Clea, Doctor
Strange (Stephen Strange), D'Spayre, Hercules, humanity, Kkallakku, Leah, Loki, Lurking Unknown, Mephisto, Nightmare, Nox, Straw Man,
Thor, Tiboro (and other demons who
refused his alliance), Valka, Zhered-Na;
Sixth Cosmos: Gladiator, Phoenix Force, X-Men (Beast, Cyclops, Gambit, Jean Grey, Jubilee, Professor X, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine) and basically the whole Sixth Cosmos
Known Relatives: Nightmare (share a dimension of origin, refers to Nightmare as cousin according to Doctor Strange II#32) and his relatives, D'Spayre, Spite (creations), D'Sprytes ("grandchildren")
Aliases: He Who Dwells in Darkness
Base of Operations: Halls of Fear (currently in a sub-basement of the Infinite Embassy);
formerly an unnamed pocket dimension;
place of birth Everinnye
First Appearance: (Behind the scenes) Thor I#229 (November, 1974) (February, 1965); (seen) Doctor Strange II#30 (August, 1978)
Powers/Abilities: The Dweller-in-Darkness
possesses the ability to generate extreme terror in others. He
feeds on the fear of others, which enables him to grow in power
and influence. At his peak, he can cripple the entire waking
planet with fear. He usually does this by causing others to see
images of their greatest fears. He can affect those who are
sleeping, and/or dreaming, although his influence in that area is
inferior to Nightmare's.
The Dweller's true form is apparently that which appears as his
head. The rest of his body is an android construct used to
support his form.
The Dweller also uses a number of shadow-like demon-wraiths, the
Shade-Thralls, who act as his agents on Earth (and presumably
other realms). -see below
Height: 1' (6' on artificial body; variable)
Weight: 12 lbs.
Eyes: Red iris, yellow sclera
Hair: None
History:
(Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#33/2 (fb) - BTS) - He originated from the dimension of Everinnye, a universe higher
than the Sixth Dimension. The Dweller turned his back on the
other denizens of Everinnye when he chose to follow the Way of
the Shamblu (whatever that means). He prefers to act
behind the scenes, avoiding the notice of those who might oppose
him, but generating doubt and fear in his enemies (and all
others).
(Adventures of the X-Men#11 - BTS) - D'Spayre (a version of him from this universe) did the Dweller's bidding on Earth in the Sixth Cosmos, but was defeated by that reality's Man-Thing, Storm and Jean Grey.
(Adventures of the X-Men#12) - The Dweller-in-Darkness caused the fracturing of the M'Kraan Crystal and the destruction of that reality. The Phoenix of that world united all of the beings of the universe, telling them not to be afraid, and thus deprived the Dweller of the power he sought. Despairing over his failed plans for power, D'Spayre fed on the Dweller.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror 2005 - Dweller-in-Darkness / Journey into Mystery I#633 (fb) - BTS) - The Dweller-in-Darkness became one of the few survivors from the previous universe (see comments). He existed for at least several billion years.
(Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#33/2 (fb)) - The Dweller learned of the existence of Earth (in the Seventh Cosmos) @ 18,
000 B.C., prior to the time of the Great Cataclysm, which sank
Atlantis. He fed off the fear generated by the wars between the
humans and the Deviants of Lemuria. After the Atlantean sorceress Zhered-Na was banished, she learned of the existence and plans of
the Dweller. Calling on the power of the "gods"
Agamotto and Valka, Zhered-Na bested the Dweller, though even
their power could not destroy him. They instead plunged him into
a state of mystic slumber, where he remained aware, but
immobilized in a pocket realm outside Earth's dimension.
The Dweller was able to siphon off some of the fear caused by
Cataclysm which resulted from the Celestials' assault on Lemuria,
and resulted in the sinking of Atlantis and Lemuria. 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.
In the modern era, the Dweller influenced the dreams of the
sculptor Zoltan Drago, who subsequently developed the Fear Gas,
and became the original Mister Fear, patterning his mask after
the Dweller (not too much, I think).
(Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#33/2 (fb)) - The Dweller-in-Darkness influenced the dreams of sculptor Zoltan Drago, which led to him becoming Mister Fear.
(Thor I#229-230 - BTS) - The Dweller began appearing to a series of people, telling
them that if they died, that they would live on forever. This led
the people to engage in rash acts, bring about their own deaths,
and often the deaths of others. Det. Blumkenn informed Hercules
and Thor (who had assisted in saving others from the burning
apartment caused by one of the Dweller's victims) of the links
between the series of deaths.
Hercules was assaulted by the Dweller's Shade-Thralls and pulled
into the sewers of Manhattan. By the time he escaped, he was a
mindless wreck, wracked with terror. After he recovered, he and
Thor returned to the sewers, where they were attacked by more
demons and Shade-Thralls. The two gods struggled fruitlessly
until Hercules shattered the roof over their heads, allowing the
sunlight to shine in, and dispel their foes. Thor glimpsed the
shadow of what he believed to be the mastermind of these attacks,
but found only a shadow image on the wall, and realized that its
true form dwelled within them all.
(Fantastic Four Annual I#23) - The Dweller in Darkness was one of several demons who embody evil that were glimpsed by Kubik and Kosmos as they toured the universe.
(Doctor Strange II#30) - The Dweller's power and influence continued to increase, and he began affecting others more directly. This again drew the attention of Det. Blumkenn, who brought in Doctor Strange and Clea. As the two sorcerers struggled against the Dweller's Shade-Thralls and the Slithe, the Dweller finally gained enough power to break free from his prison. As Strange and Clea used the White Light of Nirvalon to destroy the Shade-Thralls, the Dweller learned that Strange would be one of the greatest threats to him on Earth.
(Doctor Strange II#32-33) - The Dweller allowed D'Spayre to replenish his lost energies (from his defeat by the Man-Thing) off of some of his Shade-Thralls. The Dweller then visited the Dream Dimension and antagonized his "cousin", Nightmare, and then made a connection with one of Nightmare's victims, transforming her into the Dream-Weaver. The Dream-Weaver sought to obtain the Book of the Vishanti from Strange, but was defeated and stripped of her powers by him.
(Doctor Strange II#35-37) - The Dweller sought an alliance with several other demons, but met with refusal or dismissal until encountering Ludi. The Dweller further empowered Ludi, and then his brother, Ningal, in their struggles against Doctor Strange. Strange succeeded in vanquishing the two demons with the aid of Clea, but was unable to uncover the source behind the attacks. All the time during the attacks by his agents, the Dweller sapped Strange's resolve, such that Strange could no longer fully overcome his fear. Having reintroduced doubt and fear of the unknown into the one being who could oppose him, the Dweller proclaimed himself victor of their duel. Claiming to have more important matters to pursue, the Dweller departed from the Earth's plane of existence, and took the Halls of Fear with him.
(Doctor Strange II#58 - BTS) - Doctor Strange kept searching for the being that sent the demons after him, but only ever learned that his enemy dwelled in darkness (this is what Nightmare told him back in #33). Only thinking about this being filled Strange with dread.
(Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#31/2-33/2) - "A Gathering of
Fear"-The Dweller returned and summoned the other Fear
Lords to his Halls of Fear. He recruited all of them, save the
Straw Man, into his plan to spread the Great Fear. However, the
Dweller's true plan was to allow the other Fear Lords to spread
the Fear, and allow them to encounter and be defeated by the
Earth's mystic champion, Doctor Strange. The Dweller then would feed
on the fear, and become the supreme Fear Lord in all existence.
(Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#38-40) - "The Great Fear"-The Dweller launched his plot, and several of the Fear Lords followed it, and fell before Strange. However, D'Spayre appeared before Nightmare, the last of the three remaining Fear-Lords, and slyly questioned the Dweller's plans, so that Nightmare would not fall victim to it as well. When Nightmare confronted the Dweller, D'Spayre manipulated the two into a contest of their powers, the winner of which would gain his allegiance. Nightmare and the Dweller used their powers, amplified by the Fear caused by the other Lords, to cause increasing levels of terror in humanity. However, after humanity was driven too far into fear, it began to give in to despair. The Dweller realized his and Nightmare's error too late, as the fear faded from mankind, and D'Spayre swelled to an unforeseen level of power. Nightmare fled back to the Dream Dimension, but the Dweller was too slow, and D'Spayre blasted a whole through his chest. However, the Dweller's body was revealed as an unliving shell, which shattered, and the Dweller's true form scuttled through a dimensional aperture to safety.
(Journey into Mystery I#633) - The Fear Lords met to discuss the Serpent's recent attacks on Earth. Nightmare was not present at the meeting as he planned to harvest the fear left behind by the Serpent for himself.
(Journey into Mystery I#636) - Loki and Leah tricked the Fear Lords into a meeting to tell them about Nightmare's scheme to harvest fear the Serpent brought to Earth in a crown to become the King of Fear resulting in an endless battle over the crown between the Fear Lords in Nightmare's realm.
(Journey into Mystery I#645 (fb)) - Loki tipped of Mephisto to the predicament of the Fear Lords. Mephisto interfered and overpowered the Dweller-in-Darkness to take the crown for himself. He secured the Fear Lords' alliance and subservience by feeding them a ration of the fear collected by the crown. Mephisto hoped to gain enough power to fill Satan's empty throne eventually.
(Journey into Mystery I#645) - Loki sacrificed his thoughts and dreams to destroy the crown as it had been created by his mind in the first place. Without the crown the Fear Lords no longer served Mephisto and chased him away.
(Secret Avengers II#1 - BTS) - Andras Bertesy, a Hungarian arms dealer, dabbled in dark magic and led a cult that worshipped the Dweller-in-Darkness. After selling access to the Darkforce dimension to terrorists Bertesy was targeted by SHIELD, who sent Hawkeye and Black Widow after him. Hawkeye got caught and ended up chained to the ceiling in a room with a statue of the Dweller-in-Darkness inside. Bertesy used drugs, a psychic and parasite left behind by the Dweller-in-Darkness to interrogate Hawkeye, but he had been brainwashed and couldn't remember why he was even there. Black Widow came to Hawkeye's aid and took down Bertesy and his men while Nick Fury Jr. stopped the terrorist at the White House.
Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler, defined by Roger Stern and Tom Sutton.
The Dweller-in-Darkness and D'Spayre also appear in Adventures of the X-Men#11 and 12 (February-March, 1997), That reality was shown to be the same as that of Galen of Taa, who would become Galactus in the next reality. The implication is that that reality was the precursor of Earth-616.
Dweller-in-Darkness received an entry in OHotMU Horror 2005 wherein his possible origin in the previous universe was included, but not as a proven fact. It was finally confirmed in Journey into Mystery I#633!
Higher than the Sixth Dimension, eh? I know that it was not the original plan, but coincidentally the Dweller is now confirmed to be from the Sixth Cosmos (the second last Multiverse from which Galactus also originated from). BTW the current Marvel Universe is the Eighth Cosmos, which was created after Secret Wars III and is pretty much a copy and direct continuation of the Seventh Cosmos with many little or not so little changes!
--Markus Raymond
The Great Fear storyline is the ONLY good use
of D'Spayre I've ever read (and I've read them all).
He's usually a two-dimensional (which is his nature),
predictable, boring villain. This story made him into a clever
and manipulative being, able to outwit his obvious superiors in
power. Subsequent stories have all been the same: "D'Spayre
(or other fear being (ie. Nightmare)) crushes hero with feelings
of defeat. Hero rallies, conquers doubts and fears, and defeats
D'Spayre." This story had that, too, but at least the
getting there was exciting.
Actually, the Adventures of the X-Men stories were good uses
of D'Spayre, too.
You'd think the Dweller, and/or Nightmare,
would be getting some revenge on D'Spayre at some point.
As pointed out by Per Degaton Spite, a demon formerly trapped within the Crimson Cosmos, claimed to be the sister of D'Spayre in the pages of X-Men Unlimited I#12. If this is the case, Spite may have been created by the Dweller-in-Darkness as well. Of course demons are not the most honest of creatures, so Spite could have been lying about her relationship to D'Spayre.
Spite was confirmed as a creation of the Dweller-in-Darkness in OHOTMU Horror 2005.
Morton and Jack Krammer...one of many tributes to the Honeymooners.
It#s hard to get good images of the Dweller's early appearances, because he was always...dwelling in darkness.
The Dweller-in-Darkness has handbook profiles in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror 2005, Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC#3 and SC#3.
Profile by Snood. Update by Markus Raymond (Journey into Mystery).
Clarifications:
The Dweller-in-Darkness of the Fear Lords has no known connection
to:
Everyone loves the "extra"
dimensions, and I'm guessing that the Sixth Dimension to which
the Dweller refers is not:
The Halls of Fear, the headquarters of the Dweller of Darkness, is apparently a piece of architecture, or a pocket realm, which the Dweller can easily transport with him between dimensions. The corridors are lined by the inert forms of his Shade-Thralls, and there is a large meeting hall. This is the site from which he launched his "Great Fear" plot.
--Doctor Strange II#32 (33, 35-37, 31/2-33/2, 35-37, Journey into Mystery I#633, 636
|
They are actually human victims,
who have been manipulated into killing themselves (and sometimes
others) by the Dweller. They appear in the form of shadow
creatures or demonic beings. The Shade-Thralls can cause fear in
others, and possess great strength, enabling them to drag even
beings with Class 100 strength into the shadows, further
increasing their terror. The Thralls' strength is most likely
enabled by the fear of a victim. Those who do not fear them are
unlikely to be harmed by them. |
|
|
The first, Theresa Mendel, a college chemistry instructor, set himself on fire with a Bunsen burner in front of a classroom. She died in the blaze, but her body was never found --Thor I#229(fb) |
|
The second, Moe Hartwell, ignited a box of dynamite he was sitting on at a construction site. --Thor I#229(fb) |
|
The third brought a gun on a plane and shot the pilot and co-pilot, causing the plane to crash, killing everyone aboard. --Thor I#229(fb) |
|
Hercules observed the fourth, a man, open a gas valve and light a match, killing himself, blowing up his apartment, and setting the entire building on fire. --Thor I#229 |
 |
Jack Krammer and Morton
were two sewer workers. Morton was torn to pieces by the
Shade-Thralls or some other tentacled being. Jack escaped and
stumbled into the sanitation offices, where he then blew up a gas
main, killing himself and his co-workers. |
|
A man got nearly run over by a car in New York and then got influenced by the Dweller to blow himself up by lighting a hot dog vendor's propane gas tank. The man turned into a smoke monster that was defeated by Doctor Strange and Clea. His body liquefied and formed a pool on the ground. The demon Ludi emerged from the pool (possibly possessing the unidentified man), but was soon defeated as well by Strange and Clea. The man then suddenly reemerged unscathed from the pool. --Doctor Strange II#35 |
|
The "Way of the Shamblu" refers to Catherine L. Moore's short story Shambleau....
(On my site, in French, illustrated by Jean-Claude BARBARELLA Forest)
http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/shambleau.htm
About an alien female Medusa-like space vampire...
In effect, both Nightmare and the Dweller are parasitic in
nature, preying on the emotions of lesser races, but the Dweller has chosen an
unclean " way
of life (by his people's standards) by disembodying his head and becoming
corporeal (after a fashion) (unlike Nightmare who's more ethereal).
--info courtesy of the writer of the Halls of Fear stories in Book of the
Vishanti: Jean-Marc Lofficier
images:
Journey into Mystery I#636, p7, pan2 (main)
Doctor Strange II#31, p4, pan2 (head shot)
Doctor Strange II#30, p16, pan1 (using magic)
Doctor Strange II#30, p11, pan1 (in another dimension)
Thor I#230, p17, pan2 (Dweller's shadow)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#40, p3, pan1 (during Great Fear)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#40, p13, pan4 (without robot body)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#31, p20, pan1 (Hall of Fear)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#31, p19, pan2 (corridor to Hall of Fear)
Thor I#229, p14, pan4 (Shade-Thralls)
Thor I#229, p9, pan2 (Theresa Mendel)
Thor I#229, p9, pan4 (Moe Hartwell)
Thor I#229, p9, pan8 (third)
Thor I#229, p6, pan3 (fourth)
Doctor Strange II#30, p15, pan4 (Jack Krammer & Morton)
Doctor Strange II#35, p6, pan4 (seventh)
Doctor Strange II#35, p8, pan2 (turned into smoke monster)
Appearances:
Thor I#229-230 (November-December, 1974) - Gerry Conway (writer), Rich Buckler (pencils), Chic Stone (#229) & Joe Sinnott (#230) (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Doctor Strange II#30 (August, 1978) - Roger Stern (writer), Tom Sutton (penciler/inker), Jim Shooter (editor)
Doctor Strange II#32 (December, 1978) - Roger Stern (writer), Alan Kupperberg (penciler), Rudy Nebres (inker), Bob Hall (editor)
Doctor Strange II#33 (February, 1979) - Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio (writers), Tom Sutton (penciler), Rudy Nebres (inker), M.J. Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange II#35 (June, 1979) - Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio (writers), Tom Sutton (penciler), Pablo Marcos (inker), Allen Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#36-37 (August-October, 1979) - Roger Stern, Ralph Macchio (writers), Gene Colan (penciler), Dan Green (inker), Allen Milgrom, M.J. Duffy (editors)
Doctor Strange II#58 (April, 1983) - Roger Stern (writer), Dan Green (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Fantastic Four Annual#23 (1990) - Len Kaminski (writer), Grec Capullo (pencils), Larry Mahlstedt (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#31 (July, 1991) - Jean-Marc Lofficier, Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Larry Alexander (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#32-33 (August-September, 1991) - Jean-Marc Lofficier, Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Larry Alexander (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme#38-40 (January-March, 1992) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Geof Isherwood (penciler), Jim Sanders III (inker), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Adventures of the X-Men#11-12 (February-March, 1997) - Ralph Macchio (writer), Yancey Labat (pencils), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Journey into Mystery I#633 (March, 2012) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Ricahrd Elson (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Journey into Mystery I#636 (June, 2012) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Ricahrd Elson (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Journey into Mystery I#645 (December, 2012) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Stephanie Hans (artist), Lauren Sankovitch (editor)
Secret Avengers II#1 (April, 2013) - Nick Spencer (writer), Luke Ross (artist), Tom Brevoort &aump; Lauren Sankovitch (editors)
First Posted: 10/26/2001
Last updated: 10/06/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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