ELEMENTALS

Membership: Hellfire, Hydron, Magnum;
    formerly Zephyr

Purpose: World conquest, through possession of the Ruby (or Scarlet) Scarab

Affiliations: formerly worshipped/served by a group of people in Cairo;
    briefly allied with Hecate

Enemies: Asp,  Janice Carr, Dann, Garret, Hecate, Living Mummy (N'Kantu), Living Pharaoh (Ahmet Abdol), Ron McAllister, Miles Olddan, Dr. Alexi Skarab, Zephyr

Base of Operations: Currently unrevealed;
    formerly the dimensional Aleph;
    formerly Cairo, Egypt (modern era);
    formerly the Palace of the Gods in an unidentified dimension;
    formerly Earth (3500 BC (see comments);
    formerly an unidentified dimension;

First Appearance: (Behind the Scenes, unidentified) Supernatural Thrillers#7 (June, 1974);
    (seen, identified) Supernatural Thrillers#8 (August, 1974)

Powers/Abilities: As detailed below, each of the Elementals had great power over one of the ancient elements: earth, air, fire, or water.  They were apparently immune to the effects of aging and disease and had some degree of enhanced physical power.  They also had certain abilities to manipulate energy, such as for inter-dimensional travel, formation of force fields, etc.

    When possessing the Ruby Scarab, their powers were amplified geometrically.

History:
(Supernatural Thrillers#9 (fb) - BTS) - Zephyr was once a serving wench at a tavern in an unspecified dimension.

(Supernatural Thrillers#14 (fb) - BTS) - The woman who would become Zephyr was promised unspecified rewards if she became one of the Elementals.

(Supernatural Thrillers#11 (fb) - BTS) - Zephyr's part in obtaining the arcane knowledge that transformed four mortals into the Elementals raised her from her lowly station, though the memories of poverty never left her.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8 (fb) - BTS) - The Elementals were cast out of her native universe and traveled to Earth.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8 (fb) / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9) - Arriving on Earth sometime before 3500 BC (see comments), the Elementals (as the four became known for their abilities to control the four ancient elements/forces of nature) carved themselves a kingdom, and their abilities made them seem to be gods.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8 (fb) / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9) - In 3500 BC (see comments), the Elementals sought to extend their domain to the land that would be known as Egypt. A young warrior, Dann, refused to submit to their rule and plotted against them with the wizard Garrett.  The pair joined their two souls to arcane vapors and created the Ruby Scarab, which Dann used to sap the powers of the Elementals and banish them to an unidentified extradimensional realm.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8 [fb] - BTS) - Under unknown circumstances, the Elementals regained their powers and the means to return to Earth.

(Supernatural Thrillers#7 - BTS / Supernatural Thrillers#8 (fb)) - While New York Police Department pursued the Living Mummy, the Elementals teleported him away, transporting him to their extradimensional realm.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8) - Upon N'Kantu's arrival, Magnum forged a legion of earth elementals to bludgeon him into submission. When N'Kantu initially overpowered these, Zephyr summoned a number of whirlwinds to lift N'Kantu into the air, after which Hydron directed molten subterranean lava to strike N'Kantu, and then Hydron unleashed torrential rains to drive N'Kantu the ground. The earth elementals subdued N'Kantu (who, as he collapsed mentioned the name "Nephrus," which somehow reached across the dimensions to reach Nephrus' ancestor, Dr. Alexi Skarab) and then brought him to the Elementals' "Palace of the Gods," where the Elementals told N'Kantu of their plan for him to recover the Ruby Scarab, so it could not be used against them again (and Zephyr seemed a bit sympathetic, referring to him as a "poor, tortured man"). When N'Kantu -- realizing that once they need no longer fear the Scarab they would return to Earth and attempt to subjugate all mankind -- refused, the Elementals attacked him, but Zephyr combined her elemental and womanly skills to take control of his mind and make him their slave without further damaging him. The Elementals then returned him to Egypt, created a means for him to sense the energies of the Scarab, and sent him to recover it.
    Now linked to N'Kantu, Dr. Skarab led his allies Janice Carr and Ron McAllister to Egypt to reunite with the Living Mummy.

(Supernatural Thrillers#9) - From their realm, they watched the Mummy's progress toward Ahmet Abdol, the Living Pharaoh, the current possessor of the Scarab.  The Mummy resisted their control and stopped himself from killing a guard.  The Mummy overpowered Abdol, but the Asp (Rich Harper) stole the Scarab out from under their noses while they fought.

(Supernatural Thrillers#10) - Hellfire and the others criticized Zephyr for the apparent failure of the Mummy, and so she traveled to Earth herself to regain control of the Mummy and recover the Scarab.

(Supernatural Thrillers#11) - Arriving in Cairo, Zephyr took pity on a group of beggars, and cast an illusion to make them believe themselves to be wealthy sultans.  She then struck down another man who tried to get friendly with her.  At last she found the Mummy, badly burnt after an encounter with the Asp.  She healed him and led him to the Asp's room, where the Mummy held hostage the Asp's friend, Miles Olddan.  She had the Mummy lead him back to Dr. Alexei Skarab to steal back the Ruby Scarab.  However, they awoke Dr. Skarab, who shot the Asp in the arm and then revealed the Elementals' plans for the Ruby Scarab.  They decided to join forces to stop the Elementals.

However, the Elementals, having grown impatient with Zephyr's slow progress, deemed her mission a failure and her a traitor. Hellfire, Hydron, and Zephyr traveled to Cairo, where they took Zephyr and Olddan prisoner.  They waited until the Asp, Skarab, and the Mummy returned and then demanded the return of the Ruby Scarab.

(Supernatural Thrillers#12) - While the Elementals bragged and threatened the Mummy and his allies, the Asp snuck around them, leapt up on their floating disc and ambushed them.  He knocked Magnum off the disc and into the arms of the Mummy and then knocked him out.  The Asp punched out Hellfire, but Hydron reacted before he could turn on him, too, and severely dehydrated and incapacitated him.  As the tide turned, Skarab led the Mummy and his two other allies, Ron McAllister and Janice Carr, to flee.  The Asp was added to their prisoners, and the Elementals then slaughtered the Cairo police tactical force that showed up to stop them.

 In order to prevent the Ruby Scarab from getting away from them, the Elementals then combined their powers and created a powerful force field around the entire city of Cairo.  They declared themselves gods and told the people of Cairo that those who served them would be rewarded, while those who opposed them would be slain.  This turned Cairo into a war zone, as half the population sought to obey and assist them, while the other half fought the Elementals would-be servants.

(Supernatural Thrillers#13) - Hellfire forced Israeli troops to withdraw from the Suez canal and across the Sinai.  Magnum created an army of Earth elementals that soundly defeated the Sudanese troops.  Resistance in Egypt was crushed by Hydron.  United Nations forces, as well as the Avengers, were mobilized against the Elementals, but none were given authorization to act in the politically tense Middle East situation.

As they solidified their control, the Elementals set themselves up as the government in Cairo, forcing their tyrannical rule on the people.  Ron McAllister, alongside the Mummy (in disguise), made it close enough to take a shot at Hydron, winging him across the chest and causing him to lose control of the bonds holding their allies captive.  With the aid of Zephyr, they all escaped again.

(Supernatural Thrillers#14) - Zephyr related her past to the Mummy while Dr. Skarab established a link with the Ruby Scarab.  She then helped them fight off a squadron of the followers of the Elementals, but then they were confronted by Hellfire, Hydron, and Magnum themselves.

(Supernatural Thrillers#15) - The Elementals assaulted Zephyr, the Mummy, and their allies, eventually managing to retake the Ruby Scarab.  However, Dr. Skarab managed to maintain his link with the Scarab from a distance and he tapped into its power and warped the entire city of Cairo into a dimensional Aleph (a point in space that contains all other points.  In this case, it was a nexus of realities).  The Elementals and their opponents were transported to the Aleph as well, but all of the other soldiers, citizens, etc., were left back on Earth.  This transfer distorted the Ruby Scarab, such that its energies permeated the air in Cairo.  Both the Elementals and the others found that they could access the energies with equal ability.  Skarab led McAllister, Olddan, Carr, and the Asp, concentrating their mutual mental energies and those of the Scarab and channeling them through the Mummy, Zephyr, and Dr. Skarab.  When they released this energy, Hellfire, Hydron, and Magnum were blasted out of Cairo, and sent screaming and helplessly into the vortex at the heart of the Aleph.

Cairo and the others returned to Earth, and the Ruby Scarab was apparently burnt out.  However, the Asp stole it, and Zephyr and Olddan fled with him.

(Ms. Marvel#12 [fb] - BTS) - Hellfire, Hydron, and Magnum were returned to Earth by the extra-terrestrial explorer known as Hecate.  They agreed to join forces to obtain the Ruby Scarab.

(Ms. Marvel#11) - Hellfire, Hydron, and Magnum located Zephyr, Olddan, and the Asp on a remote Caribbean island (which housed a space research facility), where they overpowered and imprisoned them.  Ms. Marvel sensed the energies being unleashed there and traveled to the island, where she was attacked by the combined powers of Hecate and the Elementals.

(Ms. Marvel#12) - While Hecate battled Ms. Marvel, the three other Elementals located the Ruby Scarab: Hydron dehydrated Zephyr until the Asp revealed its location to save her life.  Now possessing their goal, they turned on Hecate, who was joined by Ms. Marvel in opposing them. Ms. Marvel defeated Hellfire by trapping him in a vacuum chamber and then beating him up when he could no longer access his flame powers. She then learned that Hecate and the Ruby Scarab's powers were stimulating the cavourite crystal as it orbited over Saracen Cay, pushing the crystal to critical mass and threatening the life of Salia Petrie, Carol Danvers' friend who was piloting the ship carrying the crystal. Meanwhile, Magnum and Hydron fought over the right to the Scarab, with Magnum (who was holding the Scarab) claiming victory.  Hecate and Ms. Marvel then divided Magnum's concentration, and Ms. Marvel tore the Scarab from his hand, incapacitating him in the energy backlash. Reverting to Carol Danvers' form and persona by the energy released, Carol, holding the Scarab, threatened to punish Hecate and the Elementals with their lives for killing her friend.

(Ms. Marvel#13 (fb) - BTS) - Ms. Marvel came to terms with Hecate, though none of the others were seen

(Dark Reign Files) - Quasimodo researched the Elementals for Norman Osborn.

COMMENTS: Created by Tony Isabella and Val Mayerik.

The Elementals were certainly interesting beings, but they were never fleshed out. There are a few continuity problems with their origins:

The arrival of the Elementals on Earth:

• They refer to having ruled a portion of humanity before the construction of Atlantis. I don't know the exact construction of Atlantis, but it around some time before 19, 500 BC, when it was populated by barbarian tribe (prior to that it was inhabited by some of the Elderspawn, and it was named Atlantis and chosen to be the mystical/cultural/scientific center of the Earth by the Olympian gods after their defeat of Titans).  They refer to the land that would become Egypt, which was Stygia in the Hyborian era.  Before that, the landmass that became Stygia was inhabited by the Serpent Men, while the people who were the ancestors of the human Stygians were from Lemuria (another Atlantis-like, lost continent located in the Pacific Ocean).
  
• At any rate, as pictured, the costumes were identical to that of the ancient Egyptians!  It would make a LOT more sense to me that they might have arrived on Earth closer to some time after the end of the Hyborian era, as Stygia progressed into Egypt.
  
• Apparently, Mark Gruenwald and the folks doing the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe agree with me!  Based on info given to me by Per Degaton, I did a little more research, and found updated information on the Elementals in the Scarlet Scarab profile in OHotMU I#9. This gives the date of their battle with Dann and Garret as 3500 BC, which makes WAY more sense! (This was during the middle part of the Predynastic Period [circa 4000-3100 BC] for ancient Egypt.--Kyle)
  
• Likely, when Gerber wrote the story, he might have been thinking of the dates of Atlantis more common in real world mythology, than as has been fit into the Marvel Universe.  Gerber's thought process was rational at the time, as Conan the Barbarian's series at Marvel had only started less than two years before, and there was no evidence that Robert E. Howard's world or the Hyborian era had anything to do with the Marvel Universe.
  
• One final point: The Elementals could have arrived on Earth @ 20000 BC and not have sought to extend their domain into "proto-Egypt"until 3500 BC, but that seems to be really stretching it.  I prefer the idea of them coming to Earth in the post-Hyborian era and ruling a small portion of humanity for perhaps years, decades, centuries, or even a few millennia before their banishment.
      

Per Degaton also pointed out that the names Dann and Garret are obvious homage to the Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett.  I hang my head in shame to not have picked that one up:

• In the second Charlton version of this character (who debuted at Fox as a policeman/masked hero), Dan Garett was an archaeologist who used a beetle amulet to power up after saying "Khaji-Dah!".
  http://bluebeetle.50megs.com/Legacy.html
  Hmm......Valkyrie's sword Dragon Fang was created by a sorcerer named
  Kahji-Da per Defenders I#12.......so we have another Blue Beetle reference!
• Also, as the words "Dann" and "Garret" are obviously not Egyptian in origin due to their phonetic structure, both of these characters may have been alien to the Egyptian region themselves. --Kyle
• Finally, Tony Isabella, co-creator of the Elementals, revealed to Per Degaton via personal correspondence that the names Dann and Garret were intentional references to the Blue Beetle.
  

But this wasn't the only thing that Per Degaton learned from Mr. Isabella (who has his own website, Tony's Online Tips).  Verbatim, here's what else he discovered:

Per Degaton: Was the editorial thinking at the time [circa 1974] that Kull and Conan were not part of the Marvel Universe?

Tony Isabella: As I recall, we kept it loose back then. We didn't want to say they weren't, but we didn't want to trap their history or Marvel history in the same box.

    This means that the above discussion about the arrival of the Elementals before Atlantis' construction was not in dispute nor did it contradict any then-established timelines when the group first appeared.  Nevertheless, some great (ret-)continuity spackling has been provided in said discussion. --Kyle

    The dimensional Aleph/nexus seen in Supernatural Thrillers might be meant to represent the same place as the Interzone, seen in Quasar#50.  Just a thought. (The word "aleph" is also the first word in the Hebrew alphabet.--Kyle)

    The Ms. Marvel series was written by Chris Claremont, including#11-13.  While the other Elementals were known to have been defeated and, presumably, were taken to a prison facility somewhere, the fates of Zephyr, the Asp, and Olddan was left up in the air.  They may have been simply released, or they could have been killed by the Elementals.  As of the time of the writing of this profile, they haven't been seen in any stories in the over 25 years since.
...and it wasn't until 2011's Astonishing Thor that we learned their fate!

Are you sure about that?  As their own fates are still unknown, Richard Harper and Zephyr could have become common-law spouses, with Cleo [Nefertiti] as their mutant daughter!  As for your suspicions concerning Harper and Olddan?  Well, I'm sure Anne Heche isn't the only one to come out of the bisexual closet!  Last but not least; I'm not sure if it occurred in the "MS. MARVEL" appearance [b]ut, I'm still positive that, in some Marvel comic, Harper's name was listed as "Daniel Aspen."  Of course, that could easily be ret-conned to an alias he's had more than occasion to use.--Carycomix@aol.com
    The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9 entry on the Scarlet Scarab incorrectly lists the Asp's name as Daniel Aspen. --Snood

The Elementals received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update#2.

    Based on Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot:

• Hellfire has some connection to Chthon;
      see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Chthon from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
• Hydron has some connection to Set;
      see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Set from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
• Magnum some connection to Gaea;
      see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Gaea from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot
• Zephyr has some connection to Oshtur;
      see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot

Profile edited/updated by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

• ELEMATRIX - a creation of Diablo, gigantic being composed of earth, air, fire, and water --Alpha Flight I#103
• ELEMENTAL MAGIC- -[ ], Dr. Strange III#83
• Elemental Obliterator - weapon from Galactus’ store, used by the Elan to remove excess/maddening power from nova
      --Power Pack I#58
• ELEMENTALs of DOOM (Air, Earth, Fire, Water) - non-sentient creations of Diablo, humanoid manifestations of four ancient elements
      --Fantastic Four I#232
• ELEMENTALs of EVIL (Earth, Fire, Water) - component parts of Rok-Korr --Shogun Warriors#2 (3
• ELEMENTELLE - see CRYSTAL - Earth-Morgan, Queen's Vengeance--Avengers III#2
• ELEMENT GUN - weapon of starlord,given by the master of the sun (app-sl)--Marvel Preview#4
• ELEMENTS of DOOM  - humans converted into pure elemental form by Dr. Vassily Khandruvitch
      aka MASTERS of ALCHEMY* --Avengers I#188
• ELEMENTs of DOOM - creations of Dr.Vassily Khandruvitch, created out of pure elements--Thunderbolts#6
• TRIUMVERATE 2099 - single entity, able to split into three elemental forms: Inferno + Kragg + Zephyr
      --XM2099: Oasis
• other "Element" characters, groups, etc.

Hellfire has no known connection to:

• HELLFIRE (Mikal Drakonmegas) --Terror INC#1
• HELLFIRE CLUB - X-Men I#96, Uncanny X-Men#129
• HELLFIRE HELIX - associated with the Bloodgem and Exo-Mind —Marvel Presents#2
• HELLFIRE LEAGUE of INJUSTICE of Earth-Amalgam - Hellfire Club + Injustice League--JLX Unl#1
• HELLFIRE OBJECTIVE - weapon of Ghost/Fu Manchu, based on scalar technology of Nikolai Tesla, Master of Kung Fu II#1
• other Hell or Fire characters, groups, etc.

Hydron has no known connection to:

• HYDRON - Salem's Seven. --Fantastic Four I#186
• other "Hydro" characters, groups, etc.

Magnum has no known connection to:

• MAGNUM, MOSES - former head of DRC - aka MAGNUM FORCE--GS Spider-Man#4
• other "Mag" characters, groups, etc.

Zephyr has no known connection to:

• ZEPHRA of the Hyborian Era - daughter of Zukala, former were-tiger--Conan the Barbarian I#5
• ZEPHRA - Godpack. superhuman speed,female—Thor I#475
• ZEPHYR 2099 - one third of the Triumverate, air elemental--XM2099: Oasis
• ZEPHYRLAND dim (                                              )- extra-dimensional realm of the Zephyreans--Sub-Mariner I#64
• other "Zeph" characters

HELLFIRE

The leader of the Elementals, he could generate flames over an entire city.

--Supernatural Thrillers#7-BTS, 8 (8(fb), [7], 8-15, Ms. Marvel#11, 12, [13]

HYDRON

Perhaps the most bloodthirsty of the Elementals, he had vast control over water and particularly enjoyed dehydrating victims to the point of near death.  He also had various energy manipulative powers.

--Supernatural Thrillers#7-BTS, 8 (8(fb), [7], 8-15, Ms. Marvel#11, 12, [13]

MAGNUM

He could control earth and rock, splitting great chasms in the ground, creating waves of stone, or creating warriors out of rock.  One account described these warriors as each being as strong as the Hulk, though this was most likely an exaggeration by a reporter, as the Mummy could stand against them, and he can lift about 5 tons.

--Supernatural Thrillers#7-BTS, 8 (8(fb), [7], 8-15, Ms. Marvel#11, 12, [13]

images: (without ads)
Supernatural Thrillers, p9, pan1 (Elementals)
Supernatural Thrillers, p9, pan2 (Hellfire)
Supernatural Thrillers, p10, pan4 (Hydron)
Ms. Marvel#12, p16, pan4 (Magnum)
Supernatural Thrillers, p13, pan1 (Zephyr)

Appearances:
Supernatural Thrillers#8 (August, 1974) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#9 (October, 1974) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#10 (December, 1974) - Tony Isabella, Val Mayerik & Len Wein (writers), Val Mayerik (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#11-12 (February-April, 1975) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Val Mayerik (#11) & Klaus Janson (#12) (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#13 (June, 1975) - Tony Isabella & Val Mayerik (writers), Val Mayerik (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#14 (August, 1975) - Val Mayerik & John Warner (writers), Val Mayerik (pencils), Al McWilliams (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#15 (October, 1975) - John Warner (writer), Tom Sutton (artist), Len Wein (editor)
Ms. Marvel I#11-12 (November-December, 1977) - Chris Claremont (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Frank Giacoia (#11) & Joe Sinnott (#12) (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007)
Dark Reign Files (February, 2009) - Michael Hoskin & various others (writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

First Posted: 04/20/2003
Last updated: 12/01/2013

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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