FATHER DARKLYTE

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human (?) magic user

Occupation: Cult leader

Group Membership: Legion of Nihilists (pawns)

Affiliations: Trog, a griffin, an angel (creations); <Cockroach Conspiracy>

Enemies: Byron Hyatt, Katherine Reynolds, Son of Satan (Hellstorm/Daimon Hellstrom)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Cold in the midst of Flame, The Air in the midst of Vacuum, The Absurd in the midst of Causality, The Cause in the midst of the Absurd

Base of Operations: A cavern on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri

Appearances: Marvel Spotlight I#23 (August, 1975)

Powers/Abilities: Father Darklyte siphoned the souls of others into his lantern. He used this energy to create a variety of life-like beings which served his will. He created an immense primitive man (Trog), a griffin, duplicates of Katherine Reynolds, and an angel (which turned out to be a demon). He was immune to many forms of destruction, and he could teleport. He was a nihilist: He believed in nothing, and sought to prove that nothing had any meaning. He was more than willing to sacrifice any and all of his followers for his cause. He spouted mostly contradictions, ie. "I come to bring you soothing agitation..to impart to you the wisdom of ignorance, bring you light from the dark side of the moon, or perhaps simply to kill you."

He commanded the Legion of Nihilists, a group of people in ancient Roman (?) warrior garb, armed with swords.

His lantern was full of insects: the significance of this is unknown (see comments). In addition, his power may have merely illusion.

Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 152 lbs.
Eyes: White
Hair: White

History:
(Marvel Spotlight I#23 (fb) - BTS) - Father Darklyte's origins are unknown, as are the source and nature of his abilities. He came to develop a group of followers, the Legion of Nihilists, who worshipped him.

(Marvel Spotlight I#23) - Father Darklyte ambushed the Son of Satan in his house, made a few non-sensical comments and then created and sent Trog after him. When the Son of Satan destroyed Trog, Darklyte made a few more comments before fading away into nothingness. Darklyte next attacked the Son of Satan by sending a griffin after him. The griffin attacked and apparently killed Katherine Reynolds. It then carried the Son of Satan into the air, but Hellstrom released the full force of his darksoul and broke the griffin's neck. Darklyte then created eight new forms for Katherine, and then vanished once again. Hellstrom then used his soulfire to destroy the duplicates, apparently leaving one the real one standing. However, they then saw Katherine's original body, still lying on the ground, dead. Believing Katherine to be truly reincarnated, Hellstrom incinerated her original body.

   Hellstrom traced Darklyte's energies to a cavern where he was leading a ritual of his followers, the Legion of Nihilists. After seeing Darklyte kill one of the Legion to re-power his lantern, Hellstrom attacked the group. Darklyte created and sent an angelic figure after him, but it turned into a demon as he killed it with a blast of soulfire. He turned his soulfire on Darklyte, who merely laughed it off. Enraged, Hellstrom again released the full power of darksoul, and unleashed a blast of flame that engulfed the entire cavern, slaying all of the Legion, except one woman who shielded herself behind Hellstrom. Father Darklyte's now-empty robe collapsed to the ground, and his lantern shattered, releasing a group of insects.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber, Mike Friedrich, and Sal Buscema.

I think Darklyte may be part of the Cockroach Conspiracy. This story is classic, seventies Gerber at his best. Father Darklyte has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1970's Handbook. New and additional images and sub-profiles by Markus Raymond. Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Father Darklyte has no known connection to:

• any other father or dark characters

The angel should not be confused with:

• any other angel or demon

The griffin should not be confused with:

• Griffin - mob leader, robbed armored truck; encountered Secret Stamp--USA Comics#7
• griffin - Babylonian, guarded Book of the Vishanti in Temple of Marduk--Strange Tales I#150
• Griffin - lion with wings of eagle. creation of Medusa the Gorgon, battled Argonauts, killed by Hercules--Marvel Preview#10/2
• Griffin (Johnny Horton) - criminal mutated by Secret Empire--Amazing Adventures II#15
• Griffin - robot designed and programmed by Gregson Gilbert--Power Pack I#7
• griffin - Pangean menagerie--Ka-Zar the Savage#9
• Griffin (Eliot Franklin) - Gamma Corps form of Clown of the Circus of Crime--World War Hulk: Gamma Corps#1
• Daffyd "Dave" Griffin - alias of the Welsh Dragon--Wisdom#3
• Rex Griffin - friend of Phantom Eagle--Marvel Super-Heroes II#16
• Lincoln Griffin of New Universe - ally of Mark Hazzerd--Mark Hazzerd: Merc#1
• Lori Griffin - Super-Powers TV show--Ms. Marvel II#4
• Tracey Griffin - Bigger Stronger Man of the All-Hate Squad--Fight Man#1
• Dr. Walter P. Griffin - author of Darkness Falls: Satanism in the USA--Daredevil: Redemption#5
• Griffins - demons summoned by Demon-Fire's Apocalypse to attack Howie Rivers--Vampire Tales#8d
• griffins - race from the Myth-Realm--HULK#21
• any other griffin

Trog has no known connection to:

• Trogg - Asgardian Rock Troll--Thor I#253
• Troglodyte - robot designed and programmed by Gregson Gilbert--Power Pack I#7
• Troglodyte - illiterate criminal--Adventures in Reading Starring the Amazing Spider-Man I#1
• Troglodytes - inbred Britons living in caves by Garrett Castle--Avengers I#115
• any other character with a similar name

angel Father Darklyte created this angelic being with the energies within his lantern inside the cavern base of his Legion of Nihilists and sent it against Hellstrom. The Son of Satan blasted the angel with Soulfire from his trident to reveal the angel's true demonic form and kill it. --Marvel Spotlight I#23

griffin Father Darklye created the griffin with the energies within his lantern near the mansion base of his Legion of Nihilists. It attacked Katherine Reynolds until Hellstrom blasted it with Soulfire from his trident. The griffin countered the fire with energy beam from its eyes and then leapt at Hellstrom to rake his chest with its claws. The griffin lifted Hellstrom up into the sky where Hellstrom broke the griffin's neck with all his remaining strength. The griffin dropped dead to the ground. --Marvel Spotlight I#23

Trog At Daimon's home Father Darklyte created Trog with the energies within his lantern to kill the Son of Satan. Trog, the contradictory future man from one million B.C., tried to hit Hellstrom over the head with his club, Hellstrom destroyed the club with a Soulfire blast from his trident and then struck Trog with the trident in the stomach. The caveman crashed into a bookshelf and vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared. --Marvel Spotlight I#23

images: (without ads)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p2, pan5 (main)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p9, pan6 (head shot)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p14, pan1-4 (absorbing life-energies)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p18, pan4 (cockroaches)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p15, pan7 (angel)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p16, pan4 (angel, true form)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p7, pan3 (griffin)
Marvel Spotlight I#23, p3, pan6 (Trog)

Appearances:
Marvel Spotlight I#23 (August, 1975) - Steve Gerber & Mike Friedrich (writers), Sal Buscema (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Len Wein (editor)

First Posted: 09/19/2001
Last updated: 08/29/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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