The Four (Satana foes)

The FOUR

MEMBERSHIP: (left to right): Karath, Raga, Ellin, Trachos/Miles Gorney

AFFILIATIONS: Enemies of Satan, Satana and Zannarth; possible agents of the N'Garai, and agents of the Camarilla of the N'Garai; Agathon (agent)

BASE of OPERATIONS: San Francisco, California; The Cave of Winds (a realm of Hell)

APPEARANCES: Haunt of Horror#2/6(text), 2/8 (July, 1974); (2/6(fb)/4(fb) 2/6, 2/8, 4, 5/4)

HISTORY: The Four originally appeared to be a group of four animal-headed demons, worshipped by a cabal of four human sorcerers. With power granted by the Four, the human sorcerers cast a spell that banished the succubus Satana from her father's realm, trapping her on Earth. They next sought to gain power from the Four to slay Satana. The Four demanded a sacrifice of one of them, and their leader, Miles Gorney agreed to be that sacrifice. Satana, not aware of this at the time, had entranced a pawn into assassinating Gorney, in hopes that this would allow her to return to her father's realm. She learned of the planned sacrifice at the last instant, and was unable to stop her pawn, Rich Corbett, before he had successfully completed his mission.

Satana next journeyed to a different portion of the netherworld, where she enlisted the aid of her childhood friend, the incubus Zannarth, in a plan to break through the barrier and return to her father's side. Satana and Zannarth slew the first batch of demons the Four sent against them. The other three, disgusted that Satana retained her full power and was now approaching the Netherworld, slew Trachos, whose spells had apparently failed them. Ellin, Karath, and Raga then confronted Satana and Zannarth, and Ellin succeeded in slaying Zannarth. Realizing most of her powers were useless against them, Satana used her only remaining ability, to strip away their false images of themselves, in hopes of briefly stunning them by making them see themselves as they truly were. However, the three remaining members found themselves revealed as not demons at all, but the other three human sorcerers. Satana attacked and rapidly drained the souls of the three sorcerers, killing them.

Trachos then appeared, revealing himself as Miles Gorney. Satana was powerless against him, but he made no effort to attack her, merely laughing at her helplessness and confusion. He told her both she and the other members of the Four had been pawns of his, but refused to explain any of it to her and vanished.

Satana later returned her efforts to locating Gorney, but was instead captured by Agathon, a satyr-like demon and agent of Gorney. Agathon brought Satana before Gorney, who forced her and her ally, Michael Heron, to battle his demons and servants, while he tempted her with offers of resurrection of her mother, or of her familiar, Exiter. After Heron was slain, Satan discovered that Gorney was, in fact, her father, Satan. He had posed as Gorney and duped the others into following him as the Four in order to test her spirit and worth as the daughter of the devil. Satana, appalled by her father's treatment of her and slaying of Heron, refused to consume Heron's soul and turned her back on her father. Her father than exiled her to Earth for all time.

Miles Gorney appeared to be the president of Consolidated Electronics. In reality, he was merely a form taken by Satana's father, Satan/Marduk Kurios, to test Satana's worth as his heir. To this end, he took another identity, the bull-headed demon, Trachos, and formed a cabal of human sorcerers to oppose and attempt to destroy her. Gorney was seemingly assassinated by an agent of Satana, but it was all part of the ruse.

COMMENTS: Created by Gerry Conway and Romero, explained by Chris Claremont

There were some publishing problems with Satana's stories that appeared in Haunt of Horrror, as detailed by Chris Claremont in issue#5. The original script was lost and other parts were revised. The saga, altogether, is somewhat confusing, but I think I've figured it out after a few readings.

One of the other three's human sorcerer's real first name was John, but it was never clear which one.

Clarifications: The Four (I) have no known connections to:

"The Four" (of Zephyrland), who traveled to Earth to get the aid against Virago, @ Sub-Mariner I#64.

Raga is not to be confused with:

Raga, a pyrokinetic serving the Black Lama, @ Iron Man I#52.

Satan.

Last updated: 08/02/02

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