Affiliations: Used pteradons for transport; presumably worshipped Tezcatlipoca

Enemies: Dr. Raymond Corey, Mr. Fantastic, Ann Reynolds, Skull the Slayer, the Thing, Jeff Turner, and Viracocha

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Currently unknown; formerly the City of Gold, Bermuda Triangle time warp

First Appearance: Skull the Slayer#6 (July, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: The Jaguar Priest had a number of sorcerous powers, only a few of which have been observed. He carried a staff, through which he could channel an unknown form of energy and project destructive force blasts. He could mentally command Pteradons, which he used both as weapons and for transport. He could levitate objects weighing hundreds of pounds. He may also possess limited telepathic powers.

The Priest had a cult of fanatical followers, the Children of the Night, who were savage warriors and willing to die for him. It is unclear whether these cult members used trained jungle cats as weapons, or whether they could actually transform into jungle cats themselves.

History: Very little is known of the origins of the Jaguar Priest. He led a tribe of Aztecs (see below) several centuries ago. Through means not defined, the Priest and his tribe were pulled into the Bermuda Triangle time warp to a period on Earth @ 250 million years ago. After an undefined period of time, another man from the 1940s was pulled into the warp as well. Posing as the Incan sky god Viracocha, this man usurped the Priest's role as ruler, relegating him to the position of field leader on various expeditions.

(Skull the Slayer#6-7) - On one such expedition, Jaguar Priest''s tribe encountered four other time-lost castaways, Skull the Slayer and his three allies. The Incans attacked the four, but after Skull demonstrated his power by slaying an Ichthyosaur (big water-dinosaur), the Priest led them back to the City of Gold. Now possessing the numbers of the city, the Priest ordered his men to capture Skull. However, Viracocha stopped the attack and allowed the four into the city peacefully. Viracocha subjected the four to a test, throwing them into a pit where they had to fight more dinosaurs. However, the Priest, resenting Viracocha's rule, ambushed Viracocha from beyond and pushed him into the pit as well. Skull and his allies slew the dinosaurs, and then captured the Priest.

(Skull the Slayer#8) - The Priest was imprisoned pending a trial, but his Children of the Night came and freed him. The City was then attacked by a group of samurais riding winged dinosaurs. While Viracocha and his soldiers (and Skull and his allies) fought the samurais off, The Priest and his Children took out many of Viracocha's loyal soldiers. At the conclusion of the battle, the Jaguar Priest shot Viracocha with an arrow and retook leadership of the Incan tribe by force.

(Marvel Two-in-One#35-36) - The Priest slew Viracocha as a sacrifice to the Children of the Night, imprisoned Skull and his allies, and then sought to force Skull to surrender his belt of power. Conveniently, the Thing, who had been testing an experimental aircraft, was pulled back through the Bermuda Triangle warp at that exact time. The Thing helped Skull and company to escape the Jaguar Priest , and the two of them rebuilt one of their ships from the damaged parts of the other, and escaped the warp, returning to the modern era. The Priest, however, sought to obtain some of the advanced technology of the modern era for himself to increase his own power. Riding atop a pteradon, he led a group of pteradons to follow the Thing's ship and enter the modern era as well. The Jaguar Priest attacked the heroes, but he and his pteradons were defeated, with the aid of the Thing's teammate, Mr.Fantastic. The Pteradons were taken to the Savage Land, and the Priest fell into the sea, where he was presumably captured and imprisoned.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Steve Gan.

See the Bermuda Triangle entry for further elaboration.

The tribe is referred to both as Incans and Aztecs. I use Incan most frequently, as that would correspond to the god Viracocha, but the truth is uncertain. However, the Jaguar Priest would most likely have worshipped Tezcatlipoca, an Aztec God who is closely associated with jaguars.
Who0 knows? Maybe they're Mayans...

The Jaguar Priest would be a good ally for Zaladane, or someone else in the Savage Land. He's gotta really want revenge on Skull after stewing in prison for so long.

Clarifications:
The Children of the Night have no connection to:

• Children of the Night, servants of the Darkholders, @ Dr.Strange II#59
  
• Children of the Night, former army of Nemesis and Rok, @ Alpha Flight I#116