MELANICUS
Real Name: Melanicus

Identity/Class:  Extra-dimensional (Earth-Who) extra-terrestrial (Kalichuran) being.

Occupation: Would-be universal conqueror

Affiliations: ally of Catavolcus

Enemies: Bedevere, the Doctor, Lords of Althrace, Merlin, Morvane, Prime Mover, Rassilon, Shayde, Sir Justin

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: (former) Althrace, then an unnamed dimension of darkness and void.

(Later) an unnamed nightmare dimension (may be his former prison transformed by the Event Synthesizer), then a church on Earth

First Appearance: Doctor Who Monthly#61 (February 1982)

Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength (level unknown), detailed knowledge of sorcery and science. Able to travel through time. Able to breath fire. Vulnerable to holy water (or maybe just plain water).

History: (DWM#66, fb) - Melanicus was a native of Althrace, a solar system in which all the planets have been joined together, and which contains one of the most advanced civilisations in the galaxy. He was of the race of Kalichura, one of the many species who lived in the system. He developed a passion for war and destruction, and tried to conquer Althrace. Defeated, he fled to another dimension, from which he made contact with the third century Earth despot, Catavolcus. The tyrant king performed a magic ceremony to bring Melanicus into Earth's dimension, and the two forged an alliance.

(DWM#173)  - While travelling through time, Catavolcus and Melanicus briefly ended up on Maruthea, a space station at the centre of the space-time vortex. There they were involved in a large bar room brawl.

(DWM#66, fb) - Before they could carry out their plans to conquer the Earth, Merlin the wizard intervened, reversing the spell that had summoned the demon, banishing him back to the formless, black void that he had come from.

(DWM#61) - The Prime Mover who plays the Event Synthesizer which harmonizes the patterns of time accidentally hits a discordant note for the first time in centuries. This fractures the pattern of harmony, creating a gap in time, allowing the demon Melanicus to escape the formless void he has been trapped in for the last thousand years. He sweeps the Prime Mover aside, and strikes the keyboard, sending temporal ripples through the centuries.

(DWM#62) - Melanicus considers his next move, and suggests he might make himself ruler of all time. The Prime Mover protests, stating that there are those who will stop him. This convinces the demon that he should hide in the abyss of time, "beyond the reach of all", continuing to send chaos and death through all reality. He uses the Synthesizer to transport him and it away to his hideaway.

(DWM#63) - The Doctor and his companions Justin and Shayde enter the nightmare dimension Melanicus has hidden himself in. After getting on a funfair ride, the Doctor and Shayde head down the tracks towards what appears to be a giant version of Melanicus.

(DWM#64) - Shayde shoots the hideous visage that confronts them, and it explodes, having been nothing more than an illusion created by the Synthesizer.

(DWM#66) - Having given up their fruitless search of the insane reality Melanicus has hidden himself in, the Doctor and his companions travel to Althrace, where they are told of his origins. The the various High Evolutionaries combine minds to freeze time itself.

(DWM #67) - With time frozen, the Doctor and Justin are able to pinpoint Melanicus' hiding place. They travel to the devastated Earth, where they can hear music coming from a ruined church. Entering the building, the witness the Prime Mover playing the Event Synthesizer. But then the doors slam shut behind them and as the Mover strikes the keys, the air itself seems to turn evil. Justin snatches the Doctor's hat from his head, scoops up water from the font, and races forward to throw it into the Prime Mover's face. The man screams in agony, and the facade drops away to reveal Melanicus. He attacks Justin, breathing fire as if he were a flame-thrower. Then, while the knight is distracted saving the Doctor from a zombie, Melanicus sneaks outside and begins to climb the church's bell tower. But as he reaches the top, he is confronted by Shayde, who shoots out both his eyes. In agony, the demon looses his grip, and plummets down the side of the tower. He catches himself on the edge of one of the stained glass windows, but inside the church Justin spots the demon, and he plunges through the glass and impales Melanicus on his sword, killing him. 

Comments: Created by Steve Parkhouse and Dave Gibbons.

Melanicus' presence at the party in the bar on Maruthea must have happened before Merlin banished him, as Catavolcus is also seen to be present. In fact Maruthea might be the place where the two first met in physical form, rather than just communicating through telepathy and magic.

CLARIFICATIONS: The Prime Mover should not be confused with:

The High Evolutionaries who meet in the Matrix should not be confused with

  • the High Evolutionary, Herbert Edgar Wyndham, @Thor Vol.1 #134

The Prime Mover

The Prime Mover is the guardian of the Event Synthesizer. For centuries he played the time-moderating device. A chance slip of his hands caused him to strike a wrong note, freeing the demon Melanicus from his imprisonment. Melanicus moved the Synthesizer to a hidden location, and as the device phased out of time, it left behind a whirling vortex that sucked the Prime Mover in. Luckily for the Prime Mover, the Doctor and his companions defeated Melanicus, and time was set aright, returning him to his place at the controls of the Synthesizer.

- DWM#61, (62, 67

The Lords of Althrace

The Lords of Althrace were considered to be fellow "Higher Evolutionaries" by the Matrix Lords of Gallifrey. They were alerted to Melanicus' escape by Rassilon, and sent Dakon Theka (left of picture) and the Thane of Kordar (right of picture) as their representatives to the council that was called to discuss ending his menace. Later they co-ordinated the stopping of time using the combined mental exertions of all the High Evolutionaries, which allowed the Doctor and his companions to locate the stolen Event Synthesizer and defeat Melanicus.

- DWM#62, (63, 65, 66, 67.

The Event Synthesizer

The Event Synthesizer was designed and built by the Lords of Althrace to artificially simulate the effects of a White Hole (which spews out matter into the universe). With it the very flow of time could be regulated. It was operated by the Prime Mover, who helped keep the universe running harmoniously with it. Then Melanicus stole it, and he employed it to create chaos and death throughout all time, until the Doctor and his companions defeated him. When last seen, the Prime Mover was back at the controls.

- DWM#61, (62, 67

Althrace

Althrace was a system of planets inhabited by a number of species. They were so advanced that they had "bolted" their worlds together. Althrace was located next to a white hole, a natural force for creation, and the beings from the system had gained much wisdom and knowledge from this. They used bio-mechanical technology, and their entire system, planets and inhabitants all, had entered a symbiotic relationship, becoming a "single vast, thinking, feeling, intelligent being."

- DWM#65, (66

 by Loki

First Posted: 03/11/2003
Last updated: 03/11/2003

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters