MESSIAH
MESSIAH
Real Name: David Kessler
Identity/Class: Human magic-user
Occupation: Prophet
Affiliations: Devout worshipper of the Christian God
unwitting pawn of Hyppokri, his minions, and
the Six-Fingered Hand;
led a group of followers (Cory Payne, among
others)
Enemies: Defenders (Clea, Devil-Slayer, Dr. Strange, Gargoyle, Hellcat, Hulk, Namor, Nighthawk, Silver Surfer, Son of Satan, Valkyrie (Brunnehilde)), Mephisto, Satan, Satannish, Thog
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Israel
First Appearance: Defenders I#97 (July, 1981)
Powers/Abilities: Chief among his powers was the ability to heal others. He could also evaluate the spirit of others and see their true nature. He could summon an army of warriors--whom he believed to be angels, but were really demons not actually under his control.
History:
(Defenders I#97 (fb)) - David Kessler was a dreamer, an idealist
who thought he could change the world just by preaching a message
of peace. When others gave up on the message, David put his
energies to better use--working at a school for handicapped
children, and other, similar efforts. No matter how hard he
tried, it never seemed to make a difference. Eventually he quit
his job and went to Israel, to seek out his roots.
After 20 days alone in the desert, an angel
appeared to him, telling David that he was the one, true messiah
foretold in the Hebrew scriptures. It filled him with divine
power and sent him to begin his mission of raising the world up
from its current state. Unbeknownst to David, however, the angel
was actually the demon Hyppokri (or one of his agents), one of
the demonic cabal known as the Six-Fingered Hand, and the power
that filled him was anything, but divine.
(Defenders I#97 (fb) - BTS) - David traveled across Israel, performing miracles of healing and slowly recruiting a following. At a kibbutz in Israel, Cory Payne met David, and was taken with his mission. She wrote to her husband, Eric Simon Payne, telling him of the bliss she had found.
(Defenders I#97) - Eric Simon Payne, the Devil-Slayer,
suspected that Kessler might be an agent of the Six-Fingered
Hand, and he contacted the Defenders for assistance. Working with
them, he teleported to Israel, where they witnessed David--in mid-"miracle"--restoring
the site of a blind man. Wishing to test the validity of David's
claims to a healing power, the Defenders--mystically disguised as
normal civilians--brought forth Kyle Richmond (Nighthawk), who at
the time was cursed to daytime paralysis. Eric teased his wife's
belief in Kessler, but he had no explanation when Kessler
finished his work and Kyle walked back to them.
Daimon Hellstrom was less taken aback, and
denounced Kessler as a demon. Kessler tried to touch the soul of
Daimon (and Isaac Christians, at his side), but as he did, the
pair stood revealed as the Son of Satan and the Gargoyle.
Believing them to be agents of the devil, David summoned an
"Army of Archangels" to vent God's wrath on them. The
remaining Defenders revealed themselves and fought back against
the "angels." After a short and brutal struggle,
Kessler returned to his senses and decided that violence was not
the correct path, even against agents of evil. He attempted to
disperse the angels, but found that they no longer responded to
his wishes. Strange then unveiled the "angels" as
demons, and Kessler dropped to the ground, in disgust,
frustration, and anger of his role in these events. These darker
emotions allowed Hyppokri to then take control of David, who then
blasted Devil-Slayer into submission. As he raised his hands to
finish off Devil-Slayer, Kessler managed to reassert his will
again briefly, and he leapt atop Devil-Slayer's sword, ending his
life and exorcising Hyppokri.
The "Army of Archangels" vanished
along with Hyppokri.
Comments: Created by Jean-Marc DeMatteis, Don Perlin, and Joe Sinnott.
Kessler's past was first stated as having been in the 1960s, but this is topical. More likely, his past started 15-20 years before the main story, which was set in the modern era.
David Kessler is pictured in the Six-Fingered Hand an entry in Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
Appearances:
Defenders I#93-100 (March - October 1981) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Joe Sinnott, Al Milgrom (#93-95, 100), Frank Giacoia (#93, 95, 100), Sal Trapani (#96-97, 100) & Jack Abel (#97-98, 100) (inks), Al Milgrom (editor) - Hyppokri only
First Posted: 01/03/2004
Last updated: 06/28/2005
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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