OTHER REALM
Type: Alien World; "Microverse"
Environment: Essentially Earthlike;
Other Realm is a world where physical laws differ significantly from those of Earth. It is essentially a world of Swords and Sorcery. It is composed of a large, central planetoid, but many smaller, rocky masses are able to float in its atmosphere. While these smaller land masses float in the air, the natives are unable to float through the atmosphere without the assistance of winged steeds. If one steps off of a floating landmass, one would then fall to the world below.
In addition, Other Realm is apparently part of a collapsing universe, which is slowly progressing towards its eventual outcome as a black hole.
Usual means of access: Magic
Dominant Life Form: Humanoids;
also present are winged
horse-like creatures
Significant Inhabitants: Balnac, Barq, Duna, Garth, Gorjoon,
Lambert, Sashiel, Stargod, Arisen Tyrk and his soldiers;
John Jameson/Man Wolf/Star-God spent some time here
Significant Locations: Sky City of Arisen Tyrk
Significant Items: Godstone
First Appearance:
(natives) Creatures on the Loose#36 (July, 1975)
(Other Realm) Marvel Premiere#45 (December, 1978)
History:
(Marvel Premiere#45 (fb)) - Other Realm is a world of swords and sorcery which has existed under the benevolent rule of the Stargod for an unknown period of time. Eventually the Stargod grew old and weak. To spare his world from his decay, he opened a portal into Earth-616 and went to Earth's moon to die. He left behind his essence in the form of the Godstone, which remained on the moon long after his body had disintegrated.
Ancient prophecies foretold that in the evil times, Stargod would be reborn to save the people of Other Realm.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#124-BTS) - Centuries later, the Godstone was found by astronaut John Jameson. The energies of the Godstone transformed him into the form of the Stargod, but the radiations that leaked through the portal to Other Realm were so weak that the change was only partial. Jameson gained the form, strength, and primal fury of Stargod, but lacked his wisdom and power. Jameson's own intellect was submerged beneath the fury of his bestial form and he became the Man-Wolf whenever the moon shone upon the Godstone, which quickly bonded to his form.
(Defenders I#71 (fb) / Marvel Premiere#46 (fb) - both BTS) - Arisen Tyrk rose to become the tyrannical God-King of Other Realm, dwelling in his floating Sky City.
(Creatures on the Loose#36 (fb)-BTS/ 33-BTS) - Tyrk sought the power of the Godstone on Earth, but did so through pawns to avoid being confronted by the power of the Godstone.
(Creatures on the Loose#36-37) - A group of rebels of Other Realm--consisting of Garth, Gorjoon, and Lambert--sought out the Man-Wolf, hoping to bring him to Other Realm, in the hopes that he might aid them in fighting off the tyranny of Arisen Tyrk. These rebels located the Man-Wolf and, despite much struggle, they directed him towards a portal to Other Realm.
(Marvel Premiere#45-46) - The Man-Wolf leapt through the portal to Other Realm, where he regained his own mind. The warriors of Other Realm explained the origins of Stargod and enlisted Jameson to help against Tyrk, giving him the Sacred Sword of the Stargod. They flew towards Sky City, but their initial force was overpowered by Tyrk's undead warriors. Only Jameson and Gorjoon escaped capture. Sashiel was slain and the wizard Lambert's hands were cut off.
Jameson and Gorjoon made their way to Sky City where they freed their allies and confronted Tyrk. Jameson accessed the full power of the Stargod to destroy Sky City and overpower Tyrk, after which he transported himself back to Earth.
(Defenders#71 (fb)) - The rebels left Tyrk for dead and turned towards drunken celebration. In an effort to escape capture, Tyrk fled into the extradimensional portal.
(Savage She-Hulk#13 (fb)) - Jameson/Man-Wolf was injected with a deadly isotope, and the Godstone attempted to protect him by transporting him to Other Realm, but it couldn't for some reason, and instead sent him to a sub-atomic crystalline pocket realm. Back in the form of Stargod, Jameson managed to construct a battery and transmitter from which he transmitted his story to Richard Rory's radio station.
Unbeknownst to either of them, the crystalline pocket realm was connected to a sub-atomic portal within Jen Walter's necklace, which she had accidentally left with Rory at her last visit.
(Savage She-Hulk#14 (fb)) - For unknown reasons, the process of shrinking/collapse of Other Realm was rapidly accelerated. Lambert attempted to halt the process, but found it far beyond his diminished powers. As the universe contracted and collapsed, it became a "Microverse" and developed a connection or portal within the bloodstream of the She-Hulk on Earth-616. The She-Hulk's volatile physiology aggravated the process even further, irrevocably accelerating it.
Lambert was able to determine that the She-Hulk was somehow central to this process, although he did not learn the specifics.
(Savage She-Hulk#13) - Unable to contact Stargod, Lambert managed to access Earth by means of the Shadow Cloak of Hellcat, and he brought her to Other Realm. They then used the Shadow Cloak to locate the She-Hulk. Of course, a battle based on a misunderstanding resulted, and Lambert summoned the entire army of Other Realm to oppose her after she easily defeated Garth and Gorjoon. Ultimately, the She-Hulk overpowered this army, too, and Lambert himself fled back to Other Realm, although he managed to snag the Shadow Cloak as he teleported away.
(Savage She-Hulk#14) - The warriors of Other Realm, stranded on Earth and having no means to locate any of their targets, went to a bar where they got drunk and rowdy. Meanwhile, Lambert managed to amplify the vestiges of Hellcat's former mental powers to enable her to re-establish a link with the Shadow Cloak. Hellcat then located the She-Hulk, who had gotten into another brawl with the rowdy warriors.
Hellcat used the Shadow Cloak to teleport Garth, Gorjoon, and the She-Hulk to Other Realm. However, as Other Realm existed "within" the She-Hulk's bloodstream, she could not be transported into the Realm. Instead, she continued to shrink in size in an effort to enter the Realm, while the Realm (connected to her physiology) was caused to shrink to maintain its proportion with her. The cycle continued, causing ever more rapid shrinking of both She-Hulk and Other Realm, causing it to rapidly approach the point of collapsing into a black hole.
The She-Hulk was shunted into the crystalline realm where she found the Man-Wolf. Hellcat found them both and explained what was going on. Hellcat brought Jameson back to Other Realm where he used his vast power in an effort to harness and alter the vibrational attunement of the realm, to reverse its shrinking. He required the She-Hulk to hold an immense broadcasting jewel to allow Jameson to shunt the energies from Other Realm into that crystalline realm. Jameson succeeded in the process, restoring Other Realm to its previous state prior to the rapid acceleration of the shrinking.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Jen Walter's necklace was shattered, which caused the portal it contained to release the energies Jameson had sent into the crystalline realm, saving She-Hulk from being destroyed.
(Captain America I#406, 407-BTS) - Dredmund Druid tapped into the full powers of the Godstone, briefly becoming Star Wolf, before having the connection severed.
Comments: Created by David Anthony Kraft and George Perez.
The full detail on the Godstone is beyond the scope of this profile. It will be covered eventually, but it is present in every appearance of the Man-Wolf, as well as the Man and Wolf mini-series running through Captain America I#402-407.
The plot behind She-Hulk#13, 14 is what is known as 1970s doobie-induced science fiction. In those stories, Other Realm had become an atom within the body of the She-Hulk, and the crystalline realm in which Stargod was trapped was within a sub-atomic region within one of the pearls of Jen Walters' necklace.
It is currently believed that "Microverses" are not actually within the atoms of "larger" realms, such as Earth-616, but are just on a different plane that is accessed by the energies released when one shrinks smaller than the size at which a living being can exist. Anyway, it's a fun read, especially if you've had a beer or two and try not to think about it too much. I recommend a nice, light American beer like Iron City for this story. Don't drink Coors Light though, that's like having sex in a canoe.
The Shadow Cloak used by Hellcat at the time of those stories was taken from one of the Agents of Fortune, @ Defenders I#58-60, also written by Kraft.
I think the "Small Expectations" adventure hinted at in Captain Marvel V#6 indicated that all of the Microverses had been merged into a single realm. Other Realm fits the microverse classification, or at least it did, so it would make possible a meeting between Captain Marvel and/or Rick, and the warriors of Other Realm. Maybe even the true Stargod or a new incarnation could show up.
I don't think that the events described in the Lifestone Tree discussion in Thunderbolts#45 + 46 inherently contradict the origins of the Godstone. It just takes a mild re-interpretation. It may be that the original Stargod received his power from the Godstone, and through it from the Lifestone Tree. When he died, he instilled his essence into the Godstone and it was merely ASSumed that he had created it. It is conceivable that the original Stargod could have been one of the other seven Guardians of the Galaxy, but it is equally likely that the Godstone is just one of the many shards of the Lifestone fragments. If I wrote the stories, I would definitely make it the former.
Anyone want to ask Fabian what he thinks?
Perhaps the original Stargod was actually Luke Garrow, the lunatic therianthrope known as Howler. Howler was last seen in Marvel: The Lost Generation #6, on the moon in 1969, where he had been eviscerated at the hands of Scythe. Maybe the mortally wounded Howler managed to crawl to the portal and found himself transported through time and space to Other Realm centuries earlier, and perhaps HE started the whole legend of the Stargod to begin with. -- John Kaminski
Clarifications:
Other Realm should not be confused with:
The Godstone should be distinguished from
The original Stargod should be distinguished from:
and,
as I'm getting weary of these clarifications, no one else from
Other Realm has any connection to any other similarly named or
powered beings or items unless otherwise specified.
see Arisen Tyrk for his own set of
Clarifications
whew!!!!
He is one of the warriors summoned by Lambert to Earth to battle the She-Hulk. After the brief struggle, he was stranded on Earth, but made the best of things by consuming mass quantities of ale and riding the bucking bronco barrel at a bar.
--She-Hulk#13, (named) #14
A mute warrior, he participated in the assault on Tyrk's Sky City. He was not seen after the initial defeat.
--Marvel Premiere#45
She lost her right hand while being tortured by agents of Arisen Tyrk. She was present alongside Jameson in the initial assault on Tyrk's fortress and was captured by his men. She was freed by Jameson/Stargod and it was she who finished off Tyrk.
--Marvel Premiere#45 (46
Garth
of Mournhelm
Garth has somewhat of a leadership role amongst the warriors of Other Realm. He led the expedition to Earth, and in space, he also wore a suit of armor, which enabled him to save the Man-Wolf from the vacuum of space when he had unexpectedly transformed during a spacewalk and shredded his own protective suit in a blind panic.
Garth participated in the assault on Sky City, although he was captured by Tyrk's undead warriors. He was freed by Jameson/Stargod and was present at Tyrk's defeat. He and Gorjoon accompanied Lambert to Earth and led the effort to bring the She-Hulk to Other Realm.
--Creatures on the Loose#36 (37, Marvel Premiere#45, 46, She-Hulk#13, 14
Also known as the Weirdstone, the Bloodgem, the Moongem, and the Moonstone (see clarifications)
It allegedly received power from the Lifestone tree, which empowered the original Guardians of the Galaxy in the distant past (see Comments).
It contains the essence and power of the Stargod of Other Realm, and was the source of power to John Jameson/Man-Wolf/Stargod and Dredmund Druid/Star Wolf.
--Amazing Spider-Man I#124, (named as Weirdstone) Creatures on the Loose#36, (named as Godstone) Marvel Premiere#45 (Marvel Premiere#45 (fb) - BTS, Thunderbolts#, Amazing Spider-Man#124, 125, Giant Size Super-Heroes#1, Creatures on the Loose#30-37, Marvel Premiere#45, 46, Marvel Team-Up I#36, 37, Amazing Spider-Man#190(fb), 188-190....Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#2, Savage She-Hulk#13(fb), 13, 14...[Captain America I#402, 403], 404-407
Gorjoon was one of the head warriors and was present on all missions, alongside Lambert and Garth. He and Jameson/Man-Wolf were the only ones to escape the initial capture by Tyrk, and he accompanied Jameson back to the Sky City to free the others.
He is quite hot-tempered and will fight at the drop of a hat. He uses a staff able to discharge blasts of energy.
--Creatures on the Loose#36 (37, Marvel Premiere#45, 46, She-Hulk#13, 14
A sorcerer, Lambert appears to be the spokesman and acting leader of Other Realm. He directed the mission to bring Jameson to Other Realm, but after he was captured by Tyrk's agents, both of his hands were cut off in order to decrease his ability to cast spells.
He detected the acceleration of the shrinking of Other Realm, identified the She-Hulk as being associated with the process, and made possible many of the trips to and from Other Realm, usually by accessing the Shadow Cloak.
His abilities before the amputations of his hands are undefined, but they were much greater than afterward. As such, he is limited to minor spells, and is usually required to access or amplify another power source in order to accomplish anything of significance.
--Creatures on the Loose#36 (37, Marvel Premiere#45, 46, She-Hulk#14(fb), 13, 14
She greeted Jameson/Man-Wolf on his initial arrival in Other Realm, but was killed in an attack by Tyrk's undead warriors.
--Marvel Premiere#45
Stargod
(Marvel Premiere#45 (fb) - BTS) - Stargod was the benevolent and much-loved ruler for an unknown period of time. Eventually the Stargod grew old and weak. To spare his world from his decay, he opened a portal into Earth-616 and went to Earth's moon to die. He left behind his essence in the form of the Godstone, which remained on the moon long after his body had disintegrated.
Ancient prophecies foretold that in the evil times, Stargod would be reborn to save the people of Other Realm.
(Amazing Spider-Man I#124-BTS) - Centuries later, the Godstone was found by astronaut John Jameson. The energies of the Godstone transformed him into the form of the Stargod, but the radiations that leaked through the portal to Other Realm were so weak that the change was only partial. Jameson gained the form, strength, and primal fury of Stargod, but lacked his wisdom and power. Jameson's own intellect was submerged beneath the fury of his bestial form and he became the Man-Wolf whenever the moon shone upon the Godstone, which quickly bonded to his form.
(Marvel Premiere#45, 46 - BTS) - Jameson donned the costume and took the weapons of Stargod, and ultimately managed to access his full power to overthrow Arisen Tyrk.
(She-Hulk#13, 14) - Jameson/Stargod contacted Richard Rory on Earth and indirectly directed him to reunite with the She-Hulk. With She-Hulk's aid he succeeded in saving Other Realm from destruction and restored it to its former state.
Jameson has somehow managed to access the form and power of the Man-Wolf since his separation from the Godstone; this is presumably due to the manipulations of Dredmund Druid and Nightshade.
Technically this is an image of Jameson as Man-Wolf/Stargod, but since he took Stargod's form and wore his costume, I'd say that's the closest we're likely to ever get.
--Marvel Premiere#45 - BTS
winged "horses"
These were used as steeds to carry the rebel warriors towards Tyrk's Sky City.
--Marvel Premiere#45
Other appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man I#124 (September, 1973) - Gerry Conway (writer), Gil Kane (pencils), John Romita & Tony Mortellaro (inks), Roy Thomas (editor) - BTS
Creatures on the Loose#33 (January, 1975) - David Kraft & Tony Isabella (writers), George Perez (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Roy Thomas (editor) - BTS
Creatures on the Loose#36-37 (July-September, 1975) - David Kraft (writer), George Perez (pencils), Frank McLaughlin (#36) & Fred Kida (#37) (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Defenders I#71 (May, 1979) - Ed Hannigan (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Savage She-Hulk#13-14 (February-March, 1981) - David Kraft (writer), Mike Vosburg (pencils), Frank Springer (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Captain America I#406-407 (September, 1992) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Rik Levins (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor) - BTS
First Posted: 02/18/2003
Last Updated: 11/21/2004
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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