LORD PHYFFE

Real Name: Julian, Lord Phyffe

Identity/Class: Human (former) magic user; British citizen, French resident

Occupation: Businessman

Group Membership: Loose unnamed confederation of mystics including Rama Kaliph, Turhan Barim, and Count Carezzi

Affiliations: Doctor Strange, Clea, Baron Mordo, Rama Kaliph, Turhan Barim, Count Carezzi, Dyskor

Enemies: Doctor Strange, Belphegor

Known Relatives: Augustyne (son)

Aliases: Azrael; Marquess of Phyffe, Count of Pelborough, Viscount of Morland

Base of Operations: Paris, France

First Appearance: Doctor Strange II#9 (August 1975) 

Powers/Abilities: Julian, Lord Phyffe was, by inheritance ("the scion of a line of wizards stretching back to the days of Cromwell" according to Doctor Strange), a naturally very powerful magician, although of weak moral fiber. The extent of his abilities is unknown.

    After his death, as Azrael, Phyffe could cause anything he touched (people, spells, buildings) to age rapidly and crumble into dust; he could also be used by Mordo to channel magic and astral projections

History:  
(Marvel Super-Heroes III#12 (fb); Winter Special 1992) - Augustyne Phyffe revealed that his father and Doctor Strange had once teamed up to destroy the demon Belphegor.

(Marvel Super-Heroes III#14/2 (fb); Summer Special 1993 ) - It was revealed that Phyffe knew Dyskor the Purveyor but had not signed any pacts with him.

(Doctor Strange II#9) - Before Doctor Strange was about to fight a reborn Dormammu, Clea informed Rama Kaliph who, in turn, called on his fellow adepts Lord Phyffe, Turhan Barim and Count Carezzi, and all four journeyed to Strange's sanctum in New York, to lend assistance if needed.

(Doctor Strange II#10) - Phyffe and Rama Kaliph were woken up by the screams of a mad Mordo.

(Doctor Strange II#11) - Phyffe warned Clea that Mordo had escaped.

(Doctor Strange II#15) - Phyffe and Rama Kaliph were roused from their beds by James Mandarin's suicide attempt. Later, Strange told both of them that Earth had been destroyed, but that Eternity had recreated it, including themselves. Phyffe appeared shaken by that revelation.

(Doctor Strange II#16) - Phyffe volunteered to perform an exorcism to free Strange from the clutches of Satan, but lacked confidence.

 (Doctor Strange II#17) - Phyffe and Rama Kaliph left Strange's sanctum to return home, in Phyffe's case England; Phyffe seemed extremely perturbed for unrevealed reasons.

(Doctor Strange II#39) - Phyffe was mentioned as one of Strange's "old allies", having exhibited an "unusual interest" in Mordo. Strange decided to visit him in Paris, where he now resided. As Strange entered Phyffe's Parisian residence, he stepped into a trap meant to make him doubt his vocation. His old friend, Madeleine Saint-Germaine, revealed that Phyffe now served Mordo.

(Doctor Strange II#40) - Strange confronted Phyffe who revealed he switched sides when Mordo promised to save him when he opened the Seven Gates of Chaos. Phyffe fled in his car, pursued by Strange on his cloak of levitation. He called on Mordo for help, but instead the evil sorcerer caused the car to swerve and fall into the river Seine. Strange found that Phyffe had died instantly from a broken neck.

    However Phyffe was raised from the dead by Mordo's sorcery and became a pasty-faced , brown-cloaked living dead whom Mordo christened Azrael. Mordo promised Phyffe eternal rest if he killed Strange. The two battled and Azrael finally laid his hand on Strange causing him to age...

(Man-Thing II#4) - A wizened Strange summoned enough energy to cast a last, powerful spell, calling on both Satannish and the Seraphim, to blast Azrael into oblivion, then rejuvenated himself.

(Marvel Super-Heroes III#12) - At the Bazaar at the End of Unreason, Doctor Strange, accompanied by Augustyne Phyffe, came into Henri-Desire Landru's magic skull store. During Strange's conversation with Landru, Augustyne had a brief talk with the skull of his father which came into Landru's possession in unrevealed circumstances.

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (penciller) and Frank Chiaramonte (inker)).

The name "Phyffe" was mispelled "Phyff" in Doctor Strange II#9, and "Pfyffe" in Doctor Strange II#10, before the common spelling was adopted.

The titles of "Count of Pelborough and Viscount of Morland" are taken from Edgar Wallace's 1923 novel, Chick.

It is obvious that the change in Phyffe's nature and what drove him into Mordo's service was the revelation that he had died and been recreated again. His son, Augustyne, tried to find out what had cause his father's ultimate fall, but never learned the true reason.
    --Dr. Strange blamed the curse of the Diary of the Aged Genghis as at least partially responsible--Snood.

"Profile by" Jean-Marc Lofficier (yes, that Jean-Marc Lofficier!--Snood).

CLARIFICATIONS:  
Azrael should be distinguished from:

It is unclear which Satan that Phyffe intended to free Dr. Strange from. Probably Mephisto or Marduk Kurios.

Any connections between Madeleine Saint-Germaine and the Comte Saint-Germain are unknown.


images:
Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special 1992 II#12, p.24
Marvel Super-Heroes Summer Special 1993 II#14, p.41, panel 1

Doctor Strange II#9 (August, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), F. Chiaramonte (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Doctor Strange II#10 (October, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Doctor Strange II#11 (December, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Doctor Strange II#15-17 (June-August, 1976) - Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Doctor Strange II#39 (February, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Mary Jo Duffy & Al Milgrom (editors)
Doctor Strange II#40 (April, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Ricardo Villamonte & Dan Green (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Man-Thing II#4 (May, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Bob Wiacek (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Marvel Super-Heroes III#12 (January, 1993) - Stuart Hopen (plot), Roy Thomas & Jean-Marc Lofficier (writers), Brian Postman (pencils), Armando Gil (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
Marvel Super-Heroes III#14 (July, 1993) - Roy Thomas & Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier (writers), Greg LaRocque (pencils), Jerry Acerno & Vince Colletta (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)

First Posted: 04/26/2004
Last updated: 04/21/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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