ROSE of PURITYROSE of PURITY
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Wasteland) alien
Occupation: God of Purity
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Unnamed alien (Zaffer and Damask);
Defenders (Hellcat, Hulk, Namor, Son of Satan)
Enemies: Enchantress;
briefly the Defenders
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: God of Purity
Base of Operations: A planetoid in the Wasteland
First Appearance: Defenders I#107 (May, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: The Rose is telepathic and empathic, and it can alter reality around it (or perhaps merely generate highly convincing illusions). It rewards hope and positive emotions by generating a virtual paradise. As most other forms of plant, it is essentially immobile and fixed to one spot via its root system. It apparently does not require sunlight, heat, or nutrition, and is likely a magical entity.
The Rose is pained by violent emotions and is apparently susceptible to physical harm. Its physical properties can be utilized in a spell to restore lost purity.
History:
(Defenders I#108 (fb) - BTS) - The Rose is apparently a survivor
of a race once prolific. It dwelled upon the surface of a
planetoid in the Wasteland, the last of its kind. Eventually,
approximately 100, 000 years ago, an alien ship crashed on the
surface of the planetoid. The Rose nurtured the pair of
survivors, Zaffer and Damask, bringing them peace, tranquility,
and love. In return for these pleasant emotions it provided them
with light, warmth, and everything they needed to survive. It
transformed the surface of the planetoid into a paradise-like
realm.
And their was much rejoicing.
(Defenders I#107) - Amora the Enchantress sought the Rose of Purity in order to become worthy of a manifestation of the abstract entity, Love. She learned its location, on the Wasteland, from Karnilla.
(Defenders I#108) - Amora confronted the Defenders, threatening to destroy the true body of the Valkyrie if they failed to retrieve the Rose of Purity for her. A quartet of Defenders agreed to follow her demands, and she sent them to the Wasteland. There they found a pair of aliens, with Damask playing a lyre-like instrument and Zaffer dancing happily, before the Rose. The aliens sang a song, and the Rose once again transformed the surface of the planetoid into an Eden. While the other Defenders rejoiced in the perfection which met their every need and desire, the Hulk exclaimed his torment, "World is nice--and maybe Hulk would like to stay here some time. But sword-girl is dead--and we must have Rose to bring her back!"
Zaffer became angry that he would want to steal their god, and the Hulk escalated things by punching him. Enraged, Zaffer rose and smashed the Hulk to the ground with a powerful blow, while simultaneously grasping Namor and Daimon with his tentacles and hurling them aside as well. The trio of male Defenders returned and ganged up on Zaffer, while Patsy (Hellcat) approached the Rose and raised the Valkyrie's sword to cut it down. Damask tried in vain to stop her, but her frail form was no match for the fighting fury of the Hellcat, who tossed her aside with ease. As the men continued their brutal struggle and Patsy raised again raised the sword, the paradise around them vanished, leaving the barren Wasteland again. Realizing that they were costing the aliens their paradise, Patsy put down the sword and convinced the others to stop fighting. Damask and Zaffer were lamenting that their god had forsaken them, but the Rose then restored the paradise and spoke out to its residents: "I cannot forsake you my children! 'Tho your violence did me grave psychic damage--'tho the travelers from beyond nearly destroyed me--I see now that what has transpired here this day--has been of import to us all! For what man, woman--or god--can truly appreciate any paradise--until he has walked through the wasteland of his own heart?"
The Enchantress then left the Defenders trapped there, and went to slay the Valkyrie's form, but the other Defenders stopped her. Zaffer invited the Defenders to live in the paradise of the Rose, and Namor realized that they might have no choice but to accept.
(Defenders I#109 - BTS) - Dr. Strange summoned the four Defenders from the Wasteland to Asgard to oppose the Enchantress and her agents.
Comments: Created by Jean Marc DeMatteis and Don Perlin.
The Enchantress sought the Rose to "regain the purity that once was mine." I'm not sure whether she was speaking spiritually or anatomically...probably the former. If it's the latter, I'm pretty sure there's surgery for that now!
Zaffer and Damask are words I found in the Thesaurus for blue and red, respectively. I'm sure the tones aren't quite right, but I like how the names sound.
Thanks to Brandon Nash for pointing out Zaffer and Damask's names were confirmed in the Rose of Purity's profile in Defenders: Strange Heroes (2012).
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
A desolate, barren planetoid in a dark dimension, the Rose of Purity dwelt there. Approximately 100, 000 years ago an alien ship crashed on the planetoid, leaving only a pair of survivors. Under the guidance of the Rose, the pair became quite peace-loving, and it rewarded them by making the land around them into a virtual paradise. If the Rose is pained by violent emotions, however, the world reverts to its original form. The aliens also apparently perform regular rituals in which the world reverts to the Wasteland, and they celebrate their peace and love, and the Rose returns the land to its Eden-like state.
--Defenders I#107 ([108(fb)], 107, 108
Zaffer and Damask
A pair of aliens whose
ship crashed on the planetoid approximately 100, 000 years ago.
They were the sole survivors, and the Rose transformed the
Wasteland into a paradise to support them.
Zaffer was a warrior, but
with the guidance of the Rose, he turned his back on his violent
past and became a creature of peace and love. However, if
something threatened the Rose, whom they worshipped as a god, or
presumably Damask, his lover, his rage would resurface and he
would revert to a brutal violent creature in a fight.
Zaffer is approximately 10' tall, immensely
strong (Class 100) and durable, able to fight the Hulk, Namor,
and the Son of Satan simultaneously, though they eventually
gained the advantage over him. He also possessed a tentacle under
each arm, which was of comparable strength to his normal limbs.
Damask's original occupation is unknown, but she became Zaffer's lover at some point. The two dwelt under the nurturing care of the Rose for "ten times ten thousand years."
--Defenders I#108 ([108(fb)], 108
Appearances:
Defenders I#107-108 (July-August, 1982) - JM DeMatteis (writer), Don Perlin (pencils), Sam Trapani, Rick Magyar, Jack Abel (inkss), Al Milgrom (inks/editor)
First Posted: 12/03/2003
Last updated: 09/03/2016
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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