SOUL STRANGLER
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: ...hmm...the collective
hatred of the Ku Klux Klan throughout its history, given form?
...or...the spirit of a former Klansman.?
Occupation: Persecutor
Affiliations: unknown connection to the Ku Klux Klan (he refers to himself as their master, although none of them seemed to have any knowledge of him), and possibly the Dragon Circle.
Enemies: Black Panther (T'Challa), Caleb and Ellie Lynne
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Georgia; Manhattan, New York (apparently he can appear anywhere in the presence of the KKK)
First
Appearance: Jungle Action#22 (July, 1976)
Powers: The Soul Strangler is apparently
of a supernatural nature. It can appear at sites of intense
hatred (it has only been seen in the presence of members of the
Ku Klux Klan or the Dragon Circle). It rides a horse, and carries
a flaming pitchfork and a long noose. The pitchfork can project
flames (real fire, or perhaps soul-searing hellfire), or can be
thrown at a victim. It apparently returns to the Strangler's
hands as needed. It tosses the noose over a victim's head, and
then drags them behind its horse as it gallops off. Its horse can
appear and disappear as the Strangler does.
It likely either generates fear and hatred in others, or feeds on
the fear and hatred it finds in others. It is also possible that
it possesses greater power to harm an individual in the grips of
fear. It can vanish, to parts unknown, at will. It's
vulnerabilities and limitations are unknown, but the Black
Panther did manage to physically overcome it on one occasion.
The original Soul Strangler was almost certainly a mortal man. He
did not demonstrate any superhuman powers, but used his costume
and a few tricks to inspire terror in his victims. He used a
skeletal hand (possibly a wooden carving) which he extended from
his sleeve to appear be a supernatural. He, too, carried a
pitchfork and a long noose, but he also used a pistol.
History: The nature and history of the Soul
Strangler is, for the most part, unknown.
(Jungle Action#22(fb))-In 1867, the
original Soul Strangler appeared alongside the Ku Klux Klan in
order to enforce its sentence of Caleb Lynne. He duped Lynne into
believing him to be a demon, shot him in the shoulder, drug him
with the noose, and hung him to his death as the Klansmen
restrained Caleb's wife, Ella.
Monica Lynne, Caleb's descendent, envisioned a different
past, where the Black Panther was there to rescue Caleb, and to
defeat the Soul Strangler.
(Marvel
Premiere#52)-In the modern era, the spectral Soul Strangler
appeared at a KKK rally in Manhattan. He spoke, "Hear
me, men of the Invisible Empire--heed the words of your master! I
have come in your hour of need--to lead you into sacred battle!"
The Klansmen had no idea who he was, and thought he was overdoing
the "spook routine." Again, he spoke, "Hah!
Mortal foes! I am no costumed pretender--I am the embodiment of
your living past! You have chosen the path of hate--it is only
fitting that I lead you on that path!"
The Strangler then revealed the presence of the Black Panther,
who had been observing the rally in secret. The Panther dodged
the Strangler's pitchfork, and leapt atop the Strangler--who then
vanished in a cloud of vapors.
(MarvPrem53)-A
group of Klansmen confronted Reverend Addison Blackburn, the
leader of the Dragon Circle. They planned to take him out into
the swamp and kill him. However, their path through the water was
obscured by a thick cloud of vapors, and they emerged in what
appeared to be the home of Caleb Lynne, circa 1867. They met
Caleb Lynne just before the Soul Strangler appeared. The Black
Panther had been following Blackburn, and leapt down to confront
the Strangler. The Strangler smashed the Panther to the ground
with his trident and dragged him across the ground on his horse.
The Panther eventually managed to regain his footing and yanked
the Strangler from his horse. T'Challa tackled the Strangler and
beat him into submission, at which point the illusions of 1867
faded away--as did the Soul Strangler.
Comments: Created by Don McGregor, Billy Graham, and Rich Buckler.
Changing writer
syndrome. McGregor's plot was
dropped when Jungle Action was discontinued, and the Panther went
off in a new direction under Kirby in the original Black Panther
(see the current Black Panther for a continuation on that
saga. You will NOT be disappointed). Jerry Bingham and
Gene Day touched on it (Dragon Circle, not the Soul Strangler) in
the last two issues of the Black Panther, at which point it
continued in the Marvel Premiere series, under Ed Hannigan and
Jerry Bingham
The Next Issue blurb of Marvel Premiere#52 promised "The
answer at last!". I don't think we got ANY answers.
--What exactly was the Soul Strangler?
--How many times will I re-read these issues, trying to figure
the whole saga out? (5 and counting--and still confused).
--However, it is a fascinating story, with excellent writing.
If you can figure it out, please explain it to me.
If the Soul Strangler, as it appears to be, is
the spirit of hatred, it may have ties to Master Hate,
the cosmic entity embodying hatred.
It would precede Adolph Hitler by many decades, so I don't think
a connection to the Hate Monger is very likely.
However, as pointed out by John
McDonagh/Per Degaton,
"There is another Hate Monger that might be connectable
to him. Fabian Niceza introduced a new Hate-Monger in
Avengers#341-342, JUSTICE#1-2, and I can't remember the exact
issues in NOMAD. This Hate-Monger's origin has not been revealed
to my knowledge, so it is possible to extrapolate a
connection..."
This Hatemonger's also in Nomad
II#12-BTS,13-15, Avengers West Coast#100, and Marvel Comics
Presents#152-155--Snood.
I never could figure out how and why the Dragon Circle and Klan were connected, since the Circle was racially diverse. On top of that, the Soul Strangler, who was clearly tied to the clan, had "dusky" skin. Perhaps it was his spectral nature, or perhaps there's more to it? We'll never know!
CLARIFICATIONS: No
known connections to any other "Soul-somethings."
The Soul Strangler has NOT appeared outside of the "Panther
vs. the Klan" series, which is covered above.
Caleb and Ellie Lynne
were freed after the Civil War, but left with nowhere to go.
Caleb was left with a family (3 sons), a run-down shack, and no
formal education. In 1867, the Ku Klux Klan appeared and
threatened him. Caleb tried to tell politicians in the city, but
they gave him empty promises, and were more interested in getting
his vote. As he headed back to his shack, he was confronted by
the original Soul Strangler, who killed him--leaving Ellie a
widow and single mother.
Caleb was the cousin of Monica Lynne's great-grandfather.
--JunAct#22(fb)
Last updated: 08/01/02
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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