WARLORD

Real Name: James Morell

Identity/Class: Human Mutate and non-conventional opium user!

Occupation: Leader of a band of rebels

Affiliations: Formerly the U.S. army

Enemies: Cloak, Colonel Tran, Dagger, General Minh

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: An unnamed fortress in the Golden Triangle, Kampuchea

First Appearance: Cloak and Dagger II#11 (March, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: The Warlord used opium to daze the minds of the rebels and manipulate them (see comments). He could imbue his spear, and other projectile weapons, with mystical energy. That energy caused Cloak much pain, despite the protection of his darkforce powers, but was deflected by Daggers light-knives. He had mystically enhanced senses that enabled him to detect Cloak and Dagger whilst they were in darkness, and granted him precognitive visions in the smoke given off by the magic opium. As a former green beret, he had military training. He was skilled in the art of deception.

History: (Cloak and Dagger II#11/2(fb) - The Warlord had been a green beret, and Vietnam veteran, until the opium released his power. He used drugs to control some of the villagers and create his own rebel force. He also stockpiled food and seed grain in order to manipulate the peasants into working in the opium fields.

(Cloak and Dagger II#11/2) - Cloak and Dagger had stowed away on a smugglers plane loaded with weapons, weapons that were to be traded for drugs. Whilst watching from safety, they saw the Warlord's men impersonate Colonel Tran and his troops, stealing a cargo of weapons from the smugglers. As they followed the rebels, General Minh and his battalion reached the site of the ambush. Burdened with the drugs he would have exchanged for the smugglers cargo, he too followed the trail of the Warlords men.

The Warlord was waiting at his fortress for his men to return when a rebel offered him a smoke. Sensing Cloak and Dagger, he declined. He threw a mystically charged spear at them, striking Cloak in the chest. Imbuing the rebels bullets with the same power, he ordered them to kill the teen aged hero's, who shifted away. They returned soon after, and as they did so military jets flew overhead. Dagger drew their attention to the fortress, and they attacked. The battle between General Minh's forces and the rebels set fire to the one existing rice field in the valley. Realising they would starve, Cloak and Dagger offered to take the peasants away to safety. Warlord tried to stop Cloak with a spear, but Dagger's light-knives deflected it into the poppies. As they went up in smoke, General Minh shot the Warlord, only to be killed by the rebels spears. With the Warlord seemingly dead, and nothing left to fight for, the rebels fled. Cloak and Dagger led the peasants to the river before returning to check on the Warlord, who was still alive, though barely. He died, claiming that, without him to feed them, the peasants would die.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo and Larry Stroman

The Warlord controlled the rebels, their drugged minds making them easier to manipulate, as stated in the powers and abilities section. He claimed this was part of his power, but it appeared more likely to be another of his deceptions. However you could go either way on this. For example, when the Warlord dies, his hold over the rebels breaks because A) the rebels see him fall to his apparent death and give up on him, or B) in his weakened state his power over them gives way. I'll allow you to decide!

Don't worry, Cloak and Dagger found the stockpiled food which would have allowed the peasants to survive and reclaim the valley for themselves! That's assuming the Warlord didn't deceive the young hero's and isn't manipulating them to this day... No, seriously though, I don't think we'll be seeing this guy again. This story marked the end of their drug trail, and the comics that followed were less drug orientated (well the story lines were, though I sometimes wonder what Terry Austin was on during his run on the Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger!).

His real name was revealed in Dagger's entry in OHotMU A-Z Hardcover#3.

CLARIFICATIONS: Warlord of Kampuchea has no known connection to:

 Profile by Changeling

Last updated: 05/20/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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