JARAKK

Real Name: Jarakk

Identity/Class: Extradimensional magical creature, exact nature unknown

Occupation: Sorcerer, warrior

Group Membership: War of the Seven Spheres

Affiliations: Urthona, Vishanti

Enemies: Pura-Shamutra, Trinity of Ashes

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the planet Gevaltu;
    undefined home realm

First Appearance: Dr. Strange III#57 (September, 1993)

Powers/Abilities: Jarakk has vast, unspecified magical powers, on a level much higher than Dr. Strange, but presumably significantly lower than Vishanti themselves. His true form is unknown; the form he took to exist in the Earth-616 dimension may or may not have been his true form, as he Pura-Shamutra described him as "out of place in this universe."
    He was seen to projecting a magical blast (or surrounding his hand with magical force) known as the Spuruuntian Spear, and he can cause the skies to unleash a torrent of fire. Though wounded by having his arm severed while in physical form, he can regenerate via meditation.

 

 

History:
Jarakk's origins are unknown, although he is known to come from an alien dimension, and is thus unaccustomed to laws of the physical universe.

(Dr. Strange III#57 (fb) - BTS) - Jarakk was enlisted by the Vishanti to serve as one of their agents in the War of the Seven Spheres; his chosen opponent was the Trinity of Ashes' agent Pura-Shamutra.

(Dr. Strange III#58 (fb)) - Jarakk's and Pura-Shamutra's powers were evenly matched enough that they found themselves in deadlock. In order to overcome Pura-Shamutra, Jarakk enlisted the aid of the sorcerer Urthona, who had Jarakk lure Pura-Shamutra to Gevaltu, where he would have to assume physical form and be susceptible to Urthona's spells (though Jarakk would be subject to the same limitations). Urthona had Jarakk and Pura-Shamutra use Gevaltu as their battleground, leveling the planet and slaying most of its inhabitants in the process. Urthona knew that he could use Pura-Shamutra's Pyx to restore life, return from his exile and restore his world.

(Dr. Strange III#57 (fb) - BTS) - Jarakk defeated Pura-Shamutra's twice-dead legions.

(Dr. Strange III#57) - Pura-Shamutra seemed to weaken, as Jarakk shrugged off a series of his attacks. Jarakk claimed victory as he struck down Pura-Shamutra with his Spuruuntian Spear, but Pura-Shamutra had only feigned weakness, positioning himself to gain the leverage and fired a blast from his Pyx that severed Jarakk's right arm. Urthona then rushed to his assistance; according to their plan, Jarakk opened the skies with torrents of fire, distracting Pura-Shamutra skyward. Urthona unleashed the planet's manganese sands which invaded Pura-Shamutra's body and transformed it into a crystalline prison. As his reward, Jarakk allowed Urthona to claim the Pyx of Pura-Shamutra, with which he restored life across Gevaltu and proclaimed himself its king.
    Jarakk went off to regenerate his lost arm.

 

Comments: Created by Geof Isherwood.

    While talking to Jarakk, Pura-Shamutra referred to "our own dimension" which indicates that both gods came from the same unspecified home realm, right?
    It wasn't specified but when I read Doctor Strange III#57-58, I got the impression that the cosmic imbalance which threatened to unravel the fabric of the universe was caused by the fact that a "god" had died and that which of the gods had died was irrelevant.  In other words, that the cosmic imbalance would also have occurred had Jarakk been killed instead of Pura-Shamutra.
    I have a slightly different interpretation of Pura-Shamutra's statement: "The balance of forces must be preserved.  The Trinity would reduce us to the level of savages.  I must work to see that never happens."  I see this as Pura-Shamutra agreeing with Strange that the only end result of the Trinity's victory in the War of Seven Spheres would be the ultimate destruction of everything.  In other words, it wouldn't just be the Trinity's warriors would would be reduced to the level of savages, it would be everybody.  The battle between the Vishanti and the Trinity of Ashes reminds me of the war between the Green Knight and the Red Lord from the KNIGHTS OF PENDRAGON series.  While the Red Lord and his Bane sought to win the war by destroying their enemies, something which would permanently upset the balance between life and death, the Green Knight and his Pendragons sought to win by maintaining that balance.  The Pendragons didn't have to totally destroy their enemies to win and, in fact, they could not do so without upsetting the balance themselves and thus in actuality losing that for which they were fighting in the first place.  It seemed to me that Pura-Shamutra was like a Bane who had suddenly realized what the consequences of a decisive victory by the Red Lord would be for everybody and had then decided to act like a Pendragon and work to preserve the balance.
--Donald Campbell.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

images:
Dr. Strange III#57, p2 (full body)
        p9, panel 2 (face)
 

Dr. Strange III#58 (October, 1993) - Geof Isherwood (writer/artist), Mike Rockwitz (editor)

Last updated: 08/25/05

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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