THANADEMOS

Real Name: Unknown

Identity/Class: Human magic user

Occupation: Sorcerer

Group Membership: his own nameless cult

Affiliations: his followers

Enemies: Iron Fist (Daniel Rand)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Abbot Thanademos

Base of Operations: the former St. Mark's Church in New York City

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents I#111/2 (1992)

Powers/Abilities: None, except being very persuasive. He used the magic from the Tome of Uncoma to revive the death-like coma patients and enslaved them.

History:

(Marvel Comics Presents I#111/2 (fb) ) - Thanademos came into the possession of a tome, but he didn't know if the magic within the tome worked. He gathered a following around him and promised them to bring back their loved ones from their comas. He told them that he would control them, but they accepted this price and helped Thanademos to furnish a HQ in the closed up St. Mark's church. The loved ones were brought to the church. Thanademos wrapped them up like mummies and put them into caskets ornamented with runes.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#111/2) - Thanademos sat in front of his altar surrounded by his followers and spoke the words from his tome. Soon the former coma patients rose from their caskets and followed his word. Unfortunately his spell also affected Iron Fist who had returned a short time before from a near-death state as well. The hero was drawn to the church and found Thanademos and his cult, but he couldn't do anything against the control of Thanademos at first. The sorcerer saw one of the loved ones slip from his mental grasp and saw an Ankh the man wore around his neck as the explanation. He wanted to know from the man's brother why this man had an Ankh. The follower told him the story behind it and was really sorry. Iron Fist listened to this conversation and took the Ankh to resist Thanademos as well. At this moment Thanademos realized the presence of Iron Fist for the first time. Thanademos sent his enslaved thralls and followers against Iron Fist, but when he saw that they were loosing he tried to run away with the tome. He already forged plans to build up an army of near-dead slaves, but Iron Fist didn't let him get away. He punched the gong from the altar's wall and it rolled right over Thanademos. Cops who heard the fight had already arrived and Thanademos was taken into custody.

Comments: Created by Steve Buccelato & Ian Akin

This story took place only a short time after Iron Fist was revived by the Hylthrii.

I don't know if the rune/sign on the tome has a definition. The tome itself stayed nameless in the story so I made one up and I'm proud that it sounds so mystic.

Clarifications:

Thanademos and his followers have no known connections to

• Thanatos, Olympian god @ Bizarre Adventures#32/4
• Thanatos 2099, alternate future counterpart of Rick Jones @ Spider-Man 2099#11
• Thanatosian Tomes, books of magic @ Marvel Premiere#4
• or to anyone else with a similar name

The St. Marks Church has no known connections to

• any other church or saint character or thing

Tome of Uncoma has no known connections to

• Tome of Zhered-Na, Man-Thing and Dr. Strange stories @ Adventures into Fear#15
• Tomes of Sabatea, of the Hyborian era @ Savage Sword of Conan#56
• Mr. Tomes, ally of John Sublime @ Weapon X II#26
• or to any other tome or character with a similar name

Followers of Thanademos

    They were loyal to Thandemos because he wanted to revive their loved ones from comas for them with magic. They didn't care that he would control their loved ones for his own purposes and helped him to get the comatose loved ones to the St. Mark's Church. One member gave an Ankh to his brother some time before the poor guy fell into a coma and it protected his brother from Thanademos' control. The follower was sorry for this inconvenience and Iron Fist who heard the conversation took the Ankh to resist Thanademos' control as well. The followers fought him together with their resurrected loved ones, but they had no chance against Iron Fist's kicks and punches and even failed to secure the escape of their precious leader.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#111/2

St. Marks Church

    It is now known why the St. Marks church was closed down in the first place. It became the secret headquarter of Thanademos and his cult at some unknown time. The door was barricaded with boards and it looked like the church was ready for demolition. The church was filled with caskets and the caskets were filled with the comatose loved ones of Thanademos' followers. Runes were written on all windows as well as on the caskets. On the altar two pots with burning coals stood and a gong with runes written on it hung on the wall.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#111/2

Tome of Uncoma

It was the main source of Thanademos' powers. He used the spells and instructions within the tome to resurrect the dead and gain control over them and the near-dead. Thanademos wasn't sure how or if the magic from the tome worked and wanted to test it first. The whereabouts of the tome after the arrest of Thanademos are unknown.

--Marvel Comics Presents I#111/2

images:

Thanademos: Marvel Comics Presents I#111, p12, pan2

Followers of Thanademos: Marvel Comics Presents I#111, p12, pan1

St. Marks Church: Marvel Comics Presents I#111, p10, pan2

Tome of Uncoma: Marvel Comics Presents I#111, p15, pan3

Appearances:
Marvel Comics Presents I#111 (1992) - Joey Cavalieri (writer), Alexis Morrisey (pencils), Brad Vancata (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)

Last updated: 09/04/11

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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