PAZUZU

Real Name: Imdugud (His Sumerian name, Pazuzu is his Assyrian name)

Identity/Class: Demon (Class II)

Occupation: Demon;
     former god of pestilence, storm-demon

Group Membership: Lucifer's Inner Circle (including Beelzeboul, Kazaan, Olivier, Xaphan), the Annunaki, the Sebettu/Isirru;
    possibly formerly the Angels of Heaven

Affiliations: Lucifer (the arch-demon), 13 other fallen angels/demons
    formerly Louis Childs and his coven (including Miles);
    the Amulet of Pazuzu has empowered: Vicki of Humbabu, Hatshesut of Egypt, Hippolyta, Joan of Arc, Jane Austen, Queen Victoria, Eleanor Roosevelt, Suzi Pazuzu, Howard the Duck

Enemies: Louis Childs and his coven, Lamashtu, Magik (Amanda Sefton/Jimaine Szardos), Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), Christine Palmer, Seth Walker

Known Relatives: Hanbi (father); Imra, Lamma, Galla, Sedu, Lulal (brothers); Aura (possible mother), Aehr, Kothar, Kur, Lakhamu (possible uncles), Apsu (possible grandfather), Tiamat (possible grandmother), Anshar, Kishar (cousins), Lilith (possible cousin)

Aliases: Anzu, Bringer of Disease, Dark Angel of the Four Winds, Demon of the Southwest Wind, Imdugud-Bird, King of the Air Devils, King of the Evil Spirits of the Air, Lord of Fevers and Plagues, Udug, Zu-Bird, others

Base of Operations: Trapped within a magic clay figurine within Limbo/Otherplace
    formerly Lucifer's realm of Hell;
    possibly formerly Dilmun;
    possibly formerly Heaven

First Appearance: (Named) Howard the Duck III#3 (May 2002);
    seen Nightcrawler III#4 (February, 2005)

Powers/Abilities: Pazuzu is apparently a demon of great power, though virtually none of his abilities have been demonstrated. He could tear a human to pieces in seconds. He allegedly could perform a number of feats for a being who summoned him to Earth via a certain ritual that would place him under the control of his summoner. However, if the exact specifications of said ritual were not followed, Pazuzu was released from servitude and freed to act as he pleased. He presumably is less powerful than the Hell-Lords, though his precise abilities remain undefined.

    As a storm god/demon, Pazuzu god could fly and bring storm winds from the south east carrying death and pestilence

History:
(myth/history) - Pazuzu is a member of the Anunnaki, an extradimensional race worshipped as gods by the Sumerian and Babylonian Empires of Ancient Mesopotamia. He and his brothers were known as the Sebettu (Babylonian name: Isirru), a group of beings who followed the war-god Nergal into battle in order to spread the destructive forces following war such as famine, disease and pestilence. However, during the Babylonian Empire, influence from the religion of Zoroastrianism revealed Pazuzu and the Sebettu for what they really were: demons. At some point Pazuzu prevented his rival, the demoness Lamashtu, from travelling from Irkalla to Earth to menace pregnant women.

(Nightcrawler III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Pazuzu was one of 14 angels who stood by Lucifer in the war against God. When Lucifer lost and was cast down, he fell into the pit (Hell), dragging his fourteen lieutenants down with him, and the fourteen angels became fourteen demons.

(Howard the Duck III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Thousands of years ago, in ancient Mesopotamia (or Sumer, or someplace like that), the priestesses of the demon Pazuzu were engaged in a religious war with the priests of the god Marduk (or Baal, or Dagon, or whoever). One night, as the priestesses practiced their filth-gathering ritual in the water of the Tigris (or Euphrates, or Swanee, or some such river), the acolyte known as Vicki of Humbabu felt a strange cleansing sensation between her legs, like a summer's eve. The source of the odd sensation was a mysterious jewel, pulsing with arcane energies and disinfectant liquids. As she gazed into its facets, she heard the disembodied voice of Pazuzu: "Make a bracelet of purest uranium and wear this jewel on your wrist! You will develop vastly enlarged bazooms, and when your enemies strike, you alone shall be spared!"
    Vicki did as the voice instructed. Some time later, the attack came to pass, and all of the priestesses of Pazuzu were slain--all save Vicki. When the priests turned their wrath on her, she faced them unafraid and she was the chosen of Pazuzu, the stupendously endowed instrument of germ-ridden justice. She was the wielder of...the Doucheblade. As the voice had promised, Vicki alone survived. Fearing prosecution, she fled into the desert...where, unfortunately, she died of radiation poisoning.

(Howard the Duck III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Over the centuries, the blade passed from one woman warrior to the next, each Pazuzu chosen for her generation: Hatshesut of Egypt, Hippolyte, Joan of Arc, Jane Austen, Queen Victoria, Eleanor Roosevelt. Forty years ago, the Amulet vanished.

(Howard the Duck III#3 (fb) - BTS) - The Amulet remained lost until a novelty salesman chanced upon it in a vacant lot in Cleveland and placed it in a claw machine in a doughnut shop near the District Seven Police Station.

(Howard the Duck III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Seeking the Amulet's power, Kenneth Flogg lost over $38, 000 in quarters to the claw machine before realizing that only the chosen one could liberate the Amulet from its prison. Flogg had his "servant," Ian Whippingham stake out the doughnut shop, waiting day and night for seven months until Detective Suzi Pazuzu snagged the bracelet on her first try.

(Howard the Duck III#3 - BTS) - Kenneth Flogg made a deal with the mad criminal Doctor Bong: Flogg would help him finish off his enemies Beverly Switzler and Howard the Duck if he would bong Suzi Pazuzu into submission and bring the Amulet back to Flogg (who--in preparation for fulfilling the requirements to bear the Amulet--had already started the hormone treatments). Meanwhile, Det. Pazuzu, who had brought the vagrants Beverly and Howard into her station for questioning, began having visions of her ancestor's past in Mesopotamia (or Sumer, or someplace like that). Det. Pazuzu was transformed by the Amulet until it was knocked from her hand, after which it transformed Howard, who slew Flogg's agent and drove off Bong. Beverly pulled the Blade from Howard, and he returned to his previous state, while the Blade turned back into costumed jewelry, which Bev gave back to Suzi.

(Nightcrawler III#3 (fb) - BTS/Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Various Monstrosities - Pazuzu) - Pazuzu and the rest of the Inner Circle gained a chance at freedom when Lucifer's most inner circle was somehow disrupted reportedly by Hellstorm and the Ghost Rider (John Blaze).

(Nightcrawler III#4 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Louis Childs learned about Lucifer's fourteen lieutenants from a book he purchased in Barnes & Noble's occult section. The book also described the ritual to free the demons, a ceremony requiring fourteen victims and fourteen sponsors (who would control the demons once they'd been loosed upon the world. Childs made a pact with Lucifer, who promised Pazuzu would serve Childs. Childs recruited 13 of his wealthy friends and neighbors, all residents of the Dakota building, convincing them each to sacrifice the life of a child in order to each have a demon at their service for 14 years. Childs took over the children's psychiatric ward at Metropolitan General Hospital, after which the participants (all of whom were wealthy New Yorkers, doctors, attorneys, diplomats, heads of foundations, etc.) each sponsored an orphan at Metro's psych ward admitted subsequent to Childs' takeover.

(Nightcrawler III#1 (fb) - BTS / Nightcrawler III#2 (fb) - BTS / Nightcrawler III#4 (fb) - BTS) - Childs paid Barney Franks, the security guard of the 15th floor psych ward, to leave his post for four minutes.

(Nightcrawler III#2 (fb) - BTS / Nightcrawler III#4 (fb) - BTS) - The spell was performed and the demons entered the children. Seth felt hot and felt something growing in his stomach, so he intuitively tied a knot in a piece of rope, forming a magical locking spell that bound Pazuzu within him. However, the other 13 infernal demons burst through the other 13 children and passed through the ceiling

(Nightcrawler III#1 (fb) - BTS) - When Franks returned to check on the war, thirteen of the children had been torn to pieces, while the fourteenth child, ten year old Seth Walker, sat there unharmed, clutching a knotted rope. The security tape of the room showed the children playing, then four minutes of static, then the scene to which Franks returned. The tapes of the hallway showed four minutes of empty hallway, with no one either entering or leaving he hallway. The windows to the room were locked and unbroken.

(Nightcrawler III#1 (fb) - BTS) - The thirteen escaping demons left hoofprints burned into the roof at Metro, continuing from one building to the next, continuing on to the Dakota building.

(Nightcrawler III#4 (fb) - BTS) - Thirteen of the demons were captured by Childs' coven and placed within a mystical circle, but Seth's knot kept Pazuzu trapped within him. Without the 14th demon free, the coven was extremely limited in the magic they could perform, such as the odd menial task.

(Nightcrawler III#1 (fb) - BTS / Nightcrawler III#2 - BTS) - Seth Walker made three clay figurines, and used his knot/locking spell to prevent himself from talking because Dr. Childs kept asking him questions.

(Nightcrawler III#1 - BTS) - At the request of nurse Christine Palmer, Storm sent Nightcrawler to investigate the slaughter at Metro, but his appearance frightened Seth, so he left him. Nightcrawler discovered the hoofprints and followed them to the Dakota building. There he observed the guilt-ridden Franks standing outside the building, cursing and accusing Childs who caused him to spontaneously combust.

(Nightcrawler III#2 (fb) - BTS) - The bodies of the of the thirteen dead children were somehow incinerated while they lay locked within their airtight cabinets, and they didn't even set off a smoke alarm.

(Nightcrawler III#2 - BTS) - Despite Nightcrawler's efforts, the mystical flame incinerated Franks. Upon advice from Magik (Amanda Sefton/Jimaine Szardos), Nightcrawler met with Seth (using an image inducer to appear human), untying one of the knots and allowing him to speak again.

(Nightcrawler III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Louis Childs found Sandra Manning at a shelter, fed her, took her to his hotel, cleaned her up, and bought her new clothes. He then put the 13 demons inside of her to control her and make her pretend to be "Meredith Walker," who was supposed to be Seth's aunt.

(Nightcrawler III#2 - BTS) - Seth told Nightcrawler about the knot that had saved him and the one that had kept him from talking, but then Childs appeared with "Meredith Walker," Seth's alleged aunt, who said she would take care of Seth (though Nightcrawler briefly gained a glimpse of a demonic figure in her stead).

(Nightcrawler III#3 (fb) - BTS) - Seth continued to make clay figurines; with twelve made, he only needed two more.

(Nightcrawler III#3 - BTS) - Seth told Nightcrawler that the figurines were jars for each of his dead friends and one for himself when he died, but then revealed that the jars were intended to hold the devil.

(Nightcrawler III#3 (fb) - BTS) - The demons proved too powerful to be fully contained/controlled within "Walker," and they almost broke free. They attacked Childs, who trapped them within a mystic circle.

(Nightcrawler III#3 - BTS) - As Nightcrawler and Seth talked, nurse Palmer rushed in, telling them how "Seth's aunt" was attacking Childs on the streets outside and that no one could get to them. "Ms. Walker" strangled Childs, commanding him to undo the circle, after which "we'll free our brother, the last of the fourteen." Nightcrawler could not penetrate the circle Childs had formed, but he instead teleported within it. He then grabbed "Ms. Walker" and teleported her into a church. The holy power of the church expelled the demons from "Walker" and back into the circle.
    Upon recovering, "Ms. Walker" revealed her name to be Sandra Manning, who had no memory of her adventures as Meredith Walker. With the aid of Magik's memory spell, she shared what had happened, and Magik deduced that the 14 demons were the lieutenants of Lucifer.
    Meanwhile Childs took Seth from the hospital, promising that whatever he was keeping inside of him would be cut free once and for all.

(Nightcrawler III#4 - BTS) - With Magik's aid, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat entered the Dakota building, replacing and impersonating two of the coven members.

(Nightcrawler III#4 - BTS) - Childs brought Seth to his coven in the Dakota building, where the other thirteen demons were trapped within their circle.

(Nightcrawler III#4 - BTS) - Childs placed a spell around the dimension through which Nightcrawler teleported, temporarily preventing him from accessing it. Childs also sealed the Dakota building with a protective circle that would shred his body to ribbons if he tried to enter by any other means.

(Nightcrawler III#4) - When Coven member Miles moved to protect Seth, Childs mystically disrupted his image inducer and revealed Nightcrawler's presence. Childs then cut the last knot from Seth's rope, and Pazuzu began to grow within Seth's body. Kitty then revealed her presence and turned Seth intangible, allowing Pazuzu to escape to the Earthly plane without tearing through him.
    The rest of the Coven fled from Pazuzu (who was not trapped within a mystic circle) but were captured by the awaiting X-Men (Beast, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Storm, Wolverine). Pazuzu instructed Childs to free his brethren, but Childs refused, telling him that the freeing of the 14th demon placed them all in the coven's service. However, the demons revealed that the pact had not been fulfilled since the 14th child had not been sacrificed, and Pazuzu tore Childs to pieces. The containment circle around the demons began to dissolve, but Magik then arrived with nurse Palmer, who carried Seth's fourteen clay statues/jars, within which she bound the fourteen demons. Magik then took the clay statues to Limbo/Otherplace for safekeeping.

Comments: Adapted to Marvel comics - in name only by Steve Gerber, Glenn Fabry, Glenn Fabry, and Gary Leach.
    Given form and angelic origins by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Darick Robertson, and Wayne Faucher .

    I'd make sense of Pazuzu's seemingly contradictory origins by simply having him be reborn/reincarnated as the son of Anu. I'd consider something similar might have happened with Lilith, who seemed to start out in heaven and then become one of the Mesopotamian gods.

    In the original Sumerian texts, the god known as Imdugud and later identified with Pazuzu was the god of pestilence, but during the Babylonian Empire, Zoroastrianism (The religion of the Persian Gods) had an influence on how certain Sumerian and Babylonian gods were perceived and Pazuzu was started to be described with more demonic traits rather than godly attributes. Up until then, the Sumerian myths described deities of only one type. The concept of devils and demons were the creation of Eastern religion which had an impact on how certain Sumerian Gods were depicted by the other races who worshipped them.

    In Sumerian myth, Anu, Chief of the Sumerian Gods, is called the father of the Sebettu, but by which goddess is unrevealed. Aura, sister of Aehr, is a likely candidate, but only because Aehr is the reputed father of Lilith and her sisters. Lilith ruled a region of the underworld set aside for evil spirits called the Edimmu. Their counterparts were the Shedu, benevolent spirits of fortune and good luck. The Persian versions of the Shedu were called djinni (genies).

    Pazuzu is also credited as the demon who possessed Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair) in the Exorcist (1973), and possibly served as the inspiration for Zuul, the Sumerian destroyer of worlds, commanded by Gozer (Slavitza Jovan) in the movie, Ghostbusters (1984).

    On  the last page of Nightcrawler III#13, as Childs stood in front of Seth with a knife behind his back, one of Seth's figurines is doing the Mr. Bill "Oh, no!" pose.

    Markus Raymond suggested the name of a single panel-appearing demon from Contest of Champions#1 to be Xaphan. Xaphan is a demon of the second order with an inventive spirit and bellows as an emblem. During the rebellion in heaven, he proposed to set Heaven on fire. He was thrown into the abyss with the other rebels & fans the flames of the furnaces with his mouth & hands.
If that's who it was, then that demon would be one of those associated with Pazuzu.

    In the 2006 Ghost Rider series, the demon Kazann is revealed to have been the angel Micah who had rebelled alongside Lucifer and was cast down to Hell. That would make him another of the demons associated with Pazuzu.

In the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update#3 Pazuzu has a paragraph in the Annunaki entry. There it was revealed that his father was Hanbi, the god of evil and father of all malicious spirits. Pazuzu later received a full entry in Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Other Monstrosities.

Profile by Snood. Myth info courtesy of Will U.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:

• other "Paz" characters

images: (without ads)
Nightcrawler III#4, p6-7 (13 other demons)
    p14 (full body shot)
    p18, panel 2 (face)

Appearances:
Howard the Duck III#3 (May 2002) - by Steve Gerber (writer), Glenn Fabry (pencils), Glenn Fabry & Gary Leach (inks), Stuart Moore (editor)
Nightcrawler III#1-2 (November-December, 2004) - by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (writer), Darick Robertson (penciler), Wayne Faucher (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
Nightcrawler III#3-4 (January-February, 2005) - by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (writer), Darick Robertson (penciler), Wayne Faucher (inker), Mike Marts (editor)

Last updated: 08/07/06

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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