DREDMUND DRUID
Real Name: Dredmund Cromwell
Identity/Class: Human technology/magic user
Dual Identity: Known to the authorities
Occupation: Professional criminal and cult leader
Citizenship: United States of America
Legal status: Criminal record in the U.S.
Place of birth: Caribou, Maine
Group Membership: Leader of his cult
Affiliations: Alchemoid, Nightshade
Enemies: Cable, Captain America, Dr. Druid, Ferocia, Nick Fury's LMDs, John Jameson, Zach Moonhunter, Cedric Rawlings, S.H.I.E.L.D. (Jeff Cochren, Valentina De Fontaine, Timothy "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Nick Fury, Eric Koenig, Jasper Sitwell), Werewolf, Wolverine
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Demon Druid, Druid, Starwolf, "the ultimate Man-Wolf"
Base of Operations: Starkesboro, Massachusetts
Formerly Greymoor Castle, northern England
Formerly the Arena of the Ancients, hidden somewhere in upstate New York
Formerly a hidden underground base beneath a wooded area somewhere in upstate New York
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#144/1 (May, 1966)
Powers/Abilities: Dredmund has the ability to mesmerize and control the minds of others. He is learned in alchemy and advanced technology, and uses a variety of chemical and technological devices. His main weapons are small throwing eggs (grenades) containing acid and cylinders that release flames or adhesives.
Dredmund has used various chemicals to enhance his abilities, including one potion that gives his skin a rough texture to harm anyone who strikes him; another grants him peak human strength.
In order to support his image as a druid, Dredmund used many technological devices to simulate mystical powers. These included conjuring smoke that was actually supplied by hidden technicians projecting images into the smoke, and a light-absorber that rendered him invisible to all but infra-red sight.
Dredmund formerly operated out of an underground base which held many concealed devices. The trees above the base were armed with miniature observation devices. The trees could be raised out of the ground by hydraulic lifts to permit access to the facility below.
In many of his operations, Dredmund's primary mode of transportation for himself and his followers has been the Satan's Eggs, which have also been dispatched as weapons against his enemies.
Height: 6'1" Weight: 210 lbs. Eyes: Dark brown Hair: Black
History: (Strange Tales I#143/1 - BTS) - The Druid sent one of his Satan's Eggs to destroy a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft as he began his campaign against S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury.
(Strange Tales I#144/1) - From his underground base, the Druid gathered his followers and "conjured" an image of Nick Fury, identifying him as their greatest enemy. He then summoned one of their Satan's Eggs and dispatched it to kill Fury for them. The Druid observed the egg's pursuit of Fury and Dum-Dum Dugan aboard their car, and activated the egg's traction nodules in an attempt to crash Fury's car, but it failed and the egg was destroyed.
(Strange Tales I#145/1) - The Druid had his eggs continue to wage their war against S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. had begun using LMDs of Nick Fury in the hopes that the eggs would kidnap one, but the eggs destroyed the LMDs instead. The Druid crashed one of his eggs on purpose in order to draw out the real Fury, and snuck up using his light absorber to become invisible. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jasper Sitwell exposed the Druid using an infra-red blaster. The Druid removed the light absorber and engaged Fury in hand-to-hand combat. The Druid had the advantage at first, using his elixirs to increase his strength and toughen his skin, but Fury wrapped his torn shirt over his fists so that he could strike him down. When the Druid's men saw their master's defeat, they attacked S.H.I.E.L.D. and were quickly defeated. The Druid boasted that Fury still hadn't found his base, but Fury replied "Ya seen one hangout, ya seen 'em all!" The Druid was escorted away by S.H.I.E.L.D.
(Captain America I#187) - The Druid resumed his war against S.H.I.E.L.D., and sent one of his eggs to kidnap Captain America and bring him to "the Maze of the Ancients." He intended to destroy Captain America within the maze as a prelude to the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D. Captain America fought his way through the maze and finally confronted the Druid himself, but the Druid sent his creation -- the Alchemoid -- to combat the Captain.
(Captain America I#188) - Captain America outfought and destroyed the Alchemoid, then turned to engage the Druid and his followers. Captain America overcame the followers and fought the Druid solo, finally defeating him, but one of the Satan's Eggs snagged the Druid's unconscious body and flew away, just as S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the facility and cleaned up his followers.
(Captain America I#256) - The Druid learned that an ancient tome of arcane knowledge was hidden within Greymoor Castle in England, and began searching the ruined structure. The castle's lone occupant, Cedric Rawlings, became afraid that he was haunted by a ghost. When Captain America arrived, he confronted the Druid, and in a fight with the Captain and Rawlings, the Druid fell into a pit of Z-Rays. The Z-Rays caused the Druid to shrink out of sight.
(Captain America I#407/1 (fb) - BTS) - Dredmund embarked on an ambitious plot to claim the power of the Moongem. He began to investigate lycanthropy, and employed the scientist Dr. Nightshade, who had created chemicals that could turn humans into pseudo-werewolves. Dredmund stole the remains of the Moongem from Empire State University and reconstituted it in Starkesboro, Massachusetts. Dredmund offered weekend seminars to the people of Starkesboro on "Getting in Touch With Your Hairy Selves," and began to select the best of those for his experiments in lycanthropy. Dredmund made the church in Starkesboro his main base of operations, and placed most of the town's population under his hypnotic control, augmenting his power with the Moongem. Nightshade began transforming the populace into werewolves with her chemicals, using the Werewolf (Jack Russell) as a lab subject. Finally, Dredmund used the hypnotized Zach Moonhunter as a werewolf wrangler to keep the residents in line.
(Captain America I#402/1) - Hidden in shadows, Dredmund called Moonhunter away from disciplining the werewolves and sent him to investigate an incursion in their territory by Captain America and Dr. Druid.
(Captain America I#403/1) - Nightshade went to Dredmund to inform him that Moonhunter had brought in the werewolf Ferocia, who was not one of their subjects. Dredmund hypothesized that it was the Moongem which drew her to Starkesboro, and that they should be prepared for more intruders. He asked Nightshade to investigate Ferocia further in case her lycanthropy could help speed up the conversion of the others.
(Captain America I#404/1) - After Wolverine was brought in by Moonhunter, Nightshade held a demonstration for Dredmund, showing him how Wolverine's healing factor made him immune to her chemicals. When Wolverine tried to break free, Dredmund used hypnosis to place him in a trance. He told Nightshade to analyze how he was able to resist the chemicals. Later, Moonhunter visited Dredmund as he was analyzing the Moongem and told him that Captain America and Dr. Druid had evaded him, and seemed to be undetectable by the town's werewolves. Dredmund put Nightshade in charge of capturing them.
(Captain America I#405/1) - Dredmund watched as Nightshade transformed Captain America into a werewolf with her chemical, but the Captain broke free of his restraints and escaped, avoiding Dredmund's hypnotic glare. Dredmund used hypnosis to transform residents into werewolves and give chase. Dredmund then returned to his church, where he found Dr. Druid investigating his occult collection. The two engaged in a hypnotic battle of wills, but when Dr. Druid guessed that Dredmund's power was augmented by the Moongem and tried to smash it, Dredmund used the drop in his concentration to strike him down.
(Captain America I#406/1) - Dredmund strung up Dr. Druid in his church and boasted that with his death, he would become the master of druidism. He used a ceremonial knife to cut off Dr. Druid's ponytail, and told him that later that evening he would slice his throat. Dredmund told Moonhunter and Nightshade to be sure that nothing would go wrong that evening. Before the moon rose that evening, Dredmund gathered the werewolf people of Starkesboro into the church, and proclaimed that he was ready to become a werewolf just as they were, once he sacrificed Dr. Druid's blood. Captain America, still a werewolf, burst in to stop him, but the other werewolves attacked him. Dredmund slit Dr. Druid's throat and let the blood bathe over the Moongem, as the blood of a mystic would enable him to claim the gem's power without sacrificing his intellect. Dredmund pressed the Moongem to his throat and began to transform.
(Captain America I#407/1) - The energies of the Moongem transformed Dredmund into the Starwolf, and he used his superior power to beat Captain America. He sent the other werewolves to kill the Captain, but he was soon joined by the recently freed Werewolf, Ferocia and Wolfsbane. Soon X-Force's leader Cable joined the fray, adding to the chaos, while the Man-Wolf took Dr. Druid away to save his life. Wolverine and Moonhunter, both released from Dredmund's control, came to their aid as well, and Captain America managed to tear the Moongem from Dredmund's throat, turning him back into a human. Cable crushed the Moongem.
(Captain America I#408/1) - Captain America kept Dredmund captive as he forced Nightshade to cure him and all of the other residents of Starkesboro. Dredmund was then placed in the custody of federal Guardsmen and sent to a prison hospital for treatment.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Howard Purcell and Mike Esposito.
In the alternate reality seen in Avengers: Domination Factor#2.4, one of the golden apple fragments sought by Knorda was among Dredmund's possessions when he was first defeated by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s file on the Druid, seen in Captain America I#188, was identified as file #38.
Dredmund has an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#29 and Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic.
by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Dredmund Druid should not be confused with:
Images taken from:
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#29 - Dredmund Druid entry
Captain America I#405, page 8, panel 2 (numbered)
Captain America I#256, page 23, panel 5 (numbered)
Captain America I#407, page 2, panel 4 (numbered)
First Posted: 04/22/2007
Last updated: 02/06/2011
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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