ESSENCE URN

Classification: Extradimensional technology

Creator: Psyklop

User/Possessors: Psyklop

Aliases: "Ultimate product of my matchless genius" (as called by Psyklop)

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#203 (September, 1976)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Made of unknown materials, the Essence Urn was a vessel which captured and contained the collective life-forces of the inhabitants of K'ai who had perished in the earthquakes caused by the Dreadnought-Drill. The life-forces were to be used by Psyklop as part of a sacrificial ritual to his dark gods so that he might win back their favor.

History:
(Incredible Hulk II#203 (fb)) - Following his defeat by the Hulk (@ Incredible Hulk II#140), Psyklop's dark gods punished him for his failure by exiling him to the "micro-world" of K'ai. Psyklop spent months establishing a base on a remote mountain peak, creating machines that would ensure his comfort, and building a giant robot to assure his privacy.

(Incredible Hulk II#156 - BTS) - With his planet-spanning view scanners, Psyklop watched as the Hulk returned to K'ai to free its people from the evil Lord Visis. He later saw the Hulk grow too large for the world to contain him, and a single thrust of the Hulk's gigantic foot accidentally kicked K'ai from its orbit -- this would be the cause of a series of earthquakes that would plague the planet (although the simple-minded people of K'ai believed the quakes were due to the anger of their legendary Mountain God).

(Incredible Hulk II#203 (fb) - BTS) - When the quakes began to abate, Psyklop took steps to insure that this would not happen again and built the Dreadnought-Drill to increase the frequency and severity of the tremors. He also created the Essence Urn to capture and contain the life-forces of those killed in the quakes.

(Incredible Hulk II#203) - When the Hulk and Jarella went to investigate the source of the quakes, they were captured by Psyklop. After enthralling the Hulk with his hypnotic power, Psyklop showed Jarella the Dreadnought-Drill and explained to her why he had continued to cause the earthquakes which devastated her world. He then showed her the Essence Urn and explained that shortly multi-universal energies would be in perfect conjunction for him to offer those stolen life-forces to feed his dread dark gods and earn his freedom.

  Later, when Jarella's loyal subjects launched a counter-offensive against Psyklop's base, the hypnotic spell was broken and an enraged Hulk attacked Psyklop by striking a blow that buckled the floor. Psyklop noticed that the shockwave had cracked the Essence Urn, but before he could seal it, the single-eyed alien was enveloped by the ethereal forces that exploded from the ruptured urn. Consumed by the very spirits of those he had slain, Psyklop was reduced to ashes.

Comments: Created by Len Wein, Sal Buscema, and Joe Staton.

Following the final defeat of Psyklop, the Dreadnought-Drill was apparently deactivated.

Profile by John Kaminski

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Essence Urn has no known connection to:

• Octessence, group of magical beings @ Iron Man III#22
• Quintessence, some members of the Ruined @ Fantastic Four III#1

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#203, p8, pan5 (main image)