VOODOO PHONE
Classification: Supernaturally augmented terrestrial technology
Creator: Voodoo Master
User/Possessors: Oscar Bellows, Voodoo Master, unidentified police detective (unintentionally)
First Appearance: Marvel Tales I#114/1 (May, 1953)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: A rotary dial telephone decorated with arcane symbols, the Voodoo Phone was a device that could conjure a killer zombie when the user dialed a "Z" (which was printed on the spot where the "0" or "Operator" normally would be); the user could then send the zombie to a specific intended victim by dialing the victim's telephone number afterwards.
The user of the Voodoo Phone needed no knowledge of the occult arts to operate it.
History:
(Marvel Tales I#114/1 (fb) BTS) - In Haiti, the Voodoo Master was hired by a man to kill the man's partner so the man could take over a plantation. Using the Voodoo Phone, the wicked witch-doctor summoned a zombie and sent it off to kill.
(Marvel Tales I#114/1) - Professor Oscar Bellows was in Haiti on a lone expedition for artifacts. While he was exploring a swamp, a tropical storm suddenly broke out, so Bellows went into an isolated old house for shelter. The house turned out to be the home of the Voodoo Master, who was meeting with the man whose partner the zombie had killed. The Voodoo Master demanded that the man pay him for killing his partner, but the man refused and left. Angered, the hate-filled houngan went to the Voodoo Phone and dialed "Z" for the zombie, then dialed the man's home phone number to send the creature to kill him -- all this was espied by Bellows, who hid in the darkness.
The zombie choked the man and returned to the Voodoo Master, who then left his house to escort the creature back to its grave. Thinking he could use the Voodoo Phone to get revenge on his associates at the museum, Bellows stole it and returned to America, then connected it back up in his own office at the museum.
Bellows used the Phone and had the zombie kill Professor Adam Sparks, and later dialed two more numbers to have the creature do his vile bidding and kill two more of his co-workers; he then left the museum and went home.
A few hours later, a police detective investigating the murders went to the museum to warn the staff members; he wanted to place a call to Bellows and warn him as well, so the detective went into Bellows' office to use his phone (Uh oh, it's really the Voodoo Phone!). Not knowing Bellows' phone number, the detective first dialed the operator (No, it's really the "Z"!), then dialed Bellows' home phone number, and unknowingly sent the zombie to kill Bellows!
Meanwhile at Bellows' home, he heard his phone ring , then he was attacked by the zombie! The undead creature strangled Bellows! With its master now lifeless, the creature disintegrated like a wax figure before a blazing fire...
Comments: Created by an unknown writer and Jim Mooney.
For the benefit of younger readers: In ancient times, telephones once used a rotary dial before they were equipped with a push-button keypad.
For more information about this antique, see here - Rotary Dial Phone
The fate of the Voodoo Master is unknown -- could he possibly still be alive in Haiti and working on a modern-day version of his infernal device? Satan's Cell-Phone? Beelzebub's BlackBerry? Let's pray we never find out!
An innocent telephone corrupted into a hellish instrument of evil?!! This sounds like a job for...
...that Troubleshooting Titan of Telephony!
...that Dynamic Defender of Dial Tone!
...that Bold Battler of the Busy Signal!
...Ma Bell's Favorite Son!
...The Phone Ranger!!!!
And a BIG Thank You to Wolfs-Head Comics for scanning this story for me!
Profile by John Kaminski
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Voodoo Phone has no known connections to
The Voodoo Master has no known connection to:
The zombie has no known connection to:
An unidentified Haitian sorcerer, he used the Voodoo Phone to summon a zombie in a murder-for-hire scheme against a man's partner.
After the zombie had killed the man's partner, the man refused to pay the Voodoo Master, so he got revenge by sending the zombie after the man. While he was escorting the zombie back to its grave, the Voodoo Phone was stolen by Oscar Bellows.
--Marvel Tales I#114/1
An employee of the natural history museum, he was resentful of the other museum curators because he was forced to work inside the museum while they got to go on expeditions and win awards and honors.
Taking a trip to Haiti, Bellows was on his own expedition when a storm broke out. Taking shelter in a ramshackle home, he spied upon the Voodoo Master using the Voodoo Phone to summon a zombie.
Thinking he could use the infernal device to get revenge upon his collegues, Bellows stole the Phone from the Voodoo Master's shack and took it back to America, where he connected it up in his museum office.
After using the Phone to kill three co-workers, Bellows was killed himself when a police detective called Bellows' home from the Voodoo Phone in his office and unintentionally sent the zombie after him.
--Marvel Tales I#114/1
images: (without ads)
Marvel Tales I#114, p2, pan8 (main image)
Appearances:
Marvel Tales I#114 (May, 1953)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 06/07/04
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
© 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com