LORD RAVEN
Real Name: Raven
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Weirdworld Human)
Occupation: Wizard
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Gargoyles, Nightgaunt, his Ravens, Were-Men
Enemies: Goblins, Mud-Butt, Tyndall, Velanna
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Castle, by the edge of the Dragon Fang Mountains, Weirdworld
First Appearance: (eyes only) Marvel Fanfare I#24 (January, 1986); (full) Marvel Fanfare I#25 (March, 1986)
Powers/Abilities: Lord Raven was a powerful spell-caster with numerous powers including the ability to summon fire, release bolts of mystical energy from his hands, sap the willpower of his opponents, conjure a "second sight" - a mystical eye upon his hand with sensory powers, teleport within his castle by walking through mirrors, placing goblins under a spell that renders them inanimate, animate stone gargoyles, and summon forth the Were-Men. He also possessed a Mirror of All Sight.
History: (Epic Illustrated#12 (fb) - BTS) - After the sorcerer Nightgaunt bested the hero Wulfbuck in combat and broke his sword Glorywand, he gave the hilt to Lord Raven as a gift.
(Marvel Fanfare I#24 (fb) - BTS) - Lord Raven began capturing dwarf women from the village of Nanty Glo, using them as sacrifices in order to summon forth his Were-Men. When the dwarf thief Mud-Butt stole Glorywand from him, Lord Raven became determined to reclaim it.
(Marvel Fanfare I#24) - Lord Raven summoned forth the Were-Men and sent them to find Mud-Butt and retrieve Glorywand. The Were-Men ultimately drove Mud-Butt back to the castle with his allies Tyndall and Velanna.
(Marvel Fanfare I#25) - Lord Raven animated his castle's gargoyles and sent them to attack Mud-Butt, Tyndall and Velanna. Unable to best the creatures, they entered the castle, and Lord Raven demanded that Mud-Butt return Glorywand. The three intruders ran, and Lord Raven sent the goblins he kept in the castle after them. Fleeing the goblins, the trio accidentally entered a portal into the "Sea of Nothing." Frustrated, Lord Raven turned his attention to other matters, seeing that a band of human barbarians were on their way to his castle, led by a goblin who had come to liberate his brethren.
(Marvel Fanfare I#26) - Lord Raven went to retrieve Mud-Butt, Tyndall and Velanna from the Sea of Nothing, only to find that they had already escaped and were back in the castle. When he confronted them again, his goblins went wild and attacked him and the intruders. Lord Raven slew several of the goblins, then confronted his enemies again, demanding that Mud-Butt turn Glorywand over to him. When Velanna recognized the item she wielded it against Raven, and fired a mystical bolt that blasted him backwards through the castle wall. They were unable to determine if Lord Raven survived the fall.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Mike Ploog and P. Craig Russell.
This story was originally written before the Warriors of the Shadow Realm saga, but was not published until years later. In Marvel Fanfare I#24, Mud-Butt was depicted with a different visual than was used in Warriors of the Shadow Realm-- a visual that was ultimately rejected.
by Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Lord Raven should not be confused with:
Grithstane and Lord Raven each possessed a Mirror of All Sight. It was a mystical item which could conjure up images of scenes elsewhere in Weirdworld. It could also serve as a teleportation device, bringing people from the mirror, or sending others to the scene captured in the mirror. Lord Raven kept his within the Chamber of the Glistening Shield.
--Marvel Premiere#38 (Marvel Fanfare I#24-26
Lord Raven could animate the gargoyles which decorated the walls of his castle, and dispatch them to attack invaders - such as Mud-Butt, Tyndall and Velanna. Rather than face the gargoyles, the three adventurers entered Raven's castle.
Lord Raven was accompanied by a pair of ravens at virtually all times. Lord Raven was able to interpret their chirps, and they had abilities of foresight to alert Lord Raven to transpirings in Weirdworld which required his attention.
Lord Raven's castle lay along the Dragon Fang Mountains, nearby the dwarf village of Nanty Glo. The Chamber of the Glistening Shield contained his Mirror of All Sight. After Lord Raven's apparent death, the goblins who had been trapped inside claimed custody of the building.
Lord Raven's Were-Men were his greatest warriors, and were summoned forth from their coffins by a trio of female dwarves. They were dispatched to Nanty Glo to capture Mud-Butt, who had stolen Glorywand from Lord Raven. Tyndall and Velanna came to Mud-Butt's aid, and led the Were-Men into the Great Marsh. Along the way, Tyndall threw them off their track by spreading the blood of a dragon on the ground, and all three Were-Men seemed to perish within the marsh.
The Were-Men wore armor, carried swords or maces and rode upon reptillian steeds.
--Marvel Fanfare I#24
Images taken from:
Marvel Fanfare I#25, page 12 (numbered), panel 2
mirror- Marvel Fanfare I#25, page 2 (numbered), panel 2
gargoyles- Marvel Fanfare I#25, page 3 (numbered), panel 3
ravens- Marvel Fanfare I#26, page 17 (numbered), panel 4
castle- Marvel Fanfare I#26, page 17 (numbered), panel 2
Were-Men- Marvel Fanfare I#24, page 12 (numbered), panel 3
First Posted: 12/19/2007
Last updated: 10/24/2010
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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