Classification:
Semi-humanoid terrestrial race
Location/Base of Operations: Subterranean cavern, somewhere beneath the Atlantic Ocean (see comments)
Known Members: Kloto (leader); about 24 unidentified others
Affiliations: Serge Kemplet
Enemies: Magic One; humanity in general
Aliases: "You gremlins and leprechauns" (as called
by the Magic One)
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#68/2 (April, 1959)
Powers/Abilities: The magical Creatures were
mischievous elf-like beings with unspecified powers; whatever powers
they possessed on the surface of the world were nullified while they
were exiled underground. However,
they seemed to still retain the powers of levitation (...as
exemplified by their lowering Kemplet from his suspended bathysphere
to the floor of their cavern), and they were apparently
immortal (see comments).
Traits: Humanoid in appearance, the Creatures stood about 8 inches (~20 cm) tall and had pointed ears; they all appeared to be males.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; variations likely comparable to humanity)
Fingers: Four (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Pink/Caucasian
Average height: Approximately 8"
History: (Strange Tales
I#68/2 (fb)) - "Many ages ago," the Creatures lived near a city of
antediluvian Atlantis, where they always caused mischief with their
pranks. One day, they incurred the wrath of the Magic One because Kloto
had taken the Sacred Ball that protected the city from being inundated
by the ocean. The Magic One commanded the imps to return the talisman
before the angry waters claimed the city, but Kloto and his brethren
denied any culpability in the theft.
Days later, the Magic One learned the truth when he found the Creatures in possession of the Sacred Ball, so he punished them by magically transporting the elfin horde to the deepest hole in the earth. But the sorcerer had recovered the talisman too late, for the sea rolled over the land and destroyed Atlantis (see comments).
(Strange Tales I#68/2 (fb) - BTS) - The Creatures found themselves banished to a dry cavern in a pit under the ocean floor, where an air pocket held the waters back; they would remain thus imprisoned for centuries.
(Strange Tales I#68/2 (fb)) - In modern times, a U.S.
atomic submarine on routine reconnaissance patrol discovered an opening
on the sea floor, and a pit that appeared to be bottomless.
(Strange Tales I#68/2) - Two months later, wealthy
industrialist Serge Kemplet seized the opportunity to explore the
sub-sea crevice so he could exploit it for its mineral wealth. He had
his employees construct a special bathysphere (see
comments), then Kemplet hired a ship to take him to the crevice
and lower him in the diving-bell alone, so he would have sole claim to
any resources he found.
As he descended into the pit, Kemplet found himself in a
gigantic watertight cavern, and his bathysphere was surrounded by the
tiny Creatures -- Kemplet theorized that the little men were probably
the basis for legends of gremlins and elves.
Kloto offered to make Kemplet ruler of the world if he
helped get them out of the cavern and back to the surface. Kemplet
initially agreed to assist the elves, but at the last minute he had a
change of heart when he considered the havoc Kloto and his followers
would wreak on humankind.
Kemplet told the Creatures that he wanted to stretch his legs, and as he got out of the diving-bell, he secretly increased the air pressure control and sealed the hatch behind him. The Creatures then lowered Kemplet down to the cavern floor.
A short time later, the bathysphere exploded from the pressure build-up, thus ruining the Creatures' chance to escape captivity.
Comments: Created
by an unidentified writer and Steve Ditko (artist)
It was never specified under which ocean that cavern was located, so I'm only assuming it was the Atlantic, which seems logical, since that's where the continent of Atlantis was.
I'm assuming that the elves were immortal and that their magical nature allowed them to survive to modern times; however, since they were imprisoned underground, their longevity could be attributed to their drinking from the waters of Tyrannus' subterranean Fountain of Youth (@ Incredible Hulk I#5).
The appearance and manner of dress of Kloto and his followers reminds me of the characters from Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest series -- since they both read Marvel comics (and even "met" each other through a letter column in Silver Surfer I#5), I wonder if they might've read this story and based the look of their creations on Kloto and company.
It's been established that Atlantis sank because of the Great
Cataclysm, so this story would seem to be in contradiction. But
only one city and a relatively small area of land was shown, and the
only inhabitants besides the elves seemed to be the Magic One and two centaurs.
So I'll speculate that after the continent disappeared beneath the
waves, the Magic One managed to preserve one last vestige of the
Atlantean culture by using the Sacred Ball to create a magical force
barrier (perhaps the "Shields of Seraphim"?) to hold the waters back.
And the Magic One kinda resembles Raama
-- maybe they're the same person?
Kemplet had his bathysphere made from a "rare metal" -- I originally thought that it could be an early use of Adamantium -- being indestructible, it would be ideal for withstanding the intense pressures at the bottom of the sea. But since the diving-bell was later destroyed, I guess that puts an end to that idea... or it could be Secondary Adamantium, which is strong, but not quite indestructible.
Maybe that man speaking
to Kemplet about the "rare metal" was Myron
MacLain,, and this was an early attempt of his to develop the
indestructible metal. -- Ron Fredricks
New images and additional sub-profile by Ron Fredricks.
Profile by John Kaminski. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The "Creatures from the Bottomless Pit" have no known connections to:
Serge Kemplet has no known connections to:
The Magic One has no known connections to:
The Sacred Ball has no known connections to:
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Kemplet was a wealthy industrial tycoon who ruthlessly made his fortune without caring about how many people he had to step on. When a deep crevice was discovered on the ocean floor, Kemplet wanted to be the first to explore it so he could claim any riches it would yield for himself. He had his employees construct a special bathysphere made from a rare metal (see comments) that he embezzled from a national defense project his company was working on -- he falsified reports to show the metal got lost in shipping. When he descended into the crevice, Kemplet found himself in a large sub-sea cavern that was the prison for a horde of elf-like beings. The elves offered to make Kemplet ruler of the world if he helped them escape to the surface. Kemplet initially agreed to the deal, but he was able to resist the temptation when he considered the danger of releasing the elves, so he destroyed the bathysphere, trapping himself and the Creatures in the bottomless pit. Although he sacrificed his freedom and was now condemned to eternal exile in the depths of the earth, Kemplet took solace in the fact that he had finally done one unselfish act. --Strange Tales I#68/2 |
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The Magic One (real name unrevealed; see comments) was a sorcerer in ancient Atlantis. He protected the city with the power of the Sacred Ball, which held back the flooding waters. When he learned that Kloto and his brethren had stolen the mystic talisman, the Magic One banished the evil elfin creatures to a sub-sea cavern. But the old mage was too late in recovering the Sacred Ball, for the ocean began to roll in. As the waves inundated the city, the sorcerer lamented that magic would no longer exist on Earth; presumably, the Magic One drowned in the flood. --Strange Tales I#68/2 |
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The Sacred Ball was a spherical mystic talisman made of an unknown golden material. The Magic One used it to protect Atlantis from the flooding ocean waters. One day, the Ball was stolen by the elf-like Kloto. The Magic One eventually reclaimed the enchanted object, and subsequently banished Kloto and his followers to the depths of Earth. But the Sacred Ball had been recovered too late, for waves arose and flooded Atlantis. --Strange Tales I#68/2 |
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A large crevice on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean (see comments), it had a pocket of air which kept the ocean's waters from flooding it. The cavern was the prison of Kloto and his fellow elf-like creatures -- in ancient times, they had been exiled there by the Magic One. In modern times, a U.S. atomic submarine discovered the cavern during a routine reconnaissance patrol. Two months later, industrialist Serge Kemplet descended into the cavern in a bathysphere so he could claim any mineral wealth that the cavern might yield. But when Kemplet encountered the elf-like creatures, he destroyed his bathysphere to prevent them from escaping,and thus became trapped there as well. (Comment: Presumably, the Magic One had originally cast some sort of spell to create the air-pocket -- he only intended to banish Kloto and his followers, not drown them.) --Strange Tales I#68/2 |
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images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p1, pan2 (Creatures surrounding bathysphere, with Serge Kemplet inside)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p2, pan2 (Kloto)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p3, pan5 (Kloto and other Creature in ancient Atlantis; Magic One and two unidentified centaurs (background))
Strange Tales I#68/2, p2, pan1 (inside bathysphere, Creatures surrounding)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p2, pan9 (bathysphere being built with "rare metal"; Serge Kemplet (background))
Strange Tales I#68/2, p2, pan8 (Serge Kemplet decides to claim cavern for himself)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p2, pan3 (Serge Kemplet speaks with Kloto and other Creatures)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p3, pan6 (Magic One accuses Kloto of stealing Sacred Ball)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p3, pan7 (Magic One)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p4, pan6 (Magic One banishes all the Creatures to cavern, as seawater floods Atlantis)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p4, pan2 (Creatures with Sacred Ball)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p4, pan3 (Creatures with Sacred Ball; Magic One's feet (background))
Strange Tales I#68/2, p1, pan1 (Serge Kemplet's bathysphere, suspended in subterranean cavern)
Strange Tales I#68/2, p5, pan5 (Creatures carry Serge Kemplet to floor of cavern as bathysphere explodes)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#59/2 (April, 1959) - unidentified writer, Steve Ditko (pencils and inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Artie Simek (letters), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 03/05/2011
Last updated: 01/18/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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