RHAX
Real Name: Rhax
Identity/Class: Human magic user, Cimmerian (Hyborian Era)
Occupation: Magician, palace sorcerer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations:
An old gypsy (name
unrevealed), Set;
formerly King
Jukas
Enemies: Conan, an unnamed nether demon
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Cimmeria
First Appearance: Conan the Barbarian I#131 (February, 1982)
Powers/Abilities: Rhax's magic powers remain mainly unknown. He could launch disintegrating bolts which opened an abyss in the ground. Rhax was able to communicate with dark gods (such as Set) and demons. The power of the Ring of the Demon (also called the Ring of Jukas) made him nearly immortal in that he could not die or be harmed except by his own making, and so he effectively gained everlasting life.
History:
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb) ) - In the Hyborian Era, in a land that centuries later would become Cimmeria, there was a famous kingdom of a good king named Jukas. Rhax worked for the King as the palace sorcerer. King Jukas asked to Rhax to find a means to be sure that his new, young wife would be loyal to him while he left to wage war. Rhax employed his dark arts and, with the help of Set, conjured a ring which belonged to a nether demon. This Ring, once worn by the girl, would recall the demon from his realm if she betrayed the King.
And so it happened. But the curse of the Ring
struck the King too.
Exactly at the first full moon after the King wielded the
Ring, the
demon was summoned again from its realm and killed him. During
the King's funeral, the people attacked Rhax, accusing him of
being
responsible for the death of their beloved King. Then Rhax wielded the
Ring and used it to become immortal and invulnerable, and fled.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb) - BTS) - Rhax, aware of the curse hanging on the Ring of Jukas, passed it to another person, who in turn was killed by the demon at the first full moon. Centuries passed and the Ring passed from one man to another, while the demon butchered every possessor of Jukas' Ring. Rhax hid in the Cimmerian mountains and planted false information about his existence. A gypsy who had seen the Ring was menaced by the sorcerer and ordered to tell the story that he was dead, killed after King Jukas.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131) - Four decades later, the Ring of the Demon, as it was now known, was picked up by a tavern girl. Conan threatened the old gypsy and learnt about Rhax's real status. Later, in the mountains with the full moon rising, Rhax stood at his throne in his castle full of gigantic statues and massive pillars as the barbarian and the girl questioned him. Arrogantly, Rhax refused to give them his help. Struck by Conan's blade but unharmed, the sorcerer conjured a bolt of eldritch energy that missed the barbarian and opened a flaming abyss in the ground. The nether demon arrived. Conan took the Ring of the Demon from the girl. While Conan tried to defend himself from the monster, Rhax grabbed the maiden, but he was too near the border of the chasm. The clever girl pushed him down. He realized that the abyss, being a creation of his, could kill him! Rhax managed to grasp to the edge when Conan approached him, giving his hand. Rhax, almost disbelieving, gave him his hand. However, the curse of the Ring endured as the Ring passed from Conan's finger to Rhax's finger. The sorcerer, as burnt from the contact, let go his grip and fell into the abyss, immediately pursued by the avenging demon. Invisible forces shook the buildings and everything crumbled into the abyss, although Conan and the girl managed to escape.
Comments: Created by Bruce Jones (writer), Gil Kane (pencils) and Ernie Chan (inks).
The lord of the Ring was a demon. But why would the demon kill the Ring wearer? Perhaps it was because of:
Profile by Spidermay.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Rhax has no known connections to
The Ring of Jukas / The Ring of Rhax / The Ring of the Demon
The Ring of the Demon was a cursed item that gave incredible powers to its wielder. It realized almost every command and desire of its possessor: It could transform a man into a baboon and could summon a lightning to kill him, it created a spring of water in the desert from nothing and also made it vanish, and it could disintegrate an army of warriors. When the Ring was picked up, it could not be taken off by the wearer unless someone voluntarily took it. It could not be used against the nether demon to whom it belonged, nor could it have any effect against Rhax. The Ring was a recall point for the nether demon. Every night of a full moon, the demon came from his netherworld and butchered the one who had the Ring.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb) - BTS) - The Ring belonged to a demon, but was taken by Rhax with the help of the dark god Set.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb)) - The Ring was then given to King Jukas who gave it to his young wife. However, she betrayed him so the ring recalled the demon and she was slain. The Ring passed then to King Jukas, who was himself killed the next full moon. Rhax, used the Ring to become nearly immortal and fled with it. Centuries passed with the Ring worn by many people and many of them killed by the demon. The Ring became known as the Ring of Jukas. Four decades before the coming of Conan, a young gypsy recognized the Ring.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131) - Four decades later, a Brythunian merchant had the cursed ring, but it was stolen by Conan, then stolen again by another brigand before being retaken by Conan. It was then taken by a tavern girl before being voluntarily taken by Conan, then with a trick, it passed eventually back to Rhax. Rhax, the Ring and the demon fell into an abyss created by the sorcerer with the entrance then covered by the debris of Rhax's house.
--Conan the Barbarian I#131
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb) - BTS) - When she was young she saw the Ring of Jukas and learned about its curse. She also met Rhax, who menaced her to keep the secret of his existence.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131) - Four decades later, she was approached by a barbarian wearing the Ring. She told him the story of the Ring, but lied about Rhax, claiming that he had died after fleeing from Jukas' court. The next day, Conan went back to her, taking with him a tavern girl who wore the Ring. Intimidated, this time she confessed that Rhax was still alive.
--Conan the Barbarian I#131
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb)) - King Jukas was an important and old King of the Hyborian Era who had lived centuries before Conan. Jukas had married a beautiful but very young maiden, and had to leave his palace for war. He asked the palace sorcerer, Rhax, for a means to keep his wife virtuous during his absence. So Rhax gave the cursed Ring to his wife.
When the King came back, he found his wife and her lover butchered. He understood that his wife had been unfaithful but did not realize the curse of the Ring. When he touched her hand, the Ring stuck to his finger. At the first full moon, the nether demon found him and killed him.
Because King Jukas' subjects loved their king, they attacked the magician during the funeral, believing him to be responsible for the bloody death.
--Conan the Barbarian I#131
The nether demon came from an unspecified demonic realm. It was a green, flying monster, invulnerable to steel and indestructible by means of magic. It was drawn to the earthly plane by the Ring on every full moon and killed the person who possessed it.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131 (fb) - BTS) - The demon lived in a nether realm and the Ring was belonged to it. But one day, Rhax, with the help of Set, took the Ring. The demon remained in its realm until the wielder, in this case the King Jukas' young wife, betrayed her husband. This act summoned the demon, who slaughtered the two lovers. From that moment on, every full moon, if the Ring was held by someone, the demon was summoned from its realm and killed the wearer. For centuries the demon killed people until it killed a brigand.
(Conan the Barbarian I#131) - The next full moon, the demon went for a girl, but the Ring was taken by Conan who passed it to the magician who first took the Ring away from it. The sorcerer fell into a chasm created by his magic, and the demon followed him down. A few moments later, the sorcerer's house trembled and crumbled, burying the chasm.
--Conan the Barbarian I#131
images:
(without ads)
Conan the Barbarian I#131, p19, pan4 (main image)
Conan the Barbarian I#131, p18, pan4 (image)
Conan the Barbarian I#131, p3, pan3 (Brythunian with the Ring of Jukas)
Conan the Barbarian I#131, p13, pan6 (gypsy)
Conan the Barbarian I#131, p14, pan3 (King Jukas and his young wife)
Conan the Barbarian I#131, p20, pan3 (nether demon)
Other Appearances: None
Last updated: 10/06/09
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