OCCULTIST

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human magic user

Occupation: Professional criminal

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Black Cat (Felicia Hardy), Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Magic Guy"

Base of Operations: New York City

First Appearance: Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance#1 (December, 2009)

Powers/Abilities: The Occultist can turn nearby materials into golems, transform solid steel into butterflies, and teleport objects.  However, due to his inexperience, he can only maintain one spell at a time; his previous spell will be broken as soon as he casts a second.  He also hasn't memorized all his spells, so he needs to carry a large grimoire around with him.  He wears what appear to be several mystic talismans around his neck; whether they enhance his magical abilities or are merely cosmetic remains unrevealed.

History: (Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance#1 (fb) ) - The Occultist learned magic one week prior to starting his criminal career, apparently via a large magic tome.

(Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance#1) - The Occultist attempted to rob a bank with the aid of a golem assembled out of the bank's office furniture.  As the golem battled Spider-Man and the Black Cat (the latter of whom insisted on calling him "Magic Guy"), the Occultist headed for the bank's vault.  Transforming the vault door into butterflies, he was soon joined by Spider-Man and the Cat, as his golem had vanished as soon as he cast another spell.  Before they could capture him, he tried to enchant a large stack of bills so he could escape with it, but Spider-Man interrupted the spell and decked him.  The Black Cat handed him over to the police (earning a two thousand dollar reward), who gagged him to prevent him from casting any more spells.  Soon, however, Spider-Man and the Black Cat broke into the police station to free him, as his spell had affected Spider-Man, causing the money to ceaseless follow him across the city. Once he was ungagged, however, he transformed the money into a golem and set it on the heroes.  When it struck a mighty blow on Spider-Man, the Occultist celebrated, thinking that he'd killed Spider-Man - but soon realized that the golem was hollow and made out of paper when Spider-man swung through it and kicked him in the face.

Comments: Created by Chris Yost, Michael Ryan, and Danny Miki.

This story is said to take place "some time ago" - it appears to have been around the time Spider-Man was living in his Chelsea apartment and dating the Black Cat, so somewhere between 1983 and 1985, real-time.

Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance was originally published online, via Marvel's Digital Comics Unlimited service; it was later reprinted in physical form in The Many Loves of the Amazing Spider-Man one-shot.

Profile by Minor Irritant.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Occultist has no known connections to

images: (without ads)
Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance#1, p4, pan2 (main image)
Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance#1, p6, pan4 (headshot)

Appearances:
Spider-Man: The Root of All Annoyance#1 (December, 2009) - Chris Yost (writer), Michael Ryan (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Jody LeHeop (editor)

Last updated: 02/12/13

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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