Seduction Ruby

Classification: Magic item

Creator: Unrevealed

User/Possessors: Apparently Zephyr;
    formerly Thor Odinson, Odin Borson, unidentified dwarf king (possibly Sindri)

First Appearance: (First apparent -- though unconfirmed -- use; Behind-the-Scenes) Supernatural Thrillers#8 (August, 1974);
    (see) Astonishing Thor#1 (January, 2011);
    (identified) Astonishing Thor#5 (September, 2011)

Powers/Abilities/Functions:  The Seduction Ruby could soften any heart hardened against its bearer. Zephyr apparently could use it to mesmerize others to serve her and possibly to cause them to see convincing illusions (their hearts' desires)...or possibly those were powers Zephyr derived from some other source.

History:
(Astonishing Thor#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Seduction Ruby was owned at some point by the (presumably) Asgardian Dwarf king, who prized it for its amusing ability.

(Astonishing Thor#1 (fb) - BTS) - Under unspecified circumstances, Odin Borson plundered the Seduction Ruby from the Dwarf king.

(Astonishing Thor#1 (fb) - BTS) - Also under unspecified circumstances, Thor obtained the Seduction Ruby and took it with him on a visit to Earth.

(Astonishing Thor#3 (fb)) <"so many centuries past" / "a millennium ago, give or take a century"> - While searching for the Ruby Scarab to restore her "pantheon" to power, Zephyr heard of a brash young thunder god who had been waving about a ruby artifact.

(Astonishing Thor#1 (fb)) - Thor engaged in a losing game of dice ("bones") with a trio of Vikings on Earth. Feeling the Seduction Ruby to be of little use to him, as "no heart can withstand my ardent wooing," Thor wagered it so he could continue gambling.

(Astonishing Thor#1 (fb) - BTS / Astonishing Thor#3 (fb) - BTS) - Though realizing the ruby was a "mere seduction gem" and not the Ruby Scarab she sought, Zephyr (at the time posing as a serving wench) nonetheless secretly stole the ruby from Thor as she poured his drink.

(Astonishing Thor#1 (fb) - BTS) - When Thor lost the gamble, he was irate to find the ruby missing. After smashing the Vikings who presumably sought to punish him for apparent treachery, Thor realized "the wench" had stolen the ruby. Thor was compelled to hunt Zephyr down.

(Astonishing Thor#3 (fb)) - As Zephyr expected, Thor located and angrily confronted her, telling her that she knew not within whom she dallied; Zephyr informed Thor that neither did he, as she was one of the Elementals, whose dominion over Earth predated Asgard's by millennia. She also reminded him she had taken the seduction gem from him, which could soften his hardened heart...though she began to see she may not require the gem's services. Noting themselves to be kindred spirits, two immortal gods able to bend the skies to their pleasure, Thor reasoned that their union was destiny.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8) - The Elementals summoned the Living Mummy (N'Kantu) to their extradimensional "Palace of the Gods" and instructed him to retrieve the Ruby Scarab for them. When N'Kantu refused, Zephyr combined her elemental and womanly skills (presumably utilizing the power of the Seduction Ruby) to take control of N'Kantu's mind and make him their slave without further damaging him. The Elementals then returned him to Egypt, created a means for him to sense the energies of the Scarab, and sent him to recover it.

(Supernatural Thrillers#11) - Zephyr returned to Earth (arriving in Cairo, Egypt) for the first time in "eons," appearing before a group of "castoffs," who believed her to be a divine spirit sent by Allah and begged her to save them from their poverty. Recalling her own days of poverty, she called upon the "Winds of Change" (possibly a power derived from the Seduction Ruby) and gave the men, for a time, the illusion that they were wealthy sultans enjoying the life of luxury.

(Astonishing Thor#4 (fb) / Astonishing Thor#5 (fb)) - BTS) - Apparently via the Seduction Ruby, Zephyr caused the Collector to fall in love with her as the path of least resistance to avoiding imprisonment like her former fellow Elementals. She allegedly felt like she had lived too long, seen too much, and no longer had any idea of how to live...or why.

(Astonishing Thor#5 (fb) - BTS) - The Collector realized Zephyr had used the Seduction Ruby to dull his wits and manipulate him, making him dishonor his late wife, Matani, and their daughter, Carina.

Comments: Created by Rob Rodi, Mike Choi, and Charlie Beckerman.

    The Ruby is only seen on panel in the flashbacks to Thor and Zephyr's first encounter. The Collector references it as the means by which Zephyr ensorcelled him, but the Supernatural Thrillers appearances are unconfirmed. The Seduction Ruby revelation seemed, to me, to be a plot device to explain some of the non-Elemental powers Zephyr had back in the Supernatural Thrillers appearances.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Seduction Ruby has no known connection to:

• Ruby - one of the Ravens--X-Factor I#56 or so
• Ruby of Earth-93060 ("Ultraverse") - ally of the Freex--Freex#4
• Ruby of Domination - used by Xandu who amplified its power via the Eye of Agamotto, shattered by the Thing--Marvel Fanfare I#20
• Ruby of the Nile
• Ruby of Raggadorr - see RINGED RUBY of RAGGADORR--Peter Parker: Spider-Man#11

• Ruby of Sambana - mystical item, South America, generates heavy rain on any thief, forcing its return--World of Fantasy#11/3

• Ruby of Shadows - Terragonia, formerly possessed by Kronak, used to summon the Guardian of the Ruby, shattered when Hulk defeated the Guardian--Incredible Hulk II#201
• Ruby Scarab - magic item created @ 3500 BC by merging of the souls of Dann and Garret--Supernatural Thrillers#8
• Ruby Sneakers - Here (and There) dimension, used to transport Defenders back to Earth--Defenders I#115
• RUBY SPHINX - guarded the Plateau of Brass; confronted Thor when he entered Hell; told him that he'd let him live if he answered his riddle; shattered by Thor--Thor I#613
• Ruby Thursday  (Thursday Rubinstein) - Headmen, organic computer grafted to head, had affair with the Answer (Aaron Nicholson), decapitated by Bullseye, head kept by Answer--Defenders I#32
• Ruby Toad - ruby key in shape of a toad linked to Toad God--Chamber of Chills#3
• other Ruby or seductions characters, items, etc.

images: (without ads)
Astonishing Thor#1, pg. 11, panel 4-5 (Thor gambles the Seduction Ruby);
    #3, pg. 15, panel 3 (with Zephyr)

Appearances:
Supernatural Thrillers#8 (August, 1974) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#11 (February, 1975) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils & inks), Len Wein (editor)
Astonishing Thor#1 (January, 2011) - Rob Rodi (script), Mike Choi (pencils), Charlie Beckerman (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Astonishing Thor#2 (March, 2011) - Rob Rodi (script), Mike Choi (pencils), Charlie Beckerman (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Astonishing Thor#3 (April, 2011) - Rob Rodi (script), Mike Choi (pencils), Charlie Beckerman (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Astonishing Thor#4 (July, 2011) - Rob Rodi (script), Mike Choi (pencils), Charlie Beckerman (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Astonishing Thor#5 (September, 2011) - Rob Rodi (script), Mike Choi (pencils), Charlie Beckerman (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 12/17/13

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