THE LAND OF SHADES

Type: Earth-like

Environment: Constantly surrounded in mist

Usual means of access: Dimensional banishment

Dominant Life Form: Erinnyes, monsters

Significant Inhabitants: The Olympians (Apollo, Ares, Bia, Demeter, Hercules, Kratos, Pluto, Zeus, many others) (they were briefly banished there), Tartaro, Typhon (who was banished there for thousands of years)

First Appearance: Avengers I#49 (February, 1968)

History: (Avengers I#49 (fb) - BTS) - After defeating the Titan Typhon in combat, Zeus banished Typhon to the otherworldly Land of Shades, where Typhon dwelled in banishment for thousands and thousands of years. When Typhon later escaped banishment and ventured to Olympus, he extinguished the Promethean Flame, causing the Olympians to be exiled to the Land of Shades and leaving Typhon in Olympus.

(Avengers I#49) - When Hercules arrived in Olympus to investigate, he found Typhon and a fierce battle ensued, during which Typhon summoned the monster Tartaro from the Land of Shades to battle Hercules. After defeating Tartaro, Hercules followed Typhon to the shimmering palace of Olympus, where he again confronted Typhon, who used his Battle-Axe to banish Hercules to the Land of Shades as well.

(Avengers I#50) - Unsure of where he had been banished, Hercules wondered if the other Olympians had truly been banished to the Land of Shades before seeing movement. Investigating, Hercules found himself in the clutches of one of the dread Erinnyes. Upon the monster's defeat, Hercules continued searching the Land of Shades for the missing Olympians, soon finding his brethren. Zeus quickly questioned whether Hercules had something to do with the Olympians' banishment to the Land of Shades as part of a revenge scheme for Zeus' own banishment of Hercules from Olympus but Hercules revealed Typhon's involvement. Admitting he should have suspected Typhon, Zeus asked Hercules came to be banished in the Land of Shades and after hearing Hercules' story, Zeus announced that due to Hercules' demigod status, Typhon's spell of banishment did not hold as strongly and Zeus teleported Hercules back to Olympus in hopes that Hercules could stop Typhon and free the banished Olympians. As Hercules was transported back, Typhon made his way to Earth, noting how unlike the Land of Shades it was. When Hercules later defeated Typhon with the assistance of the Avengers, he plunged Typhon's Battle-Axe into the brazier housing the Promethean Flame, returning the Olympians to Olympus from the Land of the Shades.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Land of Shades has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Avengers I#49, p20, pan4 (Hercules banished to the Land of Shades)
Avengers I#50, p3, pan1 (Hercules ventured into the mists of the Land of Shades)

Appearances:
Avengers I#49 (February, 1968) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (art), Stan Lee (editor)
Avengers I#50 (March, 1968) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (art), Stan Lee (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 01/11/18

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