Bialgesuard (Reality-8116; Empirical galaxy; demon, agent of <a href="http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix9/killgaren-taurus-8116.html">Taurus Killgaren</a> and associate of Syzygy Darklock)

bialgesuard-8116-full BIALGESUARD

Real Name: Bialgesuard

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Reality-8116) extradimensional (presumably the 10^th-12^th planes of existence; see comments) demon;
apparently active from 6 billion years ago (or maybe 5, 999, 000, 000 years ago if they were being really specific) to 1 million years in the future

Occupation: Demon (Class III/extradimensional)

Group Membership: Formerly the Great Division (which may be a group or a place from which he is an outcast)

Affiliations: Presumably other demons (possibly served by some demons, including the tentacled demon, unless that was a transformed Bialgesuard)
Syzygy Darklock (both enemy and ally);
formerly unwillingly served Taurus Killgaren (and possibly other sorcerers of the Dread Veil Plane)

Enemies: Ajar'l Darklock, Syzygy Darklock (both enemy and ally), Taurus Killgaren

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None; Syzygy Darklock called him "demon," but that's really just a descriptor (just like Bialgesuard calling Syzygy "mortal")

Base of Operations: Presumably the 10^th-12^th planes of existence ( see comments) in Reality-8116

First Appearance: "The Price," Eclipse Graphic Album Series#5 (1981) - see comments

Powers/Abilities: Bialgesuard is an arch-demon of the 7^th level (apparently different than the planes/levels of existence; see comments).

He is ancient and powerful, although his power is dwarfed by the Dread Veil sorcerers (or, at least, Taurus Killgaren).

Only a few of his abilties have been demonstrated, such as dimensional traveling, including transporting himself, others, and pieces of masonry to realms otherwise inaccessible to mortals.

Bialgesuard may well have been a shapeshifter (see comments).

Certain magical rituals could allow a sufficiently powerful mortal sorcerer to summon, pain and even enslave him, at least while the sorcerer was contained within a protective pentagram/hexagram; were such a sorcerer to step outside the protective region, Bialgesuard could tear that being to pieces.

Like most demons, he was vulnerable to and pained by the energies of an Amulet of Pure White Light, which could force him to speak only the truth for at least the next solar cycle.

Although the energies accessed from the 10^th level reality known as Nirvana's Gate were tainted to be poison to demons such as Bialgesuard if they tried to claim them, Bialgesuard was able to remotely close the iris to the Eye of the Gods while the energies were pouring out of it.

Bialgesuard is noted to be of feline aspect, and he has a feline head and tail, but his other bodily proportions/conformation is that of a human male. He wears no clothes (but his naughty bits are mostly shadowed)

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 15'; likely variable)
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 3125 lbs. based on the above height; likely variable)
Eyes: Green
Hair: White

History: bialgesuard-8116-rearview
("The Price" (fb) - BTS) <According to the Sacred Tome of Powers and Secret Names) - An arch-demon of the seventh level (apparently different than the planes/levels of existence), Bialgesuard is over 6 billion years old. An outcast of the Great Division, he is known chiefly to serve the lords of the Dread Veil plane.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - At some point, the demon Bialgesuard became a servant of the Dread Veil sorcerer Taurus Killgaren (and possibly other sorcerers of the Dread Veil Plane).

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - A few decades ago, Killgaren prophesized a stellar event that would have a tremendous effect on mortal life, but that the structure of this future was unstable; seeking to aid this tomorrow's coming, Killgaren began studying the characters who would play important parts in forming the future. Determining that either of the brothers Syzygy or Ajar'l Darklock was destined to be a major factor in this grand scheme (although it wasn't yet determined which), Killgaren chose Syzygy and influenced him into joining the priesthood of the Instrumentality (the theocracy ruling Altarix, the planet that was home to Ajar'l and Syzygy). Realizing the amount of power Syzygy would need to achieve his goals, Killgaren plotted to have Bialgesuard slay Ajar'l in order to lead Syzygy to gain the power to confront him (Killgaren).

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Syzygy spent long hours at night with forbidden tomes and parchments and casting secret spells. From the Sacred Tome of Powers and Secret Names, he learned of the demon Bialgesuard.

bialgesuard-8116-kneeling

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Taurus Killgaren abused his mystic servant Bialgesuard, seeking to inspire the demon to betray his master.

("The Price" - BTS? - see comments) - Ajar'l Darklock took the long way home from work, occasionally glimpsing things in the shadows.

Ultimately, a tentacled creature (the demon Bialgesuard or his agent(s) (see comments) reached out from behind him in the shadows; Ajar'l's screams were heard throughout the city.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Bialgesuard used a phalanx of minor demons and a spell of concealment to disguise his involvement.

("The Price" - BTS) - Sensing Ajar'l's passing, Syzygy, now a Lord High Bishop in the Instrumentality, interrupted his meditation to seek out his brother.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Only portions small enough to fill a small box were all that was left of Ajar'l's body to be recovered by authorities.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - The Instrumentality's Papal division sent a cardinal, who examined Ajar'l's remains and ruled that no supernatural agency had anything to do with it.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Secretly sensing Killgaren's involvement in the death of his brother, the Lord Papal encouraged Syzygy to investigate, hoping to see his rival eliminated by the powerful sorcerer.

("The Price" - BTS) - Suspecting Ajar'ls murderer(s) had targeted himself and had mistakenly struck against Ajar'l, Syzygy investigated his brother's office, uncovering Bialgesuard's identity.

Recalling the name from his studies, Syzygy conjured up the Sacred Tome of Powers and Secret Names, and reviewed the information on Bialgesuard; he realized the power he sensed would have had to emanate from someone as powerful as a Dread Veil sorcerer.

Against the advice of his mystic anchor, Sister Marian (whom he secretly loved and was loved by in return), Syzygy performed the ritual to summon Bialgesuard.

("The Price") - As the spell was cast, "reality's fiber ruptured," and Bialgesuard appeared, demanding to know who summoned and "all powerful Bialgesuard" and why he was so disturbed. Darklock introduced himself as a Lord High Bishop of the Instrumentality and noted that he had summoned Bialgesuard there to serve him. Indignant to have been summoned by a "cretinous bishop of that ridiculous religion of liars, thieves, and fools," Bialgesuard asked why he should serve him.

    When Darklock noted that he had the power to bend creatures of Bialgesuard's ilk to his will, Bialgesuard replied, "I'd eat maggots before I answer any of your damned questions." However, prepared for resistance, Darklock unleashed powerful energies that agonized the demon, who screamed and dropped to his hands and knees, before acknowledging, "enough."

    Darklock informed Bialgesuard that he knew the demon was a pawn in this game of death and would not further harm him unless the demon obstructed him or refused to identify his master. Bialgesuard swiftly identified the one Darklock sought as Taurus Killgaren, a being of such vast power that the Lord Papal and his cardinals feared him and concealed his existence.

    After Bialgesuard told Darklock he lacked the power to do anything with this knowledge, Darklock considered ordering the demon to slay Killgaren, but Bialgesuard advised Darklock that while he would be forced to obey him, he would be destroyed by Killgaren's far greater power.

    When Bialgesuard offered to show Darklock a way he could destroy Killgaren, Darklock suspected treachery; although Bialgesuard explained that he would help him in order to end his servitude and for reasons of his own, Darklock used the Amulet of Pure White Light to force the demon to speak the truth.

    Agonized by the light, Bialgesuard cursed Darklock for treating him in this fashion unnecessarily before explaining how Darklock could become more powerful than Killgaren, the Lord Papal, and all his cardinals put together: Bialgesuard could transport Darklock to a 10^th level reality known as Nirvana's Gate, which was accessible only to gods and demons and where they would find the Eye of the Gods. This iris was the entrance to the 11^th level of reality in which the gods stored their reserves of mystic energy. While the gods had made deadly these energies deadly to demons to prevent their accessing and stealing it, the gods had neither foreseen the possibility of a mortal becoming powerful enough to reach and tap into the Eye nor that a demon would transport a mortal to the Eye. bialgesuard-8116-travel

    After Bialgesuard explained that he was allowing Darklock to gain such power because Killgaren had treated him very badly and he wished Darklock to slay Killgaren in a most horrible fashion, Darklock considered that he had to either trust Bialgesuard or abandon his quest.

    Syzygy accepted Bialgesuard's offer and asked to be transported to the Eye of the Gods, but Bialgesuard noted that as he was only forced to obey Darklock as long as he remained within his mystic hexagram, he would have to transport both Darklock and the floor with him.

    Realizing -- under the terms of his spell -- Bialgesuard could have whisked him out of the protective hexagram and torn him to pieces, Darklock considered that Killgaren had to have generated an intense loathing in order to override a demon's hatred of bondage.

    Bialgesuard tranported Darklock and the floor containing his hexagram to the Eye of the Gods, advising Darklock that a simple spell of access was sufficient to open the iris and that there were no guards nor traps as the gods had never felt a need for such precautions, a conceit they would regret after this day.

    Darklock then instructed Bialgesuard to depart, noting he had served him well. bialgesuard-8116-cosmic

("The Price" - BTS) - Darklock found that, as Bialgesuard had told him, the iris opened with a simple spell, and he was soon bathed in power.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - As Darklock's body began to suffer damage from the energies of the realm of the gods, Bialgesuard remotely closed the Eye (so that Darklock would survive to slay Killgaren), but -- seeking vengeance for Darklock's disciplining -- not before Syzygy had lost both legs, most of his left arm, and his left eye, and suffered third degree burns over 80% of his body.

("The Price" - BTS) - Sister Marian found Darklock's severely injured form and delirious form.

("The Price" - BTS) - After recovering with the aid of bionic implants, Darklock confronted Killgaren, whose advice led Darklock to reluctantly accept his destiny, but not before slaying Killgaren.

Comments: Created by Jim Starlin.

    Dreadstar was a licensed character/title created by Jim Starlin starting way back with the Metamorphosis Odyssey in Epic Illustrated#1 in the Spring of 1980. The Metamorphosis Odyssey started around the modern era and affected Earth, but then swiftly destroyed the entire Milky Way galaxy and then moved on to a million years in the future. Dreadstar eventually got his own series under the Epic imprint, but Starlin later took the whole shebang over to First Comics. And in 1994, it was published under the imprint of Bravura, a creator-owned division of Malibu comics. He appeared sometime later in issues #5-7 of the Breed III series. And, there's been talk of a Dreadstar television show...
    Still that earlier Marvel connection allows me to place this reality in the fringes of the Marvel Megaverse.
    Peter David took over the writing around issue#31 or so, but Starlin remained the owner. At any rate, from start to finish, it is the best series I've ever read, period! I'd love to see it continued, by Starlin, David, or both!
    With this profile, I am covering the second part of the Metamorphosis Odyssey, the origins of Syzygy Darklock. It is noteworthy to consider that the very end of the Metamorphosis Odyssey and everything thereafter (including the Price) takes place 1 million years after Aknaton used the Infinity Horn to destroy the entire Milky Way galaxy to eliminate the threat of the Zygoteans.

Bialgesuard is credited for slaying Ajar'l, although Bialgesuard is a feline-humanoid, while the creature that grabbed Ajar'l, while only partially seen, had tentacles. It is certainly possible that Bialgesuard is a shapeshifter, but it's also quite likely that Bialgesuard had lesser demon agents or allies grab Ajar'l. Perhaps they brought him to Bialgesuard, who may or may not have been hidden within the shadows or perhaps in another realm.

According to Epic Illustrated#9: Metamorphosis Odyssey, Chapter XIII: Doomsday, there are fifteen known power levels or dimensions of mystical existence:

       The first level is mortal existence as we know it, including the stars, the planets, and all plant and animal life, including humans.
       The second level holds energies easily accessed by mortals, including atomic, electrical, magnetic, photon, etc.
       Dimensions 3-9 are mystical planes, and only highly skilled first-levelers, such as wizards and priests, can make use of these forces;
       Levels 10-12 are the natural habitat of creatures of great power, such as demons, spirits, elementals, angels, and dread veil sorcerers; few first-levelers ever venture here;
       The 13^th and 14^th panes are the provinces of the gods;
       The 15^th level is the sole domain of a being of omnipotent force and many names. His plane of power is without end. His is the reality of infinity.

Sadly, despite the price Syzygy paid, the vast power he gained in his origin story did not persist. Perhaps his body could not handle the magical energies, and his power faded as a result of his body dying (his life only maintained by his magical energies). Certainly the Lord Papal later had his powers amplified by the gods of the Instrumentality or something, but I suspect it was to some degree a plot device, as having Syzygy be that powerful just couldn't fit into regularly stories and not make him a virtually invincible foe.

I'll go progressively through the entire series/appearances of Dreadstar (though it may take me a decade or three to do so), but I'm not aware of any further appearances of Bialgesuard. I'd like to see some story set in Vanth Dreadstar's most recent continuity where he and Kara had to go rescue Ravol Darklock from things that were consequences of Syzygy's actions and manipulaton of magical forces. Maybe Bialgesuard and Slytis could be involved. Wouldn't that be nice?

The Price was originally published in black and white in Eclipse Graphic Album Series #5 (1981). It was reprinted, with colorized artwork, in Dreadstar Annual#1 (1983) by Epic (the licensed characters/stories division of Marvel)

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Bialgesuard should be distinguished from:

other "Bia" or cat-demon creatures

Amulet of Pure White Light

    The Amulet released energies that agonized demons such as Bialgesuard, forcing them to speak only the truth for at least the next solar cycle.

(The Price (fb) - BTS) - In his preparations to confront the arch-demon Bialgesuard, Lord High Bishop Syzygy Darklock brought an Amulet of Pure White Light to force the demon's compliance.

(The Price) -When Bialgesuard offered to show Darklock a way he could destroy Killgaren, Darklock suspected treachery.

    Although Bialgesuard explained that he would help Darklock in order to end his servitude and for reasons of his own, Darklock used the Amulet of Pure White Light to force the demon to speak the truth.

    Agonized by the light, Bialgesuard cursed Darklock for treating him in this fashion unnecessarily before explaining how Darklock could become more powerful than Killgaren, the Lord Papal, and all his cardinals put together.

--"The Price" (see comments)

Note: Syzygy Darklock specifically calls it "AN amulet of Pure White Light" presumably meaning there are more of them.

    Both this amulet and the Eye of the Gods remind me of the Amulet/Eye of Agamotto of Earth-616 (and other realities in the associated Multiverse).

    The Eye of Agamotto's pure white light can force people to speak the truth and was painful to demons and other creatures of black magic, and it can open to a larger size to allow the user to access the realm of Eternity.

    The amulet wasn't actually shown, just the energies emanating from it.

Great Division

According to the Sacred Tome of Powers and Secret Names, Bialgesuard was an outcast of the Great Division.

--"The Price" (see comments)

Note: As far as I am aware, that's all we know about the Great Division. It was referenced in the tome as read by Syzygy, with no images or further description.

Is it a group? Is it a place? Something else? The world may never know...

ritual of summoning/control

(The Price) - In preparation to summon and enslave the arch-demon Bialgesuard, Syzygy Darklock performed a specific ritual.

    The ritual was apparently performed in Syzygy's residence, with him alone in a room while his mystic anchor, Sister Marian waited behind a closed door.

    Syzygy wore only some sort of loincloth and painted a hexagram surrounded by a hexagon.

    Candles were placed between the points of the hexagram as well as in its center.

    A flaming brazier sat on the lines of one of the points of the hexagram.

    Two organs -- one of which is pretty clearly a loop of intestine, and the other looks like it could be an artist interpretation of a heart or a stomach -- were laid out as offerings.

    Kneeling at the intersection of two points of the hexagram (facing the organ offerings), Syzygy initiated the conjuring, speaking an ancient chant, and mind went out into the blackness, with patterns of thought etching the ether before rearranging and calling out into the infinite.

    Syzygy then made the mystic symbols, and the fire kissed the darkness before "reality's fiber ruptured," and Bialgesuard appeared.

    Although Bialgesuard was initially defiant, Syzygy mystically forced him into servitude.
bialgesuard-8116-ritual-hand-symbol

    Syzygy eventually accepted Bialgesuard's offer and asked to be transported to the Eye of the Gods, but Bialgesuard noted that as he was only forced to obey Darklock as long as he remained within his mystic hexagram, he would have to transport both Darklock and the floor with him.

    Realizing -- under the terms of his spell -- Bialgesuard could have whisked him out of the protective hexagram and torn him to pieces, Darklock considered that Killgaren had to have generated an intense loathing in order to override a demon's hatred of bondage.

--"The Price"

Note: The organs used as offering may have been animal or human. Syzygy was pretty much willing to do anything to achieve his ends at this point.

     While humanity was 1 million years gone at the time of this story, it is perhaps noteworthy that the Star of David (a symbol of Judaism) is also a hexagram.

    At least one of the mystic symbols Syzygy made is clearly the "d'oh" finger trick/game sign.

tentacled demon darklock-ajarl-8116-demon

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - To fulfill a beneficial prophecy, the Dread Veil sorcerer Taurus Killgaren plotted to have his demon servant Bialgesuard slay Ajar'l Darklock in order to lead his brother, Syzygy, to gain the power to confront him (Killgaren).

("The Price") - Ajar'l Darklock took the long way home from work, occasionally glimpsing things in the shadows.

Ultimately, a tentacled creature (the demon Bialgesuard or his agent(s) (see comments) reached out from behind him in the shadows; Ajar'l's screams were heard throughout the city.

("The Price" - BTS) - Sensing Ajar'l's passing, Syzygy, now a Lord High Bishop in the Instrumentality, interrupted his meditation to seek out his brother.

("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Only portions small enough to fill a small box were all that was left of Ajar'l's body to be recovered by authorities.

--"The Price" (see comments)

Note: Bialgesuard is credited for slaying Ajar'l, although Bialgesuard is a feline-humanoid, while the creature that grabbed Ajar'l, while only partially seen, had tentacles.

It is certainly possible that Bialgesuard is a shapeshifter, but it's also quite likely that Bialgesuard had lesser demon agents or allies grab Ajar'l.

Perhaps they brought him to Bialgesuard, who may or may not have been hidden within the shadows or perhaps in another realm.

images: (without ads)
"The Price," story pg. 13, panel 3 (ritual of summoning);
       panel 5 (mystic symbol);
    pg. 14, panel 2 (mostly full, summoned);
    pg. 16, panel 3 (face);
    pg. 18, panel 3 (amulet used);
       panel 4 (pained by amulet's energies);
    pg. 19, panel 3 (face, oblique);
       panel 4 (kneeling, showing feet);
    pg. 20, panel 3 (initiating dimensional travel);
       panel 4 (dimensional travel);
    pg. 21, panel 1 (beside Eye of the Gods);
       panel 3 (cosmic face)
       panel 5 (Syzygy opening Eye);
       panel 6-8 (Eye opened, releasing power)

Appearances:
"The Price," Eclipse Graphic Album Series#5 (1981) - Jim Starlin (writer/artist); I don't know who edited it; reprinted in Epic's Dreadstar Annual#1 (1983) it credited Jo Duffy (associate editor) and Archie Goodwin (editor)

First posted: 07/25/2020
Last updated: 04/08/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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