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BASTINADO

Real Name: Bastinado

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Earth-93060/Ultraverse) demon (Class Two)

Occupation: Ruler of his realm

Group Membership: Ruler of the demons in his realm

Affiliations: Demons under his command

Enemies: Sky People, The Strangers (Atom Bob (Bob Hardin), ElectroCute, Grenade, Lady Killer, Spectral, Yrial, Zip-Zap)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The Wold, accessible via dimensional breach in the Caribbean islands (Earth-93060)

First Appearance: The Strangers#10 (March, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Bastinado is a very long-lived demon (well over 500 years old) who rules a small realm in the Ultraverse. His can absorb and completely drain the super powers and demonic powers of those in his realm, thereby cementing his rule by weakening others. He can summon destructive magic that he can focus as intense broad blasts right down to pointed whips. It appears a "chimney" of eldritch flame at the top of his head augments his magical blasts. His small wings appear to give him limited hovering ability. Like other demons in his realm, he has a harsh, malformed appearance of horns and claws.

Height: 6'6"
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Red
Hair: None

History:

(The Strangers#12 (fb)) - Using cosmic magic, the indigenous people of a fog-shrouded Caribbean island guarded a dimensional breach to a demon realm. The arrival of Spanish explorer and conqueror Christopher Columbus in 1502 AD changed the status quo; keen to plunder their secrets, Spanish soldiers killed many of the indigenous people, their deaths fueling the demons' power. The Spaniards were magically sent away but the demons had gained sufficient power to cross the portal in large numbers and an intense battle raged on the island. Eventually the demons on the island were corralled; the islanders elected to use the demons' magic, killing them, to tear the island up hidden into the sky so that the dimensional demon door would be lost.

(The Strangers#10 (fb) - BTS) - Bastinado was one of many demons left in the demon realm and he made himself king, drawing power from his subjects, thereby weakening them.

(The Strangers#10) - About 500 years passed. The super-powered group the Strangers (Atom Bob, ElectroCute, Grenade, Lady Killer, Spectral, Zip-Zap) searched among the Caribbean islands for their missing teammate Yrial, who had been kidnapped by her reclusive island people, concerned the demon door secret would be revealed. Craftily guided by Yrial to show her people that new super-powered people ("ultras") cold be trusted, the Strangers stumbled across the breach. First Spectral and ElectroCute were captured and brought bound before Bastinado. The other Strangers followed through another portal. Their ultra powers didn't work in the demon realm--except for Atom Bob's, who created magic that matched Bastinado's. A furious fight of raw magical power left Bastinado defeated and he bowed in defeat to Atom Bob, but was ready to wait for revenge. With Bastinado the only real power among the demons, the Strangers rushed to escape, but instead fell off a deep cliff.

(The Strangers#11) - Bastinado watched from the cliff edge as the Strangers fell. Eventually they landed on the enormous celestial body the Wold. With the aid of the Entity, speedster Zip-Zap found the location of Sky Island. He gathered the Strangers in a vortex and zoomed them back to the demon realm, knocking over Bastinado, and then through the breach to Earth.

(The Strangers#13 (fb) - BTS) - The demons used the breach to invade the villainous Boneyard's realm. In turn, Boneyard orchestrated a plan to have the Strangers banish the demons.

(The Strangers#13) - The Strangers teamed with Mantra and pursued Boneyard to Half Moon Bay (California), where Boneyard opened a new portal that allowed Bastinado and all the other demons to come through.

(Mantra I#12) - The Strangers and Mantra fought Boneyard and Bastinado plus his minions. The Strangers kept the villains distracted long enough for Yrial to perform a black magic spell that closed the breach, taking most of the demons (and apparently Bastinado) with it. Later, the Strangers and Mantra destroyed any other remaining demons left on Earth.

Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Rick Hoberg, Tim Eldred.

Atom Bob's fierce fight against Bastinado left Bob secretly with the taste of real power and drive to change himself into the most powerful Stranger of all, and to create the mysterious identity of Pilgrim to seek todismantle the Strangers and eventually gain more power.

Each demon in Bastinado's realm has a malformed, nasty but unique appearance.

The art in Mantra is quite different to that in Strangers and I can see Bastinado only once in silhouette.

Because Bastinado's realm is distantly connected to the enormous patchwork expanse of the Wold, I'm not completely sure "demon" is an accurate term for Bastinado and his minions, but it's reinforced in the Ultraverse Year One & Year Two summary books, so we'll stick with that.

The word "bastinado" describes a form of punishment or torture that involves the caning of the soles of a person's feet.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Bastinado has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
The Strangers#10, p, pan (main image)
The Strangers#13, p, pan (headshot)
The Strangers#10, p, pan (using magic)

Appearances:
The Strangers#10 (March, 1994) - Steve Englehart (writer), Rick Hoberg (pencils), Tim Eldred (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
The Strangers#11 (April, 1994) - Steve Englehart (writer), Rick Hoberg (pencils), Tim Eldred (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
The Strangers#12 (May, 1994) - Steve Englehart (writer), Rick Hoberg (pencils), Tim Eldred (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
The Strangers#13 (June, 1994) - Mike W. Barr & Steve Englehart (writers), Mike Gustovich (pencils), Thomas Florimonte (inks), Roland Mann (editor)
Mantra I#12 (June, 1993) - Steve Englehart & Mike W. Barr (writers), Terry Dodson (pencils), Jasen Rodriguez (inks), Roland Mann (editor)

First posted: 10/31/2022
Last updated: 10/31/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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