"QUICKSAND" LEPRECHAUNS

Membership: At least four (none identified, see comments)

Purpose: Unrevealed

Affiliations: Geoffrey Wickshire

Enemies: None

Base of Operations: Their village beneath a quicksand pit, somewhere on an English moor (see comments)

First Appearance: Tales to Astonish I#32/1 (June, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: The Leprechauns were able to perform seemingly miraculous magic spells, but the full extent of their powers was unrevealed.

Although preferring to live in isolation, they were apparently benevolent and willing to use their magic to help humans.

History:
(Tales to Astonish I#32/1 (fb) - BTS) - The past of these magically-empowered Leprechauns is unrevealed, but at some point in the past, they decided to dwell away from the prying eyes of humans. On a lonely English moor, the Leprechauns built their subterranean village beneath a quicksand pit--they held the quicksand above their village by means of a magic spell (see comments).

(Tales to Astonish I#32/1 (fb) ) - "Many years ago" (see comments), near the Leprechauns' village, there was a thriving estate that was owned by two wealthy step-brothers: the kind and generous Geoffrey Wickshire, whom fate had rendered blind, and the greedy Sir Edmund Wickshire, who had no scruples about attaining his evil ambitions.

   Although Geoffrey naively believed that his step-brother genuinely cared for him, Edmund was determined to dispose of Geoffrey without incriminating himself, so that he would solely own the vast estate. Remembering the pit of quicksand nearby, Edmund came up with the perfect scheme to get rid of his blind step-brother, and no one would ever be able to blame him for Geoffrey's disappearance.

   One evening, Edmund took Geoffrey for a walk and led him to the quicksand; then Edmund claimed to see a poacher running off with some game, and he pretended to pursue the thief--in actuality, Edmund stood a short distance away. But the sightless Geoffrey began to panic at being left alone, so he tried to return home by himself, and he unknowingly stepped into the quicksand. Despite Geoffrey's anguished cries pleading for help, Edmund stood by silently and watched as his step-brother sank into the pit. When Geoffrey completely disappeared, Edmund rejoiced, because now the entire Wickshire estate belonged to him alone; with his cold-blooded deed completed, Edmund returned to the mansion and went to bed.

   But even as Geoffrey sank beneath the surface of the quicksand, he found that he was still somehow able to breathe, and although he could not see them, he sensed living creatures--the Leprechauns--there with him. The warm and friendly Leprechauns were sincerely saddened by Geoffrey's blindness, and they offered to heal his eyes with a magic spell--they told Geoffrey that the spell would take a week to work, and he would have to remain with them during that time. But Geoffrey didn't want his absence to worry his step-brother, so he wanted to return to the surface and let Edmund know where he would be. The Leprechauns cast a spell that allowed Geoffrey to rise up out of the quicksand.

   With his entire body covered with quicksand, Geoffrey emerged from the pit and headed back to the mansion.

   Meanwhile, Edmund got out of his bed, unable to sleep--his conscience was bothering him, for every time he closed his eyes, he only saw Geoffrey's anguished face. Then Edmund heard footsteps approaching outside his bedroom door; when the door opened, Edmund was horrified to see Geoffrey's avenging "ghost" (actually the very-much-alive Geoffrey, covered with quicksand) approaching him. The terrified Edmund began to back away from the "specter," unaware of the open window behind him...

   Geoffrey related the fantastic tale of his encounter with the Leprechauns under the quicksand, and when he finished, the blind man wondered why his step-brother didn't answer him--he was unaware that Edmund had backed too far away from the oncoming "wraith," only to fall out the window to the courtyard far below...

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

In this 7-page story--Quicksand!--only a total of four of Leprechauns were depicted, but considering the size of their village, there were probably more.

My guess is that the Leprechauns' village was actually in some extradimensional mystical realm, and that the pit of quicksand was just the portal to access the earthly plane.

It was never mentioned exactly what time-period this story took place. The first panel (set in the modern era) depicted the Wickshire estate as deserted and dilapidated, while the second panel's narrative caption mentioned that the tale of Geoffrey and Edmund began "many years ago"--since they had no modern conveniences, and used candles and kerosene lamps to light their home, I'd estimate that these events took place sometime in the late-19th Century.






CLARIFICATIONS:
The "Quicksand" Leprechauns have no known connection to:

Edmund and Geoffrey Wickshire have no known connection to:

Geoffrey Wickshire

A kind and generous man who lived "many years ago" (see comments), Geoffrey Wickshire had been rendered blind at some point under unspecified circumstances. He owned half the family estate on a lonely English moor, where he lived with his step-brother Edmund. The naive Geoffrey believed Edmund genuinely cared for him, because he always attended to Geoffrey's needs; but unbeknownst to him, the evil Edmund was plotting to kill him, so that he could own the entire estate by himself.

One night, Edmund took the blind Geoffrey for a walk, then tricked him into stepping into a pit of quicksand. Geoffrey sank below the surface, but discovered a village inhabited by magical Leprechauns. Feeling pity for the sightless man, the Leprechauns offered to perform a magic spell that would cure Geoffrey's blindness; but the spell would take a week to work, during which Geoffrey would have to remain in the Leprechauns' village. Not wanting his absence to worry his "loving" step-brother, Geoffrey first wanted to return home to tell Edmund the wonderful news.

Geoffrey emerged from the pit, with his entire body covered with quicksand, and found his way back to the mansion. He entered Edmund's bedroom and told his step-brother about the Leprechauns, and of his plans after his blindness was cured--Geoffrey had always longed to go to sea, so he would be giving up his half of the estate to Edmund, for the many years of kindness he had shown him.

But the blind and quicksand-covered Geoffrey was unaware that Edmund had thought him to be a ghost coming to get revenge; consequently, Edmund had backed away in horror, and had inadvertently fallen out the open window behind him--presumably, Edmund was killed when he landed in the courtyard far below.

Geoffrey Wickshire's final fate was unrevealed.

--Tales to Astonish I#32/1

Edmund Wickshire

A greedy and unscrupulous man who lived "many years ago" (see comments), Sir Edmund Wickshire shared the family mansion on a lonely English moor with his blind step-brother Geoffrey. Although he attended to Geoffrey's needs and pretended to genuinely care for him, Edmund wanted to kill his step-brother, so that the entire estate would belong to him alone. Remembering a nearby quicksand pit out on the moor, Edmund came up with the perfect scheme to dispose of his step-brother, and no one would ever be able to blame him for Geoffrey's disappearance.

One evening, Edmund took Geoffrey for a walk and led him near the quicksand; then Edmund ran off, claiming that he was pursuing a poacher who was stealing some game--but Edmund was actually standing silently nearby. When the sightless Geoffrey began to panic at being left alone, he tried to find his way back home, but he unknowingly stepped into the quicksand. Despite Geoffrey's anguished cries pleading for help, Edmund stood by silently and watched as his step-brother sank into the pit. When Geoffrey completely disappeared, Edmund rejoiced, because now the entire Wickshire estate belonged to him alone; with his cold-blooded deed completed, Edmund returned to the mansion and went to bed.

(Unbeknownst to Edmund, the quicksand pit was the location of a village inhabited by magical Leprechauns, who spared Geoffrey's life and offered to cure his blindness.)

But Edmund was unable to sleep, because his conscience was bothering him--every time he closed his eyes, he only saw Geoffrey's anguished face. Then Edmund heard footsteps approaching outside his bedroom door; when the door opened, Edmund was horrified to see Geoffrey's avenging "ghost" (actually the very-much-alive Geoffrey, covered with quicksand) approaching him. The terrified Edmund began to back away from the "specter," unaware of the open window behind him...

Geoffrey told his step-brother about his fantastic encounter with the Leprechauns, and about how he was giving his half of the estate to Edmund--unfortunately for Edmund, he was unable to hear any of it, because he had fallen out the window--presumably, Edmund was killed when he landed in the courtyard far below.

--Tales to Astonish I#32/1

images: (without ads)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p6, pan2 (Leprechauns with Geoffrey Wickshire)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p6, pan3 (Leprechauns speaking with Geoffrey Wickshire)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p6, pan4 (Leprechauns' village; Geoffrey Wickshire and Leprechauns)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p6, pan5 (in Geoffrey Wickshire's narrative flashback, Leprechauns offer to cure his blindness)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p2, pan6 (Geoffrey Wickshire (seated in chair) thanks Edmund Wickshire for his kindness)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p3, pan4 (Geoffrey Wickshire; Edmund Wickshire (background) )
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p5, pan7 (Geoffrey Wickshire, covered with quicksand)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p3, pan7 (Edmund Wickshire, watching Geoffrey Wickshire sink in quicksand)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p4, pan1 (Edmund Wickshire)
Tales to Astonish I#32/1, p5, pan3 (frightened Edmund Wickshire, unknowingly backing up to open window; Geoffrey Wickshire's quicksand-covered hand (foreground))

Appearances:
Tales to Astonish I#32/1 (June, 1962) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Artie Simek (letters)

First Posted: 03/17/2021
Last updated: 03/17/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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