This Day in Comics: The Darkhold Unleashed!
Comic book addicts, let’s delve into the arcane depths of Marvel history! Today, March 28th, marks a significant date for fans of the mystical and macabre. On this very day in 1972, the world was first introduced to one of the most powerful and dangerous artifacts in the Marvel Universe: the Darkhold! Its debut occurred within the pages of Marvel Spotlight #4, forever changing the landscape of magic within the Marvel cosmos.
The Darkhold isn’t just any book; it’s a tome of immense power and dark origins. Penned by the demonic Elder God Chthon, the very first being on Earth to practice black magic, the Darkhold initially took the form of iron-bound scrolls. Chthon meticulously inscribed all his vast knowledge of dark arts into these scrolls, creating a source of power that would echo through millennia.
Remembering the Darkhold’s First Appearance in Marvel Comics
On this “This Day in Comics,” we remember the birth of the Darkhold, a relic that survived the cataclysmic battle between the Elder Gods and the Demogorge. Only Chthon and Set managed to escape this purge, leaving the Darkhold as a testament to a bygone era of immense magical might. The power contained within its pages was so formidable that even the combined might of the legendary Merlin and St. Brendan was insufficient to destroy it completely. They could only manage to contain its terrifying influence.
The Darkhold‘s history is long and steeped in darkness. Even before the sinking of Atlantis, humans stumbled upon its power. During the Hyborian Age, followers of the defeated sorcerer Thulsa Doom, known as the Darkholders, used the Darkhold to create the very first vampire, Varnae. This act, born from vengeance after Kull’s victory over Doom, had horrific consequences as Varnae turned on his creators and began his own bloodthirsty lineage.
As the ages passed, the Darkhold‘s scrolls found their way into the hands of various civilizations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Hebrews. It wasn’t until around the 7th century that the sorceress Morgan Le Fay took the scrolls and bound them into the book form we recognize today. It was also during this period that the Darkhold was translated from Chthon’s ancient script into Latin, making its dark secrets more accessible, and therefore more dangerous.
Furthermore, the Darkhold bears responsibility for another iconic monster in the Marvel Universe: the werewolf. In the 18th century, a man named Grigori Russoff was tainted by the Darkhold. He was subsequently bitten by a werewolf serving Dracula, passing the curse of lycanthropy down through his family line, eventually affecting Gregor Russoff and his son Jacob Russoff.
On this “This Day in Comics,” we acknowledge the enduring legacy of the Darkhold. Its introduction in Marvel Spotlight #4 laid the groundwork for countless storylines involving dark magic, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural threats within the Marvel Universe. The Darkhold remains a potent symbol of forbidden knowledge and the corrupting influence of dark power. So, take a moment today to appreciate the dark magic that was unleashed upon the Marvel world on this very date!
Marvel Comics: https://www.marvel.com/
Marvel Spotlight #4: https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/19752/marvel_spotlight_1971_4
