MORDO's MINIONS
Membership: Adria, Sir Baskerville, Demonicus, Kaecilius, unidentified others
Purpose: Service to Baron Mordo, Defeat of Doctor Strange, Advancement of own magical powers
Affiliations: Baron Mordo (Karl
Amadeus Mordo), Morgana Blessing (pawn),
Demon's disciple;
formerly Dormammu (indirectly), Dormammu's
wraiths, unidentified sorcerer and others
Enemies: Dr. Annabelle Riggs, Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Lisa Halloran, Valkyrie (Jane Foster)
Aliases: Minions of Mordo. see individuals for individual aliases
Base of Operations: The Purple
Dimension;
formerly Castle Mordo, Transylvania;
formerly a base in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City
First Appearance: (Demon & disciple) Strange Tales I#128/2 (January, 1965); (as a group) Strange Tales I#141/2 (February, 1966)
History:
The individual origins of
Mordo's minions are unknown. His disciple obviously gained some
level of mystic training under Mordo himself. At some point, they
came to ally themselves with the sorcerer Baron Mordo.
(Strange Tales I#128/2 + 140/2 - BTS) - Baron Mordo gained mystic power from the extra-dimensional sorcerer Dormammu in exchange for vowing to serve him. Dormammu was bound by an oath to not invade Earth himself, so he directed Mordo to capture or slay his enemy, Dr. Strange. Mordo's advanced power proved superior to that of Dr. Strange, and Strange was forced to go into hiding until he could determine some means to overcome Mordo.
To assist him in locating the elusive Dr. Strange, Mordo contacted some of his previous allies and servants. Some of these were able to detain or temporarily capture Strange, but none could successfully keep him long enough for Mordo to bring him to Dormammu. Strange eventually confronted Dormammu on his own terms.
(Strange Tales I#141/2-143/2) - After Dormammu was outmaneuvered and defeated by Doctor Strange, he took out his anger on Mordo, banishing him to a dimension of demons. Three of his former servants (his Disciple, the Demon, and the Witch), having lost contact with their master, joined forces to bring in Dr. Strange.
They planted a conventional bomb within his Sanctum, figuring that he would not scan for something so mundane. At the last minute, Strange realized that someone had erased the mystic evidence of the presence of Mordo (and perhaps others) from his Sanctum. Strange performed a scan that detected the bomb, and he levitated into the air and threw it into the sky. As the bomb exploded, he was still only a short distance from it, and was knocked unconscious. Mordo's minions then captured him, mystically bound him, and brought him back to their base in Greenwich Village.
As the Witch and the Disciple investigated Strange's Amulet and Cloak, the Demon was given the task of probing Strange's mind. However, Strange's mental powers were far greater than the Demon's and he took control of his mind, forcing him to begin removing the spells which were binding him. The Witch discovered what had happened and broke Strange's contact with the Demon. Strange fled and attempted to use his astral self to discover a means of freeing his body from the blinding mask and hand restraints it still wore. The Witch located his inert body and brought it back to her, binding it so that his astral form could not return to it, she then trapped his astral form as well. However, as she attempted to explore his Amulet, Strange activated it, enabling him to mesmerize her and force her to free his astral from. Before he could force her to remove all of the spells on his body, the Demon attacked him. Although his astral from was significantly weaker than the combined power of the sorcerers, Strange used his control over the Amulet and Cloak to defeat the group. He then forced them to completely free his body, and he wiped their minds of black magic.
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(Doctor Strange II#56) - Morgana Blessing arranged an interview with Doctor Strange. After inviting the group into his Sanctum and retelling his origins, Strange revealed that he knew the crew was actually the three former minions of Mordo. He explained that he had hoped that his temporary mental block would have taught them the humility and wisdom to use their knowledge to better themselves. However, they attacked him again, seeking vengeace for their past defeats, and hoping to steal some of his mystic artifacts. As Strange began to overpower the three, Adria located the Purple Gem. Sensing its power, she tried to use it against Strange. However, the Gem served only as a one-way portal to the Purple Dimension, and all three of the minions were sucked away. |
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SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Annabelle Riggs discovered a mirror in the ruined Temple of Aggamon in Sumeria. The mirror's surface was made of a Purple Gem and could open a portal to the Purple Dimension under a certain planetary conjunction.
(Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4) - Doctor Strange, knowing the possible threat posed by the mirror, attended a guest speech by Briggs at the Institute for the Study of Ancient History and tried to warn her, but the portal to the Purple Dimension opened earlier than expected because Strange's watch was running slow. Kaecilius, Adria and Demonicus stepped through the portal to seek vengeance against Strange with the Purple Magic they had learned during their imprisonment in the Purple Dimension. Valkyrie (Jane Foster), who was at the speech to get information on a different matter from Briggs, joined Strange's fight against the and quickly knocked out Demonicus and Adria while Kaecilius captured Strange in the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak. Kaecilius threatened to squeeze Strange to death if Valkyrie didn't back off, but Strange released his astral form to draw off Kaecilius' energies. His plan got interrupted by the explosive arrival of the Grim Reaper, which nearly knocked out Kaecilius and forced him to release Strange from the Crimson Bands. Grim Reaper then captured Strange's astral form with the mirror.
(Valkyrie: Jane Foster#5) - Grim Reaper left with the mirror while Adria and Demonicus remained unconscious. Kaecilius did nothing about Grim Reaper because he recognized that he was riding a Hell-steed. He instead opened a portal to Paris and left.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko.
The name's Mordo's Disciple and the Witch both come from the original Marvel Index series #6 (Strange Tales), @ 1977. Neither of these two characters actually received a name in their appearances in Strange Tales.
For the sake of convenience of description, I am using these names to describe them before they were given their more formal names.
Aggamon, ruler of the Purple Dimension, has been seen since Mordo's Minions were sent to his realm, but I don't believe the Minions were mentioned at that time. (Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme Annual#2/5)
Dormammu's wraiths probably have additional appearances beyond those included here.
Mordo's Minions have an entry in Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic.
Neither Mordo's disciple/helper nor the female leader were named in their Strange Tales appearances. They were first given names in Doctor Strange II#56, when Doctor Strange exposed the deception of the video camera crew and used their names when he introduced them to Morgana Blessing. Strange presumably learned their names after the events of Strange Tales I#143, published over 16 years (3 or 4 years in Marvel Time) earlier.
--Donald Campbell
Clarifications:
Adria aka. the Witch should not be confused with:
Demonicus, aka Demon, is not to be confused with:
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Adria formerly known as the Witch, she also posed as Sylvia Nettlebaum, a reporter for Independent Video. Her past activities are unknown, and she was not seen before she joined forces with Mordo's others servants. (Girl Comics#2/5) - Planning to take over the Sanctum Sanctorum after Doctor Strange had conceded the role of Sorcerer Supreme Adria attacked him in his home. Strange, who had concentrated his remaining powers into a security spell he had put on his piano, tricked Adria into playing the piano and it apparently destroyed her. SECRET WARS III HAPPENED (Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Annabelle Riggs discovered a mirror in the ruined Temple of Aggamon in Sumeria. The mirror's surface was made of a Purple Gem and could open a portal to the Purple Dimension under a certain planetary conjunction. (Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4) - Doctor Strange, knowing the possible threat posed by the mirror, attended a guest speech by Briggs at the Institute for the Study of Ancient History and tried to warn her, but the portal to the Purple Dimension opened earlier than expected because Strange's watch was running slow. Kaecilius, Adria and Demonicus stepped through the portal to seek vengeance against Strange with the Purple Magic they had learned during their imprisonment in the Purple Dimension. Valkyrie (Jane Foster), who was at the speech to get information on a different matter from Briggs, joined Strange's fight against the three sorcerers and fought Adria, who hit her with powerful Purple Magic blasts until Valkyrie bound her hands to prevent her from casting more spells. Valkyrie then knocked her out with a punch to the face. The fight got interrupted by the explosive arrival of the Grim Reaper, who captured Strange's astral form with the mirror. (Valkyrie: Jane Foster#5) - Grim Reaper left with the mirror while Adria and Demonicus remained unconscious. (Witch)--Strange Tales I#141/2 (Strange Tales I#141/2-142/2, 143/2; (A)Doctor Strange II#56, Girl Comics#2/5, Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4-5 Note: Either Girl Comics is not in continuity, Adria was banished back to the Purple Dimension at the end of the story or Secret Wars just eliminated that part of her history. |
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Demonicus formerly known as the Demon, he also posed as soundman Tyrone Lewis. Prior to joining Mordo's quest, the Demon was a sorcerer of some repute based out of New York City. (Strange Tales I#128/2) - His disciple fled to Dr. Strange for help to stop him, but the Demon learned of this and recalled his disciple to his base, and imprisoned him. The Demon erased all evidence of his spells to prevent Strange from locating him. However, Strange animated the outer garments of the disciple, which were left behind when he was teleported away, causing them to retrace their steps back to the Demon's base. The Demon ambushed Strange and trapped him within the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, but Strange sent out his astral form, which read through the Demon's scrolls and learned which spells had been mastered by the Demon. Strange then broke free, overpowered the Demon, and freed his Disciple. (Strange Tales I#132/2) - Mordo convinced the Demon to join him, and sent him to Strange's sanctum to await his return. Strange, suspecting a trap in his sanctum, entered in his astral form and narrowly escaped from the Demon. He then purchased a different costume from a shop and posed as a rival of Strange's, challenging him to match his powers. The Demon was put off guard by this, and Strange was able to sucker punch and knock him out. SECRET WARS III HAPPENED (Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Annabelle Riggs discovered a mirror in the ruined Temple of Aggamon in Sumeria. The mirror's surface was made of a Purple Gem and could open a portal to the Purple Dimension under a certain planetary conjunction. (Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4) - Doctor Strange, knowing the possible threat posed by the mirror, attended a guest speech by Briggs at the Institute for the Study of Ancient History and tried to warn her, but the portal to the Purple Dimension opened earlier than expected because Strange's watch was running slow. Kaecilius, Adria and Demonicus stepped through the portal to seek vengeance against Strange with the Purple Magic they had learned during their imprisonment in the Purple Dimension. Valkyrie (Jane Foster), who was at the speech to get information on a different matter from Briggs, joined Strange's fight against the three sorcerers and knocked out Demonicus. The fight got interrupted by the explosive arrival of the Grim Reaper, who captured Strange's astral form with the mirror. (Valkyrie: Jane Foster#5) - Grim Reaper left with the mirror while Adria and Demonicus remained unconscious. (Demon)--Strange Tales I#128/2 (Strange Tales I#128/2, 132/2, 141/2-143/2; (Demonicus) Doctor Strange II#56, Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4-5 |
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The Demon's disciple had joined the Demon's service just for fun, believing him to be a pretender. However, when he realized the true power fo the Demon, and his potential threat to the rest of the world, he fled to Dr. Strange for help. The Demon recaptured and imprisoned him, but Doctor Strange freed him and sent him away. --Strange Tales I#128/2 |
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Dormammu's wraiths were intangible, mindless creations which could be
given a specific mission, such as find and capture a target. They
possessed limited mystic powers, including projection of energy
bolts, forming of shields, detection of mystic energy, telepathic
contact with their master, and the ability to pass through solid
objects. They do not tire and can pursue a subject relentlessly.
Dormammu lent several Wraiths to Mordo to help locate Dr.
Strange. However, due to their limited mental abilities, Strange
was able to elude them on several occasions, usually by
outwitting them. They were also known as the Spirits of
Evil. |
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An unidentified sorcerer led an ambush on Doctor Strange while he was in Hong Kong, seeking to delay him until Mordo or other assistance could arrive. However, Strange used illusionary forms to elude several attackers and then bound the sorcerer within the Rings of Raggadorr. The sorcerer mentally contacted Mordo, alerting him of Strange's location. --Strange Tales I#130/2 |
images (without ads)
Doctor Strange II#56, p13, pan2 (main image)
Strange Tales I#130/2, p2, pan2 (more Minions)
Strange Tales I#136/2, p3, pan2 (more Minions)
Doctor Strange II#56, p3, pan3 (disguised)
Doctor Strange II#56, p15, pan4 (told to surrender)
Strange Tales I#143/2, p5, pan3 (Adria classic)
Girl Comics#2/5, p2, pan1 (Adria modern)
Strange Tales I#128/2, p2, pan6 (Demonicus)
Strange Tales I#128/2, p2, pan3 (Demon's disciple)
Strange Tales I#135/2, p8, pan1 (Dormammu's wraiths)
Strange Tales I#130/2, p9, pan2 (unidentified sorcerer)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#128/2 (January, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#130/2-132/2 (March-May, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#135/2-136/2 (August-September, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#141/2-142/2 (February-March, 1966) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist/plot)
Strange Tales I#143/2 (April, 1966) - Roy Thomas (writer), Steve Ditko (artist/plot), Stan Lee (editor)
Doctor Strange II#39 (February, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Mary Jo Duffy & Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#56 (December, 1982) - Roger Stern (writer), Paul Smith (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Girl Comics#2/5 (July, 2010) - Christine Boylan (writer), Cynthia Martin (artist), Jeanine Schaefer (editor)
Valkyrie: Jane Foster#4 (December, 2019) - Al Ewing & Jason Aaron (writers), Cafu (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Valkyrie: Jane Foster#5 (January, 2020) - Al Ewing & Jason Aaron (writers), Cafu (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
First Posted: 10/06/2001 (?)
Last updated: 10/11/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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