IKTHALON
Real Name: Ikthalon
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Boreas) demon
Occupation: Ruler of Boreas
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Served by the Legions of Boreas;
Invoked by Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Ian McNee and others
Enemies: Iceman (Bobby Drake), Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom/Hellstorm), Katherine Reynolds
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Lord of the Frigid Wastes of Boreas, Patron of Stagnation, Lord of Boreas, Keeper of the Icy Wastes
Base of Operations: Boreas dimension; briefly acted at Gateway University, St. Louis, Missouri
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight I#14 (March, 1974)
Powers/Abilities: Ikthalon symbolizes stagnation and resistance to change. He is composed of an ice-like substance and can generate ice and freezing winds. Within Boreas, he and his icy creations are immune to flames, and even to those of a mystical nature, such as hellfire. He can travel out of his own realm only when summoned, and can be contained by magical wards, such as an ankh. He can enter the form of a human and take possession of its will. His powers are greater within the dimension of Boreas. On Earth, he is vulnerable to mystic and conventional flames. He can apparently grant mystic power to those who invoke his name in spells.
His minions, the Legions of Boreas, are demons (and possibly offspring) much like himself. They possess similar, although lesser, powers.
The realm of Boreas is immensely cold. By its very nature, it will nullify flames and other sources of warmth. It weakens those native to warmer realms.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 7'2")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 400 lbs.)
Eyes: White, no visible irises
Hair: None
History:
(Marvel Spotlight I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Ikthalon is an extradimensional demon of unknown origin. Daimon Hellstrom commented that he had been active on Earth around medieval times, but his past history has not been detailed.(Doctor Strange: From the Marvel Vault#1 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Grip of Ikthalon to protect himself from the chaos-entity Tyanon.
(Marvel Spotlight I#14 (fb)) - A faculty member at Gateway University, displeased with the changes occurring in the process of modernization, made a pact with Ikthalon to resist those changes. Ikthalon first made his presence felt in the Communications Building (from which the pact had been made), causing levitation of inanimate matter, and other poltergeist-like phenomena. These progressed over several weeks, and then Ikthalon and his legions caused the entire, newly-installed heating system to freeze solid. A janitor then saw one of the Legions of Boreas stalking the building at night. Next Ikthalon caused the building to be engulfed in icy blue flames, which did not burn.
(Marvel Spotlight I#14) - Dr. Katherine Reynolds contacted the exorcist Daimon Hellstrom to investigate the possession of the Communications Building at Gateway. Hellstrom agreed and investigated the building as the Son of Satan. He placed a mystic ankh on the doorstep of the building to prevent any demons from leaving the building. As he explored the building, he was ambushed by one of Ikthalon's Legions, who grabbed him and pulled him into a portal which brought him to Boreas. Hellstrom's trident was knocked from his grasp as he was attacked, and without it he was overpowered and imprisoned by Ikthalon. Ikthalon and his Legions then opened a portal to Earth, but found they were unable to escape the building due to the presence of the ankh.
However, Katherine Reynolds, along with the building's janitor, defied Hellstrom's instructions and decided to see what was going on in the building as well. The janitor mistook the ankh for some type of graffiti, and erased it. This allowed Ikthalon and his Legions freedom to travel outside the building, and they emerged and attacked Dr. Reynolds and the janitor. Seeking some means to defend herself against the demons, Dr. Reynolds picked up Hellstrom's trident. Her contact made a connection to Hellstrom, who was able to use it to return to Earth and attack the demons. Ikthalon took Reynolds hostage and forced Hellstrom to give an oath not to fight him. However, as soon as Ikthalon released Reynolds, Hellstrom, destroyed Ikthalon with a burst of hellfire, claiming it was his right to lie as the son of the great deceiver.
(Marvel Spotlight I#22 - BTS) - When Hellstrom was rendered comatose and psychically attacked by Madame Swabada, Hellstrom was forced to face illusions of those he'd battled before. As such, Hellstrom found himself in Boreas where he was attacked by Ikthalon whom he believed to have destroyed during their last encounter. The illusion of Ikthalon then grabbed Hellstrom and threw him even further down to hell. Hellstrom eventually defeated Madame Swabada and regained consciousness.
(Doctor Strange II#33 - BTS) - Ikthalon has been invoked in spells since that time, indicating he still existed in some form. During a dream sequence under the control of Dream Weaver, Clea was bound by "the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon."
(Marvel Fanfare I#6/2 - BTS) - Ian McNee invoked Ikthalon in a fight against an unnamed sorcerer by using the Wrath of the Chill Ikthalon.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#58 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the fires of Ikthalon against Dormammu. (Probably the cold fires!)
(Doctor Strange IV#1 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against Spurrgog the Hell-Breather.
(All-New X-Men II#8 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against a magma serpent, but the spell failed to work against the creature.
(Superior Spider-Man II#5 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against Master Pandemonium.
(Ironheart I#8 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against Zetok the Merciless.
(Doctor Strange Annual III#1 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against a young demon.
(Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme#2 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against the Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite).
(Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme#3 - BTS) - Doctor Strange used the Icy Tendrils of Ikthalon spell against a dragon.
(Mighty Marvel Holiday Special: Iceman's New Year's Resolutions Infinity Comic#1) - Ikthalon invaded Earth on New Year's Eve, using the cold and snow to create a body for his spectral being. He co-opted the energy and attention of millions focused on the crystal ball to bring forth the glacial era of the spirit. When the crystal ball got stuck at six, Iceman investigated and Ikthalon cast the Icy Tendrils to attack him. Ikthalon bragged about his plan and considered Iceman a perfect mortal host, but then Iceman began to absorb all the cold and ice Ikthalon needd to form his body, destroying Ikthalon's physical form on Earth.
(Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic#3 - BTS) - When the young and misguided sorcerer Daemond II inherited several mystic artifacts he set out to invoke and consume Ikthalon. But after trapping Loki, Daemond was tricked into invoking Iceman instead of Ikthalon. Loki and Iceman eventually defeated Daemond.
Comments: Created by Steve Gerber and Jim Mooney.
No one dies forever in Marvel Comics, and certainly a demon could always reform.
The OHotMU Deluxe edition Appendix to other dimensions lists Ikthalon's realm as the Ice World of Ikthalon, but its correct name, as given by Ikthalon, is Boreas.
Profile by Snood. Update by Markus Raymond.
Clarifications:
The realm of Boreas is immensely cold. By its very nature, it will nullify flames and other sources of warmth. It weakens those native to warmer realms.
--Marvel Spotlight I#14
Ikthalon's minions, the Legions of Boreas, are demons (and possibly offspring) much like himself. They possess similar, although lesser, powers.
--Marvel Spotlight I#14
images: (without ads)
Mighty Marvel Holiday Special: Iceman's New Year's Resolutions Infinity Comic#1, pan17 (main)
Marvel Spotlight I#14, p15, pan4 (head shot)
Marvel Spotlight I#14, p14, pan1 (full body, original)
Marvel Spotlight I#14, p13, pan1 (Boreas)
Marvel Spotlight I#14, p13, pan5 (Legions of Boreas)
Appearances:
Marvel Spotlight I#14 (March, 1974) - Steve Gerber (writer), Jim Mooney (pencils), Sal Trapani (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Spotlight I#22 (March, 1975) - Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Bob McLeod (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Doctor Strange II#33 (February, 1979) - Roger Stern & Ralph Macchio (writers), Tom Sutton (pencils), Rudy Nebres (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Marvel Fanfare I#6 (January, 1983) - Roger Stern (writer), Charles Vess (artist), Al Milgrom (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#58 (November, 2003) - J. Michael Straczynski (writer), John Romita. Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Doctor Strange: From the Marvel Vault#1 (April, 2011) - Roger Stern (writer), Joe Edkin (plot assist), Neil Vokes (pencils), Jay Geldhof (inks), Tom Brevoort & Tom Brennan (editors)
Doctor Strange IV#1 (December, 2015) - Jason Aaron (writer), Chris Bachalo (pencils), Tim Townsend, Al Vey & Mark Irwin (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
All-New X-Men II#8 (June, 2016) - Dennis Hopeless (writer), Paco Diaz (artist), Daniel Ketchum (editor)
Superior Spider-Man II#5 (June, 2019) - Christos Gage (writer), Mike Hawthorne (pencils), Wade von Grawbadger & Andy Owens (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
Ironheart I#8 (September, 2019) - Eve L. Ewing (writer), Luciano Vecchio (artist), Alanna Smith (editor)
Doctor Strange Annual III#1 (December, 2019) - Tini Howard (writer), Andy MacDonald (artist), Darren Shan (editor)
Doctor Strange: Surgeon Supreme#2-3 (March-April, 2020) - Mark Waid (writer), Kev Walker (artist), Darren Shan (editor)
Mighty Marvel Holiday Special: Iceman's New Year's Resolutions Infinity Comic#1 (December, 2021) - Luciano Vecchio (writer/artist), Annalise Bissa (editor)
Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic#3 (June, 2022) - Luciano Vecchio (writer/artist), Anita Okoye, Sarah Brunstad, Jordan D. White (editors)
First Posted: 09/23/2001
Last updated: 12/30/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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