STEPHEN
LOSS
STEPHEN
LOSS
Real Name: Dr. Stephen Loss
Identity/Class: Homonculus; creation of the Asura
Occupation: Agent of Heaven
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Asura (creators and
masters); Ingenuity Lee, House of Blue Lights (creations);
Gabriel Rosetti (pawn)
Enemies: Gargoyle (Isaac Christians), Hellstorm, Satana, Jaine Cutter, all demons,
demon-worshippers, agents of any of the Hells;
Somnambulist, Marduk Kurios (both known to
be subjects of his research)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Devil Breaker
Base of Operations: A small house, location unrevealed.
First Appearance: Hellstorm#12 (July, 1994)
Powers/Abilities: Stephen Loss is a magical
humanoid creation and is presumably not limited by the same needs
as a human. He ages slowly, but is designed to last exactly 100
years. Whether he is immune or even resistant to conventional
injury or disease in unclear. He is similar enough in nature to
an angel, that he would be injured by attempting to pass through
a mystic barrier against angels.
Loss has an extensive knowledge of the occult and a large
collection of arcane lore. He is experienced with numerous
spells. He created the
substance K, which is a narcotic-like drug,
essentially composed of the bodies of Angels. It's use allows one
to communicate with Angels, as well as making its user
susceptible to their control. The souls of K users are judged by
the Asura. Those deemed useful are educated. The others are
absorbed into Heaven. "Souls are currency in Heaven and
Hell, and Our Father's House must remain strong." K was
the substance used to manipulate Gabriel Rosetti.
His radio, when tuned to 29 Megacycles, can pick up the voices of
the dead. Amng his other artifacts are the Fur Bible/Fur Journal, the Electric Pentagram, the Mantic Organ, the Pus-Knives, and the Ruinsaw
of Giza. He also once held one of the
two the Breathing Guns.
Loss is beyond obsession. His sole purpose in
life is the defeat of the forces of Hell, and the claiming of
Earth for the forces of Heaven. He is not so concerned with
making the world a better place, as he is with making sure
everyone follows God's laws to the letter, and with claiming the
souls of humanity to add to Heaven's collection.
Despite his inhuman form and single-minded nature, he is still
subject to the same desires as any human man--perhaps more so. He
keeps these desires in line via self-flagellation (whipping
himself) anytime he has the bad thoughts). He prefers to use
barbed wire, and his back is covered with a thick layer of old
scars and fresh scabs. His observations of Satana, in particular,
filled his dreams with reasons for whippings.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 170 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Grey, balding (formerly black)
History:
Stephen Loss is not actually human, but is a humanoid created by
the Asura, the assassins of Heaven, in the year 1899, and brought
to life at the very start of 1900. He was designed to be the
Earthly agent of Heaven's war (for dominion of Earth, over the
forces of Hell).
Little of Loss's life has been revealed. He "spent a lifetime, armed only with his faith, prising (sic) the Stinking Finger of Hell from his good God's Earth."
(Hellstorm#20/2(fb)) - In the Spring of 1923, Loss carried out his first major inquisition. Armed with both the Ruinsaw and one of the Breathing Guns, he wiped out all of a tainted Delaware Township in one hour.
In an unknown order:
(Hellstorm#16(fb)) - Years ago, Loss exhumed
the corpse of Victoria Wingate Hellstrom. He found evidence of
tattooing on her womb, and learned that she had not been a victim
or pawn of "Satan", but instead had been designed to
father his children by a cult of Satanists called the Chapel of
Dresden.
Loss exterminated the Chapel of Dresden, ending their plans for
the children of Satan. From that point on, he kept a close eye of
Daimon and Satana Hellstrom.
(Hellstorm#17(fb)) - Loss stayed at the Jericho Monastery, in Jericho, Nevada. When he left, loss inadvertently(?) left behind a page that detailed information on how to summon the Somnambulist. The page was found by Ervil Allred, a serial killer posing as a priest, who did summon the demon.
(Hellstorm#12) - Loss is seen reviewing his
maps and diagrams (There's a lot of other, nasty stuff going
on, but we don't need to get into that).
Under Loss's direction, Ingenuity Lee brings Gabriel Rosetti to
the House of Blue Lights.
(Hellstorm#13, 14-BTS) - The Asura contacted Rosetti within the House of Blue Lights and convinced him to become their servant.
(Hellstorm#16(fb)-BTS) - Loss sensed the power of Hellstorm as he assumed "The Black Halo" (the crown of regency in Hell) against Inanna and her Bailiff.
(Hellstorm#15) - Loss was still working on his wiring and diagrams whilst his Electric Pentragrams spark. His radio picked up the voice of the recently deceased Patsy Walker, attempting to communicate with Daimon from Hell.
(Hellstorm#16(fb)) - Loss had and taped a conversation with Patsy.
(Hellstorm#16) - Loss traveled to Fire Lake, Massachusetts, where he introduced himself to Hellstorm. Loss revealed and demonstrated that he knows virtually everything about Daimon, as well as sharing previously unknown information about his mother. Loss then questioned Hellstorm about his father's death. After sharing the information, Loss proclaimed that Hellstorm was now an equal adversary for him.
(Hellstorm#18-BTS) - The Asura sent Gabriel to exterminate the Ambassat.
(Hellstorm#19) - Loss traveled to Bend
Sinister, Utah, where an Angel, Tzadqiel, had possessed one of a
group of Satanists there. The Satanists had placed a magical
shieldfield over their house, which prevented entry by angels,
and would have injured Loss if he tried to pass through it.
Instead, he stayed outside and watched as Hellstorm arrived and
dealt with the situation.
Loss nodded to Hellstorm as he passed, and hinted at previous
encounters with his father.
(Hellstorm#20/2) - Loss added information to
the Fur Journal, in preparation for his final Inquisition, the
eradication of Hellstorm and his consort Jaine Cutter.
BTS - Rosetti stole the Breathing Gun from Jaine Cutter.
(Hellstorm#21) - The Asura sent Rosetti to
assassinate Hellstorm. Rosetti wounded Hellstorm and shattered
his trident, but was soon after incapacitated .
Meanwhile, Loss sat in his
home, reminiscing about his life on Earth. He ingested some K to
connect with the Asura, and imagined his plans coming to
fruition--"...the Spiritual Wealth purchased by K shall
overwhelm that of the various fields of Hell, and Heaven alone
shall harvest Earth...Life is Good."
And then Hellstorm teleported into his house and killed him.
Comments: Created by Warren Ellis and Leonardo Manco.
Loss reported that he was created live for exactly 100 years, which fit in nicely with a story taking place in 1994. Due to Marvel's sliding time scale, his stories from Hellstorm have already passed 100 years after 1900. So he either lived longer (he was built to last longer, or just lived longer than expected), or you can say that he was created 100 years ago, making his time period of creation slide forward as well. Either way works just as well, although I believe the story was intended to tie into the millennium (which is the end of 2000, not 1999, for the math-impaired population).
I also suspect that Ellis had a much longer plot intended for Loss, but was forced to wrap it up in the conclusion of the series.
Joe Quesada has done a lot of wonderful things for Marvel. If he could get Warren Ellis to write Satana, Hellstorm, Gabriel the Devil-Hunter, or something along that line, I believe my life would be complete.
Presumably the "first Man on Earth," whose hide makes up the covering of the Fur Journal/Bible, refers to Adam, the first man in Biblical Lore.
Stephen Loss has an entry in Marvel Legacy: The 1990s Handbook.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Stephen Loss, the Devil Breaker, should be distinguished from:
Devil's Heart, @ Giant-Size
Dracula#4
SATAN--since all of the above stories were written by Warren Ellis, all references in this profile should refer to Marduk Kurios.
Also known as the Fur Bible.
During his many decades of his war, Loss encountered numerous
volumes of forbidden knowledge. The worst and most dangerous of
these he burned--but not before it was transcribed into a
protective book, potently bound in the magically preserved hide
of the first Man on Earth.
Loss used this same text to detail his plans and experiences. It
also served as a source of power to create some of his other
weapons.
After Loss' destruction, the Journal was apparently obtained by Jennifer Silence, who used the information and spells therein to trap Satana in the Electric Pentagram and force her to recover her twin brother, Jason Silence, from Hell. Examining the Fur Journal, Satana observed the diagrams of her written by Stephen Loss (though she knew not who had written them) and then she returned the Electric Pentagram to the Fur Journal. Satana almost certainly kept the Journal.
--Hellstorm#20/2
This is a weapon of great power, about which
little is known. Loss used it to carry out his first major
inquisition, in the Spring of 1923, in whicy he wiped out all of
a tainted Delaware Township in one hour.
--Hellstorm#20/2
After Loss' destruction, the Fur Journal was apparently obtained by Jennifer Silence, who used the information and spells therein to trap Satana in the Electric Pentagram and force her to recover her twin brother, Jason Silence, from Hell. Examining the Fur Journal, Satana observed the diagrams of her written by Stephen Loss (though she knew not who had written them) and then she returned the Electric Pentagram to the Fur Journal.
Last updated: 07/11/07
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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