Height: Unrevealed (approximately )Weight: Unrevealed (approximately )
Eyes: (Left/bionic) solid red; (right/organic)
Hair: None; formerly brown
SYZYGY DARKLOCK
This is a partial/starter profile to build upon as I progressively review the Dreadstar series
Real Name: Syzygy Darklock
Identity/Class: Alternate
Reality (Reality-8116) extraterrestrial (Altarixian) magic-user;
extratemporal (approximately 1 million A.D.)
Occupation: Sorcerer, adventurer, freedom-fighter;
former priest/bishop
Group Membership: Formerly Dreadstar and Company (Vanth Dreadstar, Oedi, Skeevo Phlatus, Willow)
formerly the Instrumentality, Priests of Vieltoor
Affiliations: Bialgesuard, Taurus Killgaren, Dr. Loomis, Slytis;
formerly the Lord High Papal, Sister Marian
Enemies: Bialgesuard, Hymlok, Taurus Killgaren, Lord High Papal, King Nellor;
formerly Sister Marian
Known Relatives: Woolfor Darklock (father; see comments), Cula Darklock (mother; see comments), Ajar'l Darklock (brother, deceased), Lena Darklock (wife, deceased), Ravol Darklock (son)
Aliases:
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly mobile throughout the Empirical Galaxy;
formerly his abode within Mist Valley, Caldor;
formerly Altarix
First Appearance: "The Price,"
Eclipse Graphic Album Series#5 (1981) - see comments
Powers/Abilities:
Summon demons, form protective pentagrams, molecular transport, levitate
prostheses/bionic parts
| Height: Unrevealed (approximately ) Weight: Unrevealed (approximately ) Eyes: (Left/bionic) solid red; (right/organic) Hair: None; formerly brown |
History:
 ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Syzygy and Ajar'l Darklock, sons of native to Altarix, one of the inner planets spared the
conflicts seen in the outer planets in the 200 year-long war between the
Instrumentality and Monarchy theocracies. Altarix was the homeworld of the Instrumentality's mystical arm, the Order of Vieltoor. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS / Dreadstar and Company#4: Syzygy Darklock profile) - As a child, Syzygy showed his brother, Ajar'l that there was nothing to be afraid of in the dark. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - A
few decades ago, Dread Veil Sorcerer Taurus Killgaren discovered a
potential future stellar event that would have a tremendous
and very positive effect on existence.. Seeking to aid this tomorrow's coming to pass, Killgaren determined that either Syzygy or Ajar'l Darklock was destined to be a major factor in this grand scheme. Killgaren chose Syzygy and influenced him into joining the priesthood of the Instrumentality. Rising to the position of Lord High Bishop, Syzygy sought to rule the Instrumentality and put an end the war with the Monarchy. To this end, Syzygy spent long hours at night with forbidden tomes and parchments and casting secret spells. |
("The Price") - Sister Marian served Syzygy
Darklock, acting as his medium and psychic anchor. The two worked
together for eight years, resisting the romantic urges toward each
other due to their vows. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Realizing the amount of power Syzygy would need
to achieve his destiny and that the fiercely loyal Syzygy would have to
sacrifice the soul of the mortal he most loved in the universe to the
demon Slytis to gain that power,
Killgaren plotted to have his demon servant Bialgesuard or one of his agents slay Ajar'l in order to lead
Syzygy to investigate, learn his involvement, and gain the power to
confront him (Killgaren); only this level of power would allow Darlock
to summon and deal with Slytis. ("The Price" - BTS) - Sensing Ajar'l's passing, Syzygy interrupted his meditation to seek out his brother. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - As the security force was legally not allowed to investigate any
crime involving any mystical power or element, the Papal division sent
a cardinal, who examined Ajar'l's remains and ruled that no supernatural
agency had anything to do with it. ("The Price" - BTS) - Syzygy learned of his brother's brutal passing and the official ruling. ("The Price" (fb) - BTS) - Secretly sensing Killgaren's involvement in the death of Ajar'l Darklock, the Instrumentality's Lord Papal encouraged Syzygy to investigate, hoping to see his rival eliminated. |
Using pre-arranged and painful means, Syzygy forced Bialgesuard to identify his master as Taurus Killgaren. Having been abused by Killgaren for this very purpose, Bialgesuard arranged for Syzygy to access an 11th level reality where the gods stored their reserves of mystic energies. Although Syzygy was vastly empowered, he lost both legs, most of his left arm, his left eye and suffered third degree burns over 80% of his body before Bialgesuard remotely closed the Eye of the Gods portal (so that Darklock would survive to slay Killgaren). |
.
("The Price") - After recovering via his own mystical powers and with the aid of bionic implants, Darklock confronted and slew Killgaren (and his familiar, Hymlok) upon glimpsing the future and confirming his reasons. ("The Price") - Returning to the mortal plane, Darklock sacrificed his beloved Marian to Slytis and gained the desired power, quit the priesthood, and departed Altarix, traveling to Caldor and seeking out Vanth, the man most prominent in his vision of the future. |  |
 |
Within Caldor's Mist Valley, Syzygy set up his abode and
patiently awaited for weeks until Vanth approached, at which point
Syzygy identified him and noted that in certain mystic circles he was referred to as Dreadstar the Starslayer. Darklock spoke
to Vanth of his destiny (noting his awareness of his sword) and his own
role as Vanth's comrade and mentor, but then sent him back to assure the
People that he meant no harm: "I've no love for cats, but if they leave me in peace, they'll have no reason to fear me."
The two planned a meeting the next evening. 
(Marvel
Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar (fb) -
BTS) - For an unspecified number of star cycles, Vanth met with Syzygy
Darklock twice every moon cycle, and the two became friends while
Syzygy shared his knowledge with Vanth.
(Dreadstar and Company#5: The Dreadstar and Company Files: Oedi) - At some point, Syzygy also met and spoke with the People's Oedi (son of the elder Oedi), telling him of the Monarchy and Instrumentality war and noting that Vanth was destined to force an end to the war.
(Marvel Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar) - When Syzygy tried to convince Vanth to use his powers to fight against the evils of the galaxy, Vanth angrily refused.
(Marvel
Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar (fb) -
BTS) - The Monarchy -- acting on decades out of date information --
slaughtered the People and Delilah.
(Marvel
Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar) -
After Vanth had learned what happened, Syzygy advised Vanth that some
of his power might be able to put an end to such senseless tragedies.
Vanth considered that he might do so someday, but first he would have
vengeance -- despite Syzygy's advice to the contrary-- of the
Monarchy's First Nova Squadron and King Nellor, who had performed and
ordered the slaughter, respectively. Initially misunderstanding Vanth's
resolution to enlist in the military to gain this vengeance, Syzygy
argued that the Monarchy's crimes and nature paled before the
Instrumentality's.
(Marvel
Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar (fb) -
BTS) -
After Vanth
had spent two years infiltrating the Monarcy's military as Captain
Dreadstar and ultimately being transferred to the royal palce on
Jewelworld, Vanth contacted Syzygy and coordinated with him to
facilitate the murder of King Nellor as well as Vanth's subsequent
access to (via a spell of molecular transport) the heavily-guarded
chambers of Nellor's successor, King Gregzor (and presumably his
subsequent escape fromlGrgzor's chambers...and ikely Vanth's previous
escape from Nellor's chambers).
(Marvel
Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar - BTS) -
Dreadstar convinced King Gregzor to secretly follow his plans of adjusting the
economy and ending the war.
Comments: Created by Jim Starlin.
Dreadstar / Reality-8116 primer
Syzygy's origin is detailed extensively
throughout "The Price." Get it and read it. Great, although horribly
tragic, story.
I believe that's the cover, but I scanned it from
the cover of Dreadstar Annual#1, which unfortunately has Vanth and
Syzygy's hands covering small parts of the cover.
As Syzygy is a complex character with numerous appearances,
I tried to summarize details to avoid an overly lengthy profile.
You can also get a lot more detail by reading the profiles
on Taurus Killgaren, Bialgesuard, and Sister Marian.
Sadly,
despite the price Syzygy paid, the vast power he gained in his origin story did
not persist. Perhaps his body could not handle the magical energies, and his
power faded as a result of his body dying (his life only maintained by his
magical energies).
Certainly the Lord Papal later had his powers amplified by
the gods of the Instrumentality or something, but I suspect it was to some
degree a plot device, as having Syzygy be that powerful just couldn't fit into
regularly stories and not make him a virtually invincible foe.
Or, perhaps Syzygy invested his power in backing Dreadstar,
allowing him and his allies to survive otherwise certain death repeatedly.
Bialgesuard is credited for slaying
Ajar'l, although Bialgesuard is a feline-humanoid, while the creature that
grabbed Ajar'l, while only partially seen, had tentacles. It is certainly
possible that Bialgesuard is a shapeshift, but it's also quite likely that
Bialgesuard had lesser demon agents or allies grab Ajar'l. Perhaps they brought
him to Bialgesuard, who may or may not have been hidden within the shadows or
perhaps in another realm.
Ajar'l's parents names
A syzygy is an astronomical term referring to he nearly
straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies (such as the sun, moon,
and earth during a solar or lunar eclipse) in a gravitational system
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Syzygy Darklock should be distinguished from:
 |  |
To replace his Syzygy's eye, Dr. Loomis installed an optical scanner, which was -- at least according to her -- the best on the market: It's range included infrared, ultraviolet, and certain bands of radiation. It originally protruded significantly, but she noted that they could set the assembly directly into his eye socket later. She then placed an arm, also the latest model, which duplicated every muscle and nerve need, and she felt it would not get in the way of his casting spells "or whatever it is you do." Finally, she placed the legs, which were of ardimanium construction and had a government rating of 450 H.B.S. force value. She further noted that they would allow him to outrun and outjump a Lorterian panther. When she noted that it would take her a couple weeks to get the skin covering for all of these units. Syzygy told her that the skin covering was not necessary for what he needed to do...and, he considered that it was probably better that way. As Syzygy soon stood before Dr. Loomis and Sister Marian, she told him she would put the skins on order and that he could come for them at his convenience. Syzygy thanked her and told her that she knew where to send her bill.
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Appearances:
"The Price," Eclipse Graphic
Album Series#5 (1981) - Jim Starlin (writer/artist); I don't know who
edited it; reprinted in Epic's Dreadstar Annual#1 (1983) it credited Jo
Duffy (associate editor) and Archie Goodwin (editor)
Marvel Graphic Novel#3: The Metamorphosis Odyssey Book Three: Dreadstar
(1982) - Jim Starlin (writer/artist), Archie Goodwin & Jo Duffy
(editor)
First posted: 05/03/2023
Last updated: 12/15/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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