Arioch (Demon; Duke of Chaos; Conan, Elric & Dr. Strange character)

arioch-chaos-stii13-full ARIOCH

arioch-chaos-stii13-face Real Name: Arioch

Identity/Class: Extradimensional demon

Occupation: Predator, Duke of chaos

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Elric of Melniboné (see comments);
formerly merged with Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange);
liberated (or, at least, separated from Dr. Strange) with aid from Enitharmon and Kaluu

Enemies: Arkyn, Doctor Strange, Xiombarg; unidentified guards of Yrkoon
while merged with Strange: Shuma-Gorath

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Duke of Chaos, "Mighty King of Hell"

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
at least formerly an unidentified alien dimension

First Appearance: (Referenced) The Dreaming City, Science Fantasy#47 (June 1961)
(Marvel; referenced; behind-the-scenes) Conan the Barbarian I#15 (May, 1972);
(seen as amorphous entity) Epic Illustrated#4/3 "The Dreaming City" (Winter, 1980)

Powers/Abilities: Arioch has vast magical powers, giving him virtually complete control over his own form and allowing him to transform other beings and matter around him in any manner in which he can imagine

At least circa 10,000 B.C., Arioch fed upon the souls of beings slain by Elric of Melniboné with his sword, Stormbringer.

At least on one occasion, Arioch manifested, in the dimension of Melniboné, as a dark but translucent amorphous being with visible internal organs. This form could easily tear apart human flesh and bone and consume souls.

At least on one occasion, in his own realm, Arioch manifested as a gray-skinned humanoid.

Height: Unrevealed (his human form was approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (his human approximately 210 lbs., assuming human density)
Eyes: Unrevealed (his human form had blond hair)
Hair: Unrevealed (his human form had red eyes
Note: Two completely different forms of Arioch were observed, one as a translucent amorphous being with visible internal organs and one as a gray-skinned humanoid, but it is not clear, which, if either is Arioch's true form (see comments).

History:

arioch-chaos-ei4-forming arioch-chaos-ei4-attack

(Conan the Barbarian I#15 - BTS) - When Gaynor the Damned stated that by combining her power with that of Terhali, Xiombarg could rule both Earth and Melniboné, Elric denounced Gaynor as a blasphemous cur, telling him -- as he struck him down with his sword, Stormbringer -- that Melniboné served only Arioch, Duke of Chaos...as did Elric, master of Stormbringer.

Elric subsequently sensed that despite Gaynor turning to dust that he had but vanished, exiled to some other world, and he was certain that this was Arioch's doing, who hated Xiombarg as much as he ever did the law-lord Arkyn.

After Arkyn had empowered Zephra to slay Terhali, with Zephra perishing from wielding such power, Conan told Elric that his god's presence had left them. Elric clarified to Conan that he served the chaos-lord Arioch, who was Arkyn's enemy.

Elric additionally noted that as he slew beings with Stormbringer, they were gifted to Arioch to devour.

(Epic Illustrated#4/3 - BTS) - After Elric had invaded the city of Imrryr the Beautiful and entered the chambers of Cymoril, his sleeping/entranced cousin and former lover, the guards of Yrkoon (Elric's rival and Cymoril's brother) identified the invasion and pounded on the door. Drawn by the commotion, Yrkoon arrived as well. After Elric unlocked the door and drew his sword, Yrkoon sent the guards in.

(Epic Illustrated#4/3) - Elric slew the first guard, but as four more rushed in, Elric called on Arioch to help him, giving him the soul of the man he had slain with Stormbringer. As guards continued to poor in, Elric slew another, after which Arioch apparently manifested as a black, amorphous creature in the corner of the room.

Slaying yet another guard, Elric drove the others toward Arioch, who rushed forward and sucked out the men's souls and snapping the spines of still living men.

Arioch then began to fade back to his realm, although Elric wished that he/it would have claimed Yrkoon as well.

(Strange Tales II#13/2 - BTS) - Having turned to black magic (and sacrificed an eye) to oppose the power of Shuma-Gorath, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange traveled to progressively darker and deeper realms, beyond that which the dark sorcerer Kaluu could not even travel.

(Strange Tales II#13/2) - Eventually, in an unidentified realm, Strange was confronted by Arioch, who greeted him and was intrigued to encounter someone from a reality <he said "entelechy," but I think that refers to potential and soul> of which he had not known.

     Arioch told Strange that as he died, he would take his remaining eye as a record of the wonderment with which he must have been suffused upon seeing him (Arioch). Strange replied that the main evil he sought lied beyond him and that he advised the "demon" that he may find his death harder to bring about than he thought.

    Apparently insulted at being called a demon, Arioch caused a spike to project from the ground and impale him, but as he dropped down to Strange's fallen form, Strange -- having used an illusory form to draw his attack -- blasted him from behind and then restrained him.

    Denouncing Strange as a fool, Arioch told him he could not fight him, as Arioch was as strong as he wished or could imagine himself to be.

    Blasting Strange in the face with mystic energy, Arioch explained that he was not even of that body and that he could do anything of which he conceived to him. As he turned Strange's face to being consumed by maggots and then being on fire, Arioch continued that he was not even finite and that nothing could stand against his power.

However, Strange surprised Arioch by instead absorbing his power and his essence.

Now comprised of both himself and Arioch, Strange continued on to his final destination and confronted Shuma-Gorath.

(Strange Tales II#14/2) - The combined Strange/Arioch at least temporarily destroyed Shuma-Gorath.

(Strange Tales II#15/2 / Strange Tales II#16/2) - Kaluu and Enitharmon the Weaver assisted Dr. Strange in recovering his own identity.

Comments: Created by Michael Moorcock;
adapted to Marvel by Roy Thomas and P. Craig Russell.

Melniboné should have an accent over the e, but it gets screwed up in my html editor...Elric's profile and most that mention him still look bad because of that accent 21 years after it was posted. Imagine the accent if it's important to you... Elric's entry did have that problem, but I've now fixed it, and also done so here. - Loki

I suspect that Arioch either sent a portion of himself to consume the guards for Elric, but there's nothing to support that. Perhaps he just took a human form for his own amusement when a human arrived in his realm.

Thanks to Loki for suggesting Arioch to represent Elric and for helping me with background information.

This profile was completed 01/16/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended to represent Elric for the Appendix 25^th anniversary's celebratory event to represent Elric's stories and characters.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The demon Arioch, Duke of Chaos, should be distinguished from:

ARIOCH - Angel, fallen angel--[Marvel Zombies: Angels entry]
other Arioch characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

images: (without ads)
Epic Illustrated#4/3, pg. 10, panel 8 (entering the physical realm);
       pg. 11, panel 5 (swarming over guards);
Strange Tales II#13/2, pg. 7, panel 5 (humanoid form, full);
       pg. 8, panel 1 (face);
       pg. 9, panel 2 (transforming, maggots);
    #14/2, pg. 1, panel 1 (flying toward...);
       pg. 4, panel 2 (merged form vs. Shuma-Gorath)

Appearances:
Conan the Barbarian I#15 (May, 1972) - Roy Thomas, Michael Moorcock & Jim Cawthorn (co-writers, plotters), Barry Windsor-Smith (penciler), Sal Buscema (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Epic Illustrated#4/3 "The Dreaming City" (Winter, 1980) - Roy Thomas (writer), P. Craig Russell (artist), Maggie & Doug Thompson, Roy Thomas (contributing editors), James Shooter (consulting editor), Archie Goodwin (editorial director), Stan Lee (editor/publisher)
adapted from "The Dreaming City" by Michael Moorcock
Strange Tales II#13/2 (April, 1988) - Peter B. Gillis (writer), Richard Case (penciler), Randy Emberlin (inker), Carl Potts (editor)

First posted: 09/28/2026
Last updated: 08/16/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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