LADY LETHEKOLADY LETHEKO
Real Name: Letheko
Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-87641) preserved disembodied human head
Occupation: Slave/information source;
former constable
Group Membership: None known
Affiliations: King Oruc, Patience, Lord Peace
Enemies:None known
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Slave's Hall, apparently in the
depths of the royal palace, Korfu, planet Imakulata, Reality-87641
First Appearance: Wyrms (1987);
(Dabel Brothers) Wyrms#1 (April, 2006)
Powers/Abilities: Apparently an attractive woman in
her youth, after her death, Letheko's disembodied head was contained in
a tank of preservative fluids, and headworms were attached to her
nerves, forcing her to speak only the truth.
In addition, in order to speak, an air
bladder (a hand-pumped air valve) was used by the person speaking to her
to move air through her mouth to facilitate speech.
If she spoke without the pump, the person with whom
she was communicating could only read her lips.
Letheko had virtually complete
knowledge of the nuances of protocol, moreso that the other household
slaves of King Oruc.
History:
(Wyrms (fb) - BTS / Wyrms#2 (fb) - BTS)) - On the human-colonized world
of Imakulata in the future reality of Earth-87641 (see
comments), the heads of the deceased were preserved and kept in
Slaves' Hall. Headworms were attached to the nerves of each head, which
were maintained in tanks of perservative fluid, providing pleasure when
the head told the truth and agony when the head tried to resist or was
otherwise "bad," ensuring that they always spoke the truth.
(Wyrms (fb) - BTS) - Letheko had
been the constable of the Heptarch, King Oruc.
(Wyrms (fb) - BTS / Wyrms#1 (fb) - BTS)) - In her youth, Letheko considered that she had "such a body," and she loved Lord Peace, the rightful king whose rule had been usurped by Oruc (whom Peace served).
Knowing the prophecy of Lord Peace's
daughter (that she was destined to become the next Heptarch), Patience,
Letheko many times wanted to take Patience in her arms, tell her the
truth, and call her by her true name, Agaranthemem Heptek.
Letheko died (one year before the main story).
(Wyrms/Wyrms#1 - BTS) - Trained as a an ambassador,
Patience, the daughter of Lord Peace, was tasked with serving as a
translator for Oruc's daughter, Lyra, and Prekeptor (of the Tassaliki)
on the day of their first meeting in preparation for a diplomatic
wedding.
(Wyrms/Wyrms#1 (fb) - BTS) <Immediately prior to
Patience's arrival> - Lord Oruc spoke with
Lady Letheko.
(Wyrms/Wyrms#1) - With Lord Oruc's permission, Patience spoke to Lady Letheko, who told her that Prekeptor's people were watchers awaiting the arrival of their savior, Kristos, and that Patience was in grave danger.
When Patience asked her to clarify,
Letheko told her to stop pumping (so no one else would hear her). As
Patience read her lips, Letheko explained that Patience was believed to
be the seventh seventh seventh daughter, who was prophesied to bring
Kristos and to either save the world or to destroy it. Letheko further
explained that Patience was prophesied to be the 343rd Heptarch (7
x 7 x7 generations since the arrival of the starship captain on
Imakulata).
As Patience used a hand to block anyone else from seeing Letheko's lips, Letheko continued that when Patience was born, a hundred thousand Tassaliki volunteered to form an army to invade Korfu and put her on the throne; and that if she gave them hope that she would join them, the Tassaliki would declare a holy war and sweep into Korfu in great numbers.
Letheko further advised Patience that King Oruc was insane to put her in the same room with a young Tassal prince who wanted to prove his manhood.
Finally, Letheko told Patience how she
had wanted to tell her the truth when she was alive. Patience replied
that if she had, they both would have been killed, and Letheko replied,
"But I am dead already."
Comments: Created
by Orson Scott Card.
adapted into a comic book story by Jake Black and
Adriano Batista under the Dabel Brothers Productions (the final three
issues of which were published by Marvel)
Thanks to Loki for giving me
background on this series and recommending Letheko as a character to cover
to represent Wyrms.
Loki also provided some text from the novel that
included a little background and a bit of her previous conversation with
King Oruc:
He did not receive her
<Patience> in the public court. It was too early for that. Instead
she was led to the Heptarch’s chambers, where the smell of the breakfast
sausage still spiced the air. Oruc pretended not to notice her at first.
He was engaged in intent conversation with the head of Lady Letheko, who
had been his Constable until she died last year. She was the only one of
the King’s household slaves who understood as much of the nuances of
protocol as Lord Peace did; in his absence, it was not surprising that
King Oruc had ordered her head brought in from Slaves’ Hall to advise
him during the visit of the Tassal embassy.
“There may be no wine served,” Letheko insisted. She moved her mouth
so vigorously that it set the whole jar moving. King Oruc let go of her
air bladder to steady the jar. No sense in spilling the gools that kept
her head alive, or slopping messy fluids all over the fine rugs of the
chamber floor.
Earth-87641 Far future reality where humanity had colonized Imakulata 5000 years ago. Wyrms (1987); (Marvel) Wyrms #1 (2006)
This profile was
completed 02/07/2026, but
its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th
anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Letheko should be distinguished from:
First posted: 09/28/2026
Last updated: 03/03/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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