MARID
Real Name: Unrevealed, possibly Marid
Identity/Class: Alternate
Reality (Earth-88194/"Shadowline")
Shadow (see comments)
Occupation: Predator
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Apparently worshipped Allah
Enemies: Doctor
Zero, John Sakkerfes, Colonel
Thessder, Wozniac;
indirectly General Getzer and
the entire Strategic Air Command, Shreck;
numerous technicians, etc. at Kennedy Space Center
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
last seen at presumably Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral, Florida
First Appearance: Doctor Zero#5 (December, 1988)
Powers/Abilities: Marid could grant illusions to
seemingly fulfill the wishes of others, but the act of wishing would put
the wisher under Marid's influence.
Marid could enter computer systems and
travel along with transmitted information.
Marid can become immaterial like smoke,
but while solid, he was vulnerable to physical injury
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6')
Weight: Unrevealed (variable )
Eyes: Black
Hair: Gray
Skin: Gray
Other Distinguishing Features:
Large, pointed ears, prominent nares;
his smokey form is solid gray, including his clothings;
his solid form has more color contrasts, especially with his costume
History:
(Doctor Zero#5 (fb) - BTS) -
Millennia ago, people called shadows of bright power angels, but the
darker ones, like Marid, were called ifrit and jinns, the creatures of
smoke and fire. Marid and his ilk laughed at these names, calling man
the dust of the Earth.
(Doctor Zero#5 (fb) - BTS) -
Apparently taking the form of a computer virus, Marid infiltrated the
computers of a branch of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).
(Doctor Zero#5) - When computer
programmer Wozniac worked to eradicate the virus from the system, Marid
caused the screen to show text telling him that he had three wishes and
telling him to make a wish. Playing along, Wozniac asked for money, and a
huge pile of cash appeared in front of him; he was unaware that Marid was
materializing behind him. Wozniac next asked for a motorcycle, which also
appeared. However, as he contemplated his third wish, Marid told him that
the third wish was his, and he instructed Wozniac to transfer the virus
file to your "GA Technologies," as it was what they wanted. After Wozniac
complied, he appreciated that his money and motorcycle were vanishing, and
Marid told him that they were transient and illusions, after which Wozniac
burst into flames, and Marid added, "Like
your hopes for a future."
(Doctor Zero#5 (fb) - BTS) -
Wozniac's death was determined to have been caused by a freak electrical
fire from a damaged system.
(Doctor Zero#5 - BTS) - Colonel Thessder advised General Getzer that GA Technologies was
of the opinion that the design modifications they had received could give
them a working SDI prototype immediately. Getzer asked why Strategic Air
Command (SAC) was not aware of this prototype earlier, and Thessder
explained that it was a modification Professor
Henry Clerk had been working on when he vanished (after Doctor Zero
damaged his mind) and that no one knew he had completed the new design..
Getzer ordered the design be evaluated throughly, but if it proved to be check out cleanly, he wanted the rocket launched as soon as
possible.
(Doctor
Zero#5 (fb) - BTS) - SAC Corporal John Sakkerfes
found serious discrepancies between the computer display and the hard
copy, with the former being a workable schematic for a high energy
particle beam, the printout pointed out flaws that could cause random
firing of the weapon once in position.
(Doctor Zero#5) - Sakkerfes
reported his findings, noting the potential for an international incident
was high, and he recommended a hold on the launch until reasons were
ascertained. However, when he noted that he wished he knew what were the
reasons or when they would know them, this allowed Marid to materialize.
Marid grabbed Sakkerfes, telling him that his kind were
mad, as they had always been, and that they meant to rip the world apart
but that he did not mean to be there when they did. Marid further noted
that the rocket would go far enough and fast enough to take him away from
humanity and their pathetic wants and desires.
Nonetheless, as he set Sakkerfes aflame, Marid
explained that their wants and needs gave him the strength and power to
twist them into whatever it wanted. Hearing and sensing the approach of
the semi-heroic Doctor Zero, Marid vanished back into the computer.
(Doctor Zero#5 - BTS) - Zero was only able to extinguish the fire but not to save Sakkerfes.
(Doctor Zero#5 - BTS) - Zero
contacted Shreck for information on Marid, and he shared what he could
learn for a melted cornea and a charred auditory canal -- presumably from
claiming portions of Sakkerfes (or Wozniac) -- about Marid's potential
motivation and consequential planning.
In return for this information, Shreck asked that Zero
allow him to challenge the current Knight of the Order
of St. George, Michael
Devlin.
(Doctor Zero#5) - At
(presumably) Kennedy Space Center, one of the launch technicians or the
flight director detected and informed Colonel Thessder that there was a
problem with the weight ratio program, as the booster was programmed for
more than the SDI unit weighed. Thessder instructed him to re-program it,
but before he could do anything, Marid began to emerge from the computer
screen. As the technician called for him, Thessder asked, "What
is it now?" and Marid replied, "More
than you'll ever know, human...much, much more than you'll ever know
again" as he fatally blasted him (and presumably everyone else in
the room) with energy.
(Doctor Zero#5 - BTS) - By the time Doctor Zero arrived in the room, Marid was gone
again.
(Doctor Zero#5) - As Marid
approached the rocket, Zero flew to confronted him. Recalling him as the
"Old One," Marid turned into a mist form and evaded his attack, mockingly
reminding Zero how his people were called Ifrit.
(Doctor Zero#5) - Weakened by
his recent conflict with Clerk, Zero was unable to harm Marid, who told
him that only the field around the planet could contain him, and soon, the
rocket would allow him to escape even that.
(Doctor Zero#5 - BTS) - Having
claimed the hand of Colonel Thessder (or someone
else from the SAC), Shreck countered Marid's programming, which pained him
and briefly locked him into solid form.
(Doctor Zero#5) - After Zero
caught him by the throat, he told Marid that he would not allow the SDI
rocket to launch so humanity could have an excuse to slaughter each other.
Marid told him that it was what humanity wanted, and Zero argued that it
was not what he wanted. Marid tricked Zero, asking him what he wanted, and
his thoughts caused him to fall under Marid's power. However, before Marid
could force Zero to do anything, Shreck shot Marid, allowing Zero to shake
off his influence.
Zero kicked Marid back, but he grabbed Zero's cape, and
they both fell to the ground at the base of the rocket. With Zero having
landed first and taken the brunt of the impact, Marid initially throttled
him, but then Zero rallied, battered Marid and hurled him underneath the
rocket.
Shreck halted the launch at two seconds, and Marid
started to cry "Allah be praised,"
but
Zero reinstituted the rocket launch, both destroying Marid in the flames
and causing the rocket to be destroyed in a mislaunch (as Zero had opposed
the SDI project).
Comments: Created
by D.G. Chichester & Margaret Clark and Brett
Ewins.
In case you're not
familiar with the Shadowline, here's your primer.
A marid is a type of devil in the
Islamic tradition, often giant in stature. Marid seemed to have been meant
to be the jinn/djinn/genie of folklore.
I'm not sure where Marid thought he
was going by launching a rocket potentially beyond Earth orbit.
This profile was
completed 10/12/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended
for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Marid should be distinguished from:
- other Marid characters, groups,
items, events, races or places...
images: (without ads)
Doctor Zero#5, pg. 12, panel 5 (emerging from
computer);
pg. 13, panel 5 (profile, with Sakkerfes);
pg. 18, panel 3 (emerging amongst
symbols);
pg. 25, panel 4-5 (solid form, attacking
Zero);
pg. 26, panel 7 (solid form, face);
pg. 27, panel 4 (consumed by rocket
exhaust);
Appearances:
Doctor Zero#5 (December, 1988) - D.G. Chichester &
Margaret Clark (writers), Brett Ewins (penciler), Steve Dillon (inker),
Steve Buccellato (associate editor), Archie Goodwin (editor-in-chief, Epic
Comics)
First posted: 09/19/2026
Last updated: 10/12/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and � 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
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Special Thanks to
www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
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