Verminus Bellicosus of Earth-39526 (Lawdog foe)

verminus-bellicosus-39526-ld1 VERMINUS BELLICOSUS

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-39526; traveled to Earth-58816) giant monster

Occupation: Predator;
served as demon-god to a group of Satanists

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Unidentified group of Satanists of Earth-58816 (including a guy named Ed)

Enemies: Christian Soldiers-58816, Lawdog-24124 (Bentley Duran), 'Lina (Carolina something)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: The Lord Maggot, the Worm;
"Mister Monster" (from Lawdog), "monster slug" (from Lina)

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
dwelled for a long time and apparently perished in a pit in Gehenna, Earth-58816;
formerly Earth-39526

First Appearance: Lawdog#1 (May, 1993)

Powers/Abilities: A massive, amorphous creature, Verminus Bellicosus was immensely strong and durable, although it could be damaged or destroyed by powerful weapons such as "max radius fusion charge" (equal to a half ton of dynamite).

It had a mouth with sharp teeth and an elongated tongue, and it could had (or could extend) multiple tentacles or pseudopodia.

It produced a massive stench that Lawdog described as lying over the countryside like a fog.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 200' in diameter; see comments)
Weight: Unrevealed (difficult to estimate given the lack of knowledge of its composition, density, etc.)
Eyes: It is not 100% certain that it had eyes, but if it
Hair: None

History:
(Lawdog#2 (fb) - BTS) - The being known as Verminus Bellicosus was native to an Earth that diverged from the mainstream/norm when the planet was still forming, and evolution "took some wild detours," leading to a population of monstrous beings.

(Lawdog#2 (fb) - BTS) - Possibly following a trail from Joyex vs. just happening across a dimensional portal, Verminus Bellicosus traveled from its own Earth to a quarry/pit in the town of Gehenna on Earth-58816, where it was worshipped as a demon-god by the Satanist population.
As speculated by Lawdog, it may be what turned this world (or this town, at least) into Satanists (see comments).

(Lawdog#1 (fb) - BTS) - Verminus Bellicosus had not had a decent meal in months.

(Lawdog#1 - BTS) - Traveling the Lost Highway (the road between realities), Lawdog brought Lina to Gehenna, Earth-58116. While Lawdog lapsed into a trance-like state (which he did periodically within their room at the Hotel 666, perhaps to rest), Lina went out to get food.

The cross on her necklace caused her to be arrested, and when she admitted that her parents were Baptists, she was given over a hooded group (led by Ed) to sacrifice to the Worm.

verminus-bellicosus-39526-ld2-pg1 (Lawdog#1 - BTS) - The Christian Soldiers -- a group of rebellious teens who opposed the Satan worship that dominated Gehenna -- informed Lawdog that the girl he arrived with was being taken to the Sabbat, where she was going to be fed to the Lord Maggot.

(Lawdog#1 - BTS) - With Lina tied to a chair, presumably Ed proclaimed to a crowd of followers, "Welcome friends and followers! Welcome to the Feast of the Full Moon! Revel in the Coming of Verminus Bellicosus!"

"Join with me as I read from the Errore Gazariorum. Join us in the calling of the Worm. You should all have Xerox copies of the summoning."

"Verminus Bellicosus! As you serve Satan so we serve you! Take from us this offer of miserable flesh!"

As the crowd chanted "Verminus!", (presumably) Ed proclaimed, "Come to us, Lord Maggot! Come to us so we may revel in your shadow!"

(Lawdog#1) - Lina was then lowered into the pit via a crane holding onto the top of her chair. Up to that point, she had assumed this was all a farce, but she appreciated the real danger as she approached the monstrous Verminus Bellicosus.

(Lawdog#2) - As Verminus reached for her, Lina screamed. Observing from a hill above, the Christian Soldiers told Law Dog that there was no way to stop a demon like Lord Maggot. Lawdog advised them that the creature was not a demon, but rather just something that did not belong in their world.

     Lawdog instructed the Christian Soldiers to make their way to the edge of the quarry and wait there while he got to the crane; he further advised them that as long as Lina was screaming, she was alright, although the creature looked like it did not often miss lunch, and so they needed to hurry.

    As he drove his car at the crowd, forcing the people to get out of the way, Lawdog considered that the creature was messing with the way things should be and that it was even dumber than it was big. He resolved that he would kill the creature first and then figure out how it got there.

    As he climbed into the crane, Lawdog further considered that while it would take some time, killing the creature would get this reality back on the right road.

    As Lawdog began to raise Lina away from Verminus, it grabbed her leg with a tentacle. Via "monster-killing rounds" (a combination of exploding rounds, flechettes and some C-4), Lawdog blew apart the tentacle, freeing Lina and causing Verminus to cry in pain. Lawdog subsequently delivered Lina to the Christian Soldiers.

    Lawdog subsequently placed a "max radius fusion charge" (equal to a half ton of dynamite, and labeled "Alarmagordo," as a play on Alamogordo) with a 31 second timer on it into the crane and then set the crane to drive off the edge of the pit, so that it exploded when it crashed into Verminus. Lawdog described the resultant smell as "pig $#!+ fried in turpentine."

    As the creature howled (presumably in its death throes, as Law Dog described it as mostly dead but figured its doom was ensured ), Lawdog forced Lina into the car and drove down to the bottom of the quarry, through which Verminus had arrived on Earth. verminus-bellicosus-39526-ld2-destruction

verminus-bellicosus-39526-ld2-destruction

(Lawdog#2 - BTS) - Lawdog drove Lina through the portal to Earth-39526 where he observed the tracks of motorcycles and a heavier vehicle (presumably those of Joyex and her associates).

Lawdog then presumably closed down the rift/portal between Earth-39526 and Earth-58816.

Comments: Created by Chuck Dixon and Flint Henry under the Heavy Hitters sub-group of the creator-owned Epic Imprint.

Lawdog speculated that Verminus Bellicosus may have slithered between the worlds to Earth-58116 centuries ago, although he could not say.

Lawdog described it as a ten acre monster. With an acre being 43,560 square feet or approximately 4047 square meters, which would make it about 208 ft. tall, wide, and thick, assuming it to have equal dimensions. I'm not sure it was that big - I was thinking like 100', but maybe it was indeed that large and Lawdog was not speaking in hyperbole...
Lina described Verminus as a monster the size of a housing development.

This profile was completed 01/05/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Verminus Bellicosus should be distinguished from:

VERMINUS REX ( ) - Berev'ha Dentii, enemy of Ghost Rider/Noble Kale from World War II, apparently killed by a landmine during World War I, revived by Blackheart--Ghost Rider III#89
VERMIPHAGE - demon, enemy of Gabriel Rosetti, possibly the one who took Desadia--[Hellstorm#9,10]
VERMIS MYSTERIIS - written in the 1500's by Ludwig Prinn, an alchemist said to have lived for 500 years; allegedly having invisible demon companions, Prinn was finally killed by witch-hunters; awaiting immolation at the stake, he wrote his book, used to summon creatures--"Shambler from the Stars" in Weird Tales; (Marvel) Journey Into Mystery II#3
MAGGOTT (Japeth ) - mutant, X-Men, South African, sickly child, powers surfaced with aid of Magneto. Digestive system composed of two metallic slug-like creatures (Eany+Meany) able to leave his body and consume most materials, gains power from what they consume, turns blue when using enhanced powers--Uncanny X-Men#345
WORM - of the Savage Land Mutates--Uncanny X-Men I#250
WORM (Winston Hobbes), of District X--District X#7
WORM - Monsters of Evil--Venom II#24
WORM of DARKNESS - aka Dark-Crawler--Marvel Fanfare I#8
WORM MAN - communist spy--Strange Tales I#78
WORM-DIGGER - vampire killed by Blade--Blade I#1
WORMWOOD - Stoker ally--Gambit II#2
WORMWORLDs - of the Quadriverse--Dr. Strange II#24
WORMs of the EARTH - apparently descended from the Serpent Man Ssrhythsaa--"Worms of the Earth" in Weird Tales (November, 1932); Savage Sword of Conan I#16/2
WORMs of the EARTH of Earth-1211--Nightside#2
WHITE WORM - aka Vie Myrh--Blade: Vampire Hunter II#½
WILD WORMs of Halfworld--Rocket Raccoon I#3
CUNNINGHAM, CHARLES "WORM" - Weapon X project, cyborg, metal implants on right side of face, friend of Deadpool, lobotomized by Ajax to punish Deadpool, euthanized by Deadpool, trapped on Earth as a spirit until death of Ajax --Deadpool/Death Annual 1998
SCHEUSSLISCHER LINDWURM - circa 1531 A.D., dragon, emerged from Magnet Mountain, given Anne Marie as sacrifice by Hans von Frankenstein, who was the head of a nearby town, slain by Georg von Frankenstein-- Savage Sword of Conan#22/2
WYRM - extradimensional monster, enemy/rival of Set--"The Valley of the Worm" in Weird Tales; (Marvel) Supernatural Thrillers#3
other "Verminus," "Lord," "Maggot" or "Worm" characters, groups, items, events, races or places...

images: (without ads)
Lawdog#1, last page (below Lina);
#2, pg. 1 (reaching for Lina);
pg. 9 panels 1-3 (explosion)

Appearances:
Lawdog#1 (May, 1993) - Chuck Dixon (writer), Flint Henry (artist), John Lewie (assistant editor), Nel Yomtov (editor)

First posted: 09/11/2026
Last updated: 01/05/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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