CRYSTAL of TORMENT

Classification: Magical power item

Creator: Presumably Satan

User/Possessors: Formerly Death, Satan, and indirectly Judas

First Appearance: Haunt of Horror#3/8 (September, 1974)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Crystal of Torment contained the compressed countless billions of damned souls trapped in Hell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History:
(Haunt of Horror#3/8 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Satan created the Crystal of Torment and came to be served by a form of Death. Satan planted the seeds of evil in innocent mortals and when that evil had corrupted their lives, Death reaped their souls for the Crystal of Torment.

(Haunt of Horror#3/8) <September, 1974?> - In Hell, Satan announced to Judas that he was expecting the arrival of Death, who had become tired of its existence and had come to challenge Satan. Satan dispatched his demons to stop Death, correctly realizing that they had little hope of succeeding. Death quickly slaughtered the demon troupe and others barring its path and continued its descent into Hell, but Satan prepared his Crystal of Torment., figuring that Death could not stand up to such a mass of life. Death confronted Satan, wishing to end its existence, but Satan realized even he could not grapple with death. Instead, he hurled the Crystal of Torment at Death; as this was exactly what it had wanted, Death used its scythe to cleave the Crystal, releasing all of the souls it contained. The concentration of life within the souls negated Death's existence, at which point Satan realized that not only had he relinquished all of the souls in his domain, he had destroyed the means by which he would acquire any further souls. Too late, Satan realized that Judas had betrayed him and tricked him into destroying his kingdom, to which Judas replied, "We are all creatures of habit, M'Lord!"
    Death committed suicide and Satan repented!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Frank Springer.

    Earth-616 continuity? Who knows. Perhaps this was the end of one Satan, and the aspect of Death that served him. At the same time, perhaps Death was destroyed, but such a thing can only be temporary, and Death was later reformed. Who can tell those Satan's apart? They all look alike to me.

Judas is almost certainly meant to be Judas Iscariot (?-AD28?), in the New Testament, the apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ to the Sanhedrin (see Bible). According to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. When Judas saw the consequences of his guilt, he killed himself. The New Testament contains two accounts of his death (Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-20).

I'm not certain what the deal is with this story, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

Profile by Snood.

Clarifications:

images:
Haunt of Horror#3, inside cover (Satan and Judas)
    p63, panel 4 (Death)
    p64, panel 3 (Crystal)

 

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 07/11/05

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