DEMONICA

Classification: Terrestrial island on Earth

Creator: Doctor Demonicus

User/Possessors: Demonswarm, Doctor Demonicus, Klaw, Morning Star, the Pacific Overlords (Cybertooth, Irezumi, Jawbreaker, Kain, Kuroko), Raksasa, formerly Living Lightning

First Appearance: Avengers West Coast#73 (August, 1991)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: The island was rich in natural resources such as titanium and other minerals.

History: (Avengers West Coast#73 (fb)) - Doctor Demonicus built and activated advanced machinery in Australia and Japan that acted as an "ultra-sonic cookie cutter" on the Earth's crust.

 (Avengers West Coast#73) - Using a device called the Electro-Stimulatron, Doctor Demonicus and his Pacific Overlords induced a false "hot spot" on one of Earth's tectonic plates, causing a large island (in the shape that was "cut" by his previous machines) to thrust upward from the magma below the surface. Once the island had made it above water, Demonicus gloated about his plan to make the newly-minted "Demonica" the most powerful nation-state in the Pacific Rim.

 (Avengers West Coast#74) - After the island was raised, Doctor Demonicus had the Pacific Overlords raise Demonica's national flag. As Demonicus ordered the execution of his recently-escaped captive, the Scarlet Witch, and former Pacific Overlord turned traitor, Pele, the Living Lightning turned on Demonicus in order to save their lives. The remaining non-captured Avengers soon arrived on Demonica and a battle ensued between them and Demonicus's Pacific Overlords. As the Avengers continued to battle, Doctor Demonicus revealed to them that 5000 miles away, one of his mutated lackeys (genetically altered to resemble Demonicus's former human form of Dr. Douglas Birely) was addressing the United Nations to thank them for admitting the newly-formed Demonica into their Union. The fake Birely then explained to the U. N. that the population of Demonica was small, but that the island was rich in natural resources such as titanium and other minerals that were raised from the ocean floor from which the island originated. He also explained that the natural resources would be readily available to all of mankind without fear or favor. When Doctor Pym of the Avengers realized that due to their U. N. restrictions, the Avengers had no jurisdiction on Demonica, the real Demonicus then showed the traitorous Pele and Taifu that their son had been returned to his normal state following his transformation into the Big One. He then told Pele and Taifu that he would reunite them with their son and even allow them to keep the powers that were genetically given to them by Demonicus himself. After all of the explanations were given, Doctor Demonicus ordered the Avengers off of the island, which the team had to do since they were under United Nations restrictions.

 (Avengers West Coast#93 (fb)) - After naming himself President-for-life on Demonica, Doctor Demonicus spoke with the United Nations about the sharing of Demonica's mineral wealth. Once his speech to the U. N. was completed, Doctor Demonicus found a cave on the island that he sought for quiet meditation, emerging hours later a changed man. Soon after his day of meditation, Demonicus ordered the work crews on the island to create for him an airport, dubbed Demonica International Airport. When the U. N. criticized his choice of emigrants to the island, Demonicus denounced his pledge to the United Nations, going so far as to board a United Nations plane that was housing the criminal known as Klaw. Once Klaw was freed from the Wakandans onboard the plane, Demonicus made him Vice-President of Demonica, which did not sit well with some of the Pacific Overlords. Suspicious of Demonicus, the Overlord called Kuroko followed him into the mysterious cave that Demonicus had so frequented of late, only to find a strange altar where Demonicus placed a mind-control device on another Overlord, Kain. Demonicus then made his knowledge of Kuroko's presence there public and summoned a demonic creature from the Demonswarm to attack her. She managed to escape Demonica via a jet and made her way to the Avengers for help.

 (Avengers West Coast#93) - As Kuroko informed the Avengers of her discovery about Demonicus and the cave on Demonica, Doctor Demonicus himself captured a plane that he claimed was flying in Demonica's air space.

 (Avengers West Coast#94) - While Demonicus informed the captives aboard the plane about their fate, the Avengers were making their way towards Demonica. Once the Avengers entered his claimed air space, they were immediately attacked by creatures from the so-called Demonswarm, which they managed to clear away enough to make a safe landing on Demonica. Doctor Demonicus greeted the Avengers by explaining that the Demonswarm had attacked them because they had invaded Demonica's air space. When the Avengers mentioned that they were there on behalf of the U. N. to discuss Demonicus's denouncement of the U. N.'s policies, Demonicus informed that his old promises were no longer operative, as Demonica had now become a theocracy dedicated to the worship of the demon known as Raksasa. He then announced that was no longer the President-for-Life of Demonica, but its High Priest, and then ordered the Avengers to leave the island before he had them incarcerated like that passengers of the captured plane. The Scarlet Witch told Demonicus that they would leave on the condition that the hostages from the plane were proven to be safe, but Demonicus ordered the Pacific Overlords to throw the Avengers out of Demonica. As a battle once again broke out, the Scarlet Witch agreed to leave when Demonicus warned them that he would fire on the innocent hostages if they did not leave. Demonicus asked for Mockingbird (H'rpra) and U. S. Agent to remain behind as the Avengers departed in a Quinjet. He then led the two Avengers down to Raksasa's altar in the cave, where he began a summoning spell that would bring Raksasa to Earth.

 (Avengers West Coast#95) - In order to stop Doctor Demonicus, U. S. Agent and Mockingbird teamed with Demonican Vice-President Klaw and one of Demonicus's other servants, Morning Star. When Klaw finally chose to help, the Pacific Overlord known as Kain took control of Klaw's vibranium claw and forced him to fire sonic bursts into the ground, thinking it better for Klaw to destroy the temple rather than Demonicus or Raksasa. Unfortunately, Klaw's forced sonic blasts caused Demonica to be rocked with earthquakes. With Demonicus distracted by the quakes, U. S. Agent hit the Doctor with his shield, causing his summoning spell to fail, leaving Raksasa in his home dimension. U. S. Agent and Mockingbird then rounded up Demonicus's hostages and got them aboard their plane so that they could travel home, while Doctor Demonicus regained his senses with the departure of Raksasa. Despite Doctor Demonicus's betrayal while under the control of Raksasa, Kuroko refused to leave him as the island was destroyed by the earthquakes caused by Klaw. Doctor Demonicus asked forgiveness from Kuroko as the island crumbled back into the ocean from whence it came.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, David Ross, George Freeman, and Tim Dzon.

Profile by Proto-Man

Clarifications:

Demonica had no known connection to

• Demonicus, a. k. a. the Demon, Minions of Mordo, @ Strange Tales I#128
• Doctor Demonicus (Douglas Birely), the island's creator, @ Godzilla#4
• any other "demon" characters