History:
Real Name: Unknown
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Dire Wraith warlock) magic user
Occupation: Warlock
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Klobok; Starshine (Brandy Clark) (pawn)
Enemies: Steve Jackson, Quasimodo, Rom, Starshine (Landra), Torpedo (Brock Jones)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Limbo:
First Appearance: Rom#38 (January, 1983)
Powers/Abilities: As a powerful Dire Wraith warlock, and thus one of only a few of his kind, Dr. Dredd could manipulate dark sorcerous powers that derived their strength from the black sun of his home world, Wraithworld, and his eyes gleamed red when he utilized Wraith magic, being able to wield several different spells at once. This included bonding a human to empty Spaceknight armor and weaving in a spell to force the person to do his will. He could also instantly enthrall a human and shoot a spell that wrapped the victim in black tendrils and claws. He was able to cast a teleport spells to travel around the world, including carrying at least one other person.
As a Dire Wraith, he could also change his shape by mentally altering his bodily structure into any organic form, notably humans and a red, armed and fanged serpent. However, he emitted a foul scent that was noticeable to Galadorians. He was susceptible to Rom's neutralizer, which would banish him into limbo. However, while considerably thrown by Torpedo's jet-powered punch, he nevertheless withstood the attack and survived the destruction of Brandy Clark's lab. When he died, his body crumbled to dust. Similar to other Wraiths, he had an abject fear of Spaceknights, especially Rom. In his human identity as Dr. Dredd, he stood about 5'9" tall and seemed to have a flair for the dramatic as he morphed his form to have a strong widow's peak on his forehead, dark flowing cape, cowl, boots and gloves, as well as golden broach at his neck.
History:
(Rom#40 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Dredd observed the transfer of light powers from Starshine's spirit to Brandy Clark and recognized her desire to be closer to Rom. So he was sent by the Dire Wraiths to help her achieve her goal, yet also use her as a weapon against Rom.
(Rom#38) - In an effort to get closer to Rom the Spaceknight, with whom she had fallen in love, Brandy Clark recovered the buried and lifeless armor of Starshine and took it back with her to a closed pharmaceutical lab. While pondering her dilemma on how to become a Spaceknight, she was suddenly confronted by Dr. Dredd.
(Rom#38 - BTS) - Brandy agreed to Dr. Dredd's aid to facilitate the process to mystically merge her and the Starshine armor.
(Rom#39) - Brandy's fiancé, Steve Jackson, seeking to track her down, found her enthralled form hovering before the Starshine armor, with Dr. Dredd manipulating alien magic to bind the two together. Dr. Dredd then menacingly turned his attention to Steve.
(Rom#40) - Dr. Dredd held Steve in his thrall and explained what was happening to Brandy. Steve was helpless as Dr. Dredd merged the two female forms in a sparkling cloud of light. However, Torpedo (Brock Jones) suddenly smashed through the window to confront Dr. Dredd. Torpedo's enhanced visor revealed the Dire Wraith in his true form and the fearsome alien admitted as such, but also stated that he was one of few Wraith warlocks in existence, even though his mystic "sisters" had usurped sorcery for themselves. Still in his Dr. Dredd form, the Wraith wrapped Torpedo in black tendrils, but the hero was able to break free and landed a powerful jet-powered punch that knocked the warlock back. The Wraith was rescued by the ensorcelled Starshine, now under the command of the Dire Wraiths, whose light beams knocked Torpedo down.
(Rom#41) - Starshine let loose with another attack, causing the labs to explode. Torpedo managed to escape with Steve and dropped him a short distance off. They observed Dr. Dredd and Starshine standing amidst the wreckage. Dr. Dredd then commanded Starshine to wreak havoc with her eyebeams upon Clairton for resisting the Dire Wraith incursion. Torpedo sought to halt her rampage but was blasted away by her. Dr. Dredd then ordered her to return before teleporting them both away using sorcery with the objective to track down and destroy Rom.
(Rom#42) - With Dr. Strange's help, Rom found a new infestation of Dire Wraiths in the Khystym Region of the Soviet Union and traveled there, only to be duped by Quasimodo, the Living Computer, in an underground lab into surrendering his armor to become human again through cloning, while Quasimodo took over the silver Spaceknight armor with the help of several Dire Wraiths. Ironically, Rom's efforts were to become human so as to be with Brandy.
(Rom#43) - To eliminate the threat of the Dire Wraiths taking the Spaceknight armor away from him, Quasimodo dispatched the four Wraiths using Rom's neutralizer. Just then, Dr. Dredd and Starshine teleported in behind Quasimodo and, on the Wraith warlock's command, Starshine attacked the armor of Rom with murderous intent, not realizing that Rom was no longer inside but instead Quasimodo. Dr. Dredd combined his dark Wraith magic with Starshine's light beams, causing Quasimodo great pain, much to the warlock's delight. Quasimodo fired the neutralizer at Dr. Dredd, but was saved by Starshine. Quasimodo then fled outside pursued by Starshine, passing the rapidly decaying human form of Rom. Dr. Dredd followed, pushing the real Rom aside, although Rom recognized the stench of Wraith about Dredd. Rom pounced on Dr. Dredd and grasped his throat, and was told of the Wraith's actions. An enraged Rom then began to strangle Dr. Dredd, who morphed into a red serpent to escape, but Rom held fast. As he died, Dr. Dredd returned to his Wraith body before crumbling to ash.
(Annihilators#4/1 (fb)) - Dr. Dredd's spirit was contacted by the Skrull Klobok, who had been researching his race's arcane past. From him, Klobok learned the ways of magic and later assumed his identity.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), and Ian Akin & Brian Garvey (inkers).
It's not actually specified whether this character was developed only to ensnare Brandy Clark, or was an identity taken from a human.
Profileby Grendel Prime.
Clarifications:
Dr. Dredd has no known connections
to:
images:
Rom#38, p.22, panel
4 (main);
Rom#39, p.9, panel 4 (head);
Rom#40, p.14, panel 4 (enthralling Steve Jackson);
Rom#40, p.16, panel 2 (Wraith form revealed)
Annihilators#4/1, p2, pan3 (spirit form)
Rom#38 (January, 1983) - Bill
Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Ian Akin & Brian Garvey
(inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Rom#39 (February, 1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils),
Ian Akin & Brian Garvey (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Rom#40 (March, 1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Ian
Akin & Brian Garvey (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Rom#41 (April, 1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Ian
Akin & Brian Garvey (inks), Ann Nocenti (editor)
Rom#43 (June, 1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Ian
Akin & Brian Garvey (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Annihilators#4/1 (August, 2011) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
(writers), Tan Eng Huat (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Bill Rosemann
(editor)
First Posted: 08/06/2006
Last updated: 08/08/2011
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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