RIGOR MORTIS

Real Name: Unrevealed, possibly Rigor Mortis

Identity/Class: Demon

Occupation: Surrogate mother of the Conqueror Worms

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Conqueror Worms, D'Kay

Enemies: Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch/Noble Kale)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Harbinger of Death, Mistress and Commander of the Conqueror Worm, the Paraclete of the Demon D'kay

Base of Operations: A mausoleum in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York

First Appearance: Ghost Rider III Annual#1/3 (1993)

Powers/Abilities: As a demon, Rigor Mortis enjoys an extremely long, if not indefinite lifespan. She can turn living and inanimate matter to stone with a touch from her hand.

Distinguishing Features: The left half of Rigor Mortis' face is fleshless, leaving only the appearance of a skull.

History:
(Ghost Rider III Annual#1/3 (fb)-BTS) - At some point around a thousand years ago, Rigor Mortis was charged by D'Kay with the duty of caring for the Conqueror Worm and looking after its eggs.

(Ghost Rider III Annual#1/3 (fb)-BTS) - Two Empire University students opened the mausoleum containing Rigor Mortis, attempting to do an archeological study there. She attacked them, turning one to stone.

(Ghost Rider III Annual #1/3) - As Dan Ketch mourned at his sister Barbara's grave, he noticed a broken statue, but soon realized it resembled a girl he went to school with, and was not a statue after all. He turned into Ghost Rider just as Rigor Mortis, riding the Conqueror Worm, was about to catch the second girl. Ghost Rider jumped on to the Worm, and caused Rigor Mortis to miss the student. The two fought atop the creature until Ghost Rider tricked Rigor Mortis into touching the Worm, reducing it to stone, after which they crashed to the ground. Ghost Rider chased her back into the mausoleum, where they continued the battle. Ghost Rider then allowed the demon to reduce walls around them to dust, and when the rain from a storm began to pour in, it turned the dust to mud. Ghost Rider then tricked her into touching the mud she was waist-deep in with her hand, converting it to stone. Trapped, she begged Ghost Rider to free her, as the fight had jarred several Worm eggs, and they were beginning to hatch. Confident that justice had been dealt, Ghost Rider left the tomb.

Comments: Created by an Joey Cavalieri, Kirk Van Wormer, and Brad Vancata.

Gee, another supernatural creature that lurks in Cypress Hills Cemetery. Why someone like Dr. Strange didn't just mystically nuke the whole thing, I'll never know.

Shades of Edgar Allen Poe! See his poem the Conqueror Worm.
--Markus Raymond

Profile by Madison Carter

Clarifications:

Rigor Mortis has no known connection to:

• Rigor, Demon-fire, cowboy with pancho, @ Vampire Tales#7
• Mortuss Invitus, vampire sect, hunt other vampires, @ Tomb of Dracula IV#2