MAGMA MEN
Membership: Moltar, Lavour, unnamed lone female, Zardeth, others unnamed
Purpose: To serve Chaos and defeat the Forces of Order
Affiliations: Forces of Chaos, Malachon
Enemies: Forces of Order, Alpha Flight (Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen), Puck (Eugene Milton Judd), Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)), Ambara, Bekk, Crystar, Dr. Strange (Stephen Strange), Kalibar, Koth, Ika, Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner), Ogeode, Shen, Stalax, Warbow
Base of Operations: Caverns of Chaos, Galax
First Appearance: Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#1 (May, 1983)
History:
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#1) - The Magma Men were made up of Moltar’s followers. When Moltar sided with Zardeth, the people of Galax who sided with him were struck by crystal shards that fell from the sky. Forced to flee, they found safety in the Caverns of Chaos. When Moltar demanded the promised power, Zardeth mystically opened up the cavern floor, plunging the assembled people into the molten lava. Rather than dying, the assembled group was transformed and mutated into beings of pure magma. Marching on the city, they lay waste to their former home until Crystar's forces arrived. Despite significantly outnumbering the the crystalline warriors, the Magma Men fled when Moltar was attacked by the arriving Warbow, thinking that a larger force of crystal warriors was not far behind.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2) - A group of Magma Men, either having stayed behind or perhaps ordered to sneak back into the city, laid in wait for Crystar and his companions within the ghettos of Galax. Despite the advantage of surprise, Crystar, Warbow, Ambara, and Kalibar managed to find what they were looking for and escape.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#3) - A small group of Magma Men was selected by Moltar and Zardeth to follow Crystar into the home of Dr. Strange. Sneaking into the house, the group was quickly confused by the magic nature of the home and found themselves lost. When they finally found Crystar and his men, they were ambushed and soundly beaten. Tied up, they were transported back to Crystalium.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#4) - The same group of Magma Men, upon retuning to the Caverns of Chaos, found Moltar and Zardeth and demanded their humanity be restored. Zardeth, after being ordered, agreed and turned them back into men. Unfortunately for the selected men, with their newly restored humanity, they lost their resistance to intense heat. All three perished almost instantly due to the lava around them. Moltar and the rest of his forces marched en mass toward Galax, displaying no weapons, and lured Crystar and his group into a fight (see comments).
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#5) - Only a small portion of the Magma Men went with Moltar when he entered into talks with his uncle. The rest stayed in the Caverns, unaware of the spell that had relocated them right next to the palace. When Koth and Warbow stumbled into the Caverns, the crystalline captains encountered a small group of sentries. A battle broke out between the forces, but it was quickly stopped when Crystar and Moltar learned of the spell and called a truce. As Ogeode and Zardeth worked to undue the magic, Koth spent the time chatting with a lone Magma Woman before waving a fond farewell to her as their bases were restored.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#6) - When the X-Man Nightcrawler arrived, the Magma Men proved ineffective at stopping the mutant hero.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#7) - The Magma Men were all silent as Moltar entered into an alliance with the Green Hill People.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#8) - The Magma Men were inactive as Moltar took a day of mourning on the anniversary of Captain Heyatt’s death.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#9) - A small portion of the Magma Men accompanied Zardeth and Malachon to attack the Council of Order. Despite inflicting great casualties among the priests, the Forces of Chaos were eventually driven back and expelled from the Council’s land.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#10) - The assembled Magma Men stood with Moltar as they once again launched a full assault upon Crystar’s returning forces. Suffering unknown losses, they still managed to succeed in kidnapping Koth before fleeing back to the Caverns.
(Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#11) - As Koth was prepared to be slain before the mob, the timely arrival of Crystar and Alpha Flight, as well as the lone female throwing herself before the executioner’s blade, threw everything into disarray. The Magma Men fought, but the sight of Crystar slaying Malachon proved to be the final straw. Ceasing their fight with the crystal warriors and the arriving men from Galax, the Magma Men helped turn the tide against the Green Hill People and drove the barbarians away. They rejoiced as Crystar assumed the throne and peace was declared.
Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, John Romita, Jr., and Jim Shooter. Concept expanded on by Mary Jo Duffy and Ricardo Villamonte.
Issue #4 was a bedtime story told by Kalibar to his children, so the events within and how they transpired is suspect.
Since the lone female was never given a proper name, how about Tephra? It's odd that she and Lavour would look different while all the men came out looking the same. There might be some other Magma Women, but they looked exactly the same as the men (and they were hidden mostly in shadow, so I am not totally sure). She was the only one given any lines or any sort of prominence.
Extra special thanks to Madison Carter for clarifying this question - yes, Crystar and all related characters are in fact Marvel owned and created. You might remember these guys from the Remco toy line, but the toys were a tie-in to the comic and not vice versa.
Profile by David Lawrence.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Magma Men have no known connections to:
A lone female Magma individual was a possible noblewoman who was not as altered as the rest. She was rather attracted to Koth and helped save his life when he was captured and about to be executed.
--Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#5 (11
images:
(without ads)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#1, p30, panel 6 (main)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#1, p30, panel 5 (side shot)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal
Warrior#11, p28, panel 4 (Female)
Appearances:
Saga of Crystar the Crystal
Warrior#1 (May, 1983) - by Mary Jo Duffy (plot/script), Bret Blevins
(pencils), Vinnie Colletta (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#2 (July, 1983) - by Mary Jo Duffy
(plot/script), Bret Blevins (pencils), Vinnie Colletta (inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#3 (September, 1983) - by Mary Jo Duffy
(plot/script), Bret Blevins (pencils), Vinnie Colletta (inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#4 (November, 1983) - by Mary Jo
Duffy (plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils), Dave Simons (inks),
Ralph Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#5 (January, 1984) - by Mary Jo
Duffy
(plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Bob
Harris (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#6 (March, 1984) - by Mary Jo Duffy
(plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#7 (May, 1984) - by Mary Jo Duffy
(plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#8 (July, 1984) - by Mary Jo Duffy
(plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils), Dave Simons (inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#9 (September, 1984) - by Mary Jo
Duffy (plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils), Dave Simons (inks),
Bob Harris (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#10 (November, 1984) - by Mary Jo
Duffy (plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils and inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Saga of Crystar the Crystal Warrior#11 (February, 1985) - by Mary Jo
Duffy (plot/script), Ricardo Villamonte (pencils and inks), Ralph
Macchio (editor)
Last updated: 04/13/08.
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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