WATOOMB

Real Name: Watoomb

Identity/Class: Extradimensional being (principality); magic user

Occupation: Mystic Entity

Group Membership: Octessence (Balthakk, Cyttorak, Farallah, Krakkan, Ikonn, Raggadorr, Valtorr)

Affiliations: Clea, Cyrus Black, Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), Dormammu, Tempest (Nicolette Giroux);
    presumably Oshtur;
    see also the Catalogue of Correspondences for Oshtur from Ian McNee's reading of the First Tarot

Enemies: Balthakk, Cyttorak, Farallah, Ikonn, Krakkan, Raggadorr, Valtorr

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Extradimensional realm

First Appearance: (Referenced) Amazing Spider-Man Annual#2 (1965);
    (seen) Doctor Strange II#34 (April, 1979)

Powers/Abilities: Vast knowledge and power over magic forces at a level comparable to demons and deities. His Winds were invoked by several sorcerers. His Wand was a powerful magic item. Part of his knowledge in magic was recorded in the Scrolls of Watoomb.

History:
(Iron Man III#22 (fb)) - Millennia before the modern era, Watoomb was a so powerful mage that he dealt with incredibly important mystic entities.  Seven mystic entities and he quarreled about who, among them, was the most powerful one and they organized the Wager of the Octessence. Watoomb, as each one of the others, created a totem in which a fraction of his power was contained. The first human being who had touched the Totem would be transformed into a living incarnation of that power. The Totems were hidden in Temples in various parts of the World.

  (Iron Man III#22 (fb) - BTS/Avengers III#25 (fb)) - The worshippers of Watoomb built a Temple in his honor, the Temple of Watoomb, in northern Australia. There was placed the totem which contained Watoomb's power: the Waterfall of Watoomb.

(Doctor Strange II#81 (fb) - BTS) - Watoomb transcribed part of his knowledge in some scrolls.

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual#2 (fb) - BTS) - Watoomb empowered a Wand giving it several magic capabilities.

(Doctor Strange II#34 (fb)) - In the Modern Era, Watoomb was retiring from mystic affairs for awhile and wanted to choose a disciple to whom he could pass his awesome Wand to. The choice should have fallen to the winner of the mystical fight between Doctor Strange and Cyrus Black, both apprentices. In another dimension, Watoomb gave one half of his Sceptre, the Wand of Watoomb, to each one of the sorcerers. Strange won the fight and Watoomb retired in his own dimension.

(Amazing Spider-Man Annual#2/Doctor Strange I#179 - both BTS) - Xandu stole the two parts of the Wand but was defeated by Dr. Strange and Spider-Man.

(Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#48 - BTS) - As many other powerful mystic beings, Watoomb was involved in the War of the Seven Spheres, a cyclic conflict between magic entities which will endure for 5000 years.

(Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#49) - Named by Dr. Strange in need of the Winds of Watoomb, Watoomb in person exceptionally appeared before the Mystic. This time he looked like a brown-skinned giant with long flowing white hair and mustache. Watoomb welcomed the call because he needed Doctor Strange to become his weapon in the Pan-Cyclic War of the Seven Spheres. The interference of Cyttorak, Seraphim and other beings drove Strange to pronounce the Emancipation Incantation, refusing to serve Watoomb and any other being in their war. 

(Iron Man III#22 - BTS) - Nicolette Giroux casually found the lost Temple of Watoomb. She touched the Waterfall of Watoomb and became Tempest, replying to the call of the Octessence.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee (writer);
    graphically created by Tom Sutton and Craig Russel (pencils & inks).

    The Wand of Watoomb is a major item of power that also has a profile on the Appendix. Further, the Eye of Watoomb is the altered reality/House of M/Reality-58163 version of the Wand of Watoomb wielded by Sir Warren Traveler of that reality. It should receive a separate profile as well at some point.
    The Curse of Watoomb seems to be a means to weaken an obstacle like an enemy, or another spell, or an object. It could be Necromancy or a form of Abjuration. However, in Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#5, the Wand of Watoomb itself is called "forever cursed", so it is uncertain whether the curse comes directly from Watoomb or it's a particular property of the Wand.

    Strange did eventually serve in the War of the Seven Spheres and is back in the good graces of the various Principalities, including Watoomb, as far as we know.

Per David Sexton

1. Entities can steal energy from an unwilling source by consuming the source entirely or by draining a portion of energy from the source. This exchange is one-way. The entity takes energy.
2. Entities can be given spiritual energy unconditionally in the form of worship. Statements of worship come in the, "I believe..." format. Worshippers may also petition for favors, etc., but this form of prayer is an affirmation of their belief and of the entities existence. The worshippers expect nothing in return. This exchange is also one way. The entity is given energy. 
3. An entity may grant energy to a petitioner in answer to an invocation or prayer. The mere act of being asked gives the entity power and so to encourage this action, some spiritual beings will grant power to an individual who invokes their name in the proper way. The entity may chose to ignore the request. I would theorize that the spiritual energy or "mystic potential" present in the petitioner plays a part in how often requests are granted. The invocation or prayers of an individual who has large amounts of spiritual energy would provide the entity with a more enticing exchange and they would be more inclined to answer them.

    Invoking powerful Entities' names to bolster and strengthen defenses, attacks, purposes and so on is quite logical. It could happen not only when a long verbal formula is spelled, but also with simple exclamations like "By the Fangs of Faralloh!" or "...by the fetters of red Cytorakk...". 
    An incomplete list of Watoomb's invocations is reported below. The invocations of the Winds of Watoomb and the Wings of Watoomb are reported in their spell profiles.

Strange Tales I#147: Curse, necromancy?

Strange! Hear the words of Mordo! Upon you I place the curse of Watoomb!

[Note: Mordo cursed Strange]

Strange Tales I#163: Banish: the Talons of Cosmic Fire 

By the Wand of Watoomb, 
and the Seraphims' shade, 
let these talons be quenched -- 
let their dread fire now fade!

By the wisdom of Oshtur --
by the curse of Watoomb --
let the forces which threaten
now know only doom!

[Note: cast only using verbal components and the power contained in his Cloak because Strange could not use his hands.]

By the images of Ikonn --
by the Wand of weird Watoomb --
let a gazer fix his eye 'pon
my form sleeping in this room!

Marvel Premiere#8: Conjure: a Spiral of Demon-Destroying Energy 

Now do I name Raggadorr and Cyttorak as well! 
Let Ikonn & Watoomb join their ranks and thus shall the growing spiral swell! 
'Round and about me let it whip 
gathering matter in its grip! 
Stab out, spiral, lash out force!

By the Great--Omnipotent Oshtur--
by the Watoomb's Wand, forever cursed--
by the power of Dark Dormammu--
myself and Mordo be now reversed!

By Faltine and Ikonn and dark Valtorr, 
by Seraphim, Denak and Raggadorr -- 
by Dormammu, Watoomb and Cyttorak -- 
Agamotto be now hurled back!

[Note: Dr. Strange's spell was uneffective].

May Hoggoth's hand enclose this room,
like a white enfolding flame...
that these creatures be, be great Watoomb...
blown back whence they came! 

[Ectoplasmic entities were banished from Earth but... their source dimension did not exist!]

Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#49: Emancipation Incantation

Satannish, Watoomb and Raggadorr Ikonn, the Seraphim and Cyttorak Agamotto, Oshtur and Muniporr Hoggoth, the Faltine, Valtorr and Denak! Those whom I named plus other I'v omitted whose who threatened my cherished liberty hark to this irrevocable decree: such enslavement will not be permitted your claims on my person I now reject all demands of servitude I must deny for your wisdom and might I've the utmost respect but the price for its use is far too high better the path I walk be mine alone hear now these words: let my fate be my own!

X-Statix Presents Deadgirl#3: Abjuration, defense

By the power of weird Watoomb... 

[Note: A globe of defense appeared around Strange and Deadgirl but in the Land of the Dead the Mystic's powers could not work as well as usually, so it disappeared almost immediately.]

Profile by Spidermay.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Watoomb has no known connections to any other character with a similar name.

Images: 
Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#49, p8, pan3 (Watoomb, old giant form)
Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#49, p16, pan4 (Watoomb, head shot)
Iron Man II#22, p17, pan17 (Watoomb as part of the Octessence)
Doctor Strange II#34, p17, pan4 (Watoomb, human mage form)

Appearances:
Doctor Strange II#34 (April, 1979) - Ralph Macchio (writer), Tom Sutton (pencils), P. Craig Russell (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme#49 (January, 1993) - Len Kaminski (writer), Geof Isherwood (pencils), Bob Petrecca & Don Hudson (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Iron Man III#22 (November, 1999) - Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern (writers), Sean Chen (pencils), Rob Hunter, Rags Morales, Nelson & Eric Cannon (inks), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Avengers III#25 (February, 2000) - Kurt Busiek (writer), George Pérez  (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Breevort & Harras (editors)

First posted: 6/16/2007
Last updated: 6/13/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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