VELANNA

Real Name: Velanna

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Weirdworld Elf)

Occupation: Adventurer

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Dragons, Dwarves, Lianissa, Mud-Butt, Red Soryll, Savage Elves, Tyndall, "White Wolf", Wulfbuck

Enemies: Darklens, Gargoyles, Goblins, Grithstane, Lord Raven, Murkandor, Night-Fangers, Nightgaunt, Shreekar, Swamp Serpents, Were-Men, Zarthon

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile on Weirdworld
Treehaven, Weirdworld

First Appearance: Marvel Super Action I#1 (January, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: Velanna did not possess any particular skill at combat, and seldom used weapons. However, she possessed strong courage and loyalty. She had a particularly good sense of direction, possibly a mystical talent for guidance.

History: (Marvel Super Action I#1/3/Marvel Premiere#38) - Velanna emerged from an egg which lay within the skeleton of a Bigfin. She knew only that her name was Velanna of Klarn, nothing more. Tyndall of Klarn had been sent to the scene by dwarves to slay the "Heart of Evil," but realized that the dwarves had hoped he would kill her.

(Marvel Premiere#38) - As Tyndall and Velanna ventured out of the Region of Shadow together under Velanna's directions, they journeyed into a swamp and were attacked by a Swamp Serpent, but Tyndall was able to best the creature by tying its tail to a tree. Just as they were nearly out of the Region of Shadow, the pair were attacked by wax creatures sent by the sorcerer Grithstane, who captured them and brought them to their master. Grithstane made Velanna his prisoner, and ordered Tyndall to journey to Klarn and slay a dragon so that he could bathe in its blood in an attempt to regain his youth. Grithstane sent Tyndall to Klarn upon a piece of rock, but while he was away a Swamp Serpent in the guise of an elfen woman devoured Grithstane. When Tyndall returned, he and Velanna were free to leave, and hoped that they might find another way back to Klarn.

(Marvel Fanfare I#24) - Tyndall and Velanna came to the dwarf village of Nanty Glo. At the Pine Cone Inn, they encountered the dwarf Mud-Butt, and helped him out in a barroom brawl. They shared a few drinks with Mud-Butt and described their adventure against Grithstane to him. When it grew dark, Mud-Butt became afraid, quickly explaining that he was being pursued by the Were-Men of Lord Raven. Tyndall and Velanna helped him escape the creatures when they invaded Nanty Glo, and rode with Mud-Butt into the Great Marsh. They managed to evade all of the Were-Men, but Mud-Butt accidentally led them directly to the castle of Lord Raven.

(Marvel Fanfare I#25) - Mud-Butt, Tyndall and Velanna were attacked by Lord Raven's gargoyles. Unable to overcome the creatures, they entered Raven's castle, and witnessed his sorcerous powers, including the animation of pillars made of goblins to attack them. In trying to escape Raven's goblins, they accidentally fled through a portal into the "Sea of Nothing." Velanna managed to lead them back to Weirdworld, and a mystical table in Lord Raven's castle spoke to them about the magical sword Glorywand, which could destroy the true "Heart of Evil."

(Marvel Fanfare I#26) - Mud-Butt, Tyndall and Velanna came upon three of the dwarf women who were under Lord Raven's spell, and began to exit the castle by following Velanna's directions. They were intercepted again by Lord Raven and the goblins. When Lord Raven demanded that Mud-Butt restore the item he had stolen, Mud-Butt began to turn over the handle to Glorywand. Recognizing the item, Velanna took it and used it to summon a bolt of mystical energy that knocked Lord Raven through the castle wall. They escaped the castle with the dwarf women, and Tyndall and Velanna decided that they should seek out Glorywand's missing blade so that they could rid Weirdworld of all evil.

(Marvel Super Special#11) - Mud-Butt, Tyndall and Velanna traveled through the Great Marsh, following Mud-Butt's directions to the City of Seven Dark Delights, which he was eager to visit. Along the way they spied a savage elf, and Tyndall saved it from a Swamp Serpent with his crossbow. However, the elf didn't even stop to thank them. Just then, five Night-Fangers flew overhead, and the trio hid from them. When they finally came to the City of Seven Dark Delights Mud-Butt began to show them around, but their stay was interrupted by the arrival of the Dark Riders.

(Marvel Super Special#12) - Tyndall, Velanna and Mud-Butt found that the Dark Riders were after the Savage Elf they had met; they tried to help him, but he was slain by the Dark Riders. Dying, the elf gave the Darklens gems he had been guarded to the trio, who were then pursued by the Night-Fangers. The three were able to obtain refuge at an inn run by the white wolf in mortal form. They brought the gems to the sorcerer Zarthon, who identified their name and purpose.

(Marvel Super Special#13) - Tyndall, Velanna and Mud-Butt learned from Zarthon that Darklens' body lay in the Tomb of Limbo, and he fashioned for them the Key of Illumination so that they could access Darklens' body and destroy it. The Savage Elves helped lead the trio to the tomb, but when they had opened it and begun the ceremony to destroy Darklens' bones, Zarthon burst in, claiming the gems and absorbing Darklens' evil. As Zarthon/Darklens clashed with the Dark Riders, the "White Wolf" came to Weirdworld's aid, revealing himself as the god who slew Darklens, but that after he aided Weirdworld this time, he would have to leave them to fend for themselves. The White Wolf slew the Night-Fangers and Zarthon/Darklens, and Weirdworld was made safe.

(Marvel Super Special#13 - "Encounter at Halfway Earth-Weird" feature) - Marvel comics writer Doug Moench once traveled to a point somewhere between Earth and Weirdworld where he met Tyndall, Velanna and Mud-Butt. Moench confused the trio by referring to himself as their creator, and they held a brief discussion about the nature of Weirdworld's existence. When all four were suddenly returned to their own worlds, Moench found that he had retained a recording he had made of their conversation.

(Epic Illustrated#11/6 (fb)) - Tyndall and Velanna moved to the dwarf village of Treehaven but were treated as outsiders by the dwarves.

(Epic Illustrated#9/5) - A year later, the sorcerer Nightgaunt sought revenge on Tyndall and Velanna for the deaths of Darklens and Lord Raven, and created a crystal construct of Velanna, instructing his servant Murkandor to guard it as it slowly filled with darkness. As the level of darkness rose in the crystal, so did the darkness within the real Velanna. Velanna became irritable at life in Treehaven as a result, and when Tyndall tried to cheer her up with a shrine of flowers he had made for her, she destroyed it in anger. When Mud-Butt came to Treehaven with stories of dark transpirings and suggested that they seek out the wizard of SKyhook Mountain, Velanna was eager to go so that she could escape Treehaven. Soon after, the dragons of Klarn assaulted Treehaven. Although Tyndall was able to send them away, the dwarves blamed Tyndall and Velanna for their arrival, and they were driven out. With Mud-Butt, they set out for Skyhook Mountain.

(Epic Illustrated#11/6) - Tyndall, Velanna and Mud-Butt continued in their journey to Skyhook Mountain, and Velanna became more corrupt with time; she made a pass at Mud-Butt, but he resisted her. Tyndall gave Velanna a charm made from the remains of the shrine she had broken, and took her acceptance of the charm as a sign that she wasn't completely changed. Their rocky path was torn apart in a quake, knocking them into the sea. Arriving back on dry ground, they were attacked by the goblins of Shreekar and soon found that goblins were preparing to siege Skyhook Mountain. At the last moment, a passageway into the mountain appeared, and a stone road was lowered to allow them access. After Tyndall, Velanna and Mud-Butt reached the top of the bridge, it crumbled apart, destroying the goblins who had been pursuing them. Entering Skyhook Mountain, they met the wizard - Lianissa.

(Epic Illustrated#12) - Tyndall, Velanna and Mud-Butt learned the origins of Glorywand and Wulfbuck from Lianissa, and she alerted them to the danger of Nightgaunt and the cosmic game played by the gods of Weirdworld. By now, Velanna was almost completely corrupted by Nightgaunt's influence, and she manifested jealousy at Tyndall supposedly being attracted to Lianissa. Seeing that Mud-Butt had the hilt of Glorywand, Lianissa helped them get out of Skyhook Mountain without being caught by the goblins, then teleported them to Wulfbuck, where they convinced him to reclaim Glorywand. Wulfbuck brought them to the Crystal Caverns where the blade had been embedded, and Red Soryll released the blade with his fiery breath; Red Soryll also alerted Tyndall to Nightgaunt's presence at the Land of the Dead, and offered the aid of his fellow dragons in pursuing him.

(Epic Illustrated#13) - Tyndall led his friends to the Land of the Dead, and began to war with the goblin hordes Nightgaunt had raised there. During the clash, Murkandor used his control over Velanna to make her attack Tyndall, and Tyndall tried to grasp her by the charm he had given her, but it snapped and she fell from her dragon to her death. Velanna's death gave Tyndall even greater strength, and Nightgaunt was ultimately driven off Weirdworld. Tyndall and Wulfbuck used Glorywand and the strength of their love to resurrect both Lianissa and Velanna, and the restoration of Velanna's love shattered the crystal Murkandor had been using, killing him in the explosion. Velanna and Tyndall recognized that their recent ordeals had changed them, but that they stilled loved each other.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Mike Ploog.

The Lord Raven story that was printed in Marvel Fanfare was originally written before the Warriors of the Shadow Realm saga, but was not published until years later. In Marvel Fanfare I#24, Mud-Butt was depicted with a different visual than was used in Warriors of the Shadow Realm-- a visual that was ultimately rejected.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Velanna should not be confused with:

• Velena-Than, Galadorian, commander-in-chief of Vanguard, @ Spaceknights#4

Images taken from:
Marvel Super Special#11, inside front cover
Marvel Premiere#38, page 2 (numbered), panel 7
Marvel Premiere#38, page 6 (numbered), panel 5