DONAL MacLLYANLLWYR
DONAL MacLLYANLLWYR
Real Name: Donal MacLlyanllwyr
Identity/Class: Human/possible Tuatha da Danaan hybrid (see
comments) magic user
(active in some portion of the time period between 50 BC and 50 AD...perhaps starting a decade or two earlier and ending a decade or two sooner);
native/resident of Ashandriar
Occupation: Warlord of Ashandriar, "Master of the Force Temporal"
Group Membership: People of Ashandriar;
the
Tuatha da
Danaan (Celtic Gods)
Affiliations: Brightwind (steed), Tadgh (soldier, second in command), Marada the She-Wolf
Enemies: Simyon Karashnur, Y'Garon and other demons of the Outer Dark
Known Relatives: Rhiannon (mother ), unidentified wife (deceased),
Arianrhod
MacLlyanllwyr (daughter);
possibly others (see comments)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Ashrandiar, on the rocky coast of England
First Appearance: Epic Illustrated#10 (February, 1982)
Powers/Abilities:
Donal was an experienced and skiled warrior, especially with swords and
throwing knives. He was an accomplished equestrian, and he rode a steed
named Brightwind
Donal could perform a mystic rite to transport himself and others to and from Ashandriar: From Galilee, he faced eastward and, as the first crease of fire seared the crest of the heights, he drew a scared sigil in the air before him with his sword and cried ancient words of power. The star grew as the sun rose, its golden glow enveloping Donal and his men, transporting them.
He could also sense the mystic aura of others
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'3")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 240 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown (red-brown?)
Hair: Dark red (including beard - see comments)
History:
(Epic Illustrated#12 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Donal's people
are old, bound to the Earth. They live in peace and harmony with its essential
life force and derive their special powers and abilities from it.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Donal is the son (see comments) of Rhiannon, ruler of Ashandriar, a remote stronghold and place of learning, mystery, and power on the grim, rocky coast of England. Legends say that those who rule Ashandriar are not human but Sidhe, the immortal gods and goddesses of faery. Donal became Ashandriar's warlord, and "Master of the Force Temporal."
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Donal was friends with Marada Starhair's father.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Donal's wife died in childbirth with Arianrhod. Donal and Rhiannon raised Arianrhod, teaching her the sciences and "the Great Art" (magic).
(Epic Illustrated#10 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb)) - The adolescent
Marada fought alongside Donal MacLlyanllwyr and others near the Rhine
in pitched battle against a war party out of Germanica. She fought with
a ferocious skill that humbled most of the men beside her and earned
her the name, "She-Wolf."
Later, celebrating their victory in a frontier post
garrisoned by a cohort of the Thunderclap legion, he Marada matched those two
legionaries drink for drink before breaking the jaw of a trooper who tried to force himself on her.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Marada crossed swords with Donal MacLlyanllwyr on at least one occasion, and Donal counted himself lucky to hold his own.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Feeling that dark times were coming, Donal felt that Arianrhod should learn to fight, both as soldier and leader. He considered Marada, as one of the finest warriors he'd ever known, would be best to teach Arianrhod.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Marada again encountered Donal MacLlyanllwyr in Damascus. Having led a caravan the length of the silk road, Marada and the warriors of her escort commandeered a tavern.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb)) - As Marada and here allies celebrated their safe return with a vengeance -- while Donal stood hidden in the shadows, awaiting a chance to talk to Marada -- she was given a mug of wine, which she swiftly downed, only to realize it had been drugged.
(Epic Illustrated#10 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Roman Tribune Gaius
Marcellus Fulva rescued Marada from her captor and arranged a caravan of
Parthian mercenaries to return her to Rome in hopes of gaining favor with her
grandfather, Caesar.
An Egyptian sorcerer
infiltrated the caravan, unbeknownst to Gaius Marcellus.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (fb) - BTS) - Donal learned of Fulva's transport of Marada.
(Epic
Illustrated#10 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf) - One week after Marada's
disappearance, Donal MacLlyanllwyr led a group of warriors to slaughter
the Parthian mercenaries transporting Marada upon the highlands of
Galilee. When the driver attempted to enter the caravan to slay Marada
and refused Donal's order to stop, Donal threw a knife that slew him.
Donal quickly realized the driver was Egyptian and that his mystic aura
marked him as some sort of priest and sorcerer; he further suspected
that Fulva had no idea of the driver's true identity. As there was no
sound from inside the palanquin, Donal considered Marada must be
drugged or heavily chained and gagged. He was surprised to find instead
the broken and submissive Marada and was amazed that she was so changed
after just a week. Tadgh reported a few minor wounds among the troops,
and the pleased Donal instructed him to gather the troops, as they
would be away with the dawn. Donal then performed the rite to transport
himself, his warriors, and Marada to Ashandriar.
There, he instructed Tadgh to escort Marada to her apartments and see that she wanted for nothing, and Rhiannon warned him he sensed the stench of blackest sorcery about Marada.
After a night's rest, Marada questioned Donal, asking if she was his prisoner. He assured her she was his honored guest, and when she questioned how she was brought there, he was pleased that she was finally showing some spirit. Telling Donal the She-Wolf was a thing of the past, she asked if she could leave. He explained that the only way in out of Ashandriar was via his spell of transportation, but offered to let her go free if she could disarm him in combat, but she was easily subdued. While she submissively offered herself to Donal, she refused to explain what had happened to change her so.
(Epic Illustrated#10 - BTS / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf - BTS) - Simyon Karashnur bound a demon of the Outer Dark to the soul fragment they had taken from Marada, which would enable it to track Marada and recover her for their masters.
(Epic Illustrated#10 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf) - Sensing
her soul fragment being bound to the demon, Marada awakened, screaming.
Donal rushed to her side with a few soldiers on the nightwatch and
Rhiannon; after asking if Rhiannon was OK and hearing her explanation
of dreaming of a monstrous, evil thing, he then instructed his troops
to search the entire wing of the keep. Rhiannon then sensed and shared
the hidden magical scars upon Marada's back. Donal was upset when
Arianrhod arrived as well, wondering why she was up at that hour, but
he was proud when she told him she had heard the scream and she wanted
to help. Feeling that Marada should not be left alone and knowing that
she and Donal would be busy reviewing Ashandriar's defenses, Rhiannon
convinced Donal to allow Arianrhod to stay with her.
(Epic Illustrated#10 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf) - As Marada began to recover from her
trauma, she found herself drawn to Donal. Their mutual attraction was noted by, at least, Arianrhod.
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf - BTS) - While enjoying a large multiple person bath, Arianrhod teased Marada about the attraction between her and her dad. When Arianrhod sensed Marada's mystic scars, Marada angry denied them, causing Arianrhod to run off.
(Epic Illustrated#10 - BTS /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf - BTS) - Donal passed the crying Arianrhod in the hall and went to face Marada. 
(Epic Illustrated#10 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf) -Though Marada asked to be alone, Donal told her there was a time to turn for help to those who love you. As Donal massaged the tense Marada, she finally opened up to Donal and revealed what had happened to her. As Donal tried to comfort Marada, the N'Garai Marada attacked, grabbing Donal by the face and hurling him aside. Returning, Arianrhod briefly stunned the demon, but it swiftly recovered, and after dodging Donal's sword strike, the demon delivered a mortal wound to Donal, slashing him across the chest and abdomen before abducting Arianrhod to force Marada to follow her.
Rhiannon tried and failed to save Donal, and the dying Donal called to Marada with his mind. She sat with Donal until his last breath, and then kissed him goodbye.
(Epic Illustrated#11 / Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf - BTS) - Marada re-donned her old warrior attire and had Rhiannon send her to Y'Garon's realm, where she rescued Arianrhod and escaped after apparently slaying Simyon Karashnur and gravely injuring Y'Garon.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont and John Bolton.
What is the Force Temporal? That would seem to refer to control over time, but we have no evidence of that, nor was the matter ever covered in any greater detail.
As "Mac" typically means "son of," if may be that Donal's father's name was Llanllwyr, but it's also possible that this had already become a family name at this point.
The narrative described Donal as a "red-bearded giant of a man." He looks to have dark brown or black hair to me, but I've included what is specifically noted in the story.
When he first introduces himself in the story, he calls himself Donal "MacLlanllwyr." At least three other times in the story, his last name is used, and each time it is spelled "MacLlyanllwyr." It's a judgment call whether to leave it with the precedent of first spelling, or with the slight majority usage. My gut says significant majority rules.
According to Epic
Illustrated#10 /
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf and per Arianrhod,
Ashandriar is a fairy place, part of the world and yet apart from it,
-- but we're human enough -- too human, grandmother (Rhiannon) thinks.
The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe A to Z #12: Tuatha da
Danaan entry confirmed that the goddess Rhiannon (or her mortal host)
was the one who associated with Marada.
So,
perhaps the goddess or her mortal host founded Ashandriar, and them
married a mortal man to have Donal...and perhaps she adoped other
mortal followers...or demi-gods? Perhaps the godly blood/power in the
people of Ashandriar was dilute enough that they considered themselves
human
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Donal MacLlyanllwyr should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf, pg.3, panel 4 (front view atop Brightwind);
panel 5 (close-up of helmeted head);
pg. 5, panel (making sigil);
pg. 6, pane 4 (full body)
panel 7 (face);
pg. 23, panel 3 (demon mortally wounds Donal);
pg. 24, panel 5 (deathbed)
Appearances:
Epic Illustrated#10 (February, 1982) - by Chris Claremont (writer), John Bolton
(artist), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Epic Illustrated#11 (April, 1982) - by Chris Claremont (writer), John Bolton
(artist), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Marvel Graphic Novel#21: Marada the She-Wolf (1985) - by Chris Claremont
(writer), John Bolton (artist), Jo Duffy (editor)
Last updated: 02/26/15
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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