main imageSHADOW-HUNTERS

Membership: Mechamage, Alyssa Moy, Margali Szardos (see comments)

Purpose: To protect the world from black magic forces

Affiliations: Dakimh the Enchanter, Fantastic Four (Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Invisible Woman (Sue Richards), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), Thing (Ben Grimm)), Daimon Hellstrom, Khalid Inshallah, Quasar (Wendell Vaughn), Jules St. Thomas

Enemies: Blackheart, Ego the Living Planet, Hellfire Club, Selene

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: Fantastic Four III 1999 Annual (1999)

History: 

(Fantastic Four III 1999 Annual) - After the Fantastic Four were hit by a mystic energy wave near their Pier Four headquarters, prompting them to visit Margali Szardos in France, they were attacked by demon-possessed prison guards. When all of the Fantastic Four had been hit by soul-stealing weaponry, the Texas mystic Mechamage arrived on the scene to aid the surviving Margali Szardos. Protecting herself from the guards, Mechamage placed sigils on the Fantastic Four foreheads to restore their souls and accidentally killed one of the guards when her armor determined the guard to be a demon. When the guards continued to bear down on the heroes, Margali admitted that, within la Citadel prison, she was powerless due to their anti-magic technology. Mechamage quickly took a look at the prison's security system and hacked it, restoring Margali's powers. Margali immediately transported the Fantastic Four to her limbo realm, where she explained that the Fantastic Four's ally Alyssa Moy's life hung in the balance. In order to treat her condition, Margali teleported herself, Mr. Fantastic and the Thing to retrieve Alyssa. Margali soon deduced that Alyssa, and the Fantastic Four as well, had been infected with a mystic virus that would ultimately consume their souls. When Mechamage could not offer a cure to their condition, the Fantastic Four decided to investigate the Hellfire Club, where Alyssa had been investigating online before she was infected. Margali admitted that her powers were limited on Earth but that she could act through the Fantastic Four but would ultimately need an exorcist to eradicate the virus. She suggested Daimon Hellstrom and Mechamage explained that Alyssa had been recently attempting to contact Hellstrom, learning that he had been captured by the Hellfire Club in the process. Deciding to take on the Hellfire Club, the Fantastic Four prepared for their upcoming battle, with Mr. Fantastic helping to upgrade Mechamage's armor and Margali Szardos testing the team's resistance to magic. After Margali tested the team harder and harder, Johnny Storm tried to relax by one of limbo's stream. While relaxing, Mechamage, without her armor, attempted to massage Johnny as long as he promised not to look at her. Later, when the Fantastic Four went on their mission against the Hellfire Club, Mechamage cast an illusion to appear as Alyssa Moy to allow herself and Mr. Fantastic into the Club. Mr. Fantastic and Mechamage eventually located the Black Queen Selene, who announced the Club's new master, Blackheart, causing Mechamage's sensors to go crazy. Blackheart quickly attacked Mr. Fantastic, attempting to claim his soul, but Mechamage erected a mystic shield at the cost of her illusion spell. Gathering data from her armor on Blackheart, Mechamage revealed to Mr. Fantastic that Blackheart was the son of Mephisto. Using a tracking beacon from Mechamage, Margali soon teleported the rest of the Fantastic Four into the battle but Blackheart covered them all in stone. Mechamage cast a counter-spell to free the Fantastic Four and used her armor's boot jets to free Margali. When Blackheart inhaled Margali and Invisible Woman, Mechamage flew inside Blackheart to rescue them. Inside, Mechamage battled demons attacking Invisible Woman and Margali, and also located the captured Daimon Hellstrom within Blackheart's body. Signaling for Invisible Woman to drop her invisible force field, Mechamage hurled a sigil onto Hellstrom's forehead, restoring his mind and soul. The freed Hellstrom used his mystic trident to exorcise the mystic virus from the Invisible Woman then began a spell utilizing the four elements, represented by the Fantastic Four, to banish Blackheart. With Blackheart defeated, Hellstrom cured the others infected with the mystic virus. Returning to Pier Four, the Fantastic Four and their allies said their goodbyes, with Alyssa Moy deciding to remain with the mystics until her virus was completed eradicated. Margali then asked Mechamage to join her and in preventing other demonic forces from entering the Earthly plane. Mechamage agreed to join Margali and Alyssa Moy, and they all three departed, pledging to remain together to battle dark forces as the Shadow-Hunters.

(Maximum Security#3) - When Ego the Living Planet invaded the Earth, Margali Szardos and Mechamage, along with numerous other sorcerers including the Scarlet Witch, Agatha Harkness, Dakimh the Enchanter, Khalid Inshallah and Jules St. Thomas, attempted to banish Ego from the Earth. When their spells proved unsuccessful, Quasar managed to absorb Ego's essence into himself.

Comments: Created by Chris Claremont (writer) and Jose Ladronn (art).

While Maximum Security#3 only featured Margali and Mechamage, I chose to include it as an appearance of the Shadow-Hunters. The non-superpowered Alyssa Moy probably stayed out of the conflict so as to not risk her own life. 

I found conflicting info as to whether or not Daimon Hellstrom and Alyssa Moy were actual members of the team. Daimon certainly aids them in defeating Blackheart at the end of the FF Annual but I checked the Marvel Handbook entries on Hellstrom, Mechamage and Margali Szardos, and they all list the Shadow-Hunters as being Margali, Mechamage and Alyssa Moy.

Profile by Proto-Man.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Shadow-Hunters have no known connections to

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four III 1999 Annual, p34, pan2 (Shadow-Hunters with Hellstrom, main image)
Fantastic Four III 1999 Annual, p37-38, pan9 (Alyssa Moy)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four III 1999 Annual (1999) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jose Ladronn (art), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Maximu Security#3 (January, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Jerry Ordway (pencils), Will Blyberg, Paul Ryan, Mark McKenna (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First Posted: 02/09/2014
Last updated: 07/05/2014

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are TM and CR 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Groups