THE AMULET OF AAGARATHE AMULET OF AAGARA
Classification: Terrestrial mystic
item (at least the
11th-17th centuries through the modern era)
Creator: Unrevealed
User/Possessors: Hammerhead
First Appearance: (mentioned): Spider-Man
Cyber Comic#29 (January 31, 1997);
(seen): Spider-Man Cyber Comic#30 (February 6, 1997)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Amulet of Aagara is a mystic protective item that, during times of certain cosmic alignment, provides its wielder complete invulnerability from harm. While empowered, the Amulet's wielder is bathed in a red aura. However, the Amulet's protective magic can be broken by a selfless sacrifice performed by a red-haired woman.
When not fully powered up by stellar alignment, the
Amulet appeared to
be able to grant its wielder the ability to teleport short distances
(such as from one room to another).
History: (Spider-Man Cyber
Comic#30 (fb) - BTS) - The mystic Amulet of Aagara was first unleashed
upon the world.
(Spider-Man Cyber Comic#31 (fb) - BTS) - Half a
millennium later, the imprisoned criminal Hammerhead read about the
Amulet of Aagara and became interested in using its power to rise above
his previous defeats and status as a low-level mob thug. Once freed
from prison, Hammerhead tracked the Amulet of Aagara to New York's
Museum of Natural History and sent agents to steal it.
(Spider-Man Cyber Comic#29 - BTS) - Not long after, Doctor Strange sensed an impending mystic disturbance and searched his tomes for a clue to the problem. Finding information on the Amulet of Aagara in one of the tomes, Strange recognized the Amulet's aura as the disturbance he sensed. As he read, Strange sensed the Amulet's aura break, suggesting that the Amulet was about to find a new guardian. As Strange readied himself to find the Amulet, Hammerhead's thugs were seeking the Amulet at New York's Museum of Natural History.
(Spider-Man Cyber Comic#30) - Overhearing the thugs
rant about the all-powerful Amulet, Spider-Man (who happened to be at
the Museum as Peter Parker) placed a Spider-Tracer on the lead thug and
followed the thugs into one of the Museum's display rooms, only to find
it surprisingly empty. Doctor Strange then appeared before Spider-Man
and teleported him back to his Sanctum Sanctorum, where Strange
informed Spider-Man about the danger of the Amulet of Aagara.
(Spider-Man Cyber Comic#31) - While Spider-Man was with Dr. Strange, the thugs returned to their boss, Hammerhead, who sought to test the Amulet's power in the Museum's planetarium. Placing his hostage, Mary Jane Watson, in a position where she would be crushed, Hammerhead handed her the Amulet of Aagara but his ally, astrologist Justin Starr, warned Hammerhead that the Amulet would not provide invulnerability until the stars aligned later that night. Starr then assured Hammerhead that once the stars aligned, Hammerhead would be able to use and abuse the Amulet's full powers, unaware that Doctor Strange was planning to find a way to use the specific timing of the Amulet's stellar alignment to his advantage. When the stars aligned, Starr informed Hammerhead and Hammerhead used the Amulet of Aagara to become invulnerable.
(Spider-Man Cyber Comic#32) - Having tracked the
thugs to Hammerhead, Spider-Man arrived to battle the newly-empowered
Hammerhead. During the ensuing fight, Spider-Man's attacks bounced off
of the invulnerable Hammerhead but when Mary Jane Watson attempted to
aid Spider-Man by shoulder charging and bouncing off Hammerhead, her
self sacrifice disrupted the Amulet of Aagara's protective magic.
Spider-Man quickly noticed that the Amulet's magical aura had left
Hammerhead and he defeated the criminal by kicking him in the face.
Spider-Man then dove to rescue the falling Mary Jane and moments later,
Doctor Strange teleported into the Museum to inform Spider-Man that the
Amulet's spell had been broken. When Spider-Man asked how, Doctor
Strange explained that his research had led him to the Secret Scrolls
of Scaramoosh (Scaramoosh! Will you do the fandango?), which stated that the Amulet's spell could only be
broken by the selfless sacrifice of a red-haired maiden.
Comments: Created by John Lewandowski, Nghia Lam and Mark Badger.
The four part Spider-Man Cyber Comic (#29-32)
featuring the Amulet of Aagara was titled "Strange Heads."
The Amulet of Aagara was usually seen being held by a person but it appeared to be cylindrical in shape and it apparently fluctuated in color, as it appears white in Cyber Comic#30 (see Hammerhead image above) and red in Cyber Comic#31 (see the main image with Mary Jane above). Maybe it changed colors as the stars aligned to fully empower it? Speaking of the look of the Amulet, for a centuries-old mystic amulet, the Amulet of Aagara sure wasn't much to look at. If you ask me, it looks like Mary Jane's holding a cherry flavored freezer pop in the main image above...
This profile was completed 05/15/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Amulet of Aagara has no known connections to:
Justin Starr was an astrologist who worked with
Hammerhead to gain the full power of the Amulet of Aagara for himself.
After the Amulet was stolen from the Museum of Natural History and
returned to Hammerhead, Justin warned Hammerhead not to utilize the
Amulet until the stars aligned later that night. When the stars aligned
as expected, Starr informed Hammerhead, who used the Amulet to become
invulnerable.
--Spider-Man Cyber Comic#31
images: (without ads)
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#31, p1, splash page (Mary Jane Watson holding
the Amulet of Aagara)
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#30, p8, pan1 (Hammerhead holding the Amulet of
Aagara)
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#31, p2 pan2 (Justin Starr)
Appearances:
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#29 (January 31, 1997) - John Lewandowski
(writer), Nghia Lam (pencils), Mark Badger (inks)
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#30 (February 6, 1997) - John Lewandowski
(writer), Nghia Lam (pencils), Mark Badger (inks)
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#31 (February 13, 1997) - John Lewandowski
(writer), Nghia Lam (art)
Spider-Man Cyber Comic#32 (February 20, 1997) - John Lewandowski
(writer), Nghia Lam (pencils), Mark Badger (inks)
First Posted: 09/05/2021
Last updated: 09/04/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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