CREIGHTON C. CRAVEN
Real Name: Creighton C. Craven
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Building owner
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: Mr. Craven (grandfather, deceased), Mr. Craven (father, deceased)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: England
First Appearance: Chamber of Darkness I#1 (October, 1969)
Powers/Abilities: Creighton was a normal man who considered himself soft-hearted.
Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 155 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Gray-white
History:
(Chamber
of Darkness I#1/2) - After years of saving up money, Creighton was
finally able to buy back his family's old home, the house which his
grandfather built nearly 100 years before. As he went to take
possession of the house, Creighton felt a sensation as though the house
had a soul of its own. He began making plans to improve the house but
as he toured the building, it began to lash out at him as doors flung
themselves away from his touch and boards fell on his head.
Creighton left the house and went to the village, asking for their help in repairing his home, but the villagers had heard terrible tales about the Cravens' actions in that house and refused to go there. Creighton hired a team of workers from another city and had them begin the renovation process. However, the house resisted their efforts and began to collapse in places, nearly burying the workers alive. Frightened, the team of workers departed, refusing to help Creighton.
Now angry, Creighton hired a wrecking crew to demolish the house. However, as the wrecking process began, Creighton regretted his actions. Creighton stopped the workers after only one blow from the wrecking ball. Creighton acknowledged that his father and grandfather had been strong and cruel men. He had hoped that by becoming master of the house, he would prove he was as strong as they were but in the moment he saw the house damaged by the wrecking ball, he realized he could never match them. "I'm soft-hearted... worthless! I can't even harm a building... much less a living creature!" Creighton let the house stand in peace. The house wished it could express its gratitude to Creighton.
Comments: Created by Denny O'Neil and Tom Sutton.
Mr. Craven's story was related by horror host Headstone P. Gravely. Gravely promised we would hear the story of what Creighton's grandfather did but the sequel story didn't reveal anything more than mentioning "unspeakable rites" which gave the house its soul. The story in Tower of Shadows I#4 was hosted by Tom Sutton himself.
This profile was completed 7/26/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Prime Eternal.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Creighton C. Craven should not be confused with:
This house was built somewhere in England by the grandfather of Creighton C. Craven sometime in the 1800s. "Unspeakable rites" were performed in the house which caused the building to become sentient. For a hundred years, the house attracted evil men with sinister intentions but the house itself had a pure soul and resisted its owners. When Creighton C. Craven took possession of the house in the late 1960s, the house resisted his efforts to renovate it by pushing doors away from his hands and dropping boards on his head. When Creighton finally decided to destroy the house, he relented after a single blow from a wrecking ball and resolved to leave the house alone. The house was grateful to Creighton for sparing him.
About a year later, the Leader and Friedor took
up residence inside the house because its hill overlooked a secret
plutonium plant. The house tried to drive them out but they ignored it.
They finally built a critical-mass booster which they aimed at the
plant to destroy it then went to depart aboard a small aircraft before
the resulting blast. However, the house summoned a wind which caught
the aircraft in the sky then summoned a bolt of lightning. The
lightning destroy the aircraft, killing the Leader, Friedor and the
pilot. The lightning also destroyed the critical-mass booster before it
could fire on the plant. The explosion from the booster's destruction
completely obliterated the house. Although the house was completely
destroyed, in its final moments, it was content; its soul was released
from the aging building and took a moment to regard the plutonium
plant. The soul reflected that in an atomic age, the world no longer
had a place for haunted houses. The house's soul then faded "into final
peace."
--Chamber of Darkness I#1/2 (Tower of Shadows I#4/3d,
Referred to only as "my leader" by Friedor,
this man was a scientist and spy. Alongside Friedor, he came to the
Craven's abandoned house because it overlooked a nearby plutonium
plant. Ignoring the house's attempts to drive him out, the Leader and
Friedor built a critical-mass booster which they aimed at the plant.
When their weapon reached critical mass, it would destroy the plant.
The Leader and Friedor attempted to depart aboard a small aircraft but
as they were departing, the house summoned a wind which caught the
airplane and trapped it in the sky above then summoned a bolt of
lightning which destroyed the aircraft, killing the Leader, Friedor and
the pilot. The lightning likewise destroyed the critical-mass booster
before it could fire, demolishing the haunted house.
--Tower of Shadows I#4/3d
Friedor was the burly and not-very-intelligent
assistant to his a superior, a man he only referred to as "my leader."
Alongside the Leader, he came to the Craven's abandoned house because
it overlooked a nearby plutonium plant. Ignoring the house's attempts
to drive them out, the Leader and Friedor built a critical-mass booster
which they aimed at the plant. When their weapon reached critical mass,
it would destroy the plant. The Leader and Friedor attempted to depart
aboard a small aircraft but as they were departing, the house summoned
a wind which caught the airplane and trapped it in the sky above then
summoned a bolt of lightning which destroyed the aircraft, killing the
Leader, Friedor and the pilot. The lightning likewise destroyed the
critical-mass booster before it could fire, demolishing the haunted
house.
--Tower of Shadows I#4/3d
images: (without ads)
Chamber of Darkness I#1/2, page 3, panel 1 (Craven, main)
Chamber of Darkness I#1/2, page 3, panel 2 (Craven, head)
Chamber of Darkness I#1/2, page 1 (haunted house)
Tower of Shadows I#4/3, page 3, panel 3 ("Leader")
Tower of Shadows I#4/3, page 3, panel 2 (Friedor)
Appearances:
Chamber of Darkness I#1/2 (October, 1969) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Tom Sutton (artist), Stan Lee (editor)
Tower of Shadows I#4/3 (March, 1970) - Denny O'Neil (script), Tom Sutton (plot, artist), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/16/2021
Last updated: 09/15/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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