VAPORS OF VALTORR
Classification:
Magic Spell
Creator: Valtorr
User/Possessors:
Ancient One (Yao), Baron Mordo (Karl Mordo), Clea, Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange),
Howard
the Duck, Barbara
Norris, Tiboro, Van
Nyborg
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#115 (December, 1963)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors of Valtorr can be cast in several different ways, each one granting a different power and different effects. The Vapors were used for defensive purposes (mostly Abjuration), offensive purposes (often Conjuration and Evocation, sometime Necromancy), utility (Enchantment, Transmutation), and for gathering information (surely Divination).
Aliases: Vapers of Valtorr, Vapors of Valtor, Vapors of Valthorr, Obscuring Mists of Valtorr
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors of Valtorr can be used to counteract the effects of other spells or particular actions, transforming the original effects to a less harmful way, till the point to annihilate the original spell.
Casting Time: Few
seconds
Range: Short (30 feet) at least
Components: A
mandatory component, probably at caster's choice among:
Duration: Instantaneous;
can be made permanent.
Primary effects: spell-breakage, protection.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Strange Tales I#126 / Doctor Strange II#3 (fb)) -
Prisoner in a magical pocket that restrained his spells, Strange managed
to bore a hole using the Light of the Vishanti, then he could dispel the
bubble-made pocket replacing it with the Vapors of Valtorr.
(Strange Tales I#132 - BTS) - Mordo used the Vapors of Valtorr to set an invisible trap on the Orb of Agamotto. When Strange tried to open the Orb's cover, he triggered another spell that immediately warned Mordo. The foe, helped by Dormammu's enormous power, could fly to the Sanctum Sanctorum in few seconds.
(Strange Tales I#138) - Hamir, the servant of the Ancient One was victim of a mind-clouding spell. Strange used the Vapors of Valtorr to dispel it.
(Strange Tales I#141) - Mordo's Vapors of Valtorr enveloping the Orb of Agamotto were still active. The Ancient One dispelled them using the Shades of the Seraphim and the name of the Vishanti.
(Strange Tales I#160) - The Vapors and Munnopor's Maze were invoked for an exorcism. The spell extirpated the occult forces from one of Mordo's worshipers. The target felt as a deadly fever had just ended, his consciousness cleared. The evilness taken from him took the form of a flame, but it had to be contained again in a living form.
(Marvel Premiere I#3) - Wrestling with Nightmare, Strange managed to dispel the Mystic Maze of Madness invoking the Vapors.
(Marvel
Premiere I#7) - Strange sent the Vapors of Valtorr to counter
the effects of the evil shadow from the Stellar Stone, so
freeing the people of Penmallow from Dagoth's
control.
(Avenging
Spider-Man#8) - The Obscuring Mists of Valtorr served as
concealment from magic and technology. Strange used it to
hide Princess Lenka from Doctor Doom's divination, but the
Vapors covered also Spider-Man, Silver Sable and a mercenary
of the Wild Pack. The obfuscation could not work for long,
because the betrothal between Doom and Lenka connected
the two, beyond the Vapors' effectiveness. When Spider-Man
left the group, he also lost the concealment.
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors can damage the target in several ways, most of them are unrevealed. They can be used to limit the target's actions, or to kill him. The Vapors can reach the target even if he is not directly seen by the caster, provided that the caster has other means to link the spell to the target, for example a statue resembling him. When the Vapors of Valtorr are cast using black magic, they can be dispelled only using black magic. The Vapors can also conjure a simple mist, but very thick, that can cover a valley, and can be used for concealment. The Vapors can be used to teleport people.
Casting Time: Few
seconds
Range: Long. Under some conditions, the target can
not be in sight.
Components: A
mandatory component, probably at caster's choice among:
Duration: Concentration,
1 minute, usually. It can be made ever-lasting if the power of the
caster is sufficient.
Primary effects: A mist forms out of nowhere, like a
cloud or like serpentine spires that envelopes the target. The Vapors
are often green, but can be black, conjuring the Dark Vapors, or light
gray when were used for the teleportation.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Strange Tales I#115) - The Vapors of Valtorr were conjured
by Baron Mordo when he was the Ancient One's apprentice, to kill his
master. The Vapors were powered by an invocation to Dormammu, Ancient
One's enemy. Using a little statue representing the Ancient One, Mordo
could launch the spell from a distance and unseen by his master. The spell
originated at a few feet from the Ancient One. The cloud, initially black,
swirling toward the mystic became green, grew in thickness and length and
spiraled around the old man. The Ancient One recognized the spell and cast
a counter-spell even invoking, among others, the power of Dormammu.
In fact, the Ancient One, stated that the spell had been spawned by black
magic so it could be dispelled by black magic only.
Shortly later, it was Mordo again that
conjured the Vapors to attack Stephen Strange when he wasn't even a
student of the Ancient One. This time the green vapor formed an Iron Clamp
around Strange's mouth, inhibiting him to speak about Mordo's treason.
Mordo further restrained Strange, impairing his movement for a while, so
that when he tried, a bolt-like force struck him. The clamp and the
lightning force were both invisible for all but Mordo and Strange.
However, the Ancient One knew about Mordo's actions,
so he later vanquished the restraining spell with ease.
(Strange Tales I#125) - During a long mystical fight, Mordo conjured the Vapers of Valtorr to destroy Strange, but his protection was granted by the light of his amulet. Shortly later the Vapors were again conjured by Mordo to restrain Doctor Strange. The black spirals enveloped the mystic, who was already protected by his shields, but the power of the Dark Vapors was ever-lasting, so Mordo expected Strange to be prisoner forever. Nonetheless, the power of the blinding light of the eternal Vishanti was stronger, and the dark layer of the vapors was depleted.
(Strange Tales I#129) - The Totality Spell of Tiboro
was a concentration of powers of darkness, among which there were the
Vapors of Valtor, too. Tiboro
hurled his black magic at Strange, who counter-spelled it using the magic
of good.
(Strange
Tales I#157) - The Vapors of Valtorr eased
the fall of Strange, whose cape was torn by the dreadful Zom.
Strange floated safely to the ground.
(Marvel
Premiere#5) - The Vapors of Valtorr were
conjured by Strange.
Darkness filled the church where he was, and golden lightnings
sprung, hitting Sligguth's
spawn,
forcing them to flee.
(Giant-Size Defenders#4) - The Vapors
of Valtorr's spires entrapped Whizzer of the Squadron Sinister,
immobilizing him for some seconds. However, when the speedster was
freed, he knocked Strange out before he could cast another spell.
(Marvel Treasury Edition#12) -
The Vapors were used to teleport the Defenders and four villains away
from the Sanctum Sanctorum. The caster was Howard
the Duck, who was telepathically instructed by Strange to perform
the right movements and to pronounce the right words.
(Doctor Strange II#42)
- The Vapors of Valtorr created a mist that enveloped a
valley, a mist so thick that it hid Strange to his enemy's
sight: an enormous green dragon. The dragon blew his
flaming breathe, dispersing the fog, but Strange was
already gone.
(Doctor Strange II#47) - Strange conjured the Vapors of
Valtorr to test his disciple's concentration. Ink-dark
vapors approached Clea,
who promptly dispersed them using the Winds of Watoomb.
For Strange, it was a very good response.
(Defenders II#8) - Strange tried to cast the Vapors
of Valtorr, but the Starwheel
bubble he was trapped in absorbed the force of the spell,
reflecting it to Strange.
Version: Divination
Powers/Abilities/Functions: To contact a creature far from the caster, even on another dimension or plane of existence.
Casting Time: Few
seconds
Range: Any
Components: A
mandatory component, probably at caster's choice among:
Duration: Concentration,
one minute
Primary effects: A portal opens and let the caster
see the target. Depending on the version or on the target, the contact
can involve also a two-ways conversation and also physical
interaction, at least from the target's dimension to the caster's one.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Strange Tales I#167) - The Ancient One
read the Sacred Writing, confirming that the Vapors of Valtorr could
penetrate the veil between Being and Nothingness.
So, while Strange bathed a smoking brazier with the
light of his amulet, the Ancient One and the Master of the Mystic Arts
recited the spell, and through the mist Strange could spot Victoria
Bentley. The Ancient One recognized the dread Dimension of Dreams and
suggested Strange to fling a spell into the Vapors to save the girl.
Strange did so, trying to call Victoria, but the Ancient One warned him
that no mortal word could penetrate the Vapors. Alas, Victoria Bentley
had been transported to that dimension by Yandroth,
and his magic protected Victoria, so that it sent back shockwaves to
hit Strange through the Vapors and along Strange's spell's mystic band.
The pain was too much for Strange, the band broke and Victoria was
hurled into the Dimension of Dreams, out of the Vapors' screening.
(Doctor Strange II#33) - Strange used
the Vapors of Valtorr to contact Nightmare in his own realm to
question him about his attack. Nightmare soon became bored of the
conversation and closed the portal.
(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#3) - Doctor Strange called on the
Vapors, instantaneously guessing that the Dragon
of the Moon had something to do with an arcane manifestation in
England.
Version:
Enchantment (spell and ritual)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors can force some creatures to sleep. Using the Vapors to stun a subject, to subdue him, to force him to stay still and calm, is useful when the target is needed awake and, or, capable to speak.
Casting Time: Few
seconds for the spell version, more time for the ritual version
Range: Long (100 feet)
Components: A
mandatory component, probably at caster's choice among:
Duration: The
magical-induced sleep has probably the duration of a natural sleep.
The stunning caused from the brazier lasts until the brazier produces
Vapors plus an unspecified time, probably hours.
Primary effects: The target sleeps or is paralyzed,
partially or totally. In the ritual form, material green Vapors are
produced.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Incredible Hulk II#126) - In a ritual to summon the Undying Ones, Van
Nyborg conjured the Vapors of Valtorr. Held
in a brazier, Barbara
Norris used them to stun Bruce Banner, to control him
during the ritual that had to follow.
(Defenders I#13) - Doctor Strange put Doctor Spectrum to sleep using the Vapors of Valtorr.
(Doctor Strange II#10) - Vapors and Mists were used to force Mordo to sleep. Losing conscience, the illusory reality, created by Mordo's madness, ceased.
Version: Evocation
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors of Valtorr can be used as a ranged attack weapon, shot at a target. It is unrevealed if the caster needs to aim at the target.
Casting Time: Few
seconds
Range: Long (100 feet)
Components: A
mandatory component, probably at caster's choice among:
Duration: Instantaneous.
Primary effects: A pulsating beam of magical energy
that explodes when reaches the target.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Marvel Premiere I#8) - The Vapors of Valtorr were shot at the nearest
winged demons that surrounded Doctor Strange. The attack destroyed the
demons and bought him time for the following powerful spell.
(Defenders I#81) - Doctor Strange used his full magical powers against the city-troops of the Buzzard-King Ytitnedion, blasting away a patrol with the Vapors of Valtorr.
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors can have a necromantic power, usually enfeebling, weakening, life-draining an enemy, hitting from a distance or touching the target.
Casting Time: Few
seconds
Range: Short (30 feet)
Components: A
mandatory component, probably
fingers/hand/arm movement.
Duration: Concentration,
one minute.
Primary effects: A beam of light directed to the
target.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Marvel Premiere I#6) - Strange called upon the wisdom and the awful
majesty of other worlds and other times. From the point of his
fingers, he shot a blast of supernatural necromancy to N'Gabthoth.
Weakened by the Vapors of Valthorr's hit, the monstrous abomination
let Strange press his attacks.
Shortly after, Strange shot again the Vapors to
N'Gabthoth, but the monster resisted, so Strange empowered the Vapors
using the Crimson Crystals of Cyttorakk. The shots and the blasts
became stronger. Strange even succeeded in counter-spelling the
necromantic energies hurled at him by N'Gabthoth
and stunning him with a final blast. In those precious instants, when
the the sea-monster was still, Strange banished him.
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Vapors can transform the target to enhance/reduce/give/activate a skill/power/quality that he didn't have before.
Casting Time:
Instantaneous
Range: Very long (1 mile)
Components: A
mandatory component, probably at caster's choice among:
Duration: Variable.
Primary effects: The creature or the item, target of
the spell, are transformed.
Collateral effects: None.
History:
(Strange Tales I#131) - The Vapors of Valtorr
shrunk a one-eyed smuggler to a third of his original size. Mordo cast
the spell using a mental projection.
(Strange Tales I#155) - The Vapors of Valtorr and the Rings of Raggadorr transformed Doctor Strange so that he could travel to another dimensional space at the speed of thought. His speed was such that when he reached Clea, she seemed suspended in time. The extremely high speed enabled Strange to surpass the death spell hurled by Umar, and also gave him time to cast a counter-spell.
(Strange Tales I#164) - Strange used the Vapors of Valtorr
to empower his Cloak. Falling from outer space on an unknown planet,
Strange needed a safer means to reach the surface, so he enhanced the
levitation power of his cape.
(Doctor Strange I#173) - The clouds above New York
solidified, under the effect of Strange's Vapors of Valtorr. So, the
battle between Dormammu and Strange remained hidden to the mortals' eyes
beneath the clouds.
(Defenders I#70) - To trigger the transformation of Bruce Banner in the Hulk, Doctor Strange invoked the Vapors of Valtorr.
(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#47) - The Necromancer,
Stephen Strange of the Counter-Earth, used a Bolt of Oblivion, empowered
by a fraction of Eternity's power on Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch,
Doctor Druid, Shaman and Scarlet Witch. The first part of the Bolt
involved the Vapors of Valtorr and the final effect of the spell had to
be the complete obliteration of the heroes. But Strange succeeded in
casting, whispering, another spell before the oblivion was completed,
transporting his friends and he to outer space. The Necromancer did
not understand what happened, because Strange's transport spell produced
a blinding light that was identical to the effect of the Bolt of
Oblivion.
(Marvel Super Heroes III#12/1) - Strange transformed Augustyne
Phyffe and himself in two gargoyle statues using the Vapors of
Valtorr, and then dispelled the spell invoking
Valtorr himself.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
In Strange Tales I#127, Doctor Strange
said "To breathe the final Vapors of Valtorr" as a metaphor for
"to die".
In Strange Tales I#136, there's a never used in-story
verbal component, cast by Stan Lee.
As clarified by Stan Lee, when they (at Marvel) said
"Nameless" they meant that
someone did have a name but they didn't know it. So we don't
know the names of the "Nameless" dwelling in the Vapors of Valtorr.
The exorcism in Strange Tales I#160 clearly needed
two hands to be cast; however, only one hand was enough to hold the
flame of evil.
In Strange Tales I#167, the ritual to open a portal
through the Vapors needed even two minds to be cast.
In Marvel Premiere I#3, Strange's hands were busy to
grab Nightmare, so he didn't apparently
use any somatic component to cast the spell.
In Marvel Premiere I#5 Strange cast the spell while
wrestling with the semi-human worshipers, so probably he didn't use any somatic component.
The pronounced formulas in Doctor Strange I#173 and
Doctor Strange II#42 were almost identical. Even so, the effects of the
spells were quite different. In the first case, the clouds already
existed and the Vapors transformed them. In the second case,
the spell conjured the clouds of mists.
When a Mystic Principality is invoked, sometime the caster is explicitly asking for a favor (the power), sometime the caller is asking as well, but implicitly. However, there were plenty of times when the invocation was a simple exclamation, by surprise, by thanksgiving, by disappointment or by not understandable motives, and so on. The latter cases happened for the Vapors of Valtorr, too. These cases cannot be classified into version, or schools, or purposes. Here is an incomplete list:
Profile by Spidermay.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Vapors of Valtorr are strictly connected to the Vipers
of Valtorr and to the Valtorr's
Stings and has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#125, p9, pan1 (Baron Mordo attacks Doctor Strange with the Dark Vapors of Valtorr)
Strange Tales I#115, p4, pan9 (The Vapors' spires entangling the Ancient One)
Doctor Strange I#42, p14, pan5 (The dragon-fire dissolves the mist)
Strange Tales I#160, p8, pan4 (The Spell of
Exorcism)
Doctor Strange II#33, p8, pan3 (The Vapors
opened the communication with Nightmare's Realm)
Incredible Hulk II#126, p2, pan5 (Vapors of Valtorr stunning
Bruce Banner)
Marvel Premiere I#8, p9, pan2 (A Demon blasted
by the Vapors)
Marvel Premiere I#6, p15, pan14 (N'Gabthoth hit
by Necromancy)
Strange Tales I#131, p4, pan2 (A smuggler reduced
at a third of his size by Mordo's Vapors of Valtorr)
Strange Tales I#165, p2, pan2 (Strange transformed by the Vapors,
travels quicker than thought)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#115 (December, 1963) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#126 (November, 1964) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#129 (February, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#131 (April, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Strange Tales I#138 (November, 1965) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (writer/artist)
Strange Tales I#141 (February, 1966) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (writer/artist)
Strange Tales I#155 (April, 1967) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Marie Severin (artist)
Strange Tales I#157 (June, 1967) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Marie Severin (pencils), Herb Trimpe (inks)
Strange Tales I#160 (September, 1967) - Raymond Marais (writer), Marie Severin (pencils), Herb Trimpe (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Strange Tales I#163 (December, 1967) - Jim Lawrence (writer), Dan Adkins (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Strange Tales I#164 (January, 1968) - Jim Lawrence (writer), Dan Adkins (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Strange Tales I#165 (February, 1968) - Jim Lawrence (writer), Dan Adkins (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Doctor Strange I#173 (August, 1968) - Roy Thomas (writer), Tom Palmer (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#126 (April, 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#3 (July, 1972) - Stan Lee and Barry Windsor-Smith (writers), Barry Windsor-Smith pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#5 (November, 1972) - Gardner F. Fox (writer), Irv Wesley (pencils), Don Perlin (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#6 (January, 1973) - Gardner F. Fox (writer), Frank Brunner (pencils), Sal Buscema (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#7 (March, 1973) - Gardner F. Fox (writer), Philip Craig Russell (pencils), Mike Esposito & Frank Giacoia & Dave Hunt (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#8 (May, 1973) - Gardner F. Fox (writer), James Starlin (pencils), Frank Giacoia & Dave Hunt (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Doctor Strange II#3 (September, 1974) - Steve Englehart (writer), Frank Brunner (pencils), Alan Weiss (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Defenders I#13 (April, 1975) - Len Wein (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Glynis Oliver (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Giant-Size Defenders#4 (April, 1975) - Steve Gerber (writer), Don Heck (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Doctor Strange II#10 (October, 1975) - Steve Englehart (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Marvel Treasury Edition#12/1 (January, 1976) - Steve Gerber (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Archie Goodwin (editor)
Doctor Strange II#33 (February, 1979) - Ralph Macchio and Roger Stern (writer), Tom Sutton (pencils), Rudy Nebres (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Defenders I#70 (April, 1979) - Edward Hannigan (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Michael Esposito (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Defenders I#81 (March, 1980) - Edward Hannigan (writer), Herb Trimpe (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Doctor Strange II#42 (August, 1980) - Chris Claremont (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange II#47 (June, 1981) - Roger Stern (writer), Gene Colan (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#3 (March, 1989) - Peter B. Gillis (writer), Richard Case (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Carl Potts (editor)
Marvel Super Heroes III#12/1 (January, 1993) - Stuart Hopen & Jean-Marc Lofficier & Roy Thomas (writer), Brian Postman (pencils), Armando Gil (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
Defenders II#8 (October, 2001) - Kurt Busiek & Erik Larsen & Eric Stephenson (writers), Ron Frenz (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avenging Spider-Man#8 (August, 2012) - Dan Slott & Ty Templeton (pencils), Matthew Clark (pencils), Sean Parsons (inks), Elizabeth Pyle (editor)
First Posted: 06/30/2021
Last updated: 06/30/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 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.!
Version:
Abjuration
Version: Transmutation