Dragon of the Moon
Encyclopedia
The Dragon of the Moon is a fictional character
, a malevolent entity appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
. It has been a foe of both the Defenders
and the Eternals
.
#138-139 (December 1984-January 1985), and was created by Peter B. Gillis
and Don Perlin
.
The character subsequently appears in #142-145 (April-July 1985), #151-152 (January-February 1986), Doctor Strange #3-4 (March-May 1989), Marvel Tarot #1 (2007), Annihilation: Conquest - Quasar #2-4 (October-December 2007), and Annihilation: Conquest #1-2 (January-February 2008).
The Dragon of the Moon received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
#2.
.
He has claimed to kill the inhabitants of Titan
before the Eternals
inhabited it.
He has also claimed that the Lords of Light once took away his freedom.
It has visited the Earth several times, the first time, he tried to take over the Earth, but was apparently repulsed by the Eternal known as Interloper
.
The Dragon of the Moon apparently allied himself with Mordred
against Camelot, but was banished into outer space by King Arthur with the help of the Eternal known as the Interloper. The Dragon was subsequently imprisoned on Titan, with special shields constructed there to prevent his escape.
It was while on Titan, that the Dragon apparently offered Thanos
power, and Thanos took it.
Whilst imprisoned on Titan, the dragon sensed the presence of a human being that was currently being raised there, Heather Douglas, who would later become Moondragon
.
The Dragon attempted to invade Moondragon's mind, but was repulsed by Moondragon herself, and the shields that kept him imprisoned, but not before he had planted a small seed of his essence within her mind.
The Dragon chose Moondragon simply because her spirit was good, and fundamentally powerful, but with an arrogance he could exploit.
Armed with this knowledge, the dragon bided its time, for Moondragon's mystical headband apparently kept its evil influence in check, but Moondragon herself was becoming disillusioned with the continuous battle within her mind to prevail over the dragon.
Manifesting as a black, demon-like, amorphous centipede
to Moondragon, it taunted her, saying she could not hope to master both good and evil, it then took the form of Mantis
and attacked Moondragon, eventually it ended up fighting the defenders, who came to Moondragon's aid, however, it was not until Beast
shook Moondragon out of her stupor that the Dragon, taking Mantis's form, disappeared.
Now, with her headband removed, The Dragon once again fought Moondragon for control. Without the headband to keep the Dragon's influence in check, Moondragon began to lose the battle against the Dragon.
At that point in time, Moondragon had also contracted the gamma spores, which began to ravage her body. The Dragon again appeared to her, taunting her with images of her parents' death and happiest moments in life, all the while claiming it could cure her of the gamma spores.
This apparently was too much for Moondragon, so she conceded, and gave in to the Dragon's evil influence.
Now with Moondragon completely under its control, the Dragon of the Moon confronted Valkyrie
, Angel
, and Gargoyle, defeating them all.
It was not until Valkyrie called the full host of the Valkyrior
against him, giving Angel time to call guide Cloud
down to the unprotected Moondragon, where he hurled a lightning bolt at her, apparently disintegrating her in a flash of light.
The Dragon of the Moon and Moondragon had seemingly disappeared, but were merely hurled across the world in shadow, biding their time, waiting.
The Dragon, now considering Moondragon unworthy as she had been twisted by evil, retreated to the back of her mind, waiting yet again.
The Dragon of the Moon would appear to Moondragon yet again, this time taking the form of two eclipsing suns, and attempted to destroy the Defenders, Interloper, and Manslaughter
.
As Interloper rushed into combat with the Dragon, so too did the Defenders battle Moondragon, using their psychic rapport, Manslaughter projected madness into Moondragon's mind, causing her to flee.
Now, the Dragon had to struggle to take control of Moondragon's mind yet again, but she resisted until the Dragon agreed to put her into contact with the Beyonder
. The Beyonder, upon meetting Moondragon, asked her to be his disciple, and presented the Dragon with her in the form of a ring on her finger, (one she already apparently possessed).
Armed with the power of both the Dragon of the Moon and the Beyonder, Moondragon attempted to reshape the world, starting by eliminating the defenders.
Now once again in control, the Dragon of the Moon tormented Beast, Angel and Iceman
with the deaths of Danny Milligan, Carol Faber, Chris Larmouth, and Candy Southern. It then prepared for its final battle with the Defenders, using Moondragon's relationship with Gargoyle to gain his trust, then excised his soul from his body.
Armed with both human and demonic powers, the Dragon of the Moon continued its battle against the defenders.
However, the Dragon of the Moon was finally undone when the Interloper and Valkyrie sacrificed their immortality. Channeling their power through Manslaughter and Andromeda towards the Dragon, instantly carbonizing all three of them (the Dragon, Moondragon, and Gargoyle). At the last moment, Moondragon, using the Beyonder's power, resurrected Danny Milligan, Carol Faber, and Chris Larmouth, sure that was the Beyonder's purpose in granting her power.
, in a battle with Urthona
, destroyed several mystical talismans, one of which was a talisman preventing the Dragon from ever returning to earth under his own power.
The Dragon, sensing the gradual decline in strength of the mystical barrier of on Earth, returned.
The Dragon had apparently gained power over a group of racist skinheads in Manchester, New England, and incited them to riot. Soon, Dr. Strange, the four heroes (who had been resurrected by the Vishanti
), and Dafydd ap Iowerth (who contained the spirit of King Arthur
the Pendragon) arrived on the scene.
Using the eye of Agamotto, Dr. Strange revealed the presence of the Dragon of the Moon through the Eye of Agamotto
though the Dragon's abilities to play on the worst in Human Nature.
The Dragon's minions increased in strength until Iowerth stopped them. By then, the Dragon had moved on to another stronghold, and obtained a new set of minions.
When the heroes tracked the Dragon to his new stronghold, the Dragon had them surrounded by his minions, but Iowerth convinced them to reject the Dragon's influence, the Dragon then manifested in the open and attacked Iowerth.
As the battle progressed, it became clear that the heroes' mightiest blows against the Dragon were in vain, until Dr. Strange had the heroes join hands, forming the Dragon Circle, giving the heroes the same power the talisman had.
The Power of the Dragon Circle manifested in the form of an enormous sword, which drained the Dragon's power, diminishing him in size. Enabling Iowerth to later crush him in between his fingers, removing the Dragon of the Moon from the mortal plane.
The Dragon is later seen in Oblivion's
realm, where Phyla-Vell
- who had previously been fed to the Dragon by Maelstrom
seemingly agrees to be Oblivion's new avatar of death giving her the power to cut her way out of the Dragon's stomach.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a malevolent entity appearing in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. It has been a foe of both the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
and the Eternals
Eternals (comics)
The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...
.
Publication history
The Dragon of the Moon first appeared in DefendersDefenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
#138-139 (December 1984-January 1985), and was created by Peter B. Gillis
Peter B. Gillis
Peter B. Gillis is an American comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and First Comics in the mid-1980s, including the series Strikeforce: Morituri, and the digitally drawn comic series Shatter.-Biography:...
and Don Perlin
Don Perlin
Don Perlin is an American comic book artist and occasional writer best known for Marvel Comics' Werewolf by Night, The Defenders, and Ghost Rider...
.
The character subsequently appears in #142-145 (April-July 1985), #151-152 (January-February 1986), Doctor Strange #3-4 (March-May 1989), Marvel Tarot #1 (2007), Annihilation: Conquest - Quasar #2-4 (October-December 2007), and Annihilation: Conquest #1-2 (January-February 2008).
The Dragon of the Moon received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#2.
Origin
The Dragon of the Moon's exact origins are unrevealed, however he does claim to know some of the Elders of the UniverseElders of the Universe
The Elders of the Universe are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in Avengers #28...
.
He has claimed to kill the inhabitants of Titan
Titan (Marvel Comics)
In the Marvel Universe, Saturn's moon Titan is the fictional home of the Titanian Eternals. It first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich...
before the Eternals
Eternals (comics)
The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...
inhabited it.
He has also claimed that the Lords of Light once took away his freedom.
It has visited the Earth several times, the first time, he tried to take over the Earth, but was apparently repulsed by the Eternal known as Interloper
Interloper (comics)
The Interloper is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a member of the Eternals.-Publication history:The Interloper first appeared in Defenders #147 , and was created by Peter B. Gillis and Don Perlin....
.
The Dragon of the Moon apparently allied himself with Mordred
Modred the Mystic
Modred the Mystic is a fictional magician in the Marvel Comics universe who has alternated between being an anti-hero and an outright supervillain. He first appeared in Marvel Chillers #1. He was created by Bill Mantlo, Yong Montano and Marv Wolfman....
against Camelot, but was banished into outer space by King Arthur with the help of the Eternal known as the Interloper. The Dragon was subsequently imprisoned on Titan, with special shields constructed there to prevent his escape.
It was while on Titan, that the Dragon apparently offered Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
power, and Thanos took it.
Whilst imprisoned on Titan, the dragon sensed the presence of a human being that was currently being raised there, Heather Douglas, who would later become Moondragon
Moondragon
Moondragon is a fictional character in Marvel Comics Universe. A vastly powerful telepath, master martial artist, minor telekinetic, and highly skilled geneticist, Moondragon's most notable characteristics are her shaved head, superiority complex, and gruelling elite excellence in virtually every...
.
The Dragon attempted to invade Moondragon's mind, but was repulsed by Moondragon herself, and the shields that kept him imprisoned, but not before he had planted a small seed of his essence within her mind.
The Dragon chose Moondragon simply because her spirit was good, and fundamentally powerful, but with an arrogance he could exploit.
Armed with this knowledge, the dragon bided its time, for Moondragon's mystical headband apparently kept its evil influence in check, but Moondragon herself was becoming disillusioned with the continuous battle within her mind to prevail over the dragon.
Manifesting as a black, demon-like, amorphous centipede
Centipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
to Moondragon, it taunted her, saying she could not hope to master both good and evil, it then took the form of Mantis
Mantis (Marvel Comics)
Mantis is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Universe, and former member of the Avengers.-Publication history:Mantis first appeared in Avengers #112 , drawn by Don Heck...
and attacked Moondragon, eventually it ended up fighting the defenders, who came to Moondragon's aid, however, it was not until Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
shook Moondragon out of her stupor that the Dragon, taking Mantis's form, disappeared.
Now, with her headband removed, The Dragon once again fought Moondragon for control. Without the headband to keep the Dragon's influence in check, Moondragon began to lose the battle against the Dragon.
At that point in time, Moondragon had also contracted the gamma spores, which began to ravage her body. The Dragon again appeared to her, taunting her with images of her parents' death and happiest moments in life, all the while claiming it could cure her of the gamma spores.
This apparently was too much for Moondragon, so she conceded, and gave in to the Dragon's evil influence.
Now with Moondragon completely under its control, the Dragon of the Moon confronted Valkyrie
Valkyrie (comics)
Valkyrie is a fictional character and Marvel Comics superhero. An Asgardian demi-goddess by birth, her real name is Brunnhilde. Among her other aliases are Barbara Denton-Norriss, Samantha Parrington, and Sian Bowen who all were host bodies to the spirit of Brunnhilde. For much of her history she...
, Angel
Archangel (comics)
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is a fictional character, a comic book antihero in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally known as Angel and later Archangel, Worthington is one of the founding members of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-creator Jack Kirby, he first appeared in...
, and Gargoyle, defeating them all.
It was not until Valkyrie called the full host of the Valkyrior
Valkyrior (Marvel Comics)
-Fictional group history:The Valkyrior are warrior goddesses of Asgard who ride winged horses. Originally, under the leadership of Brunnhilde, they took mortally wounded human heroes from German and Scandinavian battlegrounds and brought them to Valhalla, an area of the Asgardian dimension where...
against him, giving Angel time to call guide Cloud
Cloud (comics)
Cloud is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Cloud first appeared in Defenders #123-124 , and was created by J. M. DeMatteis and Don Perlin. She appeared as a regular member of the Defenders from that point on, in issues #127-152 of the title...
down to the unprotected Moondragon, where he hurled a lightning bolt at her, apparently disintegrating her in a flash of light.
The Dragon of the Moon and Moondragon had seemingly disappeared, but were merely hurled across the world in shadow, biding their time, waiting.
The Dragon, now considering Moondragon unworthy as she had been twisted by evil, retreated to the back of her mind, waiting yet again.
The Dragon of the Moon would appear to Moondragon yet again, this time taking the form of two eclipsing suns, and attempted to destroy the Defenders, Interloper, and Manslaughter
Manslaughter (comics)
Manslaughter is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Manslaughter is a mutant or mutate supervillain, a killer and assassin by trade and a psychopath by nature. He was assigned by a drug czar to assassinate the Defenders. He invaded their Rocky Mountain...
.
As Interloper rushed into combat with the Dragon, so too did the Defenders battle Moondragon, using their psychic rapport, Manslaughter projected madness into Moondragon's mind, causing her to flee.
Now, the Dragon had to struggle to take control of Moondragon's mind yet again, but she resisted until the Dragon agreed to put her into contact with the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
. The Beyonder, upon meetting Moondragon, asked her to be his disciple, and presented the Dragon with her in the form of a ring on her finger, (one she already apparently possessed).
Armed with the power of both the Dragon of the Moon and the Beyonder, Moondragon attempted to reshape the world, starting by eliminating the defenders.
Now once again in control, the Dragon of the Moon tormented Beast, Angel and Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
with the deaths of Danny Milligan, Carol Faber, Chris Larmouth, and Candy Southern. It then prepared for its final battle with the Defenders, using Moondragon's relationship with Gargoyle to gain his trust, then excised his soul from his body.
Armed with both human and demonic powers, the Dragon of the Moon continued its battle against the defenders.
However, the Dragon of the Moon was finally undone when the Interloper and Valkyrie sacrificed their immortality. Channeling their power through Manslaughter and Andromeda towards the Dragon, instantly carbonizing all three of them (the Dragon, Moondragon, and Gargoyle). At the last moment, Moondragon, using the Beyonder's power, resurrected Danny Milligan, Carol Faber, and Chris Larmouth, sure that was the Beyonder's purpose in granting her power.
Dr. Strange and the Dragon of the Moon
The Dragon and the four 'Deceased' heroes, ( Danny Milligan, Carol Faber, Chris Larmouth, and Candy Southern), later appeared in a Limbo-like dimension of spirits, where he gained control over the spirits of that particular dimension, probably either by his own power or by tempting them to serve his will. Meanwhile, Doctor StrangeDoctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, in a battle with Urthona
Urthona (comics)
Urthona is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Urthona is an extra-dimensional sorcerer from another planet. He sought to become Sorcerer Supreme of the entire universe, and targeted Doctor Strange. Urthona gained possession of half of Topaz's soul, which...
, destroyed several mystical talismans, one of which was a talisman preventing the Dragon from ever returning to earth under his own power.
The Dragon, sensing the gradual decline in strength of the mystical barrier of on Earth, returned.
The Dragon had apparently gained power over a group of racist skinheads in Manchester, New England, and incited them to riot. Soon, Dr. Strange, the four heroes (who had been resurrected by the Vishanti
Vishanti
The Vishanti are a fictional triumvirate of powerful mystical beings appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. The three beings who make up the Vishanti are Agamotto the All-Seeing , Omnipotent Oshtur , and Hoary Hoggoth...
), and Dafydd ap Iowerth (who contained the spirit of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
the Pendragon) arrived on the scene.
Using the eye of Agamotto, Dr. Strange revealed the presence of the Dragon of the Moon through the Eye of Agamotto
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
though the Dragon's abilities to play on the worst in Human Nature.
The Dragon's minions increased in strength until Iowerth stopped them. By then, the Dragon had moved on to another stronghold, and obtained a new set of minions.
When the heroes tracked the Dragon to his new stronghold, the Dragon had them surrounded by his minions, but Iowerth convinced them to reject the Dragon's influence, the Dragon then manifested in the open and attacked Iowerth.
As the battle progressed, it became clear that the heroes' mightiest blows against the Dragon were in vain, until Dr. Strange had the heroes join hands, forming the Dragon Circle, giving the heroes the same power the talisman had.
The Power of the Dragon Circle manifested in the form of an enormous sword, which drained the Dragon's power, diminishing him in size. Enabling Iowerth to later crush him in between his fingers, removing the Dragon of the Moon from the mortal plane.
The Dragon is later seen in Oblivion's
Oblivion (comics)
Oblivion is a fictional character, in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Iceman #3 and he was created by J. M. DeMatteis and Alan Kupperberg. Oblivion is a cosmic entity and another aspect of Death, a personification of death...
realm, where Phyla-Vell
Phyla-Vell
Phyla-Vell is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She has gone by the names Quasar, Captain Marvel and Martyr. She was created by Peter David and Paul Azaceta in Captain Marvel Phyla-Vell is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
- who had previously been fed to the Dragon by Maelstrom
Maelstrom (comics)
Maelstrom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Marvel Two-in-One #71 , and was created by writer Mark Gruenwald.-Fictional character biography:...
seemingly agrees to be Oblivion's new avatar of death giving her the power to cut her way out of the Dragon's stomach.