Darkoth
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| Darkoth | |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Fantastic Four series 1 #142, (January 1974) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway (writer) Rich Buckler (artist) |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Desmond Pitt |
| Team affiliations | NASA United States Air Force |
| Notable aliases | Death Demon |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength Flight Density control |
Darkoth (a.k.a. Darkoth the Death Demon) is a fictional character, supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Fantastic Four series 1 #142, (January 1974), and he was created by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Major Desmond Pitt of the United States Air Force, was from St. Louis, Missouri. He had a degree in aeronautical engineering and was a test pilot like his friend, Ben Grimm.
Later, Pitt discovered that agents of Doctor Doom had infiltrated a solar shuttle project he was assigned to. Pitt passed himself off as a willing accomplice in order to discover the extent of their infiltration into NASA. He was so convincing that Doom himself took an interest. However, due to the recent death of his wife, Pitt made an error of judgment, and was discovered to be a double agent. Doom's operatives had Desmond denounced as a traitor, and kidnapped. The government thus considered him a potential spy, although he disappeared before formal charges were brought against him.
Doom made an example of Desmond by using genetic surgery and mutagenic compounds to radically alter his body until he resembled a legendary Latverian mountain demon and codenamed him Darkoth the Death Demon. Doom wiped his memories, and implanted the hypnotic suggestion that Darkoth was really a demon that had been rescued from the Netherworld. Darkoth then attacked the Thing, and lured him into the underground fortress of Doctor Doom. Darkoth was taken captive, and then regained his memory and betrayed Doctor Doom, allying himself with the Fantastic Four, helping them thwart Doom's Vibro-Bomb.[1]
Darkoth was then enhanced by Diablo, who recruited him as a pawn to attack Doom. Darkoth stole aboard a space shuttle piloted by the Thing to redirect the solar generators at Doom. However, he betrayed Diablo when he learned the Thing would also be hurt. Darkoth was apparently killed in a solar generator explosion while in near Earth orbit.[2]
However, Darkoth was actually transported away by Mephisto and became his pawn until he was killed in a battle with Thor[3], and ended up in Belasco's Realm, the dimension known as Otherplace. There he fought Belasco's servant S'ym for possession of the Soulsword. Darkoth killed S'ym and took control over the Soulsword, thereby becoming the embodiment of Otherplace, which he transformed into a realm of peace.[4]
[edit] Notes
- Darkoth had a wife and son. When his wife died Desmond's son was placed in an orphanage. Later Thor in his guise of Dr. Donald Blake ensured that Desmond's young son would be raised by Tom and Brenda Barclay. Brenda had a consult with Blake earlier about having a child but Blake informed her that she was unlikely to become pregnant. The couple had tried for many years to have a child with no success.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Desmond Pitt was transformed into the creature called Darkoth through bio-engineering and cybernetic implantation by Doctor Doom, and later alchemical potions by Diablo. As Darkoth, he had superhuman strength, stamina, durability, and agility, and a demonic appearance, with purple skin, a prehensile reptilian tail, small wings on his feet, fangs, and antennae. He was also able to fire fatigue-causing energy blasts from his "firehorn" antennae. He also used poisoned steel talons.
As a result of Diablo's further mutations, he gained the ability to fly, and become intangible.
Pitt was a skilled pilot and had earned a degree in aeronautical engineering, and was an Air Academy graduate with flying combat training and 1200 hours flight time, and qualified for multi-engine rating. He also learned his fighting skills through military training.
After his resurrection in Otherplace, Darkoth gained the ability to shape-shift.
