Zom

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caption=
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Zom
real_name=Zom
species=Demon
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Strange Tales" #156 (May 1967)
creators=Stan Lee and Marie Severin
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
status=
alliances=
previous_alliances=
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powers=|

Zom is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a gigantic semi-humanoid demon who has clashed with Doctor Strange.

Publication history

Zom first appeared in "Strange Tales" #156-157 (May-June 1967), and was created by Stan Lee and Marie Severin.

The character subsequently appeared in "Doctor Strange" #20 (August 1990), "World War Hulk" #3-4 (October-November 2007), "Incredible Hulk" #111 (December 2007), "World War Hulk" #5 (January 2008), and "New Avengers Annual" #2 (March 2008).

Fictional character biography

Zom was, according to his own words, "Created long ago" for no other purpose than to destroy. It is unknown who his creator was. After a presumably devastating rampage, Zom was imprisoned by several powerful magic users working together (including Dormammu, traditionally not a character prone to cooperating with anyone - although this "was" a long time ago).He was fitted with a "crown of blindness" and "manacles of living bondage", and trapped inside a huge amphora in another dimension by Eternity.

When Doctor Strange was confronted by Umar, years ago, her power threatened to overwhelm him. The Ancient One directed him to a distant dimension to retrieve Zom, as he was one opponent even she could not defeat. But while the ploy was successful in deflecting and banishing Umar, Zom now became the threat; in the end, the demon was dispatched by the Living Tribunal himself.

Following Zom's banishment, Strange magically stitched the Amphora back together and sealed it with a spell. A small fragment of Zom remained imprisoned inside the jar, which was kept safe by Doctor Strange; on one occasion, the "Zomling" managed to escape, but was eventually defeated and imprisoned again.

World War Hulk

When faced with the unstoppable rage of the Hulk during "World War Hulk", Doctor Strange resorted to invoking Zom's essence into himself by drinking the contents of the amphora. ["World War Hulk" #3] Since the Zomling was said to grow back into the full Zom once it had gathered sufficient mystical energy, and Strange referred to it as the true Zom during the invocation, it seems that this process has now been completed. In the following issue it was referred that seven S.H.I.E.L.D-employed mystics stated that he did indeed channel Zom's powers, ["World War Hulk" #4; [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=130244&highlight=war+room Writer Greg Pak comments] ] and he severely battered and damaged the Hulk, but was eventually beaten. According to writer Greg Pak, "In Strange's defense, he didn't release Zom in the flesh the way he did back in the day -- instead Strange channeled Zom's power through his own body. That's probably one of the reasons the Earth remains on its axis. (For now, anyway...)"

After Strange's defeat, the infernal entity resumed its mission to destroy the Earth dimension, and started by inhabiting Iron Man's discarded "hulkbuster" armour, to activate the latter's anti-matter doomsday device. Wong sought to recapture it into the urn, and was assisted by Hercules, Namora, the Angel, and Amadeus Cho. While it still proved too powerful to defeat, Amadeus managed to trick it into possessing his body, so the Angel could knock him out, and it was successfully resealed. Zom was referred to as severely depleted at the time. ["Incredible Hulk" vol.3, #111]

In the second New Avengers annual, Doctor Strange was shot and ostensibly killed by the demon-empowered Hood, who was leading an all-out assault by about fifty super-villains on the doctor's house. Strange, however, rose again and manifested what appeared to be the power of Zom to dispatch all his enemies (and friends) in one furious conflagration. After this, he left the Avengers and possibly the mortal plane to "relearn everything he lost", explaining he could not control the dark forces he unleashed.

Powers and abilities

Zom is one of the most formidable mystic entities in existence, referred to far exceed even Umar in terms of sheer mystical power, ["Strange Tales" #156] and thus presumably her brother Dormammu as well, if not by quite as much. It once took the Living Tribunal to actually stop him, although Zom greatly feared the Tribunal, and the power difference is therefore not marginal. ["Strange Tales" #157]

His head was adorned by a long tuft of hair, like a topknot, which apparently acted as a perception shield, masking his presence from other sorcerers.

References

External links

* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/zom.htm The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe]