Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
Embrace chaos and receive your heart’s desire, so promises: Chthon
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Appearances in Heroclix: Wheels of Vengeance
First Appearance: Marvel Chillers #1 (July 1975)
Team Affiliations: N/A
Powers/Abilities: Dark & Chaos Magic Mastery; Reality Manipulation; Telepathy; Demonic Possession; Immortality
Created by: Marv Wolfman – Bill Mantlo – Yong Montano
During the early days of the formation of the Earth, the Demiurge creates a race of Elder Gods. The first among these are Chthon, Set, Gaea and Oshtur. The gods rule over the young planet for a million years while Chthon dedicates himself to studying mysticism and becomes the first master of black magic. Chthon is among the Elder gods who degenerate into demonic forms of themselves.
Gaea, uncorrupted, seeks aide from the Demiurge and gives birth to Atum. Atum is able to vanquish many of the demonic gods but ends up absorbing too much of their power, transforming himself into a monstrous form that calls itself Demogorge, the God-Eater. Chthon is able to escape the Demogorge by creating a pocket dimension. He creates the Darkhold and binds it to his realm, creating a link so that he can return to the Earth if he chooses.
Safe in his dimension, Chthon slumbers while the Darkhold acts out his wishes on Earth. It entices and empowers individuals at the cost of their souls, which feed Chthon. His sibling Elder Gods all continue their own machinations, which each swearing to leave the other alone. A promise that is broken when it suits them.
The Darkhold finds its way to Pre-Cataclysm Atlantis where it is used to create the first vampires. In medieval times, Morgan Le Fay forms a cult of mystics around the power of the Darkhold who attempt to summon Chthon. While they seemingly succeed, they soon realize that Chthon has no interest in obeying or working with them and so they bind him to Mount Wundagore. Morgan locks the Darkhold away and attempts to bind it so that it cannot be used for evil. However, the Darkhold’s power is so strong that it can even corrupt those that would try to use it for good. Which is how poor Modred falls under Chthon’s sway.
Chthon is also responsible for the creation of the first zombies. Chthon remains bound to Wundagore, causing trouble here and there until the High Evolutionary builds his citadel there. A disciple of Morgan possesses the High Evolutionary’s associate and warns him of Chthon. High Evolutionary then forms the Knights of Wundagore, charged with fighting Chthon when he returns, which they do succeed in several times. They do not stop him, however, from placing his mark on an infant Wanda Maximoff.
Modred eventually awakens and succumbs to Chthon’s influence. He sets about capturing Wanda and using her as a conduit to fully summon Chthon back to Earth. Beast arrives and is able to break up the ceremony with Chthon being trapped in a mystical doll that Wanda and her brother Pietro bury in an avalanche. Spider-Woman is temporarily banished to Chthon’s dimension where he tortures her. Blade temporarily becomes a new Demogorge known as “Switchblade” until he is stopped by a worshipper of the Darkhold at the cost of a piece of her soul.
Modred eventually falls into a trap set by Chthon. Modred is offered the return of his soul in exchange for a “pure soul.” The pure soul is actually his long lost, and long lived, love. Modred offers his own soul in her place, as he did centuries before, and Chthon obliges. Leaving the old woman to die in Modred’s arms. Chthon also attempts a long term plan to be reborn in a mortal form but is stopped by Dr. Strange.
Chthon is able to kill the New Men at Mount Wundagore with no Dr. Strange to stop him. Loki, posing as the Scarlet Witch, reforms the Mighty Avengers to stop Chthon but not before Modred is able to use Quicksilver as Chthon’s vessel. The Mighty Avengers are ultimately able to defeat Modred and Chthon, while also freeing Quicksilver.
A new member of the Darkholders attempts to resurrect Chthon by sacrificing Carnage. Instead. Carnage is infused with the power of the Darkhold and drawn to a secret temple in the Timor Sea. Carnage successfully summons Chthon only for the Elder God to swat him aside like a gnat. However, several other Darkhold empowered symbiotes arrive and join forces to banish Chthon back to his own dimension.
During Hydra’s takeover of America, Chthon possesses Wanda again and joins Hydra’s Avengers. Doctor Strange is able to successfully defeat Chthon again and frees Wanda from his influence. Dr. Doom and Wanda eventually travel to Other-Realm where Wanda is able to completely absorb Chthon into herself.
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