Moondark

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Moondark initially had but the Hypnotism power (which, in itself, is pretty useful). He was later granted full Sorcery and augmented Mystical Attributes by the Dark Beings.

He has been documented using this ability to :

• Mesmerise or transfix large groups (in DC Heroes RPG terms, Hypnotism with an Area of Effect).
• Conjure the Mists of Passage (Warp).
• Project a wraith-like image of his face through the Mists of Passage to observe distant events (Remote Sensing).
• Fire eldritch  bolts (Energy blast).
• Form eldritch shields (Force shield).
• Disguise himself (Chameleon).
• Form Illusions.
• Conjure bands of ectoplasmic power to hold prisoners (BODY 08 plus a special enchantment preventing access to alter-egos as long as Moondark concentrates on it).
• Sense intruders in his sanctum (Alarm).
• Enchant both humans and superhumans to make them much more powerful than normal.
• Conjure beasts from beyond (Dimension Travel).
• Etc..

He seemingly conducts regular scans using Detect (Superhumans). This is because Moondark is convinced that any superhuman in the area is there to oppose him.

Moondark seems to be very good with demons. He’s always convincing the Dark Beings to strike deals with him or mesmerizing the Blaze-less Ghost Rider. He was also skilled enough to build two soul-stealing artifacts, which he said were made “from the substance of both this world and the next one.”

While his soulless nature protects him against some dreaded mystical attacks, his body is still vulnerable. And he knows that if his body is also lost, all will be lost.

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History

Moondark was a stage magician. He had adequate technique, but little imagination or stage presence. However, he also had a talent for entrancement.

Moondark came to worship unspecified “Dark Beings” led by a Dark Master. These greatly enhanced his mystical potency. The nature of these ’dark beings’ is unclear, though they looked like generic grotesque demons. They might be Dykorrs.

Such was life in the Golden Gate

Moondark was unfolding his nefarious plans in San Francisco when Peter Parker flew in for a photoreporting assignment. Sensing a superhuman, the paranoid and narcissistic Moondark assumed that a confrontation was nigh.

He lured Jack Russell, his sister and his best friend to his stage magic show. He then mesmerised everyone and ordered Russell, as the Werewolf, to track down and kill Parker. The tenacious lycanthrope clashed with Parker several times, while Moondark remotely transfixed all witnesses.

But the two (who previously had no idea Moondark even existed) allied as the sun turned Russell human again. This brought Spider-Man to Moondark’s sanctum. Russell mystically returned to his werewolf state under Moondark’s influence and assaulted Spidey anew. But during the fight Spider-Man tackled Moondark through the Mists of Passage, unaware of their mystical nature.

Both were Warped over the Golden Gate Bridge. Spidey narrowly managed to grasp the bridge to stop his fall, but Moondark plunged to his seeming doom.

That is not dead which can eternal lie

As per their prior deal, Moondark went to some demonic dimension  after his death. His masters took his soul. Howbeit, Moondark bargained for the possibility of obtaining souls in exchange of his own. He returned to Earth, crafted special mystical artifacts to steal souls and took over a carnival as his base.

Realizing that the temporarily employed stunt rider, Johnny Blaze, already had sold his soul to the Devil, Moondark proudly stole said soul. This led to Blaze turning into the Ghost Rider, which Moondark entranced. Moondark used the Rider for his freaks show, as the Blazing Skull (possibly as an homage to the wartime superhuman of the same name).

Peter Parker, visiting the carnival with Glory Grant, recognised the Rider. He thus came back as Spider-Man to investigate. There he confronted the Freaks, mystically-strengthened carnies, and a hypnotized Ghost Rider. The latter eventually defeated and captured Spidey.

But Spidey later managed to break Moondark’s ring, thus freeing the Ghost Rider. However, their combined efforts were still not sufficient to defeat Moondark. Instead, the Rider used his mystical hellfire to destroy the orb. This resulted in Moondark being summoned by the Dark Beings to be killed and punished.

Soul II soul

Moondark came back from death and damnation, of course. He decided to recover Johnny Blaze’s soul, since it had obvious value and could be traded for his own.

He set up his headquarters in a cavern in the Las Vegas desert, and sent demonic vultures to capture Blaze in Vegas. The vultures narrowly failed against the Ghost Rider, who reached the cavern. There, Moondark mystically disguised himself as Blaze’s old girlfriend, Gina Langtree. This subterfuge was sufficient to make the Rider change back to Blaze, who was captured.

Moondark then produced his new Soul Orb. He was about to have it absorb Blaze’s soul when the Phantom Rider (Hamilton Slade), who had been mystically warned and had just killed the two demonic cougars guarding the entrance, intervened.

The Phantom Rider weakened Moondark’s concentration, and the Ghost Rider burst free. Although hellfire could not hurt the man with no soul, physical burning was sufficient to make him drop his Orb, which was lost under a wall of flame. Deprived of his means to collect souls, Moondark had to retreat to the extradimensional  realm of his masters.

Dark egos

Weakened but lusting for vengeance, Moondark came back mere weeks later. He allied with the Water Wizard after appearing to him as an image reflected on water.

Moondark could not do much directly, as he had been defeated too recently. But he could enchant his ally and make him powerful enough to crush their common enemy. The plan would have worked, too — but the Water Wizard started ranting about his awesome power. This proved unbearable for the tremendous ego of Moondark.

Moondark was unable to witness the Wizard taking credit for a victory he felt he had entirely engineered. Therefore, he taxed his mystical strengths to journey to Earth, which he was in no condition to do.

Moondark popped in to brag about how he had been behind everything. The Rider blasted him with hellfire, forcing him to retreat. This took away the Water Wizard’s enhanced might and thus precipitated the Wizard’s defeat.

Moondark has not been seen since.

Description

See illustration.

Personality

Not much, really. I guess the quotes and the History tell you everything you need to know. Grandiloquent, huge ego, paranoid, long villainous rants, etc.

Quotes

“The name is Moondark, my boy — you’d do well to remember it, for soon, thanks to your presence here, the whole world shall change at its mention ! Now be silent — and gaze again into my eyes ! We have little time to waste !”

“A splendid idea, shaggy one — bringing the costumed interloper here ! Now, I will have the pleasure of witnessing his frightful demise personally !”

“Actually, my old foe, I’m glad to see you ! It saves me the trouble of hunting you down — now that my work here is almost finished ! I have something very special planned for you, Spider-Man ! Something very special indeed !”

“Joke while you can ! Soon I will do to you what I have done to the Ghost Rider ! Ah ! You wish to know what I have done ? Then gaze into my ring — and see, torn from the Ghost Rider, the soul of Johnny Blaze !”

“Noooo… my souls ! They’re escaping ! But they mustn’t ! They mustn’t ! Without them, I’ve nothing to bargain with ! The master — he’ll… You fools ! Do you know what you’ve done to me ?”

“That is right, demon ! It is I, your hated enemy — MOONDARK !!”

“Ah, good ! All is silence, now ! Whoever the intruder was, by now he lies without my cavern, in a mangled heap of bones ! And now, Johnny Blaze, your doom is at hand, as well ! See how the soul-devouring spirit rises forth from my orb, to rip your soul from your body and to… What ?! Who dares —?!”

“You can’t intimidate me with your simple-minded parlor tricks ! I am one who has journeyed to netherworlds without number, who has taunted demons and lived to boast of it ! In these hands reside powers unimagined by mortal men ! And with these powers, I will obliterate you — I swear it !”

“Moondark ! The most awesome master of the dark forces the universe has ever known ! Moondark, whose very name sets the brimstone biker to trembling with fear !”

DC Universe History

The Dark Beings could actually be from the DCU — for instance, the Dark Master could actually be Trigon ! This would make Moondark operate between the two universes.

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Marvel Team-Up and Ghost Rider comics.

Helper(s): Chris Cottingham (animal stats), Roy Cowan.