Varnae is a fictional character created by Marvel Comics, first appearing in the story "Tomb of Dracula: The Blood Request" (Bizarre Adventures Vol 1 #33, December, 1982[1]), written and penciled by Steve Bissette.
Background[]
Varnae was an Atlantean sorcerer during the Thurian Age. Circa 19,000 BC, he participated in the Assemblage of Avatars, a congress of sorcerers associated with the four Elder Gods of Earth (Chthon, Oshtur, Set, and Gaea).
Circa 18,500 BC, after being mortally wounded by Kull, King of Valusia, Varnae volunteered to be the subject of a ritual held by his fellow or allied Atlantean Darkholders, followers of the Kull-slain Thulsa Doom, who used the Darkhold (the black book of Chthon) to create the first Vampire. They tried to make him subservient to them, only for Varnae to slay the cultists and turn them into vampires, establishing himself as the "Lord of the Vampires". For centuries afterwards he was worshiped by the undead.
When Atlantis sunk circa 18,000 BC, Varnae went into suspended animation though he received visions of what happened in the world during his sleep. He awakened during the Hyborian Age circa 10,000 BC, established himself in Koth, and clashed with Conan of Cimmeria.
He became known as Baal in Babylonia, and in Mesopotamia circa 2000 BC, Varnae forced Aamshed a Sumerian forces to create a ritual which would vastly increase his power but she corrupted the spell to make it useless to him, and foiled his attempt to raise Atlantis. He later observed a group of Wise Men heading toward Bethlehem, and sent vermin hordes to attack them. A Timespirit came to their aid and fought the vermin and later Varnae, and the three remaining Wise Men continued on to Bethlehem. Along his travels and plots, he became known as Tsathoggua to the Tcho-Tcho People, and Croatoan to the Native Americans.
In 1000 AD, vampires led by Varnae wiped out the Viking settlements in North America, whom were then avenged by Thor who decimated the vampires. In the 12th century, he led an army fo vampires against Rome itself. Trained a mystic who conquered the mystical Tibetan city of Kamar-Taj in the 15th century, who was later defeated by the Ancient One. Tired of an undead existence spanning thousands of years, he chose Vlad Tepes as his successor and manipulated him into becoming first a vampire and then the Lord of Vampires. He committed suicide by walking into sunlight. In the late 20th century, he was brought back to life (as a vampire) by an incantation from the Darkhold. Immediately battling Doctor Strange, he embraced being once again a vampire as Doctor Strange was a worthy foe. He later battled with Blade and the Nighstalkers, and he was destroyed. His spirit ended up returning to Earth and possessed a vampire, turning it into his own body.
Powers[]
In addition to the normal abilities of a vampire (immune to diseases and aging, turning into mist, transforming into one of the traditional animal forms (bat, wolf, and human-sized bat), and turning others into vampires. As the Lord of Vampires he can also shapeshift, increase his size up to 25 ft in height, lift up to 7 tons, planet telepathic thoughts in others, and control nearly any vampire. He is also a powerful sorcerer, who before he came a vampire contended for the title of Sorcerer Supreme. He is immune to modern religious icons (such as the Christian cross) and can only be hurt by the symbols of the deities whom were worshiped during his mortal life in the Thurian Age.
Notes[]
- The name "Croatoan", allegedly used by the Native Americans to designate Varnae, is a reference to the Roanoke Colony, the Lost Colony, whose people (who numbered over one hundred) mysteriously disappeared, and where was found carved on a palisade the word "CROATOAN", and "CRO" on a nearby tree.
- Varnae's name was inspired by the vampire novel Varney the Vampire, the title character of which is himself a character in the Marvel Comics universe.