K'lay, also known as Other-Realm,[2] the Flickering Realms, the Dark Heart of Chthon, or the Dimension of the Darkhold was the dimension created by Chthon, as one of the first Inner Planes.[4][8]
Chthon was trapped there,[11] and slumbered,[1] intending to one day return.[12] After Chthon was removed of K'lay, it started to heal, though was under the threat of cosmic judgment and destruction.[2]
The Dimension of the N'Garai was set within that dimension.[4][5]
History
Early years[]
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Chthon escaping the Demogorge
After discovering that the Elder Gods of Earth could obtain more power by devouring each other, at the cost of becoming demons, they warred with each other. One of the Elder Gods, Gaea, refused to participate and instead called upon the Demiurge to birth Atum. Atum became Demogorge the God-Eater and slew most of the Elder God demons, but Chthon managed to avoid the cleansing by escaping to another dimension. Before he did, he wrote the Darkhold which would serve as his link to the Earth.[13] Along with his "brother" Set's Serpent's Sea, the Flickering Realms were the first two Inner Planes, dimensions located in the close vicinity of Earth.[4][8]
Chthon had full control over his dimension.[11] There, he created the N'Garai, whom he sent to another dimension[14] set within that one.[4][5]
Trapped in his dimension,[11] Chthon then went to slumber,[1] intending to one day return.[12] He granted powers to the Darkhold's users, who forfeited their souls.[14] At one point, he nearly returned but he was driven back by a group of five warriors known as the Darkhold Defenders.[15]
Modern Age[]
Chthon remained imprisoned there, until Carnage, the Red Slayer mentioned in the Darkhold,[9] caused his (temporary)[16] return.[1]
When the Three Mothers came to the Crimson Cosmos and slaughtered its people, Cyttorak used the last of his magicks to flee to the Flickering Realms,[6] but later returned to the Crimson Cosmos.[17]
When the true Darkhold was unearthed in Abysmia and was read by Doctor Doom, it opened a path to the Other-Realm. Doom entered Chthon's domain with the intent of killing him but he failed and was cast out. Victorious and the Scarlet Witch gathered a modern iteration of the Darkhold Defenders -Iron Man, Blade, Wasp, Black Bolt, and Spider-Man- to defeat Chthon.[15] Although those five were corrupted by the Darkhold, they were nevertheless sent to the Other-Realm and destroyed Chthon's army. Chthon appeared in his true form and attempted to leave the Other-Realm, but was confronted by Doom and his former vessel, Wanda. Wanda absorbed the true Darkhold, which gave her the power to absorb Chthon in his entirety. With Chthon no more, Wanda returned everyone home.[18]
Freed of Chthon K'lay started healing, and Order gained ground over the reigning Chaos. Scarlet Witch asked audience to the In-Betweener in Overspace to defend Other-Realm from cosmic judgment, asking its destruction to be deferred again, for it deserved a chance at life.[2]Points of Interest
There was no map of the Flickering Realms, due to the constant change of its landscape. This one could include sands, swamps, snow and stone, and even bleeding stone or burning snow, the only constant of the realm being danger.
The Dimension of the N'Garai was set within this one.[4][5]Residents
- Elder Gods of the Other-Realm[9] (possibly N'Garai, see notes)
- Chthon (formerly)
- Cyttorak (formerly)
Notes
- In Carnage (Vol. 2), which depicted Chthon as a stand-in for Cthulhu, "K'lay" was mentioned in the sentence "Ph'nglui mglw'naft Chthon K'lay wgah'nagl fhtagn" from Carnage (Vol. 2) #15, revamping of the famous sentence "ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn".
- The Chthonic Island was another analogous location of R'lyeh, appearing in the same story arc.
- In Carnage (Vol. 2) #14, it is mentioned by Victoria Montesi that her family worked to prevent the return of the "Elder Gods of the Other-Realm", instead of a single Elder God, Chthon.
- Those Elder Gods of the Other-Realm might also be the N'Garai, who have been named "Elder Gods" on occasion. Furthermore, the dimensions of Chthon and of the N'Garai are sometimes mixed (see bellow).
- The Dimension of the N'Garai is known to exist within Chthon's dimension.[4][5] but that latter has been named "Dimension of the N'Garai" as well,[4] possibly by metonymy or error. It was changed to "Dimension of the Darkhold" in the continuation of Marvel Tarot in "Mystic Dimensions - From the Journals of Ian McNee", in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12
See Also
- 7 appearance(s) of K'lay
- 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of K'lay
- 10 mention(s) of K'lay
- 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of K'lay
- 1 image(s) of K'lay
- 1 article(s) related to K'lay
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Carnage (Vol. 2) #15
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Scarlet Witch (Vol. 3) #9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins #7
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Marvel Tarot #1 ; Planes Prelude
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12 ; Mystic Dimensions - From the Journals of Ian McNee: The Inner Planes, the Flickering Realms' entry
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Death of Doctor Strange: Avengers #1
- ↑ Marvel Tarot #1 ; Planes Poster
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12 ; Mystic Dimensions - From the Journals of Ian McNee: The Inner Planes' entry
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Carnage (Vol. 2) #14
- ↑ Carnage (Vol. 2) #4
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror 2005 #1 ; Chthon's profile
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Heroic Age: Villains #1 ; Chthon's profile
- ↑ Silver Surfer Annual #2
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #8 ; N'Garai's profile
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Darkhold Alpha #1
- ↑ Carnage (Vol. 2) #16
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 6) #68
- ↑ Darkhold Omega #1