Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)

History

Origins

Khosatral Khel was the demon offspring of the aquatic monster and possible Great Old One or degenerated god Dagon.^[3]

He allegedly extracted himself from darkness and the abyss to exist in substance of the material universe. As human flesh was too frail to hold his essence, he crafted from matter a body, a blasphemy against nature.

For thousand years, he went through the world, where he was attacked (but couldn't be harmed) by the humans.^[1]

Dagonia

Eventually, he came across the primitive inhabitants of the island of Dagonia (later known as Xapur), and he gave them culture and civilization as he was pleased to so. Aided by him, they built the city of Dagonia.^[1]

He was worshipped by the Dagonites^[4] or Dagonians.^[1][5] His house was connected to every other in the city, so his priests could always bring him victims as sacrifice.^[1]

Yuetshi

At some point, the brutish people self-styled Yuetshi came on the shore of Dagonia. After a fierce battle, the Yuetshi were defeated by Khosataral Khel, and became slave, serving as sacrifice on the altar for nearly a generation.

A Yuetshi priest went into wilderness, and later returned with a knife forged of a meteor. Upon his return, the Yuetshi slaves revolted against their Dagonian masters, slaughtering them. Before that knife, Khosatral Khel's magic was impotent. Allegedly, it was the magic of Khosatral Khel repelled the Yuetshi from the walls.

The priest then faced Khosatral Khel and stabbed him with the knife. That way, the god wasn't slain but remained senseless and unmoving, and the priest used that state to threaten to revive him in case of rebellion.^[1]

Age of Conan

Some Yuetshi invoked Khosatral's name.^[2]

Return

Years later, a Yuetshi fisherman went on Xapur the Fortified (Dagonia), and removed the knife from Khosatral Khel's chest, breaking the spell. The god killed the fisherman, then restored his city and its inhabitants using necromancy.

Khosatral Khel later captured Octavia, and battled Conan when he came to retrieve the woman. He then turned against Jehungir Agha and his men, came to kill Conan, leaving only Jehungir Agha on the island. As Conan slew Jehungir Agha, Khosatral Khel was back upon them. Using the magic dagger he had retrieved, Conan stabbed the god and killed him. As he died, his body returned to his original and repugnant form, while Dagonia shifted back to the ruins of Xapur.^[1]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Khosatral Khel had magic powers, including necromantic abilities.^[1]

He also possessed high or superhuman strength and durability.^[1]

Abilities

Khosatral Khel spoke Nemedian.^[1]

Strength level

Khosatral Khel had more strength than Conan.^[1]

Weaknesses

A knife forged from a meteor cancelled his magic and, if stabbed into Khosatral Khel's chest, rendered him senseless and unmoving.^[1]

Notes

• Khosatral Khel was created by Robert E. Howard in "Devil in Iron", a story considered to part of the Cthulhu Mythos,^[6] and adapted in Savage Sword of Conan #15 (October, 1976).
• Khosatral was connected to H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon first by the Appendix who proposed that he was a vassal or allied entity to Dagon (due to the name of the city of Dagon),^[7] then stated by handbooks (some handbooks writers being part of the Appendix) to be likely his spawn in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update #3 (September, 2007),^[4] which was confirmed in Marvel Zombies Handbook #1 (republished in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3), out the same month.

Links and References

• 1 Appearances of Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)
• 1 Minor Appearances of Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)
• Media Khosatral Khel (Earth-616) was Mentioned in
• 2 Images featuring Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)
• Quotations by or about Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)
• Character Gallery: Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)

Discover and Discuss

• Search this site for: Khosatral Khel (Earth-616)

Footnotes