Tower of Darkhold

Tower of Darkhold
Name	Tower of Darkhold
Aliases	Dark Tower Tower of the Darkhold
Characteristics
Major Languages	English
Location Details
Reality	Earth-616
Galaxy	Milky Way
Star System	Sol
Planet	Earth
Continent	Europe
Country	United Kingdom ; England
Province	Isle of Wight
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Marv Wolfman, Bill Mantlo, Yong Montano
First	Marvel Chillers #1 (July, 1975)
First	Marvel Chillers #1 (July, 1975)

History

The Tower of Darkhold was a monastery tower located in a storm-swept area of the Isle of Wight. The tower itself was a building of a circular plan, tall with a conical roof and exterior windows from which light was seen at night; the interior remained illuminated by magical torches. A semi-oval shaped outer door, at ground level, was visible from some distance. There was a second, low, chapel-like building that may or may not have been connected to the main tower. The interior was dominated by a long spiral staircase that culminated in an upper room where the mystical tome known as the Darkhold waited on display, surrounded by more magical torches whose fuel was not consumed, nor did their flames waver in the wind. It is unclear whether the Tower had any other rooms.

Camelot

In the second half of the 6th century, the British witch Morgan Le Fay, leader of the pagan coven Darkholders, compiled and bound magical scrolls written by the powerful Elder God Chthon (who had used his Earthly avatar the Other to create the scrolls themselves as a touchstone to Earth's dimension while he was trapped in the Netherworld), into a mystic tome called Darkhold The Darkholders aimed to use this book to summon and enslave Chthon, only to find that no mortal was powerful enough to control the Elder God. The Darkholders succeeded only in binding a part of Chthon's essence in a single place, of Earth, Mount Wundagore, and even for that they needed the help of their enemies Merlyn and St. Brendan. Still, the book contained all the black magical lore known, and it was in the hands of Morgan, who intended to use it for evil purposes against King Arthur and who considered it his most valuable possession.

Terrified at the idea of Morgan using this power, her lover and apprentice Magnus betrayed her, renouncing to the Darkholders, and planned to steal the Darkhold and hide it from her. After one year, Magnus had his chance and secreted the Book in a tower upon the Isle of Wight. Magnus casted elaborate spells himself so that nobody with evil intent would be able to cross the building's threshold without losing his life, so as to keep it from falling in the wrong hands. Morgan found and killed Magnus, but she was unable to recover the book by herself. Besides, Magnus had foreseen Morgan's reaction and had performed a ritual so as his spirit would remain on Earth, in a ghost-like state, to keep a watch on the Darkhold.

During the last days of Camelot, after Queen Guinevere eloped with Sir Lancelot, Modred was a reputed, up-and-comer sorcerer learning under wizard Gervasse and betrothed to Gervasse's daughter, Janice. In the King's court, Maha Yogi was impersonating Merlin, which made most believe that Merlin had fallen under the influence of evil forces. The false Merlin summoned Modred to Camelot as his apprentice, for which Modred was to swear silence and to never leave under penalty of death. Unwilling to accept the conditions, even if it was an order from the King himself, Modred decided to obtain enough power to confront Merlin by studying the Darkhold himself, even if Gervasse and Janice warned him otherwise. It was not an spontaneous decision: The Darkhold itself, far from being helpless, was attracting the mystic, as Modred, well-meaning, would be able to enter the Tower. Simultaneous to this event, the real Merlin, weakened and unable to delay the fall of Camelot, asked the Church of Rome for mystical help against the Darkhold - and St. Brendan was once again sent.

Modred rode to the Tower and was received by a hooded figure, who took Modred's horse as a fee for his entry, and claimed that nobody ever returned from the inside. Modred climbed the stairs to the book. Once Modred spoke the incantation of power, prompted by the Darkhold itself, the book generated a black cloud-like creature that offered to take Modred's soul in exchange for power. Modred refused, believing he could use his own magical skills to take the Darkhold's power without losing his will. Yet then Janice entered the door, and the Darkhold's misty tentacles went after her. Modred interposed himself between them, surrendering to the Book, and losing his soul to Chthon.

Gervasse and other wizards, including St. Brendan, had came to help, too late to prevent Modred from falling in a death-like trance. Gervasse noticed that Modred was alive, but his body would take centuries to heal from the attack, so Gervasse built for Modred a domed crypt, not far from the Tower itself, to protect him from the effects of time, and St. Brendan entombed Modred there, using his power to ensure that Modred would remain in a sleep-like state for more than thirteen centuries, until his body had healed, in a rough-hewn stone seat and surrounded by inconsumable torches, where he would not be easily found. Brendan then took the Book from the Tower and scattered the pages of the Darkhold across the world. The Darkhold would be rebuilt in 1149 AD, but not in the Tower of Darkhold itself.

Modern Era

In modern times, the Tower of Darkhold had not only collapsed disappeared, but also became a myth; the Darkhold itself was but a legend that children half-believed. Per the fairy tale, after the disappearance of the Tower, a Cairn of Darkhold was erected, but even that had disappeared or been renamed, and most serious historians were reluctant to give the story any credibility.

In 1932, Magnus possessed the body of scientist Jonathan Drew to alert Drew's colleague Herbert Wyndham against mining in Wundagore. Magnus told Wyndham his story, including how he had stolen the Darkhold and hidden it in the Tower; but Wyndham was skeptic.

In modern times, English against-the-tide archaeologists Janet Lyton and Grant Whittaker, convinced that the Tower of Darkhold had really existed, spent six months digging under Isle of Wight. Eventually, a strong storm washed away their tunnels support while they were working, and they fell in a cave in to a deep cave, where they accidentally found Modred's crypt - still lit, for reasons their science could not explain. Believing Modred to be a mummified corpse, Lytton wanted to examine him; Whittaker, worried about air scarcity, was against it, which led to a small struggle where they pushed a lamp to the floor, causing a fire that awoke Modred, yet burned nobody. Modred mentioned the Tower of Darkhold, capturing the scholars' attention so that they'd willingly listen his story. Modred's ordeal in the Tower had given him extraordinary powers which he used to release himself and his newfound acquaintances from the tomb, thou Modred knew Chthon would claim his prize soon - which he did.

Magnus's spirit once again told the story of his theft and his spell in the Tower to yet another person, Jessica Drew, when he agreed to sacrifice his own existence so that she would wake up from a coma.

Other Earths

Earth-555

On Earth-555, the Tower has exactly six hundred and sixty-six steps and one single chamber, where the book is. It is also in a wind-swept pasture. Beyond that, it was apparently very similar to Earth-616's Tower, including the spell to keep people with evil intent away.

While Sir Percy of Scandia, alias the Black Knight, Knight of the Round Table, was in the third year of his search for the Holy Grail, a witch pretending to be a damsel in distress manipulated him to enter the Tower; being pure of heart (yet his heart divided both personally and professionally), he reached the Darkhold. The book tempted Percy, offering a solution to the divisions of both Camelot and Sir Percy himself - and, when Percy believed him for but a moment, the Book took control of him, fulfilling his wish in a wicked way: Percy, child of a devout Christian and of a heathen, was not really supportive of the execution of followers of old gods in favor of the expansion of the Roman faith. The book resurrected the pagans as Darkhold zombies (classified as Possessed Type-834 or "Raimis"), who expanded through the Isle, besieging the King's agents in a castle. Percy himself was rendered immobile in the Tower, holding the Book in his hands.

Three inter-dimensional zombie hunters working for ARMOR (Machine Man, Howard the Duck and Swift Cloud) visited Earth-555's Isle of Wight on a quest of their own to get tissue samples from different zombies. The Duck's technology pinpointed the source of the zombies in a map, and Swift Cloud (also well-meaning) raided the Tower to the room. The Book tried to tempt her too, but in vain. Instead, she took Percy's Sword and hit the Book with it; as the Sword was magical itself, it purified Percy's wish, the zombies were destroyed, and the Darkhold relented on his control over Percy while the room was lit with a flash that could be seen through the windows. The Black Knight and Swift Cloud left the Tower, standing.

Notes

• There has been an inconsistency related to Modred's birthdate. In his first appearance in Marvel Chillers #1 (1975), Modred claimed to have lived 11 centuries before the current date (which was 1975, so around 875 AD), but also during the times of Camelot. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #7 (1983, Modred's entry) already corrects this, specifying that he had been born in the 6th century (but also specifying that he "slept" in suspended animation for only 11 centuries, so he should have woken up in the 17th century). Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 (1988) says that Modred was born in 554 AD, and was an adult man when he visited the Tower of Darkhold. Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #11 (1989) says that Camelot was in 500 AD (apparently extending for decades after that point, so as to reach a point when Modred, born 54 years after 500 AD, was an adult), and that Modred slept not 11 centuries, but 15 centuries. Domains of Doom (1992) mentions that Modred found the Darkhold in the 6th century after Morgan lost it; and then that Modred slept for 14 centuries. Marvel Zombies: The Book of Angels, Demons & Various Monstrosities places the events in the 6th centuries. The mention to 875 AD, from Modred's lips, can be attributed to character error, Modred being mistaken about the year he had lived on.

See Also

• 6 appearance(s) of Tower of Darkhold
• 1 minor appearance(s) of Tower of Darkhold
• 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Tower of Darkhold
• 2 image(s) of Tower of Darkhold