DC Comics has several characters who are white magic users, often referred to as mystics or sorcerers. One of the most well-known white magic users in the DC Universe is Zatanna Zatara. She is a magician who comes from a long line of powerful sorcerers. Zatanna is recognized by her signature costume, which includes a top hat and fishnet stockings. She is known for casting spells by speaking words and phrases backwards, a unique characteristic that sets her apart from other magic users in the DC Universe. Another notable white magic user in DC Comics is Doctor Fate.
Another notable white magic user in DC Comics is Doctor Fate. Doctor Fate is an ancient being who possesses immense magical powers. He uses his abilities to protect the Earth from supernatural threats.
[Marvel] Magic: Balance of Powers (1 Viewer)
Okay, this is sort of a derivation of the earlier Marvel Cosmic Hierarchy Madness thread. There's a few preliminaries first, so please bear with me before we get to the bulk of the material.
Magic in comic books serves the needs of the moment, and it wasn't until relatively late in the game that people decided there should be a cohesive system or cosmology to how magic works - and even now, magic is generally so much applied phlebotonium, doing whatever needs to be done to move the story along. Still, through the concerted effort of a very great many authors, some acting at cross principles, there is a basic backdrop of magic in the Marvel Universe, things that are almost universally true from one comic book to another. Many of these can ultimately be traced back to Stan Lee and Steve Dikto's run on Dr. Strange back in the '60s. The most recent effort to clean things up was the Marvel Tarot/Mystic Arcana series.
(By the way, if you ever read the wikipedia page for Mystic Arcana, it's immediately apparent that whoever wrote it didn't know jack shit what they were talking about; the "cornerstones of creation" were initially featured in a couple issues of Conan the Barbarian and retrofitted into the Marvel magical tapestry. Not without a degree of skill, I might add.)
Now, having said that Marvel's magical miscellany is the result of a sort of literary agglutination, let me explain how it differs from, as an example, DC comics' vision of the magical universe. Both companies have a relatively developed magical backdrop for their stories; they draw on a lot of their earlier material and expand on it as needed, cross-reference with other mystical characters in different comics, and basically have the various magical powers interact. There are two big differences however: first, Marvel focuses much more heavily on the concept of magical entities that grant power, and has developed a much larger cast of them, their home dimensions, and their relations to Earth and each others; second, DC has in its various continuity re-writes lost a lot of material and common ground that tied some of its magical background together. This is most notable in the split between the Vertigo titles and the mainstream DC universe, but there are also some slightly more subtle losses from the Golden and Silver Age of comics.
Okay, preamble's about over. What follows is an examination of the magical background of the Marvel Universe - not every entity, but just trying to get an idea of the fundamental entities, objects, etc. that exist. For most of this to make sense, Rule Zero is: Earth is special. I'm not saying this in the context that Earth has a vast number of superpowered individuals (though it does), or that the human race is selected by destiny (though it might be), but for whatever reason, in the grand magical scheme of things, Earth is relatively important. Part of this might well just be a matter of perspective: most Marvel comics deal with Earth, most Earth sorcerers deal with threats to Earth, therefore in their eyes Earth has a sort of central place in the cosmos. On the other hand, Eternity, Death, and the Living Tribunal all show up and take an interest in Earth, so maybe there's something going for our mudball after all.
- Personal psychic and spiritual energies - The mental and spiritual powers that mystics and sorcerers develop for themselves (psionics, chi-manipulation, astral projection, etc.)
- Ambient magical energy of the universe - Magicians can tap this power for many effects, such as teleportation and energy bolts.
- Extradimensional magical energy - There are other dimensions, with different physical and magical laws, and power can be drawn from them as well, usually through the auspice of a particular entity or object. Unlike the first two, the entities you invoke generally have a say in how or if the power is used.
The first level of abilities - the mastery of personal psychic and spiritual disciplines - is fairly explanatory, and people at that level are generally classified as mystics.
Example: Moondragon, Dr. Druid (pre-Warren Ellis), Brother Voodoo (pre-Sorcerer Supreme)
The second level is where you learn how to actually cast spells, and you can accomplish some fairly impressive feats with it - but there are some limitations. First off, the magic you're learning is tied to the Earth dimension; it might work fine here, but on a different plane where magic works differently, you might be screwed.
The Earth-dimension of the Marvel Universe is represented by Eternity, so magicians tapping into this power source ultimately derive their power from him. Since magic in Marvel are the same forces manipulated by science, stars are generally seen as the "sources" of magical energy in the Marvel Universe - and may be sentient entities in their own right, on some level. At least one star (the one by the Dire Wraith homeworld) is considered a source of "dark" magical energy.
Magicians at this level are classified as sorcerers.
Example: Dr. Doom, Druid (Warren Ellis period)
The third level involves invoking extradimensional entities for power, usually by name. These entities are typically Principalities (see below), but not always. There are a couple advantages and drawbacks to this practice, some not immediately apparent.
First, invoking an entity's aid makes you a conduit for their power, letting them influence you dimension through you. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on the entity and their agenda, but it also means that they have some control over the effect of your spell.
Second, there is almost always an exchange of some sort, even if you don't know it right away. Channeling some magical energies wrongly can give you cancer, invoking an evil entity might endanger your soul, in nearly all cases you give up some of your personal psychic energy to the entity when you make the invocation, or at least you "owe" the entity a favor that must be paid back later - or else.
Magicians that access this level of skill and knowledge are classified as sorcerers; those who have also mastered the previous two levels are classified as Masters of the Mystic Arts.
Examples: Dr. Strange, Dr. Voodoo, Damien Hellstrom
A Word on Books
I'm going to go into Marvel's occult literature in slightly more detail later, but let's start with this: Yes, in the Marvel Universe, you can read a spell from a spellbook aloud and something can happen. This might manipulate local magical energy or it might invoke an extradimensional entity - the latter is much more common, since the entity can presumably sense the invocation and decide to let the spell do its work. In this case, Marvel magic is fairly Lovecraftian: the intent of the user is not as important as the actual act of reading a spell. However, without the proper training, this sort of thing is generally insanely dangerous. Not always, but often enough.
Examples: The Darkhold, Druid Tome
A Word on Pacts
Many magicians or would-be magicians manage to summon or contact an extradimensional entity or three and bargain for power. Depending on how crafty you are with the bargaining, this could come out in your favor and/or quickly turn against you. Most often this "power" appears to be a tremendous body of magical energy that can be used in place of the magician's own personal energies or bothering to tap into the ambient magical energies of the universe, with a very limited (if any) knowledge given on how to apply it; whereas skilled sorcerers use finesse and the most efficient spells, pactees tend to just imagine the effect they want and throw magical power around until they get something like it to happen. When an actual sorcerer of some skill makes a pact, this is generally a very bad day for the heroes, because they have all their skill and a great deal more power to apply to their spells and personal abilities than they would normally be able to draw.
Examples: Dr. Doom (during the Unspeakable arc), Baron Mordo, Modred the Mystic
A Word on Priests and Shamans
Many magicians in the Marvel Universe have relatively limited abilities compared to Dr. Strange, Baron Mordo, and other Masters of the Mystic Arts. The most prominent of these individuals might have impressive supernatural abilities, but rather limited (or in some cases, non-existent) abilities as sorcerers. However, they do have a direct connection to one or more extradimensional entities - in most cases, the gods or spirits they worship - whom they can call on for assistance, and expect it to be granted. This is not the same as invoking an extradimensional entity in a spell, since in many cases the effects are almost entirely up to the deities, spirits, or demons being called upon - but in many cases, it is very impressive.
Examples: Dr. Druid/Druid (Celtic pantheon), Dr./Brother Voodoo (Loa), Shaman (Gods of the North)
A Word on Legacies
One central concept to the Marvel Universe is the idea of a magical legacy - a position, with certain powers, responsibilities, trusts, duties, and artifacts - which is passed on from one magician to another, usually one generation to another. In some cases it may be many of these positions are purely symbolic, merely the result of a particular occult heritage and training, but others definitely carry with them a connection to certain magical artifacts and supernatural benefactors. Some of these are addressed below.
Sorcerer Supreme - Generally considered the most powerful or puissant magician, every dimension has one Sorcerer or Sorceress Supreme, with that position generally assumed to bear with it responsibility for the magical safety of that dimension, and in many cases the care of powerful artifacts and direct access to the most powerful spells of many extradimensional entities. On Earth, the position of Sorcerer Supreme is decided (at least in part) by the Vishanti, who grant the champion access to many spells invoking them to use against various magical threats, and access to their talismans: the Eyes of Agamotto, and the Book of the Vishanti. Due to their position as guardian of the dimension, the Sorcerer Supreme may be granted the ability to interact with Eternity, Death, and/or the Living Tribunal on a limited scale in the course of their duties and initiations. The Sorcerer Supreme inherits many foes with the mantle, such as the dread Dormammu. In limbo, the Sorcerer/Sorceress Supreme is typically defined by possession of the Soul Sword, a spiritual representation of Magik's magical potential that serves to channel her abilities and can disrupt any magic.
Examples: The Ancient One, Dr. Strange, Dr. Voodoo, Magik
Houngan Supreme - The representative of the Loa on Earth, blessed with a direct connection to the Loa, able to call on them for aid and bound to serve their interests on Earth. The Houngan Supreme opposes the like of Marie Laveau, the demonic spawn of Set that masquerades as Damballah, and the Black Talon.
Examples: Brother/Dr. Voodoo
The Iron Fist - The champion and Immortal Weapon of the extradimensional city of K'un-L'un, one of the Seven Cities of Heaven. The Iron Fist undergoes an initiation ritual that ties their chi to he dragon Shou-Lao the Undying, and taps into the dragon's chi to supplement their own, and to empower many effects such as the eponymous iron fist. The Iron Fist is opposed by the servant of Ch'l-Lin, and at times by the other Immortal Weapons.
Examples: Orson Randall, Daniel Rand
The Talisman - The possessor of the Coronet of Enchantment, the Talisman is a prophesied position, fulfilled when Elisabeth Twoyoungmen, the descendant of forty generations of Sacree shamans, pulled the coronet from from her father's medicine bag. The title are abilities of the Talisman are granted to whomever bears the coronet, and provide access to extradimensional entities rivaling or equivalent to that of the Sorcerer Supreme, as well as a general augmentation of existing abilities. Prolonged use of the coronet adversely effects the wearer's mental state, however, and can cause severe pain when removing it.
Examples: Michael Twoyoungmen (Shaman), Elizabeth Twoyoungmen
A History in Marvel Occult Literature
When the Earth cooled and organic life formed on it, the Elder Gods (Demiurge, Gaea, Set, Chthon, Oshtur, Wild One, etc.) began to appear. Chthon, one of the darker of these deities, wrote the first book of magic, the Darkhold on pages of indestructible parchment. The creation of the Darkhold was so significant and unbalancing that it prompted the Vishanti[/i] (which consists of the Elder God Oshtur, the Old One Hoggoth, and the first Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto) to create a counterbalancing body of lore, the Scroll of the Vishanti (later re-bound as the Book of the Vishanti).
The Darkhold, or Book of Sins, was the first and ultimate source of black magical knowledge, and the Book of the Vishanti consisted entirely of counterspells to the Darkhold. Through the centuries, nearly every book of black or white magic could be traced back to these two ultimate sources - even the Necronomicon or Shiatra Book of the Damned contained but a fragment of the lore in the Darkhold.
In time, the empire of Atlantis became a burgeoning magical power, and a cult of sorcerers gathered the scattered, indestructible pages of the Darkhold and studied them in a bid for magical power; these original Darkholders created the first vampire, Varnae. Another Atlantean of note was the wizard and prophetess Zhered-Na, who had studied both the Darkhold and the Book of the Vishanti, and wrote her own book based on what she learned in those two seminal tomes, the Tome of Zhered-Na. Zhered-Na's creation also risked the balance of magic in the universe, so that "white magic" and "black magic" entities collaborated in placing restrictions on its access and use - a mortal sorcerer could only read the book if of the bloodline of Zhered-Na, and with a representative of both infernal and celestial realms - otherwise, they would unleash the Hellphyr, a creature that preys on magic.
These three books (the Darkhold, Book of the Vishanti, and Tome of Zhered-Na) represent the apex of magical lore on Earth, though there are many lesser texts, many of which are at least partially derived from them.
The Darkhold has a long and troubled history, the indestructible pages being scattered, found, bound together and lost again. Often a cult of Darkholders is responsible for gathering the book together, while various agents of Chthon are responsible for disseminating its pages so as to spread its influence. The Darkhold is the mirror to the soul of Chthon, and his touchstone on this plane; anyone who reads from its pages risks being corrupted by Chthon, or even having their soul stolen by him. Typically, only the Sorcerer Supreme has the skill and ability to use the original Darkhold with any degree of safety.
Known Users: Modred the Mystic, Dracula, Dr. Strange
The Book of the Vishanti is the greatest repository of "white" magic on Earth, and contains a counterspell for every spell in the Darkhold. Not indestructible like its counterpart, the Darkhold, but its pages can only be erased or removed by permission of the Vishanti themselves - a case sometimes (though rarely) necessary, as certain spells will remove themselves from the tome once cast. The Book of the Vishanti was for many years held in the Library of Alexandria, hidden by the followers of the Vishanti, and fell eventually into the hands of the god or demon Marduk, from whom it was stolen by the Ancient One. Since then, the Book of the Vishanti has remained in the panoply of the Sorcerer Supreme.
Known Users: The Ancient One, Dr. Strange, Clea
Because of their close relationship, the Darkhold and the Book of the Vishanti are sometimes complementary rather than actively opposed, and there exists the real possibility that some of the pages in them have been mixed up. For example, the Darkhold is widely known as the source of vampires and werewolves, yet it contains a spell called the Montesi Formula that can destroy any vampire - or even all vampires in the Earth dimension. Because it contains a counter to every Darkhold spell, including the basically beneficial Montesi Formula, the Book of the Vishanti contain(ed) a spell called the Vampiric Verses - which, of course, creates vampires, just as the Montesti Formula destroys them! (Somewhat odd for a book of "white" magic.)
The Tome of Zhered-Na, is originally based on Zhered-Na's teachings (derived from both the Darkhold and the Book of the Vishanti), which were passed down by the Cult of Zhered-Na for centuries, and then was expanded upon by her descendant Illyana Kale, under the tutelage of both celestial and infernal spirits, who placed the particular restrictions on its use. While not indestructible, its enchantment has served to protect it up until this point.
Known Users: Jennifer Kale (with Satana Hellstrom and Taboo)
The Syntax of Magic
In the Marvel Universe, magic adapts to the syntax of the time and culture. What this means is that ultimately every culture possesses an equally viable magical system; their particulars may vary, but there is no one culture that got magic "right" where all the others got it "wrong" - though that does not mean that every magical tradition is equal. To illustrate this further, I am going to describe four particular traditions that have been addressed at some depth: Druidism, Voodoo, Technomancy, and the Winding Way.
Druidism
The ancient druids were bloody-handed priest-magicians that worshiped nature and the Celtic gods. Their lore was passed down orally, since bards and scribes were considered lesser than the druids. A secret would only be written down if it was a minor thing. Unfortunately, the destruction of the druids by Roman invaders and the conversion of Gaul and the British Isles to Christianity meant that this oral lore was lost, and the Celtic gods lost much of their power since their principal worshipers on Earth were no more. Some individuals strove to recover what scraps of druidic lore remained, recorded in antiquity or in minor works such as the Druid Tome. The most notable of these were Dredmund Druid and Anthony Ludgate, both of whom managed to uncover sufficient lore and mesmeric powers to qualify as minor mystics. Ludgate was drawn to Tibet, where the Ancient One tested him, in a precursor to the initiation that would create Dr. Strange. The touch of the Ancient One aroused ancestral memories in Ludgate, increasing his psychic and mystical powers, and he styled himself Dr. Druid. After years of efforts however, Ludgate became upset with the limitations on his abilities, and enacted an ancient druidic initiation rite, which he had recalled but never dared perform. The result was that Ludgate temporarily became the last true Druid, no longer a mere mystic but a powerful sorcerer capable of manipulating the elements and invoking the Celtic gods. Ironically, as a figure of power in Celtic myth he had a geas, a restriction he was bound not to break, that only another druid could inform him of. Lacking this piece of information, Druid broke his geas, and eventually was killed by Daimon Hellstrom. Since then, Ludgate's son Sebastian Druid and the empowered heir of the druids Kyllian/Wildpryde remain the only significant practitioners. Wildpryde wields the Oak Staff of the Druids, which can absorb and channel magical energy.
Voodoo
Voodoo is a syncretic magical/religious tradition, the product of African slaves brought to the new world. It is considerably darker in tone than some other traditions, because of sub-traditions that deal with zombies (joint creations of the Vodu god Sagbata and the Elder God Chthon), the demon spawn of Set known as Damballah (who masquerades as the Vodu god Damballah Wedo), and practitioners such as Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, who maintains her youth with the blood of vampires. The most notable practitioners of voodoo (houngans are male, mambos are female) are the Brother Voodoo or Houngan Supreme, and the Black Talon. Most Voodoo practitioners rely on asking the Loa, the gods of Vodu, for aid to accomplish their most powerful and impressive effects, but even relatively minor mystics can typically manage the reanimation of the dead as zombies, mesmerism, and the create of potions, powders (such as wanga-dust), voodoo dolls for sympathetic magic, and command of reptiles, other animals, or even plants. The Brother Voodoo has an advantage over others, both in his high standing among the loa and his access to other mystical abilities. A "true" Brother Voodoo is one of a set of twins, the other of which has died - the living brother is able to contain his dead brother's spirit, granting him a significant advantage. Few voodoo practitioners are actual sorcerers, but houngans and mambos are quick to assimilate from others - Marie Laveau learned much from the brief time she held the Darkhold, and Brother Voodoo learned considerable lore from the sorcerer-priests of Wakanda.
Technomancy
An emerging magical paradigm, technomancy is the combination of ancient sorcery and modern technology. Results thus far have been impressive but uneven; examples of technomancers in the possible futures - such as Metalscream 2099 and the technomagic daemon Charnel - showcase the ultimate potential for this brand of sorcery. Primary practitioners include Doctor Doom, who is master of an order of Tibetan monks that had unconsciously followed this path, and adepts such as Mary LeBow. Technomancy depends on a synthesis of ancient sorcerous lore and modern technology and methodology - arcane lore is typically scanned and rendered into a searchable computer database, or even configured into an artificial intelligence system such as the Necrotech program and the Archenemy; sometimes enchantments are used to augment technological weapons and defenses, such as with Mechamage and Dr. Doom. Spells and arcane equations encoded into computers can summon demons or open dimensional gateways through the medium of cyberspace, drawing on the psychic and elemental power of the geomantic web; in 2099 one such demon is Necrotek, an ancient enemy of Agamotto. Because they crib their magical power and knowledge from many different sources, and technology continues to advance, technomancy remains a developing magical tradition.
The Winding Way
A system of magical power, the Winding Way grants access to magical ability based on the magician's "position" on the "road" - apparently, there is a ranking for each magician, and those "highest" on the road possess the greatest access to magical power, and those "lowest" on the road possess almost none; each magician on the Winding Way spends a portion of time at each level, perhaps making this the most fair of magical paths. Those in the "highest" position possess sufficient to rival the Sorcerer Supreme. The death of a magician on the Winding Way leads to the promotion of the magician(s) below them, since their place must be filled. For this reason, practitioners such as the witch Margali Szardos and the necromancer Gravemoss have sought out the Soulsword, an artifact of significant magical power.
In modern times, Marvel has been playing more with the concept of magic - both its practice and capabilities - reflecting the culture that it came from. Doctor Doom, for instance, has been traveling backwards and forwards in time learning forgotten magics, and a familiar phrase these days is "what language is that?" when someone rattles off a particularly impressive spell. The ancient Wakandans, for example, were recently revealed to have draw the vibranium meteorite from the heavens using storm-based magic, and to have experimented with magically charged vibranium.
Given his mysterious nature, his powers are also a bit mysterious. From what we can tell though, his powers seem to be truly limitless. Though he often claims that he is limited in what he can do by a higher power, he has proven to be immortal and boasts the abilities of teleportation, interdimensional travel, time travel, reality manipulation, telepathy, and magic with no known limits. What speaks most of his power, is the fact that the Spectre even doubted that he could kill the Phantom Stranger. As a result, the Phantom Stranger seems to be one of the few truly immortal and invincible magic users in the DC universe.
Doctor Fate is often depicted wearing a golden helmet, which grants him his powers. He is considered one of the most powerful magic users in the DC Universe. Raven is another important white magic user in DC Comics. She is a member of the Teen Titans and possesses empathic and telekinetic abilities. Raven's powers are rooted in her connection to her mystical father, Trigon, who is a powerful demon. She uses her white magic to fight against evil and protect her friends. Etrigan the Demon is a unique white magic user in the DC Universe. He is a demon who is bound to the human host Jason Blood. When Etrigan emerges, he possesses superhuman strength and can cast powerful spells. While Etrigan is often portrayed as an anti-hero, he uses his white magic to protect innocent people. These are just a few examples of white magic users in the DC Comics universe. These characters play important roles in the DC Universe, using their mystical abilities to fight against evil and protect the innocent. They showcase the diversity and depth of magic in the DC Comics universe..
Reviews for "The Symbolism of White Magic in DC Comics"
1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "Dc comics white magic user." The storyline felt forced and lacked depth. The main character had very little development and I found it hard to connect with them. The artwork was decent but didn't make up for the lackluster plot. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this comic to others.
2. Sarah - 1/5 - "Dc comics white magic user" was a complete waste of my time and money. The writing was subpar and the dialogue felt unnatural and forced. The plotline was predictable and lacked originality. I found it difficult to engage with the characters as they were poorly developed. The artwork was the only saving grace, but even that couldn't make up for the poorly executed story. I would not recommend this comic to any fan of the genre.
3. Mike - 2/5 - As a long-time fan of Dc comics, I was excited to read "Dc comics white magic user," but it left me feeling disappointed. The storyline felt rushed and lacked complexity. The main character's journey was predictable and there were no surprises along the way. The art style was visually appealing, but that alone couldn't save the lackluster plot. Overall, I was hoping for more from this comic and would not recommend it to other comic book enthusiasts.