The character subsequently appears in Doctor Strange #32-33 (Dec. 1978, Feb. 1979), #35-37 (June–Oct. 1979), Fantastic Four Annual #23 (1990), Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #31-33 (July–Sept. 1991), #38-40 (Jan.–March 1992), and Adventures of the X-Men #11-12 (Feb.–March 1997).
The Dweller-in-Darkness received an entry in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Horror #1 (2005).
Fictional character biography
The Dweller-in-Darkness is a demon allegedly sired by Cthulhu,[1] from the dimension Everinnye, like the demon Nightmare. The Dweller was shunned by his people for following "The Way of the Shamblu". Like Nightmare, the Dweller feeds on the fear of living beings; fear both increases his powers and keeps him alive.[volume&issueneeded]
In the universe which existed before the current reality, the Dweller caused a fracture in the M'Kraan Crystal in order to bring about the destruction of the universe and absorb the fear this would cause in every being that existed. Just before the crystal shattered, the Phoenix Force telepathically reached out to the minds of all life and united them in peace, foiling the Dweller's scheme. As the universe came to an end, the current Marvel Universe was born.[2]
In this new universe, when he first came to Earth, the Dweller-in-Darkness feeds upon the fears created by the war between the humans of Atlantis and the Deviants of Lemuria. The Atlantean sorceress Zhered-Na discovers the existence of the Dweller and banishes him with the help of Agamotto and the Atlantean god Valka. When Atlantis sinks, the Dweller absorbs the fear of the inhabitants, creates D'Spayre, and orders him to kill Zhered-Na in revenge. D'Spayre manipulates a tribesman to kill Zhered-Na. Zhered-Na's student, Dakimh the Enchanter, battles D'Spayre over the next millennia, while D'Spayre attempts to generate enough fear on Earth to free his creator.[volume&issueneeded]
In the 20th century, the Dweller appears in the dreams of many humans and told them that they will gain eternal life if they die. These humans kill themselves, but are transformed into Shade Thralls, powerful creatures who serve the Dweller and are vulnerable to light. His plan is stopped by the gods Thor and Hercules, who destroy the Shade Thralls.[volume&issueneeded] He also inspired Zoltan Drago to become the first Mister Fear.[volume&issueneeded]
The Dweller creates a group of new Shade Thralls, who are destroyed by Doctor Strange and Clea. After escaping his prison, the Dweller determines that Strange and Clea are the largest threat to him on Earth. Over the next few months, he attempts to kill Strange using servants like the Dream-Weaver and several demons, but Strange defeats them all.[volume&issueneeded]
Months later, the Dweller gathers the Fear Lords and tells them of his plans to create the Great Fear: a terror which will engulf humanity. In fact, the Dweller hopes that the other Fear Lords will be destroyed by Doctor Strange. Most of the Fear Lords agree, but the Straw Man, who is benevolent to humanity, disagrees with their plan and warns Strange. Several of the Fear Lords are destroyed by Strange and his allies, but D'Spayre tells Nightmare about the Dweller's true plans. Nightmare and the Dweller battle, generating so much fear that humanity stops fearing and started to despair. D'Spayre feeds on the despair and becomes more powerful than the two of them. Realizing that D'Spayre had manipulated them, the Dweller attacks him, but D'Spayre destroys his body. The Dweller's head, the only remaining part of his body, escapes.[volume&issueneeded]
The Dweller has the ability to generate fear in other living beings. This fear in turn sustains and empowers the Dweller, allowing him to generate even more fear. He also has other undefined mystical powers: he can create independent creatures out of fear like D'spayre and he can turn humans who die under his influence into Shade Thralls, beings made of shadow with superhuman strength. Strong light can kill or banish these thralls.
The Dweller is immortal, does not age, and even the sorceress Zhered-Na, assisted by powerful beings like Agamotto and Valka, could only banish him, not destroy him.
The "Way of the Shamblu", the Dweller's chosen path in life, involved a ritual where the Dweller removed his head from his own body. His body died, but his head lived on, now as a corporeal being, whereas the other inhabitants of Everinnye are more ethereal. The Dweller's head is attached to a robotic body, which possesses superhuman strength, but it can detach and move with the tentacles near its mouth in case of emergency.
Other versions
An alternate universe version of the Dweller-in-Darkness appears in Secret Wars.[4]
In other media
Film
The Dweller-in-Darkness appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).[5] This version is a wyvern-like, soul-consuming demon kept imprisoned for thousands of years by the people of Ta-Lo. The Dweller uses its powers to convince Xu Wenwu that it is Wenwu's deceased wife Ying Li, having attempted a similar trick a number of times before with other people, and manipulates Wenwu into using his Ten Rings to release him. The Dweller kills Wenwu and has its minions kill Death Dealer and many others after being freed, but is defeated by Shang-Chi, Katy, Xialing, and the Great Protector.
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