Danny Doom
Real Name: Daniel Doom
Identity/Class: Human sorcerer
Occupation: Sorcerer's assitant
Affiliations: Astorath, Madgewick (his white rat), Penny Dolmann, Robot Archie, Cursitor Doom
Enemies: Unknown
Known Relatives: Astorath (father, perhaps - see Comments)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Doom House
First Appearance: Valiant (IPC, 25th May 1974)
Powers/Abilities: Possessed the Star of Astaroth, with unspecified powers. Accompanied by the Hand of Orloff, which he kept in a glass case and which would come to life to assist him whenever he was in trouble.
History: In 13th century England, Daniel Doom the assistant to the sorcerer Astorath. When the mage inadvertently conjured a demon from the nether realms and could not banish it again, he feared both he and Daniel were doomed, but the youth calmly stepped in and dispelled it, proving to Astorath that the boy possessed true power, the kind of magic that could not be taught. He immediately tried to utilise Daniel's gift to achieve his lifelong dream of instantaneous transportation, but instead Daniel found himself in the modern day, having seemingly put himself into suspended animation. His master's spirit informed he would have to stay there until specific conditions were met and that until then he would have to spend his time helping people in supernatural peril with the magic talisman, the Star of Astaroth.
Comments: Created by Eric Bradbury.
Though in the first installment of the strip, Danny is referred to as Astorath's assistant and calls him "master," Astorath at one point calls Danny "my son." I'd put this down to just a turn of phrase - an older man in a mentor role calling a boy "my son" isn't that unusual, and Danny definitely doesn't refer to Astorath in the way a son normally would - except for the fact that the strip also identifies their home as "Doom House." Possibilities suggest themselves: it's just coincidence, Danny is an orphan who gets the Doom surname from the house he ends up living in, Doom House is named for Danny's family but for some reason the unrelated Astorath now resides there and not anyone from Danny's family. Or, maybe we're dealing with Astorath Doom, and his son, Danny, is also his apprentice.
In Albion, Danny turns up as an amnesiac adult, and helps break out Britain's superheroes, who have been locked away by the government for several decades. He is reunited with the Hand of Orloff, and is revealed to be the inheritor of Cursitor Doom's sorcerous mantle.
Thanks to John Reppion and Leah Moore for providing the image used on this page.
CLARIFICATIONS: None.
Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.
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