Ham, the Weather Wizard

Real Name: Hammaglystwythkbrngxxaxolotl

Identity/Class: Human magic user

Occupation: Druid, businessman

Affiliations: Badger, Daisy

former Lord Weterlackus

Enemies: Lord Weterlackus

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Hamilton J. Thorndyke; J. Hamilton Thorndyke

Base of Operations: Wisconsin

formerly 4th century Wales

First Appearance: The Badger #1 (Capital Comics, 1983)

Powers/Abilities: Ham can summon and control most forms of weather, though major spells require blood sacrifices. His most impressive spell of this sort to date involved starting surfing well out to sea, so that two thousand miles later he was riding the crest of a tidal wave. One of his favourite, non-weather related spells reflects attempts to harm him back onto the assailant; since cutting back on the sacrifices Ham now gets injured as well to the same degree, but it still puts off most attackers.

History: Ham was born in southern Wales in 379 A.D., the son of Meggen and Kevin. His father noticed that Ham had a birth mark on his right breast, which he took to be the mark of Baal, a sign that the child was cursed. So he took the child to a hill of standing stones nearby, "the Druids' place", to let the elements deal with him. His wife was horrified when she found out, and sent him back to rescue the babe. Kevin found the child unhurt, but as he lifted him a bolt of lightning struck. Kevin was reduced to a charred skeleton in an instant, still standing upright holding the unharmed infant aloft. Shortly thereafter a druid found him, and took the baby to a wet nurse, proclaiming him a child of prophecy and naming him Hammaglystwythkbrngxxaxolotl. He said that the Ham's birthmark was the claw of the Great Northern Dragon, but the wet nurse disagreed, saying instead that it was the print of a woodlands badger.

Ham as he looked in 412 A.D.By 412 A.D. Ham had become a great weather wizard, using blood sacrifices to increase his abilities. Embarking on human sacrifice, murdering young children, was what finally brought his downfall, as the locals cried out against this, and wizards from around the world gathered to bring down one too powerful for any of them singly to defeat. With great effort a convocation of them managed to place him in a coma, but since he was protected by mighty spells that reflected attempts to harm him back at the assailant, they could not kill him. Instead the decided to throw him off the edge of the world, and in order to do so a ship of volunteers was prepared. Most of the volunteers died of hunger and thirst before they unexpectedly reached the Americas.

In 1983 Ham awoke, and was found by the police wandering alongside the highway stark naked. Unresponsive to questioning, he was placed in a mental institution, in a cell next to the Badger's. He made telepathic contact with the crazy vigilante, who updated him as to the changes in the world. Armed with this new knowledge, Ham started speaking to his therapist, Daisy, and then escaped. He turned up again at Daisy's home, where he offered to hire her as his secretary, and then spent the rest of the day roaming around using his magic to win various competitions. By the evening he was a millionaire, and when some men tried to mug him he once again met the Badger, whom he hired as a bodyguard.

Ham continued to use magic to build up a fortune, although he stopped calling on demons for power after one of them, Lord Weterlackus, tried to collect the debt. Under the influence of Badger, Daisy and Mavis he has cut back on the blood sacrifices as well (well, most of the time, anyway).

Comments: Created by Mike Baron.

Ham is a psychopath, a man with no conscience. While the influence of those around him tends to restrain his less wholesome tendencies, he is ruthless when it comes to getting what he wants. The only person he seems to genuinely care about, other than himself, is Daisy Fields, his secretary. He was not prepared to give her to Weterlackus to clear his own debt to the demon lord, and when he accidentally turned her into a toad he was inconsolable.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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