Daimon Hellstrom made various appearances throughout the Marvel Universe, as did many horror characters from the 70s. His first pit stop was in Giant Size Defenders #2. This was probably his best guest-starring role, by the team of Len Wein and Gil Kane. This was the first time I ever remembered liking Gil Kane's artwork (though I grew to appreciate it as I grew older) due to the dynamic inking job of Klaus Janson. The Hulk is tricked into going to Hell via another underground route-this time in the basement of an old building-the NY housing authority wasn't very good at the time. Dr. Strange has no means to rescue the Hulk other than to bring Daimon Hellstrom into the team.
I think I liked Daimon much more in the early Defenders tales than I did in his own series. Daimon later joined the Defenders in issues 23-25 to help them fight the Sons of Satannish. Despite the name, they had little to do with Satan. The Sons were Marvel's version of the Ku Klux Klan, but they were powerful enough to knock out Doc Strange for two issues, leaving Daimon in charge to save the day.
The Son of Satan also appeared in Marvel Team-Up, but with the Human Torch instead of Spider-Man. I guess the writer must have loved the idea of the human fireball working together with Daimon's hellfire powers. The story ends with Johnny letting Hellstrom walk off alone: "Whatever it is he is going through, it must be Hell."
Not to be outdone by Johnny, the Thing needed some Satan-time as well. Daimon stepped into Marvel Two-In-One #14 to help Ben Grimm fight a demon. At the end of this adventure, Grimm says: "I hate to end and run, Hellstrom, but I've seen enough of the kind of parties you hang out at to last me a lifetime! I mean...I kinda got the gist of what your act is...and I don't need it, fella! Be seeing you."
My second favorite Daimon Hellstrom guest spot occurred after his series was cancelled. Steve Gerber was making Howard the Duck into a runaway hit, and took Howard on a road trip with unpredictable results in HTD 13-14. Issue 13 has Howard locked up in a mental institution, where he meets the rock group K.I.S.S. (a promotion for the KISS Super Special that Gerber wrote). Daimon has been summoned to the hospital to exorcise a demon from Howard's friend, Winda. As Daimon transforms into the Son of Satan, the change is interrupted by another mystic and the arrival of Howard. Howard becomes…the Duck of Satan! I love the cape, minature trident, and the pentagram on Howard's feathered chest.
Daimon eventually settled as a permanent member of the Defenders, where he met Patsy Walker. Patsy had an interesting history: she was a female version of Archie for Marvel's line of comics aimed at younger readers during the 50s and 60s. In the 1970s, Steve Englehart transformed Patsy into a superhero called Hellcat in the Avengers. Hellcat eventually moved over to the Defenders, and it must have been irresistible to have the Son of Satan fall in love with her. It happened in the mushiest of ways, culminating in this backup story in Marvel Fanfare 59, where Daimon travels to Patsy's childhood home in the South.
Daimon and Patsy faded off into Marvel limbo, waiting for a writer to revive them. In Part 4, we'll see the Vertigo-ization of Daimon Hellstrom. Nuff said.
See also:
Part I: Daimon Hellstrom, The Son of Satan!
Part II: Dealing with Darksouls
Part IV: Who's Daimon's Daddy?
External Links:
Hellstorm Son of Satan
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