r/Etrigan

Let’s not pretend these two aren’t Super Saiyans with magic occult vibes.  

Is Etrigan Broly? Temperamentally I can see Vegeta too, though including Jason Blood probably makes him more Majin Buu as far as duality goes? Tbh, I think Klarion only works as Goku though equating his powers to Super Saiyans, personality-wise maybe he is more Kid Buu?

This Demon issue predates this movie scene by two years, but the Super Saiyan concept was in the manga the same time that The Demon was releasing. Goku first transformed into Super Saiyan that same year (1991). Was Alan Grant a DBZ manga fan?!

I also think theres something to be said about Tony Soprano and Christopher Moltisanti, they even have the uncle/nephew-who-aren't-really-uncle/nephew thing! Why is it so funny to imagine Klarion saying: “That’s the guy, Teekl. My Uncle Jason. The guy I'm goin to Hell for.” 

Ok, the dynamic is admittedly a stretch, Jason, even with his flaws considered, isn’t a Tony, lol. But I feel like Christopher and Klarion definitely at least have that same, didn’t know his father, fixation on a dangerous paternal figure that’s ultimately pretty tragic. 

Thoughts on Demon Ball Z, lol? Or, any other rivals or complicated pairs that remind you of the Etrigan/Klarion dynamic? 

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[Image from Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993) ]

[ Art by Val Semeiks, Bob Smith and Robbie Busch | Letters by Todd Klein from The Demon #14 (1991) by Alan Grant ]

In the 1996 DC vs Marvel there's this panel showing these two fighting, though we don't see anymore than this. How do you think this fight actually resolves? I know some will say "Penance Stare." BUT! Etrigan is a sadomasochist, so would the Penance Stare do anything to him? Or would it actually invigorate him?

Also, let's talk about Hellfire and its differences in Marvel's universe compared to DC's. Marvel's Hellfire can spiritually burn the soul, and DC's Hellfire is more about physical destruction. Would these characters actually be able to burn each other?

Would these two actually be more likely to be pals since they mirror each other? What do you think is their dynamic?

Also, are there any Marvel characters that you think are more interesting for interaction with Etrigan?

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Image 1: [ Art by Claudio Castellini, Paul Neary and Gregory Wright | Letters by Bill Oakley from DC Vs Marvel #1 (1996) by Ron Marz & Peter David ]

Images 2 &3 [ Art by John McCrea and David Lloyd | Letters by Todd Klein from The Demon #40 (1993) by Garth Ennis ]

This version of the Demon just wants to hang out and foosh! with friends (Hotspot/Joto, Kid/Red Devil, Beast Boy and Terra) while slamming glizzies in the Earth's core. He even sometimes makes the classic Your/You're and possessive/plural typo ("You're head's on fire.") Let's not judge him for this, he's doin' his best! Adorable and relatable king.

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[ Art by Art Baltazar | Letters by Art Baltazar from Tiny Titans #36 (2011) by Art Baltazar & Franco ]

This story is a flashback to 1944 and examines the intersection of science and magic, showing how the difference between them is sometimes just semiotics and perspective.

I love this splash page with the visual mirroring of Ted's smoking lab equipment and Jason's smoking candles. I also love the consistent motif of billowing smoke in the panels throughout the issue, whether from candle, cigarette or street vents, which haunt and invoke Etrigan's foreshadowed "mighty mushroom cloud".

Right at the beginning of the story, we see Jason stumbling in an alleyway, coming to in the aftermath of a transformation. It heavily evokes Jekyll and Hyde: a man with a similar sort of curse but who used science and a lab to unleash his inner monster.

Ted Knight starts as a rigid skeptic whose perspective starts to crack when his path collides with Jason's, as both are working independently to stop a Nazi ritual. When he finally meets Etrigan, he gets a profound reality check. He isn't just shocked by not being able to explain what Etrigan even is. He is deeply shaken because the Demon possesses enough sentience to analyze the situation, compare their power, suspect Starman of working with the Nazis, and state it all in rhyming verse.

The story draws a brilliant parallel between Jason's curse and Ted's future guilt over the Manhattan Project. Etrigan delivers a chilling premonition and nuclear truth: Ted will use the very science he lives by to help unleash an atomic "demon," creating a version of Hell on Earth and this will cost him his sanity.

As the book notes, discovering that the universe didn't live by the rules of science alone made Ted's world feel fragile, prompting his "sad descent from the heavens." Ultimately, both forces, magic or science, can carry a devastating cost.

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[ Art by Matt Smith, Wade von Grawbadger, and Greg Wright | Letters by Bill Oakley from Starman #42 (1998) by James Robinson ]