Demonology #7 - Witch Boy!

The seventh issue of Jack Kirby's The Demon introduces one of the most popular characters to emerge from the series, Klarion the Witch Boy.

The story begins on the roof of Jason Blood's apartment building when the Demon confronts a mysterious figure who calls himself the Judge and who holds a familiar called a "Draaga". The Draaga attacks the Demon and bites his neck before the Demon is able to fend it off and drive both it and the Judge away who disappear in a cloud of smoke.

A mysterious boy appears named Klarion who tends to Jason's wounds and upsets Harry Matthews not only with the situation but by calling him "Cousin Harry".

Klarion seems always calm and using his odd cat named Teekl heals Jason's wounds. Jason he calls "Uncle Jason" and he asks him for protection from the Judge and others who seek to find and capture him. Another weird entity called a "Horigal" appears but Klarion fends it off but not before it almost sets fire to the apartment.

Leaving Klarion in the apartment Jason and Harry leave to attend a party where Harry's stories of witchcraft are met with derision by Sid Courtney. Courtney is less happy when under a mysterious compulsion he pours a bowl of punch over his own head, a stunt he blames on the hypnotic powers of Jason Blood. At that moment Jason is overcome, and begins to transform into the Demon and Randu Singh and Harry get  him away before Glenda or the other guests can guess what is happening.

Becoming the Demon again, he travels across town atop a cab when a Harpy attacks, but the Demon's flames fend it off but it takes him to the roof of his own apartment building where he finds a witch standing guard with a mysterious fetish. Harry and Randu arrive at the apartment too but find it full of odd looking Puritan types along with the mysterious Judge himself. They have capture Klarion and are seeking to punish him for using powers he's not entitled to.

The Demon appears and using the Hex sign he got from the guard sends the witch mob back into some sort of limbo. Klarion seems comfortable after his rescue, but the Demon then spreads his purple cloak over the Witch Boy and he and Teekl too vanish. It seems Klarion had gone too far when he sought to control the Demon.

If anything this story feels a bit cramped. The Judge is a mighty character and gets sadly little play here. Knowing that Klarion will return in the series later, I'm eager to find out more about this always calm and collected but truly offbeat being. Teekl too seemed to be a creature about which we learn too little, but I trust we will learn more.

I know that Klarion has had a career outside the Kirby books, but I frankly know very little of it.

More to come as the Demon heads into the sewers.

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