Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Dr. Druid: Celtic Tibetan Buddhist Superhero!

No April Fool! Via my "Celtic Buddhist" research. Not even this tiny sect's practitioners of "Crazy Heart" dharma may've envisioned this fusion. "Religious Affiliations of Comic Book Characters" tells how Dr. Anthony Ludgate Druid, Harvard Med grad, psychiatrist, "minor telepath, and magician" after study with an ailing lama then emerged from seclusion. He unleashed his one-two punch of Tibetan arcana laced with Celtic lore.

Thus, mirabile dictu, by meditation and levitation he melds yogic mastery with shape-shifting and nature-transforming runic skills. "Possessing the racial memories of his Celtic ancestors, Doctor Druid employs the knowledge and skills of the ancient Druids after whom he was named." He's a pre-cog, employing astrology to suss out-- at least for four installments-- the powers that oppose him. Which are considerable, given that Hellstorm son of Satan's his foe. That green goddess you see here emblazoned may be Nekra, who may be his nemesis.

I enjoy the host site Adherents.com. I found there a well-annotated list a while back of SF & Fantasy-related titles dealing with Tibet. What a great conjunction of sheer fun and critical diligence.

Image: All four covers from Marvel's 2007 series suitable for framing. Here's #4 displayed for its lysergic luminosity, its tattooed colleen, and those swirling warp-spasms. Horslips would've loved this, especially Éamon Carr who sought this shotgun marriage (in the no-on-Prop 8 sense? Or highland fling?) between Captain America and Cúchullain, among a credal cast of ever expanding and exceedingly ecumenical characters. I recall their "Tracks from the Vaults" LP cover, too.

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