Demons

Demons are supernatural entities whose primary purpose is the temptation, subjugation and the ultimate destruction of everything that is deemed good. Demons appear in the folklore, mythology or religious dogma of nearly every culture on the planet Earth. Their origins are vast and varied and they can present themselves in any number of forms, each one with their own distinctive identity, purpose and abilities. Demons are always born from some ethereal nether-realm or dark location and almost always possess a monstrous visage. Though many can manifest themselves physically on Earth, many more can only operate as a disembodied spirit, taking possession of a human host to serve a variety of needs. Those who study the lore of demons are known as Demonologists.

In fiction
Demons figure prominently in many forms of film and television fiction; usually appearing in programs relating to the horror or supernatural fantasy subgenres. They are almost always presented in an antagonistic role and are often used as plot devices to help form the story structure of an individual episode or story-arc. The classifications, motivations and physical appearance of demons vary depending upon the material they are presented in and there are dozens of different types of demon, many of which are inspired by actual demonology, but are also developed exclusively by the imagination of the creator.

One of the earliest depictions of demons in film was Mephistopheles, who was presented as a quasi-Satanic vampire figure and the main antagonist in Georges Méliès' 1896 silent French film, Le Manoir du diable. As a bat, Mephistopheles flew inside of a a medieval castle. Once in, the bat circled slowly while flapping its monstrous wings before suddenly changing into his human form. After preparing a cauldron, the demon produced skeletons, ghosts, and witches from its bubbling contents before a French soldier brandished a crucifix, banishing the entity in a large cloud of smoke. Demons make frequent appearances in TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where they are shown to possess a fearsome physical form, but are also often comical in terms of attitude and dialogue. In fact, the show's primary antagonists, vampires, are revealed to actually be just a subsect of demon - one who takes control of a host body, replacing the target's soul. This element was shown to even greater extent in the Buffy spin-off series Angel, where the main character from the series, Angel, is a vampire who is "cursed" with a soul and as such, is seeking redemption for his past misdeeds. Throughout both programs, the characters of Buffy Summers and Angel, as well as their supporting cast, match wits and brawn against demons of varying breeds.

Demons of note

 * Abraxas: Charmed 2x01 004.jpgas is a demon who appeared in the WB Network television series Charmed. He appeared in the premiere episode of season two, "Witch Trial", and was played by actor/stuntman Walter Phelan. Abraxas was a demon who emerged on the physical plane and stole the Book of Shadows from the attic of the Halliwell Manor in San Francisco, California. Reciting passages from the book backwards, he resurrected several of the Charmed Ones' former vanquished foes, such as serial killer warlock Jeremy Burns. The ghost of their grandmother, Penny Halliwell, warned them that the Power of One was required to defeat him. Believing that Prue Halliwell was their strongest member, they agreed to open a portal and have Prue use her telekinesis to push him into it. When this failed, they realized that the Power of One meant that they all had to work together. They recited a spell from the Book of Shadows, just as Abraxas was reciting the same spell backwards. Their power converged and they succeeded in banishing him.


 * Malebolgia: Malebolgia is a lord of Hell and occupies the Eighth level. Malebolgia is responsible for the creation of Hell's army, which is comprised of formerly living hosts who are bonded to psychoplasm symbiotic costume entities that give them great power. These soldiers of the netherrealm are known as Hellspawn.

Appearances

 * Adventure Into Fear 11 - Thog the Nether-Spawn.
 * Angel: After the Fall 1 - Burge, Kr'ph Betta George and more.
 * Charmed: Witch Trial - Abraxas.
 * Ghost Rider Vol 2 81 - Zarathos; Mephisto in flashback.
 * Hellblazer 56 - Triskele, a Succubus.
 * Hellblazer 300 - Julian, an Ekkimu shape-shifter.
 * Marvel Spotlight 5 - Mephisto & Zarathos.
 * New Mutants 32 - S'ym, Fido and unnamed demons.
 * Witches 1 - Hellphyr & Marduk Kurios.
 * Witches 2 - Lilith, Hellphyr & Marduk Kurios.
 * Witches 3 - Lilith, Hellphyr & Marduk Kurios.
 * Witches 4 - Lilith, Hellphyr & Marduk Kurios.
 * X-Factor 220 - Sin-Eater demon.