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.
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.
Chaos Demons[]
Chaos Demons are large, green demonic entities that hail from an alternate dimension. There are at least thirteen of such creatures, though to date, only one ever interfaced with the mortal plane. Karl Mordo sought to unleash the Chaos Demons by bringing them to Earth in a bid to destroy the world (a very ambitious plot to say the least). To this end, he abducted thirteen mystically attuned people and used them as part of a sacrifice to open the Chaos Gate, which stood at the center of temple beneath Ted Sallis' shack in the Florida Everglades.
As the ritual was performed, a chaos demon began to emerge from the gate. Stretching its long, green hand outward, it began siphoning the life energy from each of the tributes. Doctor Strange, Jennifer Kale, and the Man-Thing intervened to stop the ritual. While Strange fought with Baron Mordo, the Man-Thing pushed the Chaos Demon back through the gate into his own dimension. Because the ritual was interrupted, the Chaos Demon was forced to return the life energy it had stolen, and the sacrifice victims were resurrected. [1]
Deathspawn[]
Deathspawn are a breed of demonic entity. Each member of this race started off as a normal human being, but were malformed into a force for evil after offering up an aspect of their humanity. The Deathspawn were linked to the being known as Deathwatch who promised them tremendous power in return for their service. [2] Deathwatch used these pieces of their life's essence to cross over from his own dimension into theirs, and fulfilled his promise when he fed off of the life forces of human victims, strengthening the Deathspawn by giving back that which he had taken and more. [3]
Hellspawn are fictional demonic entities featured in the Spawn multimedia franchise. They first appeared in Spawn #1 in 1992, and have appeared in some form or fashion in all related media.
Hellspawn are not demons per se, but they are creatures of demonic influence. The serve as the soldiers of Hell, enslaved to the whims of the arch-demon Malebolgia. Hellspawn were once mortal humans who had died and been sent to Hell. After receiving Malebolgia's approval, the tortured souls are infused with dark energy called necroplasm. They are returned to Earth in corporeal form, but usually with a monstrous countenance. They are capable of wielding great power, but such power comes in limited supply. When their power is exhausted, their bodies are destroyed and they are returned to Hell. A Hellspawn is adorned in his stations of office, which may take the form of a suit of armor, or a cloak. These items are actually symbiotic creations of Hell, which can perform unique functions suited to each individual Hellspawn. In the modern era, the most notable Hellspawn is Al Simmons - a former mercenary who was murdered on a mission. As his soul descended into the netherworld, he was approached by Malebolgia, who promised to restore him to life in exchange for service at some later time. Simmons accepted, but when he first reappeared on Earth, he was hideously disfigured. He also had no memory of the man who had murdered him.
N'Garai[]
The N'Garai hailed from some unidentified alien dimension. Untold ages ago however, they journeyed to the Earth realm where it was believed they held dominance over mankind. The leader of the N'Garai was a demonic figure known as Kierrok. A large cairn was constructed, which bridged the gap between their own dimension and this one.
Years ago, the X-Man known as Cyclops was venting his frustration over the recent death of a teammate, and unleashed his optic beams across the Xavier estate. This awakened Kierrok and his minions, who then did battle with them. Everyone took their shots at Kierrok, but it was Wolverine, in the throes of a berserker rage, that dealt the final blow. Teammate Storm unleashed her weather control powers upon the cairn, destroying it, thus sending the remaining N'Garai back to their home dimension. [4]
Pischachas[]
Pischachas are demonic figures featured in Hindu and Buddhist cultures and were the creation of Brahma. Pischachas were utilized by Reverend Herzog Jung and his accomplice Unsightly Anne. In 1871, the vampire known as Constance Der Abend and her faithful human companion, Dooley O'Shaughnessy, crossed the deserts of New Mexico where they came upon some of the monsters. Having been reduced to the point of starvation and desperate for blood, Constance launched herself at the creatures, using her vampiric strength to tear one in half. Unsightly Anne found the halved remains of said creature and brought it back to her master. [5]
Demons of note[]
Abraxas
Abraxas 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.
Kierrok
Kierrok was the demon leader of a breed of interdimensional creatures known as the N'Garai. This creature was purportedly aeons old and once held dominion over mankind. Kierrok rested beneath the earth and was awakened when the X-Men leader Cyclops unearthed the N'Garai cairn, which had been buried beneath the Xavier estate in upstate New York. Kierrok attacked Cyclops, which then drew the attention of his teammates in the X-Men. Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler each took turns attacking Kierrock, but ultimately it was the savagery of the Canadian berserker Wolverine that finally ended him. [6]
Krogg
Krogg is a demon of some power who was first summoned to this Earth over two hundred years ago by a pharmacist and practicing warlock named Amos Treach. Treach had hoped to make Krogg his personal servant, but quickly realized that the demon was too powerful to be controlled and he soon disappeared. Krogg left for the countryside where he terrorized the surrounding townspeople for several days, devouring those he could find to help replenish his own strength. Treach was appalled at the chaos that he had inadvertently caused and devised a plan with which to imprison the demon for eternity. He constructed an airtight chamber deep inside a mountain cave as once a demon his completely imprisoned, his powers become nullified. Treach succeeded in getting the monster into his trap, slamming the chamber door behind him, confining him for what he hoped would be all eternity. Treach spent the rest of his days guarding the chamber to ensure that Krogg would not be freed. [7]
Lipstick-Face demon
Also known as Sixtass, the Red-Face Man, and the Man With Fire on His Face, the Lipstick-Face demon is a resident of the interdimensional after-life realm known as The Further, and appears to be the highest-ranking denizen of this realm. The Lipstick-Face demon seeks to bring pain and chaos to the world of the living by possessing a human body. The demon has an affinity for those with psychokinetic abilities such as the child Dalton Lambert, who possessed the power of astral projection. It abducted Dalton and brought him into The Further. Dalton's father, Josh Lambert, was forced to enter The Further to rescue his son, and encountered the demon. [8]
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.
