Spellbound

FROM THE ARCHIVES (Comics That Time Forgot)

SPELLBOUND

Issues # 1-6, Limited Series, Marvel Comics, Jan. 1988-Apr. 1988

Louise Simonson: Writer/Plot

Terry Shoemaker: Penciler

Carl Potts: Inker/Plot

Allen Milgrom: Co-Inker (# 6)

Joe Rosen: Letterer

Christie Scheele: Colorist (# 1-4)

Max Scheele: Colorist (# 5, 6)

Bobbie Chase: Managing Editor

Bob Harras: Editor

Tom DeFalco: Editor in Chief

With the ability to travel between dimensions and harness the very essences of Law and Chaos, powerful beings known as Spellbinders hold the key to the continued existence of the universe. As each Spellbinder gains the strength to fight off The Other and save the universe, he or she slowly becomes insane with the power and becomes as dangerous as The Other itself. Whence a new Spellbinder arises to defeat the one before it, and the circle continues.

Such is the backstory and ultimate plot within Marvel Comics 1988 mini-series Spellbound. Written by Louise Simonson of Power Pack fame, Spellbound follows the story of Erica Fortune, her brother Roy, and her sister Sally. On one fateful day, Snugg and Snarl, slaves to the evil Spellbinder Zxaxz, steal their master’s mystical crown and bracelets and send them to another dimension. The objects come to the possession of Erica Fortune, who eventually realizes her destiny: to become the next Spellbinder by defeating the power-mad Zxaxz and save the universe.

There are obstacles along the way, of course. Zxaxz doesn’t take it lightly, and enters Erica’s dimension to stalk and constantly harass her. The revelation of her powers causes the media to hound Erica and her family, making them virtual prisoners in their homes. Worst of all, the more Erica uses the power of the crown and bracelets, the more power-mad she herself becomes, until she risks being as bad as Zxaxz or worse.

In the end, The Other, seeing the two Spellbinders locked in conflict, decides to seize the opportunity and enters Erica’s dimension as well. Zxaxz and Erica are forced to join together to defeat him in an epic battle. They force The Other back to his native dimension, but the only way to ensure his ultimate defeat is to follow him there, leaving Earth behind, perhaps forever. What is the final fate of Erica? Does she defeat The Other? Does Zxaxz betray her? Unfortunately, after 16 years, we’ve never found out.

Spellbound is an enjoyable and worthwhile story nonetheless. The story isn’t about the ultimate resolution of the battle, but about the events leading up to it in the lives of one of its primary characters. Indeed, the story is more about how others react to Erica’s gaining power, such as her relatives, co-workers, and friends, than it is about super heroes fighting demons or other such comic book conventions. In many ways, its also a story about growing up and growing older, as seen through the eyes of Sally and Roy.

Spellbound is set firmly in the Marvel Universe thanks to an enjoyable, but probably unnecessary guest appearance by the New Mutants in issue # 4. Erica, Roy, Sally, and the others have real personalities and the story doesn’t drag when focused on them—if anything, their day-to-day struggles are more fascinating than the grand universe-shaking plotline.

It looks like Spellbound was designed to leave the possibilities of sequels—at the end, as mentioned, Erica’s ultimate fate is unknown, while Roy comes into possession of the bracelets himself. As far as I can tell, there never has been such a sequel and the primary characters have never appeared in any other Marvel Comics.*

Spellbound isn’t an amazingly written story, filled with humor or pathos. But it is a good story—one worth reading and peeking into the lives of the Fortune family. Considering how many comics regurgitate the same basic plot, that may be quite the achievement.

*After writing this column, I received some very useful information from Don Campbell regarding Spellbound. It seems that the story was completed in a five-part storyline in Marvel Comics Presents # 138-142 (1993). In Campbell's words:"The story is written by Bobbie Chase and it begins with an increasingly-insane Erica living in a crystalline palace on a planet in Zxaxz's dimension. Taken by surprise, Erica is trapped inside a crystal by Zxaxz who then goes to Earth to retrieve his order and chaos rings from Roy. After Zxaxz takes Roy, Sally, Andrew, Snugg and Snaarl to his dimension, Roy uses the rings to create a black hole that destroys both Zxaxz and his dimension. After they return to Earth, Erica breaks free and, seeing her brother and sister only as rival spellbinders, attacks them, killing Andrew, the man she loved, in the process. In the last part, Erica returns and tries to kill her siblings but they manage to weaken her with light and Roy seals her in crystal like Zxaxz did but he goes one better and surrounds the crystal with metal. The story ends with Roy using the order and chaos rings and the crown to destroy themselves with their own power, thereby "retiring" as a Spellbinder. All in all, this is not a terrific story. Its main (only?) virtue is that it provides an ending to a storyline that otherwise would probably have been left hanging forever."

What do you think? Contact me at jhaeman@hotmail.com