Vandoom’s Creature

History: In a Transylvanian village, Ludwig Vandoom wanted to create a star attraction for his failing wax museum. Despite the protests of the superstituous townsfolk, Vandoom created the fearsome, giant wax figure of a monster and put it on display. During a thunderstorm, lightning struck the monstrous wax figure and miraculously brought it to life. Smashing out of the museum, the monster was attacked by frightened villagers. Meanwhile, a “Martian” spaceship landed in the village. The Martians wanted to conquer the village and set it up as a base for an invasion. Vandoom's Creature returned to the village and fought off the Martians. Exhausted, the giant wax figure collapsed and “died”.

Vandoom's Creature was later seen among a group of monsters being held in the Collector's subterranean museum beneath the surface of Canada. The monsters escaped captivity during the Collector's battle with the Mole Man, and some of the monsters (including Vandoom's Creature) attacked New York City, but were fought off by an alliance of the Thing, the Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Beast. The defeated monsters were later dispatched into the Negative Zone.

In modern times, the dream demon Nightmare created duplicates of several monsters, including a duplicate of Vandoom's Creature, to attack a young Peter Parker in his dreams.

Height: 25 ft.
Demonstrated Powers: Vandoom's Creature had great strength and could smash through a building. The wax giant was immune to gunfire, and even withstood the power of the alien invaders' “gamma gun”.

Comment: Speculation - Since no logical explanation was given for the wax figure to be granted life by the lightning bolt strike, it can be assumed there were supernatural forces at work. My “official” explanation (at least until it is revealed otherwise in a Marvel comic) is the following - sorcerer Stephen Strange was shown inhabiting and animating a wax figure with his astral form in the story “Witchcraft in the Wax Museum” in Strange Tales # 121 (art by Steve Ditko). Since the Marvel: The Lost Generation mini-series has established that Dr. Strange was active prior to the modern heroic age, it is possible that Strange animated Vandoom's giant wax figure to fight off the alien invasion.

Other posibilities include:
1. The Norse god Odin, the Greek god Zeus, or the Russian god Perun, all of whom were known for working their powers through thunderbolts, gave the giant figure temporary life to fight off the invasion threat.
2. The evil alchemist Diablo, who was imprisoned in his Transylvanian castle, utilized mystic forces to bring the figure to life, similarly to how he brought The Dragon Man to life in modern times.
3. The vampire Count Dracula saw the invasion threat to his homeland and, through supernatural means, animated the figure to fight off the invasion.
4. Dr. Strange's nemesis, Baron Mordo, also had a castle in Transylvania. Perhaps he used his magic to animate the statue to drive off the alien invaders.
The following, of course, are pure speculation; the life force of Vandoom's Creature remains a mystery.

Comment: A similar story wherein a stray lightning bolt brings inanimate matter to life can be found in I Spent Midnight With the Thing on Bald Mountain! (art by Steve Ditko) in Tales to Astonish # 7; possible connection?

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5. Transylvania is not far from Mount Wundagore - where in the sixth century, the sorceress Morgan Le Fey imprisoned the elder demon-god Chthon. Since then, Transylvania had been a virtual magnet for evil and strange goings on. Spragg, Sporr, Frankenstein, Dracula, Gorilla-Man, Baron Mordo, and Van Doom's Creature are all either products of or gravitated to Transylvania. Even alien races are even strangely attracted to this mysterious region.

It may be very likely that Chthon's influence (either directly or through his evil book — the Darkhold) caused the animation of Van Doom's Creature.

I think the surname “Van Doom” is a Dutch variant of “Von Doom.” Some of the not-so-good doctor's ancestors may have fled to the Netherlands, to escape religious intolerance back home, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Then, comes the 20th century, and this Martian “invasion.” * Dr. Doom detects it, sends his astral projection into the body of his artistic kinsman's creation, and voila! Instant successful counter-attack! The “invasion” was probably more of a tactical probe, or recon-in-force, by the same alien molluscoids who took over Earth-Killraven (in Marvel's classic spin-off of ” HGW'S WAR OF THE WORLDS”).

Although Victor Von Doom has some skill in the mystic arts, those skills have never reached the level where he could project his astral self into Van Doom's creature and animate it.

Ah! But, you're forgetting Doom's time-platform. In a post-Onslaught story arc, he used it four separate times to keep Galactus from destroying the Earth! Who's to say he didn't take an exploratory trip into the future; saw the Martain-dominated world in which Killraven was the resistance leader; and, then, head back to the critical juncture where it all started, in order to prevent that future history? He could make as many tries as needed, until he got it right, perfecting his mystical and Ovoid transmigration skills in the process. For instance: being the master of sinister subtlety that he is, he could have taken over Philip Masters (alias the Puppet Master), and made a Wundagorian clay image of Baron Mordo. Or, maybe even Van Doom's Creature, itself! Either way, he succeeded in animating and controlling it long enough to chase away the “Martians.” And, thus, you have the separation of Earth-Killraven from mainstream Marvel Earth!

I recall an early Strange Tales/Dr. Strange tale in which the good doctor projected his astral form into a wax museum statue, animating it while Baron Mordo held Strange's body hostage; you think maybe…?

(if you want to bring some obscure Ditko characters in)…Did VanDoom have any connection with The Wax People of Xaccus (Strange Tales # 93) or Herr Wagner (Amazing Adult Fantasy # 14)?

Don't know about Herr Wagner. Kurt's father? But, the Wax People of Xaccus seem to have more of a connection with Rod Serling and Ann Francis! Submitte for your approval…a not-so-subtle reference to an old TV show.

Actually, that Wax People cover from Strange Tales # 93 is a bit misleading, since that scene from the Kirby cover never took place in the Ditko story. However, see the story “When Darkness Falls” from Journey Into Mystery # 69 (June '61, art by Ditko), which is pretty much the same story as the “After Hours” Twilight Zone episode that you mentioned, complete with living store mannequins; I wonder which one was first?

Many creatures of every kind are strangely attracted to it and at times almost compelled to go there. It`s like there is some kind of beacon welcoming the extraordinary “folk” that don`t fit in anywhere else but at times find it a place to stay. (maybe even call it home)

Is it possible that maybe it`s a cross road of some kind that contains enormous power source to be useful to whoever controls it: And that power has to be contained for the safety of the planet earth by someone who will not obuse it. So enter the 'Guardians ' (possibly related to the Wacher) who were directed to that sector to control it from hostile takeover and in the process function for the security of the planet earth. But alas, “Martians” and other space Monsters are also aware of the potential of this valuable piece of real estate . So they come in droves to try their chance at becoming the next permanent party of the power source.
And since the Guardians have some knowledge of of what goes on in their “neighborhood” they are well prepared to interact in any invasion. They don`t just observe the situation like the Watcher, they have the power to intervene and force the invaders to leave or eliminate them.

The lightning bolt that was directed at the Vandoom`s Creature is probably no accident ,it was directed by the Guardians to provide the Vandoom Creature with enough power to overcome the invaders. And once the task was accomplished the power was reversed and the wax Creature became inactive again. (there have been similar stories of other creatures that became active-alive -due to a lightning bolt strikes - in the mighty pages of Marvel comics, those were the days) those could have been early tests by the Guardians to see how well these “test subjects” performed.

And so the “Guardians” wait for the next invasion or possibly they travel the universe for hot spots of activity.

I wonder how they pass their time in between invasions ? A game of “bingo” ? Maybe a game of ''chess''? How about a game of “Space Invaders”?…. I could`nt help that one, it kind of sneaked up on me… alittle levity fojr the soul… heh! heh!

And of course one final note on the fabulous splash page by Kirby! As always a mighty fine Creature composition by the one and only.

By “Guardians,” do you mean one of the nega-band-wearing Protectors of the Universe (a la Quasar)?

The Eternals could have brought Vandoom's Creature to life the same way Ajak created that Inca Wrestler (Eternals vol.1#12(6/77)) using his molecular rearranging ability.Sersi,Makkari or Sprite could have given life to Vandoom's Creature.

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