Six-Fingered Hand (comics) - Others - The Octessence

The Octessence is made up of eight powerfully principalities (Balthakk, Cyttorak, Farallah, Ikonn, Krakkan, Raggadorr, Valtorr, Watoomb), a number of whom are routinely invoked for the power of spells related to their particular area of magical knowledge. Roughly a thousand years ago, they disagreed on which of them was most powerful. To settle the question they entered into the Wager of the Octessence. Each placed a small fraction of its magical might into a token, and then established a temple on Earth to house it. The first human to find and touch the artifact would gain the power and lose his will to the artifact's master, becoming an Exemplar: a creature of focused magical might. When all eight Exemplars appeared, they would perform the Ceremony of the Octessence, the construction of a great magical engine to enslave the will of humanity. Then the Examplars would divide the world into eighths, and each would battle the others (using his own powers and armies made of his enslaved eighth of the population) until only one remained. The first artifact uncovered was the Crimson Ruby of Cyttorak, which empowered The Juggernaut. Only years later would the other Exemplars appear.

• Balthakk first appeared in X-Men #12 (1965). While meeting to establish the terms of the Wager, it appeared as little more than a free-floating cloud of energy or charged particles. It empowered the Blinding Brazier of Balthakk and through it the Exemplar called Inferno.

• Cyttorak first appeared in Dr. Strange (vol. 3) #44, published in 1992 - nearly 30 years after its first mention in 1964 (Strange Tales (vol. 1) #124). While meeting to establish the terms of the Wager, it appeared as a semblance of Juggernaut but completely covered in armor. It has involved itself in human activities more than other members of the Octessence, perhaps owing to the early discovery of the Ruby of Cyttorak (referred to as the Crimson Crystal of Cyttorak in the Wager storyline, possibly to avoid confusion with the Ringed Ruby of Raggadorr). Cytorrak's gem lent enormous strength and durability to Cain Marko, transforming him into Juggernaut. It would be years before Marko's purpose as an Exemplar became known, when the other Exemplars appeared. Marko's betrayal of the other Exemplars contributed to their eventual defeat.

• Farallah first appeared in Iron Man (vol. 3) #22. While meeting to establish the terms of the Wager, it appeared as a powerful humanoid with ruminant characteristics: short, coarse, dark fur and spiral horns close to the head like those of certain sheep. A large hump similar to that of a dromedary adorned its back, and its hands ended in very sharp nails or claws. It empowered the Fearsome Fist of Farallah, which granted feral combat skills and superhuman speed and coordination to the Exemplar called Carnivore.

• Ikonn first appeared in Dr. Strange (vol. 2) #47 (June 1981) and is the creation of Roger Stern and Gene Colan. It is a powerful mystical entity that Doctor Strange and other sorcerers regularly invoke, most often to produce a powerful spell of illusion-crafting called "The Images of Ikonn." Ikonn can create extremely believable illusions and has been titled the "Lord of Illusions." It can disrupt reality, and if it gains control over a world it can make its illusions real. Meeting to establish the terms of the Wager, it appeared as a greyish insectoid/humanoid adorned with dark greenish spikes and pupil-less grey-green eyes. Each limb ended in four radially arranged claws. It had a proboscis where the mouth would normally be. As with any being so powerful, and especially one versed in illusion, one can only speculate as to Ikonn's real form. For the Wager, it invested power into the Ivory Idol of Ikonn, a token that granted Olisa Kabaki powerful telepathic and mind control abilities as the Exemplar Bedlam.

• Krakkan first appeared in Iron Man (vol. 3) #22 during the meeting to decide the terms of the Wager, appearing there as a grey armored figure; this armor possessed a number of long and very sharp blades. It crafted the Kestrel Key of Krakkan. In Thor (vol. 2) #17, Bridget Malone found this key and became the Exemplar called Conquest, the "living embodiment of battle."

• Raggadorr first appeared in Iron Man (vol. 3) #22 (1999). While meeting to establish the terms of the Wager, it appeared as a creature with a four-armed but otherwise humanoid torso, and a blue-colored serpentine lower body. Its face remained concealed behind a heavy blue helm from which projected bluish horns similar to those of a ram. Powerful magicians invoke Raggadorr's name to empower certain of their magical spells, most commonly The Rings of Raggadorr. It empowered the Ringed Ruby of Raggadorr and through it the Exemplar called Stonecutter.

• Valtorr appeared at the Wager meeting in the form of a greyish, possibly armored snake possessing a crest of slightly raised overlapping plates or scales. Magicians invoke Valtorr in spells to command vapors and gasses. The Vapors of Valtorr create what amounts to a gaseous extension of the magician's will; these vapors have properties the magician imparts to them during the casting. The Verdant Vial of Valtorr transformed Stark-Fujikawa employee Yoshiro Hashiman into Decay, an Exemplar with the power to corrupt and destroy with his touch.

• Watoomb presented itself as an armored humanoid (or possibly a creature bearing natural armor) with aspects both feline and insectoid, in various shades of yellow, orange, and brown. A signature spell is the Winds of Watoomb, which can carry a caster across light-years of space, and can even pierce dimensional barriers. Watoomb crafted the Wicked Wand of Watoomb, roughly 30 cm from tip to tip. The ends of this device are carved with the visages of demons. This device granted Nicolette Giroux with a portion of Watoomb's power and will, creating Tempest; Dr. Stephen Strange had possessed the device for years prior to this event without transforming into an Exemplar.