Belathauzer (Earth-616)

Belathauzer
Name	Belathauzer
Aliases	Balthazar
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Bloodstone; formerly US Air Force (air base commander)
Marital Status	Single
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Male
Height	15′ (4.57 m)
Weight	5400 lbs (2.45 ton)
Eyes	Irises: Red
Hair	No Hair At All
Unusual Features	Has two faces, enlarged canine teeth and a forked tongue in each mouth, and three short curved horns on each forehead.
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Demon
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-616
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Occupation	Demon lord
Base of Operations	Iraq
Creators and Appearances
Creators	David Kraft, Ed Hannigan,
First	Defenders #59 (February, 1978)
First	Defenders #59 (February, 1978)

 You have done your work well, mortals! Belathauzer walks among you again -- to rule! 

—Belathauzer

History

Belathauzer was an ancient demon or "Dark God", who was exiled from Earth at some point in his past. The Agents of Fortune offered human sacrifices to him, and managed to summon him back to Earth. He stepped forth from the sacrificial flames and announced his intentions to rule.

When Belathauzer met with Vera Gemini, he claimed to belong to a Ruling Circle. Presumably the Circle is composed of fellow demons or "Dark Gods". Belathauzer considered Vera's existence and heritage to be "blasphemous", but he appreciated the fact that she had two faces and served their cause well. He promised her that he and the Ruling Circle will eventually decide whether she has in fact vindicated her existence.

Belathauzer announced that he was prepared to assume human guise. He explained that demons used human personas while on Earth, which they used to survive in this environment. There was no way to know which humans were simply demons in disguise. They included heads of nations, heads of religious cults, heads of political movements, common muggers, and mass murderers. Each using their influence in subtle and strategic ways, calculated to cause fear and violence among humans. They were softening the human race for the final blow. Each demon worked to restore their race to power over the Earth.

Vera allowed Belathauzer to posses a human body and its identity. The body belonged to the commander of an American Air-Force base. Belathauzer gained control over the base's war toys, including some nuclear weapons. Later, Belathauzer in human form ordered F-15 Eagles to shoot down the jet plane transporting the Defenders. He claimed they were spies in possession of critical defense secrets.

The Hulk destroyed the F-15 Eagles, but they had already fired two sidewinder missiles at the jet plane. The jet was destroyed and Belathauzer gloated. However, the Defenders managed to escape without injuries.

Attributes

Power Grid

Powers

• Belathauzer is a high-ranking demon, who exercises authority over other, lesser demons. He is a demon lord, and has also been called a Dark God.
• Belathauzer has magical abilities, comparable to other demons.
• He can possess and control the forms of human beings. He usurps their identities and any authority they possess over others.
• Belathauzer is supposed to be "ancient", though his true age has not been defined. He may have extended longevity or immortality.
• His demonic form often seems to be on fire. He may be able to generate and/or control fire, a form of pyrokinesis.

Weaknesses

• Belathauzer has been defeated in the past, and exiled to another dimension. He was unable to return to Earth under his own power, and had to be summoned back through a magical ceremony.
• He may possess the bodies of humans, but he has not demonstrated the ability to access their memories or skills.

Notes

• It is unclear whether Belathauzer belongs to a group of Gods or "Gods", due to the vagueness of his origin story. Unofficial sources have speculated that he is one of the Elder Gods or one of the N'Garai, because these groups have similar origin stories.
• The demon was called Belathauzer in his first appearance, and Balthazar in his second appearance . Subsequent appearances have used either of the two names. They appear to be interchangeable.
• In his original story, Belathauzer was last seen in human form, as an officer of the United States Air Force. It is unclear what happened to him. Five unnamed demon lords were depicted loosing a gambling game to Vera Gemini, and he might have been among them. At the end of the storyline, most demons were exiled back to the Demon dimension. Belathauzer might have been among them.

See Also

• 3 appearance(s) of Belathauzer (Earth-616)
• 4 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Belathauzer (Earth-616)
• 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Belathauzer (Earth-616)
• 6 image(s) of Belathauzer (Earth-616)
• 1 quotation(s) by or about Belathauzer (Earth-616)

Links and References

• His profile in the Appendix to the Marvel Handbook.