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Providence was the state capital of Rhode Island.[1]

History

19th century[]

In the middle of the 19th century, the Starry Wisdom Cult (a sect worshiping the Haunter of the Dark,[2] Nyarlathotep himself).[3] They took over the church at the top of Federal Hill. After the Shining Trapezohedron (a stone in which one awaken the Haunter of the Dark by gazing into, said to have been brought to Earth by the Old Ones, later worshiped in Atlantis, then acquired by the pharaoh Nephren-Ka, whose evil rule caused his name to be stricken from all records) was found by archaelogists, it eventually became the property of the cult, who worshiped it. The cult also possessed the dreaded Necronomicon.

Their strange rites and rumors of blood sacrifice caused them to be driven from town in the 1880's. Since, the people avoided the church, considering it evil, and often to refuse to talk about it.

In 1897, a reporter inquired about the Cult, and went to the church to close the jewel box of the Shining Trapezohedron. Learning that the Haunter of the Dark thrived on darkness, he decided to return to the church in order to open the casket and let it in the light. He was killed in the church, and his skeleton remained there for decades.[2]

20th century[]

Circa 1973,[4] a reclusive scholar of the occult lived in Providence. Would-be horror writer Robert contacted him for information and learned of many occult books. Stealing a latin version of De Vermis Mysteriis, which he couldn't read. He visited the scholar who could translate it. The two would-be occultists summoned the Shambler from the Stars, who killed the scholar and vanished with the book. Robert burned down the house to erase every trace of the horrific visit, but was arrested and was charged with murder. In prison, Robert told his story to Bronson, his lawyer, but was beyond hope, as he knew the Shambler would return (without being summing) and kill him, which it did.[5]

Another writer of the occult, Robert Blake moved to Providence. Curious about the church of Federal Hill, about which few locals agreed to mention, Blake broke into, finding the Necronomicon, texts in Aklo language, the skeleton and notes of the reporter, and finally gazed into the Trapezohedron before closing the box. Reading the reporter's notes, Blake became tormented by dreams, and visited Dr. Dexter for help. Nevertheless, Blake walked in his sleep to the church. Awakening, he returned home, fearing to fell asleep again. A shadow was witnessed leaving the steeple, and all believed that the church was finally free of the evil influence, but the next morning, Blake was found dead by Dexter.[2] The police ruled his death as caused by lightning, but Dexter was not convinced.

Blake's friend Howard Phillips began to investigate. He met Dr. Dexter who believed the jewel was involved in Blake's death. Dexter (possibly already possessed by the Haunter Dark, Nyarlathotep) broke in the church as well, stole the chest, and threw at the deepest channel of Narragansett Bay. Phillips kept on searching about the shadow demon, but was found dead three days later.

Six years later, Blake's and Phillips' friend Edmund Fisk from Milwaukee (in the Service, then sick for a long while during those events) hired private detective Jonas Gores to locate Dexter. Gores dropped the case, refused to give Dexter's location and told Fisk to stop his search as well as Dexter was now an important government scientist, but Fisk knocked him out and took the address from his notes, as well as his gun. That night, two panthers broke loose from the circus. Fisk confronted Dexter/Nyarlathotep, but the demon used his death-touch on him, before going to the garden to met with the docile panthers who recognized him despite his human form.[3]

Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch) and Blaze (Johnny Blaze) came to Providence where the Quentin Carnival was supposed to set (though they had trouble with local law) and went to the trailers camp. During the night, they were attacked by Lilith's Lilin spawn Creed, Pilgrim, and Blackout.[6] There, they also tracked sinners, such an alcohol-driven abusive husband and father. They were later attacked by Steel Vengeance, intending to avenger her sister and herself, but was defeated.[7]

21st century[]

A rally was held by anti-mutant politician Graydon Creed's Friends of Humanity at Providence, among other cities. As other rallies had been targeted by mutant "terrorists" (captured by the Sapien League and infected with a modified Legacy Virus causing them to explode and cause massive casualties, aiming at creating anti-mutant sentiment), X-Force deployed to prevent such attack. Vanisher and Warparth were dispatched in Providence, but the attack occur at another rally.[8]

As no 50-State Initiative team was assigned to Rhode Island, with the New Slingers preferring to serve their jail sentence in the Negative Zone instead, tryouts were held at Providence, but only music groups came. The governor was angered by the candidates but immediately adopted the flaming skeleton Miles Flatt and his "Amazing Guitar of Death", missing the tryout of Iron Man (Tony Stark) who came with a triangle.[9]


Alternate realities[]

Earth-93031[]

In Rhode Island, Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch) and Blaze (Johnny Blaze) were confronted by the UnEarth demons. Blaze retreat as they were overwhelmed, but Ghost Rider refused to flee and let innocents be attacked, but was himself killed.[10]

Unidentified reality[]

Twenty miles outside Providence, Rhode Island, Advanced Idea Mechanics had its base #78-66.[11]

Points of Interest

Residents

Formerly

An unnamed reporter, Howard Phillips, Edmund Fisk and Robert all died at Providence. The two former's hometown weren't revealed, while the two latter came to Providence from other locations and did not resided there.

Notes

See Also

Links and References

References

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