Etrigan

Etrigan's History

Etrigan is a demon from Hell who usually found himself allied to the forces of good. Etrigan resembles a squat, muscular human with orange (or yellow) skin, horns, red eyes, and ears resembling bat wings.

He was originally summoned by the wizard Merlin as part of a last-ditch defense of Camelot against the evil witch, Morgaine le Fey. When it became clear that the kingdom would fall regardless, Merlin sent the demon away and bonded him into a human named Jason Blood to wait until he was summoned.

Centuries later, Jason was called to the crypt of Merlin and discovered a poem that could change him into Etrigan. Unfortunately, he was followed by the long-lived Morgaine who lusted for Merlin's secrets. That led to Etrigan's first major battle, and to the solidification of Morgaine as a major enemy. In addition, he later gained another enemy in Klarion the Witch Boy, a permanently prepubescent mage who created trouble with his magic.

Some time later, Etrigan began speaking entirely in rhyme, as the result of a promotion, with the rhyming speech being a badge of his new rank in the infernal hierarchy.

The poem that released Etrigan was:

Yarva Demonicus Etrigan.

Change, change the form of man.

Free the prince forever damned.

Free the might from fleshy mire.

Boil the blood in heart of fire.

Gone, gone the form of man,

Rise the demon Etrigan! Jason Blood's first transformation into the Demon occurred when reading the inscription on the surface of a stone tomb:

Change! Change,

O' form of man!

Release the might from fleshy mire!

Boil the blood

in the heart for fire!

Gone! Gone! -- the form of man --

Rise, the Demon Etrigan!! Generally, only the last two lines were actively recited, and the words have been known to vary slightly; the phrase "yarva daemonicus etrigan" has occasionally been used, but not consistently.

The reverse spell was "Gone, gone O Etrigan! Rise again (or once more) the form of man!" The spell itself did not need to be recited by Jason or Etrigan to be effective, merely within their range of hearing. In emergencies when Jason could not speak (such as one time when he was turned into a fly) writing it was sometimes sufficient to effect the change. On one occasion, Blood released Etrigan by using a parody of the spell ("Gone o little man so tame / and rise the demon Whatsisname").

After emerald archer Green Arrow's resurrection, Batman and Oliver recruit Blood for his occult knowledge as to how Oliver could have been resurrected. It is found that Oliver is a Hollow - a soulless husk of a human, created by Hal Jordan with the Spectre's powers to soothe his guilt. Blood called on Etrigan to kill Oliver (being a Hollow left him vulnerable to possession, which could have been very bad). He was stopped in his attempt by a Fire Extinguisher Arrow. Batman, in response to the unusual weapon said, "I will never ever mock your trick arrows again."

Etrigan eventually lost the restrictions imposed upon him by Merlin which turned him from evil, caused by his "murder" at the exact moment he was transforming from his human guise Jason Blood into his demon self. It turned out that the incident resulted in Jason Blood being able to exert some will over Etrigan's violent nature, whereas previously the two remained separate, only one existing at a time.