Issue(s): Dr. Strange annual #3
Cover Date: 1993
Title: " The curse of Kyllian / The secret of the oath"
Credits:
Geof Isherwood - Writer
Geof Isherwood - Penciler
Dave Simons / Alfredo P. Alcala - Inker
Joe Andreani - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
This story introduces Kyllian, who is about as notable as the rest of the characters that were introduced with the 1993 annuals, but whom readers might be more familiar with due to the fact that he starred in back-ups in the Infinity Crusade issues of Geof Isherwood's Doctor Strange.

Kyllian draws his powers from ancient Celtic gods, and the benefit of that is wherever he goes he's got a floating deer head talking to him.

There are two other Celtic gods, too, but they have normal human heads and are therefore boring, and according to the MCP none of the gods appear outside this issue.

Killian has been working for a local crime lord. His sister is a prostitute junkie. And one day he suddenly got some magic tattoos and started seeing floating heads. He tried to get his sister out of the business but she got shot, and he lashed out in anger, learning that he can produce magical explosions. Whenever he uses his powers, his tattoos cause him pain. Dr. Strange senses Kyllian's powers and heads to the scene, where they have an initial conflict.

Kyllian then flees and Dr. Strange tries to locate him. Kyllian tries to deal with his floating head problem.

The heads tell him that he's been chosen as their instrument of justice and that he has been given the power to "destroy such evil" as those that killed his sister. Kyllian heads to the crime boss's office. Strange shows up before Kyllian commits murder, and they fight again, and then Strange learns about the gods (ok, the blue guy is kind of cool but i still like Deer Head best).

Strange arranges a kind of compromise where Kyllian accepts his role with the gods but Strange will tutor him and hopefully guide him down a not-so-vengeful path. Kyllian even gets a stick out of the deal (although the "among Earth's greatest heroes" is a bit hopeful).

The stick is actually the Oak Staff of the Druids, and Dr. Strange shows Kyllian a scene from ancient Ireland or England (both possibilities are raised) where the Romans are abusing some locals. A pair of dying druids swear an oath to the Celtic gods hoping for a warrior that will be born to exact vengeance "on the evils of Rome".

Kyllian wonders how he's going to avenge some two thousand year olds deaths, but it's not a question answered here. I worried for a second that it would translate to Kyllian exclusively hunting Italian mobsters or something but the bad guys in this story have last names like Kranchuk and Hatcher so i think we're ok there.

Roy Thomas' revamp of Dr. Druid involved Celtic mythology but it didn't really do much to spice up his character. There's really not much that's exciting about Kyllian either, except for the talking deer head, and if the MCP is right then i don't even have that to look forward to anymore.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Kyllian

Chronological Placement Considerations: This takes place after Doctor Strange has lost his powers, and before Doctor Strange #54 (which is an Infinity Crusade tie-in) when Kyllian starts to appear in the back-ups. A back-up in this issue is covered in a separate entry.

References:

• Strange lost his powers in Doctor Strange #50.

Crossover: 1993 Annuals

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Shouldn't the historical significance rating be raised since this is Kylian's first appearance? He appears in Doctor Strange 54-59, Midnight Sons Unlimited 5, Doctor Strange 77, and Fear Itself the Fearless 8 and 11. Aren't 10 issues (including this one) enough to raise the significance rating to a 1.51? (And if you round up it becomes a 2.)

The MCP only lists Doctor Strange #54-59, and since those are all same creator/same series, i wouldn't raise the rating for that. But if he does appear in those other issues, then yeah, i can give him a 2. I wonder if that means the gods appear again too?

The problem was that when he appears again in Midnight Sons Unlimited 5, he's called Wildpride. For some reason, Kyllian and Wildpride were mistakenly listed as two separate characters.

They spent an issue with Celtic gods without even an appearance from the previously existing ones that have appeared in Thor?