Cogliostro
Encyclopedia
Cogliostro is a supporting character in Todd McFarlane
's Spawn
comic series. Cogliostro was created in 1993 by author Neil Gaiman
and artist Todd McFarlane
and introduced in Spawn issue #9.
's situation than Spawn himself. Cog informs Spawn that his powers draw on a limited energy source, and that using it up will condemn him to eternal torment in Hell. He is the angel
on Spawn's right shoulder, opposite the Violator
, who exhorts Spawn to revel in death and destruction for its own sake.
Eventually, Cogliostro reveals that he is also a Hellspawn
, having forsaken Malebolgia
long ago, and refuses to use his powers; he has one "tick" of necroplasm
ic power left, and any use of any of his Hell-granted powers will end his Earthly existence. Still, that single bit of power has extended his lifespan to centuries, and he does not want the newest Spawn to fall to the darkness that created both of them.
.
Spawn and Cog then travel to the deserts of Tunisia
for permission from the Greenworld to transform Earth into Spawn's ideal world until he is attacked by the third Redeemer as an act of vengeance. After the battle, Spawn is abducted by a pair of giant scorpion
s as they drag him to Hell, where he is being awaited by demon
s.
Still in Tunisia, Cog is visited by Mammon
, who gives him a mysterious box which Cog seems to recognize. Cog later commits suicide
in order to help Spawn down in Hell.
Redeemer, now aware of what he did wrong, travels to Hell to help Spawn battle the demons whose ideas were to battle for the throne of Hell. After a frustrating battle against Violator
, Spawn summons all the past Hellspawn
before him to help him with the other demons and takes back the throne of Hell.
Cog then runs to Spawn with the mysterious box given to him and tells Spawn that this is what he needs to help him turn Earth into a paradise. Spawn opens the box which turns Hell into an Eden-like world and sees his widow, Wanda, and runs to her, only to be caught in a trap laid by Cog.
It is revealed that Cogliostro was born as Cain, the first murderer, and since the beginning he wanted to rule Hell rather than serve it. It was now clear that the only reason Cogliostro helped Spawn was to enable him to gain the throne of Hell, making him the new ruler.
After this act of betrayal, Cog decided to give Spawn "what he always wanted" and sent him to Earth back as Al Simmons without the Hellspawn
symbiote attached to him. Cain has not been seen since but has been briefly mentioned, such as his plans of building a tower in Hell to pierce the Earth, or perhaps Heaven
.
while in Hell that the demons say that Cog has locked himself away in the Black Tower and given control over the 8th Sphere to the greater demons. It is later revealed that he was hard at work building the tower higher and higher so that it can reach Heaven. Once the tower penetrates into the realm of Heaven, the forces of Hell will be free to invade Heaven's gates directly.
(Heaven
's bounty hunter
) are co-owned by Neil Gaiman
and Todd McFarlane.
In 1993 McFarlane contracted Neil Gaiman (as well as other recognized authors like Frank Miller and Dave Sim) to write one issue of his Spawn series. While doing so, Gaiman introduced the characters Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn. All three characters were based on characters created by Todd McFarlane
and were co-created with Todd McFarlane
who designed them and all continued to be featured in the series after Gaiman's involvement, and had many tie-ins with McFarlane's toy company. Cogliostro had a prominent role in the live-action movie in 1997. McFarlane had initially agreed that Gaiman retained co-creator rights on the characters but later claimed that Gaiman's work had been work-for-hire and that McFarlane owned all of Gaiman's creations entirely, pointing to the legal indicia in Spawn #9, and the lack of legal contract stating otherwise. (Some argued that this change of heart was motivated by his desire to gain full ownership to the characters by using Miracleman
as a bargaining tool.) McFarlane had also refused to pay Gaiman for the volumes of Gaiman's work he republished and kept in print. In 2002, Gaiman filed suit and won a sizeable judgement against McFarlane and Image Comics and the rights due any creator. Gaiman v. McFarlane, 360 F.3d 644 (7th Cir. 2004). All 3 characters are currently co-owned 50/50 by both men.
portrayed Cogliostro in the 1997 film adaptation, where he was the black knight from the fifteenth century who became a Hellspawn after his death. This version lacks his symbiotic armour, but appears to possess some supernatural abilities, such as a sharp blade that automatically extends from his right arm. Richard Dysart
provided his voice in the animated series.
Cogliostro is also playable in the video game Spawn: In the Demon's Hand
.
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
's Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
comic series. Cogliostro was created in 1993 by author Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
and artist Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
and introduced in Spawn issue #9.
Al Simmons
Cogliostro first appears as a homeless man, but he seems to know more about SpawnSpawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
's situation than Spawn himself. Cog informs Spawn that his powers draw on a limited energy source, and that using it up will condemn him to eternal torment in Hell. He is the angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
on Spawn's right shoulder, opposite the Violator
Violator (comics)
Violator is a fictional character that appears in the Spawn comic books published by Image Comics. The character first appeared in Spawn #2 and was created by writer-artist Todd McFarlane. He is the main antagonist of the comic issues 1-100 and later became a secondary antagonist in the recent...
, who exhorts Spawn to revel in death and destruction for its own sake.
Eventually, Cogliostro reveals that he is also a Hellspawn
Hellspawn
Hellspawn are fictional soldiers from Todd McFarlane's comic book series, Spawn. The main character in the series, Spawn, is himself a Hellspawn.-Description:...
, having forsaken Malebolgia
Malebolgia
Malebolgia is a fictional character in the Spawn universe, drawing its name from the term in Dante's Inferno used to describe Malebolge, the ditches in the eighth circle of Hell where humans who committed the sin Fraud are punished...
long ago, and refuses to use his powers; he has one "tick" of necroplasm
Necroplasm
Necroplasm is a will-controlled substance featured in the fictional Spawn universe. It was originally indistinct/synonymous with psychoplasm, the substance of which Hell itself is composed...
ic power left, and any use of any of his Hell-granted powers will end his Earthly existence. Still, that single bit of power has extended his lifespan to centuries, and he does not want the newest Spawn to fall to the darkness that created both of them.
Cain
After an absence in the Spawn comics after #100, Cogliostro returned to Spawn and is revealed that he is dying and that he's terrified of Hell's status ever since Spawn abandoned the throne after defeating Malebolgia. It is then after this that Spawn reveals to Cog his plan to turn Earth into a new paradise, or UtopiaUtopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
.
Spawn and Cog then travel to the deserts of Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
for permission from the Greenworld to transform Earth into Spawn's ideal world until he is attacked by the third Redeemer as an act of vengeance. After the battle, Spawn is abducted by a pair of giant scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s as they drag him to Hell, where he is being awaited by demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s.
Still in Tunisia, Cog is visited by Mammon
Mammon (comics)
Mammon is a fictional character from the comic book Spawn. He is Spawn's former ally and is currently the primary antagonist, having replaced Violator in that role.-Background:...
, who gives him a mysterious box which Cog seems to recognize. Cog later commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in order to help Spawn down in Hell.
Redeemer, now aware of what he did wrong, travels to Hell to help Spawn battle the demons whose ideas were to battle for the throne of Hell. After a frustrating battle against Violator
Violator (comics)
Violator is a fictional character that appears in the Spawn comic books published by Image Comics. The character first appeared in Spawn #2 and was created by writer-artist Todd McFarlane. He is the main antagonist of the comic issues 1-100 and later became a secondary antagonist in the recent...
, Spawn summons all the past Hellspawn
Hellspawn
Hellspawn are fictional soldiers from Todd McFarlane's comic book series, Spawn. The main character in the series, Spawn, is himself a Hellspawn.-Description:...
before him to help him with the other demons and takes back the throne of Hell.
Cog then runs to Spawn with the mysterious box given to him and tells Spawn that this is what he needs to help him turn Earth into a paradise. Spawn opens the box which turns Hell into an Eden-like world and sees his widow, Wanda, and runs to her, only to be caught in a trap laid by Cog.
It is revealed that Cogliostro was born as Cain, the first murderer, and since the beginning he wanted to rule Hell rather than serve it. It was now clear that the only reason Cogliostro helped Spawn was to enable him to gain the throne of Hell, making him the new ruler.
After this act of betrayal, Cog decided to give Spawn "what he always wanted" and sent him to Earth back as Al Simmons without the Hellspawn
Hellspawn
Hellspawn are fictional soldiers from Todd McFarlane's comic book series, Spawn. The main character in the series, Spawn, is himself a Hellspawn.-Description:...
symbiote attached to him. Cain has not been seen since but has been briefly mentioned, such as his plans of building a tower in Hell to pierce the Earth, or perhaps Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
.
Recent activity
The Redeemer tells NyxNyx (Spawn)
Nyx is a fictional comic book character created by Todd McFarlane. She appears in the Spawn comic book series as an ally of Al Simmons . She first appears in Curse of the Spawn #20...
while in Hell that the demons say that Cog has locked himself away in the Black Tower and given control over the 8th Sphere to the greater demons. It is later revealed that he was hard at work building the tower higher and higher so that it can reach Heaven. Once the tower penetrates into the realm of Heaven, the forces of Hell will be free to invade Heaven's gates directly.
Difference in Animated series
In the animated series he mentions he is the Black Knight not Cain. He also mentions he is that he had many names one of those is Merlin. Judging by the legendary characters he is possibly an old English Knight. He may be based on the character or previous spawn Sir John of York.Legal rights
Cogliostro, Medieval Spawn, and AngelaAngela (comics)
Angela is a fictional character in Todd McFarlane's Spawn comic book series. The character was created for the series by writer Neil Gaiman and artist Todd McFarlane, which led to a legal battle between McFarlane and Gaiman over the rights to the character.-Fictional character biography:In the...
(Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
's bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
) are co-owned by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
and Todd McFarlane.
In 1993 McFarlane contracted Neil Gaiman (as well as other recognized authors like Frank Miller and Dave Sim) to write one issue of his Spawn series. While doing so, Gaiman introduced the characters Cogliostro, Angela, and Medieval Spawn. All three characters were based on characters created by Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
and were co-created with Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
who designed them and all continued to be featured in the series after Gaiman's involvement, and had many tie-ins with McFarlane's toy company. Cogliostro had a prominent role in the live-action movie in 1997. McFarlane had initially agreed that Gaiman retained co-creator rights on the characters but later claimed that Gaiman's work had been work-for-hire and that McFarlane owned all of Gaiman's creations entirely, pointing to the legal indicia in Spawn #9, and the lack of legal contract stating otherwise. (Some argued that this change of heart was motivated by his desire to gain full ownership to the characters by using Miracleman
Miracleman
Marvelman, also known as Miracleman for trademark reasons in his American reprints and story continuation, is a fictional comic book superhero created in 1954 by writer-artist Mick Anglo for publisher L. Miller & Son. Originally intended as a United Kingdom home-grown substitute for the American...
as a bargaining tool.) McFarlane had also refused to pay Gaiman for the volumes of Gaiman's work he republished and kept in print. In 2002, Gaiman filed suit and won a sizeable judgement against McFarlane and Image Comics and the rights due any creator. Gaiman v. McFarlane, 360 F.3d 644 (7th Cir. 2004). All 3 characters are currently co-owned 50/50 by both men.
Other media
Nicol WilliamsonNicol Williamson
Nicol Williamson is a Scottish-born English actor who was described by English playwright John Osborne as "the greatest actor since Marlon Brando".-Early life:...
portrayed Cogliostro in the 1997 film adaptation, where he was the black knight from the fifteenth century who became a Hellspawn after his death. This version lacks his symbiotic armour, but appears to possess some supernatural abilities, such as a sharp blade that automatically extends from his right arm. Richard Dysart
Richard Dysart
Richard A. Dysart is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Leland McKenzie on the NBC legal drama L.A. Law....
provided his voice in the animated series.
Cogliostro is also playable in the video game Spawn: In the Demon's Hand
Spawn: In the Demon's Hand
Spawn: In the Demon's Hand is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Dreamcast and Arcade, released on February 1, 2000 in North America. It is based on the Spawn comic book series created by Todd McFarlane and produced by Image Comics...
.