Etrigan the Demon: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Etrigan the Demon/Jason Blood

First Appearance: The Demon #1 (August, 1972)

Powers: Superhuman strength and durability. Can project the Hellfire from his body. Is immortal and can cast spells. 

Affiliation: Justice League Dark, Demon Knights

Did You Know? It is widely recognized that Etrigan the Demon is actually the brother of Merlin the Magician

A Little History

Interestingly, Etrigan the Demon possesses two different origin stories both of which involve the human, Jason Blood.

In his first origin appearing in The Demon #1, it showed that Jason Blood and Etrigan were one in the same. In this version, Jason Blood was created by the magician Merlin as a way to punish Etrigan. That is, Jason was created as a type of prison for Etrigan and had no knowledge of his deadly other self.

In his other origin, the two were separate beings living in the time of Camelot, Arthur, and his Knights of the Roundtable. This time, unlike the first, Jason Blood was shown to be a druid. Etrigan’s role remained primarily unchanged. He was a servant of Camelot called upon to help protect it. 

What makes Etrigan so unique is that both of his personalities act in whatever way best suits their own needs. That is, whether or not their actions inversely effect each other is of no consequence. With that said, Jason Blood does hold a little bit of control over the Demon. If left completely to his own devices, Etrigan tends to show sadistic and violent behaviour towards mortals. This, of course, means that humans are no exception.  

Don’t let that confuse you, however. Etrigan has been called upon to fight alongside some of DC’s most recognizable heroes and has even held a spot on the famed Justice League Dark.

Liked this article? Join the community on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!