Nomads of the Wasteland

NOMADS OF THE WASTELAND

Membership: None named

Base of Operations: Hell

First Appearance: Demon III #35 (May, 1993)

History: (Demon III #35, 36) - The Nomads wandered Hell, looting and pillaging as they went. The demon Etrigan and his companions Harry Matthews, Lobo and Morax were on a quest to save Harry’s soul from Hell. The Nomads of the Wasteland spotted them, and followed them surreptitious on their journey. Etrigan and company slaughtered Hyperaktiv and his band of cannibal brothers, and the Nomads were impressed with their brutality. The Nomads debated having a ritual with the slaughtered demons’ blood or eating the remains, but their leader suggested they continue to shadow Etrigan, mopping up and plundering whatever they left behind. One of his underlings reminded him that they were ambushed last time they tried to follow a group, so the leader beheaded him and there was no more complaints. Etrigan’s group met Belial, who was in possession of Harry’s soul, and he agreed to exchange it for his heart, which Etrigan had once ripped out and was being kept in the Impenetrable Fortress of Flynn. The Nomads continued to follow them, and Etrigan’s group was also being followed by Belial’s Skull Squad and Morax’s Torment Squads, because neither demon fully trusted Etrigan. Etrigan, Lobo and Morax found a way inside the Fortress of Flynn, and Lurgo and the Torment Squads stood by, waiting for them to emerge. The Nomads spotted them with a spyglass, and planned to attack them when the time was right, while the Skull Squad prepared an ambush.

(Demon III #37, 38) -Etrigan found the Thing-That-Cannot-Die within the Fortress, and he’d not only stolen Belial’s heart, but eaten it because he’d gotten hungry. Etrigan found a spell in Merlin’s Eternity Book that could create a demon’s heart. It required the sacrifice of a thousand men to use their hearts to turn into a new demon heart. Etrigan was well aware of the different factions shadowing him, and told Morax and Lobo they were going to slaughter them all and harvest their hearts. Morax admitted that his men were among those following them, but Etrigan insisted they were expendable. Morax also pointed out how outnumbered they were, but both Lobo and Etrigan agreed that losing in battle was not even a consideration for them, and they leapt headlong into a surprise attack. Etrigan and company mowed down their opposition in a killing frenzy. Morax even killed his own men, but when he spotted Lurgo he told his loyal henchman to flee. Etrigan ripped the hearts from his dead enemies and completed the ritual to make Belial’s new heart.

Comments: Created by Alan Grant & Rich Hedden.