318) Necromancy

Necromancy – The ability to control the dead. Necromancy is also known as Black Animacy, Dark Animancy, Necrokinesis, Necro Magic and Undeath Magic.

Literary Critique of Necromancy

Dr. Byron Orpheus (Venture Bros.) has this power.

Necromancy (others)–Dr. Byron Orpheus - Venture Bros

Bloodwynd (DC) is an African American necromancer.

Necromancy (others)-Bloodwynd (DC)

In the Marvel universe, the Grandmaster, Immortus, Kang the Conqueror and the Grim Reaper have all created various incarnations of the Legion of the Unliving. In the case of Kang and Immortus, creating the Legion of the Unliving is treated inappropriately as a (451) Time Travel (others) superpower problem! Ok I travel back into time and get a dead person or a person that in on the border of dying. What’s next? How do I turn them into a zombie? Kang and Immortus are totally science based super villains whose big specialty is time travel not controlling and/or creating zombies. The Grandmaster usurps the role of Death so this provides a good mechanism to explain how he controls the dead but again the horror potential of an undead legion of super heroes is totally neglected. The Grim Reaper is an undead villain who makes a pact with demonic Old Ones and his two legions and story arcs are far superior to the earlier legions which are more camp than scary.

Necromancy (others)–Legion of the Unliving-Legions 1-3

Nekron (DC) uses black power rings in “Blackest Night” in order to use an army of the undead to take over the DC universe (Blackest Night #5).

necromancy-nekron-blackest-night-5

Ox-Head and Horse-Face (DC) are guardians of the traditional Chinese underworld and appear in New Super-Man #10.

In their fourth season, True Blood explored the very interesting idea that since vampires are the undead, necromancers are their very natural ultimate enemies since necromancers can control vampires! Marnie Stonebrook (True Blood) is a witch with necromantic powers and may not look dangerous but she is very dangerous if you are a vampire!

Corpse Whisperer – Creature Collection II. Dark Menagerie

necromancy-corpse-whisperer-creature-collection-ii-dark-menagerie

Dead Girl (Marvel) has both the power of (500) Zombie Anatomy and can control zombies i.e. necromancy. Dead Girl can be dead and control the dead. Zombie Anatomy could be labeled Necromantic Mimicry using the logic of my labeling system. Conversely, necromancy could be labeled Zombie Manipulation. Same domain, death but very different due the self/other dichotomy which I employ throughout this list.

Dead Girl as a very resilient dead person.

necromancy-dead-girl-marvel