Aahz

Origin

Aahz is a demon (dimensional traveler) from the dimension of Perv. A wizard, he lost his magical powers thanks to a practical joke his old friend and fellow mage Garkin planned to pull on him, spoiled only by Garkin's unexpected assassination. So Aahz teamed up with Garkin's apprentice, Skeeve, to solve the mystery of Garkin's murder, forming what would evolve into a long-term partnership.

Creation

Aahz and Skeeve first appeared in Robert Asprin's humorous fantasy novel "Another Fine Myth", the first of what became the long-running Myth Adventures series. WaRP Graphics later adapted the first novel into comics under the title Myth Adventures, with art by Phil Foglio. A run of additional issues providing an original tale set between the first and second novels followed, with Jim Valentino taking over art chores.

Moving to Apple Comics, the series changed title and adapted the second novel, Myth Conceptions. Starblaze Donning gathered the first novel adaptations (but not the bridging story) into graphic novels, which have recently been reprinted by Studio Foglio / Airship Entertainment. Foglio has also provided covers for the novel series.

History

Of the many worlds & dimensions in existence, Aahz is a native of Perv; one of the oldest and advanced in both technology and magic. Unfortunately success breeds parasites; those who would leech off them. As such, the Pervects found themselves overwhelmed with foreigners. Tiring of this, the Pervects began to cultivate a distasteful reputation for being snarly, violent, sadistic, hot tempered, and with bizarre sexual fetishes and tastes that any civilized being would find distasteful at best. Over time, their reputations became so terrible that no one would willing come to Perv and the inhabitants found themselves labeled as "Perverts" (usually out of their hearing). These days, no one is quite sure how much of their legendary reputation is actual fact or overblown hyperbole. But it's usually close enough for outsiders to keep guessing.

An exceptionally talented student in the magical arts, Aahzmandius (or 'Aahz' for short) was a prodigy whose skills created a furious debate within the faculty of his school. One group felt that every effort should be made to secure a permanent position for such a prestigious skilled magician of his caliber. The other felt that with his rude and boorish behavior with his legendary disdain for any inferiors; someone of his temperament would find a more suitable position in "independent study somewhere else and preferably very far, far away".

But before he could graduate, Aahz's father died and control of the family's finances fell into his mother's hands who left them almost penniless and bankrupt. Ashamed of his abrupt change of fortunes, the former wealthy aristocrat Aahz quietly dropped out of school and became an adventurer and magician-for-hire. During his travels, he became friends with a fellow magician by the name of Garkin.

While in a remote dimension, the duo abruptly found themselves trapped when an insane magician called Isstvan creates a barrier preventing dimensional travel and begins to drain the magical energies of this world for himself. Combing forces with the remaining dimensional travelers, Aahz and Garkin launch an assault on Isstvan.

They ultimately won but a serious cost to Garkin who was left crippled by Isstvan. Garkin retired to his home dimension of Klah and after a few years, would apprentice a young thief known as Skeeve. However Garkin was dismayed to find that Skeeve was more interested in using his magical skills for stealing and to impress him, decides to summon a fearsome and terrifying demon (Aahz).

But during the summoning, Throckwoddle; an assassin hired by Isstvan, shoots and kills Garkin who manages to slay him in return. Afterward, Skeeve finds out much to his surprise that demon is actually short for "dimensional traveler" and that Aahz is actually an old drinking buddy of Garkin and they pretend to "summon" each other to scare and intimidate their naive and inexperienced apprentices.

Alarmed that Isstvan is apparently at his old tricks again, Aahz finds much to his distress that he has lost all of his magical powers due to a practical joke by Garkin. Aahz realizes that it was Garkin's retribution after Aahz's last summoning left him over a lake and forced to perform his "demon act" armpit deep in water. Even worse with Garkin dead, there is no one who knows how to restore Aahz's powers back to him.

Stranded in Klah, Aahz is forced to turn to the only other magic user around; Skeeve who is as much a target as Garkin was and the unlikely duo embark on a quest to defeat Isstvan and save Klah.

Powers and Abilities

As a native of Perv, Aahz is a reptilian humanoid with far greater strength, durability, and longevity in comparison to a normal human. His muscles are far more powerful and as a result, Aahz is tremendously strong and is capable of ripping apart stone walls with his bare hands. Even his neck muscles are so powerful that he can resist hanging by simply stiffening his neck muscles to the extent where a noose made of rope is simply incapable of choking him or breaking his neck.

His skin is composed of scales that he boasts is "better than plate armor" and that he can withstand greater physical damage than any unprotected human being. However he is not immune to fire, which he admits can burn him and even kill him.

Aahz also possesses exceptional hearing and can hear a horse's hoofbeats from several miles away. In addition, he possesses claws and razor sharp teeth, although he rarely employs them.

As a Pervect, Aahz has an enormously extended lifespan; at least in comparison to humans. He is several hundreds of years old and can be expected to live for several more centuries, compared to humans who are lucky if they manage to survive a hundred years.

Aahz also possesses a tremendous amount of knowledge and skill in the art of spell casting and magical lore. He previously was also considered a Master Magician but he no longer possesses the ability to cast spells or wield magic. He has also traveled extensively to hundreds of dimensions in his life and has a vast amount of information regarding their customs, language, and culture.

Aahz is also an extremely devious and cunning individual. Although he is fully capable of holding his own in a fight, he is an accomplished liar and skillful manipulator. He has gotten out of fights through his slippery tongue and artful deceptions almost as much as he has gotten into them.