First Appearance: Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #142, February 1974
Powers: Desmond Pitt was captured by Dr. Doom and forced to undergo months of chemical and cybernetic transmutation. Under Doom's direct supervision, Pitt's body was reformed to resemble a demon from Latverian mythology and he was code-named Darkoth the Death Demon.
The final process in the creation of Darkoth was exposure to Doom's vibration device, a machine that erased all traces of one's memories and personality. However, his subconscious hatred for Dr. Doom allowed him to eventually regain his true identity. He was further mutated by Diablo, the master alchemist. This chemical alteration augmented his existing powers and also gave him the powers of flight and intangibility.
As a mutated cybernetic organism, further mutated through chemical means, Darkoth possessed a number of superhuman powers. Major portions of his skeleton were replaced with Promethium, a steel alloy native to the mystical dimension known as Otherplace. The alloy is able to produce virtually unlimited energy in a waste-free process. Darkoth has survived direct blows from the Thing and was able to battle him in hand-to-hand combat without suffering any skeletal damage. Darkoth's outer skin was transformed into a think purple hide that could withstand the Thing's blows and even the impact of heavy armor artillery fired at close range without laceration. Darkoth's outer hide was also sufficiently durable to survive the friction of re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Darkoth's musculature was chemically enhanced, providing him with superhuman strength (class 50) and endurance.
In place of fingers, Darkoth was equipped with steel talons. These talons were made of Promethium and could rip into the Thing's rocky hide. Often, Darkoth would carry a type of poison on the tips of these talons that would render his opponent unconscious. Darkoth also possessed a prehensile tail. The tail enabled him to maintain balance while stalking the rooftops, and could be used as an offensive weapon. Darkoth used it as a whip and as a means of constricting his opponents.
On Darkoth's head were two antannae called "firehorns". The firehorns, in some unknown way, absorbed the mental energies of Darkoth's opponents within a range of about 50 feet. Fully charged, the horns were capable of emitting a powerful heat ray that could melt through several tons of steel in a matter of seconds. They were also capable of sending off rays of heatless concussive force. The impact of this force ray was sufficient to move a 500 lbs. object back several yards in one attack. The firehorns were also able to enter and disrupt the mind of any opponent, reducing him or her to insanity. This process took several minutes of high concentration to achieve. Because Darkoth rarely used the firehorns to any great extent, it can be assumed that they were weapons of last resort and that the great amounts of mental energy required to utilize them rendered them too costly to use in normal battle.
Diablo gave Darkoth two supernaturally-derived abilities when he came under his power. The addition of tiny bat-like ankles magically gave Darkoth the power of limited flight. Darkoth was also given the power to decrease his molecular density, making him intangible (though he could only employ it for limited periods of time).
Desmond Pitt was a major in the United States Air Force and held a degree in aeronautical engineering. He was an Air Academy graduate with flying combat training and 1,200 hours flight time and qualified for multi-engine rating. His fighting skills are military style versed in many forms of armed and unarmed combat.
