Merlin in comics

Merlin is a legendary character who has appeared multiple times throughout comic books especially in DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

The first adaptation of Merlin first appeared in a King Arthur-based comic book story in the anthology comic book series entitled originally New Comics (later re-titled Adventure Comics) in issue #3 (Feb. 1936) by Rafael Astarita, kicking off a six-issue adaptation of "The Tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney". He was also one of the earliest appearing recurring characters in a DC Comics title, appearing only slightly after Doctor Occult and before Slam Bradley and Superman.

In a Superboy story, he appears as a scientist of King Arthur's time who looks like Mister Mxyzptlk, but also has the gift of Second Sight.

The first modern version of Merlin is linked to his appearance in The Demon #1 (Sept. 1972). In this series, Merlin summons the demon Etrigan to combat Morgaine le Fey, and appears in several more issues of the series. These events are shown from a different point of view in Madame Xanadu (vol. 2) #1 (Aug. 2008), a Vertigo Comics title. In The Demon (vol. 2) #1 (April 1987), Merlin is established as Etrigan's half-demon brother and subsequent uses of the character have followed this backstory.

Merlin's father Belial had him trained in the arts of sorcery so that he could use his powers to control his older brother Etrigan. As a result, Merlin traveled far and wide on the mortal plane, studying various schools of magic. Eventually he became learned enough to bind his brother, and was responsible for binding Etrigan to the druid Iason, who would later be known as Jason Blood. Merlin employed Etrigan in the defense of Camelot against his nemesis Morgaine le Fey, her army of demons, and her son Mordred. Before Morgaine's attack, Merlin subdued his other brother Scapegoat and the Thing-That-Cannot-Die, banishing them to the Region Beyond, and set Sir Percival to guard the Region Beyond and prevent its prisoners from escaping.

Etrigan was able to defeat Morgaine le Fey and her demon army, and Arthur slew Mordred. But the Phantom Stranger made sure that the fall of Camelot could not be prevented, by arranging Merlin's ensorcellment by his student Nimue Inwudu (Madame Xanadu). Merlin eventually escapes this fate and has appeared elsewhere in DC Comics, living an immortal existence throughout the centuries and aiding various heroes.

In the pre-Crisis DC Comics universe, Merlin possessed a magical crystal ball which he allowed the Justice League of America to keep after they helped him to defeat a trio of evil sorcerers. This Merlin comes from the alternate world of Magic-Land, where scientific laws do not apply, but magic does. Merlin's crystal ball was used a short time later to communicate across dimensions with the Justice Society of America of Earth-Two. Both teams of heroes coordinated their efforts to defeat a group of villains known as the "Crime Champions".

In the Vertigo Comics miniseries The Names of Magic, Timothy Hunter encounters a version of Merlin trapped in an enchanted sleep in a cave in Cornwall. Merlin explains that Tim is his creation, a spiritual successor to the title of "the Merlin" (a living conduit of magic). He created Tim with multiple contradictory origins to enhance his legend. Aspects of Merlin are trapped in a forest in France, under a hill in Wales, and on an island in an invisible house of glass. In the subsequent ongoing series Hunter: The Age of Magic, Merlin's spirit manifests through Tim's owl, Yoyo, and becomes the boy's teacher, until his body is slain by the Brotherhood of the Cold Flame and his spirit passes on.