Creation
The Amadan was created by writer John Ney Rieber and penciler Gary Amaro in The Books of Magic issue 1 in 1994.
Major Story Arcs
The Amadan, also simply called Amadan, is a powerful fairy who has lived since long ago in the history of Faerie. He is the bastard son of Magnus, who was in turn the grandson of Huon, first king of Faerie. However, Magnus didn’t acknowledge him, and he turns bitter. At this time Amadan looks like a normal blue human. The woman at the scrying pool at the end of Faerie, also known as the Hag of the Iron Well, and reputedly his mother, says that he was seemingly destined for goodness, but turned to darkness.
As Magnus’s son, he does various jobs, for instance procuring human opponents for gladatorial combat, and to help interbreed with fairies. When Magnus is killed, Amadan is rightfully in line for the throne, but others conspire to make others the king. Amadan, in turn, manipulates events to make Auberon the heir. The crown is contested, and Amadan manipulates Auberon, who is very young, and Obrey, his regent, together. In essence, knowing that his bastard lineage will keep him from bring king, he prefers to rule from behind the throne.
At some point, he turns from a blue human to a tan flitling-like shape.
He acts as the messenger for Queen Dymphna and King Obrey. He pretends to want to help Titania, and manipulates events so the king looks on her with favor, and then procures Dymphna’s magic necklace for her. Obrey then turns Dymphna into a tree, and marries Titania. Obrey thinks Amadan is working for him, but really he is playing everyone against each other. Only Amadan still knows that Titania is really a human who long ago was tricked into wandering into Faerie.
Obrey is killed in battle, and Amadan tells the news to Titania. The new (and rightful) king is Auberon. He marries Titania to help ensure continuity of leadership.
At this point, Amadan usually works as a combination jester, counselor, and messenger for Titania and sometimes Auberon.
After Titania has a human child (with Tamlin), Amadan sends the baby away with the midwife Bridey. Now he has something else to blackmail the queen with. Amadan is presumably the one who ordered a small creature to kill the baby once Bridey had it, but Tamlin protects the baby.
When Tamlin first meets Tim Hunter, and tries to help him awaken his magic, and to get him to help Faerie, which is dying, Amadan shows up and holds Tim hostage, his claws at his throat, until Tamlin agrees to come back to see Titania.
Later, an unmotivated Amadan helps Tamlin and Titania heal Tim from the Manticore‘s poison, which in the process kills Tamlin.
Amadan accompanies Titania when she visits Earth, looking for Auberon, who lost his soul to Lady Staylace‘s magic sphere. He continually puts down Earth culture as they look for him.
Tim finds the soul-sphere first, and tries to release his soul, but Amadan and Titania find him first. The zombie-like Auberon grabs and almost squishes Amadan when he’s being annoying. Eventually Auberon gets his soul back and all the fairies return to Faerie.
Later, Molly sits at a fairy-circle in Ireland, wanting to be granted a wish, and Amadan appears. They challenge each other to a contest to see which is the greater fool. He says the other stones in the circle are people who have lost the challenge before.
While Molly is in Faerie, Titania tricks her into eating Faerie food, thus cursing her. The curse makes her burn everything she touches. Molly uses this curse to declare war, and does her best to burn Faerie down.
One of the flitlings, Yarrow, knows it was Titania’s fault, and talks about it to herself. Amadan overhears her. Many fairies think Molly’s presence is Amadan’s fault, because of the contest, so he is motivated to switch the blame to Titania.
As a crowd gathers to lynch Amadan, he agrees to do whatever Yarrow wants to save himself. She tells him to turn himself into a statue–which, unthinkingly, he does, but this is also his punishment for losing the contest. She knocks off his head and holds it aloft to the mob, thus putting the blame back on him, but also showing that he has already been punished.
Auberon later talks to his detached stone head about what happened. He says Yarrow is now the chief fool. Auberon leaves Amadan’s head in the grass.
Other Versions
In one of the alternate universes created by Tim Hunter, the Amadan is seen serving that universe’s Tim. That Tim has embraced his fairy heritage and even looks like a fairy. However, when the Other kills that Tim, the Amadan is happy to try to work with the Other instead. But, the Other absorbs the universe, destroying everyone in it.
Powers and Abilities
He usually looks like a fairly harmless flitling, one of many small pixie-like fairies, but can also increase his size and demeanor to a much more ferocious creature.
He can also grow longer fingers and claws as a
He is capable of turning people (including himself) into stone and can cause their bones to krick.