Origin
Rintrah is a magical being from the planet R’Vaal. He first learned of his magical potential from the sorcerer Enitharmon the Weaver. Enitharmon sensed Rintrah’s power from two dimensions away, and knew that he had great potential. Enitharmon proceeded to seek Rintrah out, and, when he found him, took him in to train him in the ways of magic. Rintrah served Enitharmon well, doing as he commanded, and Enitharmon taught Rintrah well, not leaving out the small, often overlooked basics. Enitharmon taught Rintrah until he passed his student on to the teaching of Doctor Strange.
Creation
Rintrah was created by Peter B. Gillis and Chris Warner and first appeared in Doctor Strange #80 (1986).
Mayor Story Arcs
Studying Under Strange
Rintrah first met Dr. Strange when Strange brought his prized Cloak of Levitation to Enitharmon to have a tear sewn mystically. When Enitharmon had finished the cloak, he sent Rintrah to take it to Strange. When Rintrah arrived, he found the body of Strange, which had been badly hurt in an earlier fight with the demon sorcerer Urthona. Strange was forced to project his astral form into Rintrah, and they together went to the Baxter Building to use a spaceship built by Mr. Fantastic in order to fight Urthona on his home planet. Rintrah and Strange managed to defeat the enemy sorcerer and free his prisoners, Wong and Topaz. After the experience with Strange, Enitharmon left Rintrah in the capable hands of Dr. Strange.
The Troubled Times
When evil magical entities began to be more of a common sight on earth, Dr. Strange was forced to utilize the power of the forbidden black magic. Strange sought out Kaluu, a master of black arts, to aid him. Kaluu taught Strange so well, that Strange’s power began to go to his head, thus turning him away from his original good intentions. It took the combined efforts of Enitharmon, Rintrah, and Kaluu to revert Strange to his former state of mind. After going through Strange’s upheaval, Rintrah decided to go back to Enitharmon.
The Return of Rintrah
Several months after returning to Enitharmon, Rintrah went back to Strange’s Sanctum Sactorum and asked to take him back as an apprentice. Strange, of course, accepted Rintrah’s proposition. Rintrah’s first mission was to aid Strange in acquiring the ingredients for a spell to banish the demon Sumer, who had captured Topaz. They gathered all the ingredients save for one with ease. The last ingredient required was the flame from a demon’s head, which forced the two to seek out the Ghost Rider. Before finding the elusive demon, the pair was assaulted by the mysterious Zodiak. In the process of the battle, Rintrah managed to snatch the last ingredient from a shelve in Zodiak’s dimension. The pair defeated Zodiak, and made their way back to free Topaz.
Aquisitions
In a more important mission under Dr. Strange, Rintrah shape shifted into Strange, in order to get closer to the Enchantress. When he did, Enchantress gave him the original Eye of Agamotto and a purple cloak of levitation. Thinking he was magically inclined enough to successfully utilize the items, Rintrah attempted to do so, but instead of achieving what he had tried, Rintrah accidentally turned a pile of garbage into a man eating monster, that had to be slain by Dr. Strange.
Death…?
In Rintrah’s last mission, Strange and Rintrah attempted to seek out and destroy a very powerful, yet very evil magical artifact. When the two finally found the item, Rintrah tried to crush it with his sheer strength before Dormammu could get his hands on it. When Rintrah crushed the artifact, a large burst of energy leaped from it, striking Rintrah in the chest and draining his life force near instantly. Strange, refusing to accept his student’s death, placed a spell on Rintrah to leave him in a state of suspended animation, then placed him inside a pocket universe. Strange has continued to look for a cure to Rintrah’s state ever since.
Powers
Enitharmon revealed to Rintrah when they met that Rintrah possessed the magical potential to surpass the power of himself and even Dr. Strange. Due to the teachings of Strange and Enitharmon, Rintrah possesses basic magical skills, such as illusion casting, magical blasts, astral body projection, levitation, projection of energy shields, and dimensional travel, as well as other various skills and spells that he has acquired from his time in study with Enitharmon and Dr. Strange. Due to his R’Vaalian biology, however, Rintrah possesses the abilities to shape shift, communicate telepathically, teleport vast distances, and blend into his surroundings in a chameleon-like manner. He also has enhanced physical attributes, such as strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, and endurance. He is also considered a genius among his people.
In Other Media
Film
- Rintrah appears in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, portrayed by Adam Hugill.
Merchandise
- Rintrah was the subject of a Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure wave from Hasbro, with collectors able to assemble the toy after buying the other corresponding characters in the series.