The Dark Druid is a one-time character and the main villain of the episode, Return of the Dark Druid from the first season of the animated series, Martin Mystery.
Background
He is a ghostly druid who seeks revenge against the town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia for turning him into a tree.
Personality
The Dark Druid was an evil, villainous, ruthless and deranged man bent on revenge against the town that had trapped him. He feared the Skeen Dug, as it was the only way to stop him. He seemed to take great pleasure in harming his victims. He appeared to consider Martin and his friends as potential threats, and tried to eliminate them several times, only to fail at each attempt.
Role in the series
Centuries ago, the Dark Druid used his powers to terrorize the people of the town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. They eventually managed to turn his powers on himself and used a magical object called the Skeen Dug to trap him in the form of a tree.
Return of the Dark Druid
Hundreds of years later, a boy named Cameron was walking in the countryside around Antigonish when he accidentally released the Dark Druid who took possession of Cameron's body without him knowing. He quickly began turning the townspeople into trees as revenge. But the spell he intended to cast to become human again required the souls of ninety-nine people. The town only had a population of ninety-five, not counting Cameron. The local Constable Angus reported the disappearance of all the people in the town.
This alerted the Center, who dispatched Martin, Diana and Java to investigate. Soon after they arrived, they met Cameron who was terrified by the situation. At night, while they were sleeping, slime appeared and objects around the house began to levitate. They heard chanting coming from Cameron's room. As they rushed upstairs, they found him levitating, his eyes glowing and chanting in Celtic. Just as they tried to get to him, giant roots burst in through the windows to stop them. Cameron then suddenly stopped chanting and seemed to snap out of his trance.
The next morning, they realized Constable Angus had vanished and found a tree that strangely resembled him. They quickly understood what had happened to the townspeople of Antigonish. They headed to the town library to search the village's history and discovered everything about the Dark Druid, including how to defeat him. Cameron began levitating and chanting again, this time possessed by him. He proceeded to attack Martin and the gang. But they were successful in fending off his assault and reaching the boy, releasing him from his influence.
Meanwhile, the found Java who was now transformed into a tree. Martin, Diana and Cameron went to the outskirts of the village to find the tree which the Dark Druid was imprisoned in. Martin tried to cut it down, only for the tree to absorb Cameron. He then emerged for the bark in his true form and attacked them. Martin and Diana fled back to the town, not knowing what to do now. All the trees then started groaning and moving towards them. The Dark Druid appeared and told them he intended to turn them into trees as well. Diana quickly spotted the Sporran chain which had the Skeen Dug carved on it.
Knowing this was how the Dark Druid was defeated the first time, she raced towards it. The trees tried to stop her, but she managed to get it and throw it to Martin. He began chanting, and Diana started to turn into a tree. Martin however forced him to touch the Skeen Dug. Upon contact, he turned back into a tree. The townspeople were restored to their human forms, and Cameron was free of the Dark Druid's control for good.
Powers and abilities
The Dark Druid possessed a number of supernatural powers which he could use in tandem with the abilities he displayed as a spirit. During the episode, he demonstrated the following powers:
- Immortality: He is very likely immortal, given the fact that the townspeople of Antigonish could merely imprison him instead of outright destroying him. Even during his imprisonment, he is still fully conscious.
- Possession: Being a spirit, the Dark Druid can take over the body of a living person who has touched his tree form. While possessed, the person's eyes glow white and they have all of his powers. He appears to only be able to maintain control over the person for a limited amount of time. Once the person is released, they have no recollection of the actions while under his control.
- Levitation: The Dark Druid could levitate in both his ghostly form and when possessing a human.
- Slime Generation: The Dark Druid's spirit left behind copious amounts of green ectoplasmic slime.
- Telekinesis: He displayed a very advanced level of telekinesis. When possessing Cameron, he caused all the furniture throughout the entire house to float in midair. During his attack in the library, he hurled books at Martin with such force that they lodged themselves in the floor like blades. He could also produce telekinetic shockwaves powerful enough to blast people away or to utterly disintegrate thick walls.
- Agrokinesis: The power to mentally control plant life. He could summon giant tree roots to attack people or to defend himself. He could even shape the roots into various things like a giant fist.
- Transformation: The Dark Druid's "signature" attack was turning a living person into a tree. He accomplished this by chanting in Celtic. As he did, the victim's body would begin to cover itself in bark until they were completely transformed. They still retained some human features such as their face, albeit twisted into a scary, almost skeletal appearance. He could then animate these trees to do his bidding. They could move by using their roots as legs and attack with their branches. Trapping him in his tree form restored everyone to normal.
- Absorption: When Martin tried to cut the tree down, the Dark Druid retaliated by absorbing Cameron into his own body and emerged in his ghostly form.
- Shapeshifting: Through the same incantation he used to turn people into trees, the Dark Druid could turn his own hands into branch like arms. He could use them to attack his opponents by stretching his wooden limbs several meters, by crushing them with them or even by using the sharp wooden ends of his fingers to slash them.
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