Skartaris is a

fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, ...

Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...

fantasy setting A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a Setting (narrative), setting for a role-playing game or wargaming, wargame campaign. A ''Campaign (role-playing games), campaign'' is a series of individual adventure (role-playin ...

created by

Mike Grell Mike Grell (born September 13, 1947) is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as '' Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', '' The Warlord'', and '' Jon Sable Freelance''. Early life Grell studied at the University of ...

for the

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

'' The Warlord'', published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. Skartaris debuted in '' 1st Issue Special'' #8 (November 1975), where the character Travis Morgan, a

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

pilot, discovers a passage into this world through the Earth's North Pole. Subsequent to that first issue, the ''Warlord'' series tells of Morgan's adventures in Skartaris.

Publication history

According to Mike Grell, creator of Skartaris and ''The Warlord'', "the name comes from the mountain peak ''Scartaris'' that points the way to the passage to the earth's core in ''

Journey to the Center of the Earth ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...

''". While Grell never drew a map of Skartaris during his tenure on the book, one was created towards the end of the original volume's run, and the illustration appeared in ''The Warlord'' Annual #4 (1985). In an interview from ''Comic Scene'' in 1983, he says: "I did things like moving my character around the countryside; I never drew a map so I could move him from one side of Skartaris to the other just for the sake of the story". In a later interview with

Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

Grell said: "Anything that can happen in fantasy happens in the lore and it's one of the reasons I always refused to draw a map of Skartaris. Year after year after year went by, and I was always hounded by the editors, 'When are you going to have a map?' The reason I refused was because once you draw a map, you establish boundaries. And why would you want to put boundaries on your imagination?"

History

Skartaris is essentially a translation of

Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...

Pellucidar Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth invented by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a crossover event, Tarzan, who was also created by Burroughs, visits Pellucidar. The stories initially involv ...

into the graphic medium, with elements of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

and half a dozen other fictional Hollow Earth settings, and the mixture of

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

and the

Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...

myth. In Grell's concept, as in Burroughs', the Earth is a hollow shell with Skartaris as the internal surface of that shell. Skartaris is accessible to the surface world via a polar opening allowing passage between the inner and outer worlds. There are also various tunnels connecting the interior world with the surface. Skartaris is lit by a miniature sun suspended at the center of the hollow sphere, so it is perpetually overhead wherever one is in Skartaris. The miniature sun never changes in brightness, and never sets; so with no night or seasonal progression, the natives have little concept of time. There is however, a "moon" that orbits the sun in a random way, resulting in certain areas of Skartaris being covered in darkness from time to time. The events of the series suggest that time is elastic, passing at different rates in different areas of Skartaris and varying even in single locales. Skartaris is populated by primitive people of various levels of culture ranging from the primitive to medieval, with the most advanced inhabiting city state monarchies such as Shamballah (based on the mythical

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

an realm of

Shambhala In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala ( sa, शम्भल ',''Śambhala'', also ''Sambhala'', is the name of a town between the Rathaprā and Ganges rivers, identified by some with Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. In the Puranas, it is named as ...

), the home of Morgan's principal love interest Tara. The practice of magic is well developed, numerous sorcerers being known, usually antagonistic to each other and to Morgan; the most prominent is Deimos, his main antagonist. Remnants of the super-scientific technology of Atlantis can also be found. Skartaris is overrun by a variety of prehistoric creatures from all geological eras, notably

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

s. Most early issues of the comic characterize the setting with the following tag phrase: "In the savage world of Skartaris, life is a constant struggle for survival. Here, beneath an unblinking orb of eternal sunlight, one simple law prevails: If you let down your guard for an instant you will soon be very dead". Skartaris was eventually

retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established diegetic facts in the plot of a fictional work (those established through the narrative itself) are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subse ...

into being located in another dimension instead of physically inside the Earth. Thousands of years ago, before it was colonized by humans, this dimension was known as "Wizard World" because of the number of magical beings that lived in it.

New Atlantis

Atlantean survivors of the city of Challa-Bel-Nalla, then ruled by Lord Daamon (an ancestor of Deimos), formed an alliance with an alien race they called the ''Red-Moon Gods''. These aliens provided the Atlanteans with advanced technology that Travis Morgan would later discover in New Atlantis. New Atlantis first appears in ''The Warlord'' Annual #2 (1983). Lord Norrad the Younger, one of the Atlantean ''Knights of the Sea Eagle'' left Atlantis with a small group of followers and travelled to Skartaris. Yet another group led by the Atlantean sorcerer Ar-Diamphos escaped the sinking of Atlantis and found New Atlantis, Ar-Diamphos had Norrad killed and made himself ruler. He transformed them into beast men known as Blood Brothers using Red-Moon God technology.

Books of Magic

Skartaris is depicted in ''

The Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...

'' #3, part of a four-issue mini-series written by

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

Suicide Squad

Skartaris is featured in the '' Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag'' limited series, and is the source of a techno-mystical artifact used by series protagonist

Rick Flag Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

, and his nemesis Rustam.

Secret Six

It is the location for the fight between the two factions of the ''

Secret Six The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown. Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in po ...

''.

The New 52

In September 2011,

The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...

rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, during the ''

Convergence Convergence may refer to: Arts and media Literature *''Convergence'' (book series), edited by Ruth Nanda Anshen *Convergence (comics), "Convergence" (comics), two separate story lines published by DC Comics: **A four-part crossover storyline that ...

'' storyline, Skartaris appears deep within the planet Telos.

Points of interest

* Asravar * Ba'al Forest - This is where Travis Morgan crashed his plane when he first arrived in Skartaris. He also met his future wife, Tara, here. There is also a race of Lizardmen living in the Ba'al Forest who worshipped Travis' plane and he had to fight them in order to receive his travel gear. The Ba'al Forest is also where the Children of Ba'al live. * Balgar Bay * Bandakhar * Bantham * Baroth Mountains * Beast Tower * Bloodrock Mountains * Captain Hawk's Stronghold * Caves of the Cyclops * Citadel of Timgad - It was formerly the great city of the Sorcerer Kings. The Citadel of Timgad is now overrun by

hobgoblin A hobgoblin is a household spirit, typically appearing in folklore, once considered helpful, but which since the spread of Christianity has often been considered mischievous. Shakespeare identifies the character of Puck in his ''A Midsummer Nig ...

s and filled with traps. It's the only one that has wells in the Desert of Doom which attracts travelers. * City of the Dead * Desert of Doom * Desert of Sorrows * Doomgate Temple * Dragon Sea * Drakmeer * Forest of Ebondar * Great Fire Mountain * Groniko * Haunted Mountains * Isle of Titans - An island that is home to the Skartarian Titans led by Queen Amarant. The Warlord has his first encounter with Shakira here. * Kaambuka * Kalibahs * Kasamaga Island * Kiro - This is the city where Machiste is the king of. It has a diverse population and a Thieves' Market. The Warlord and Mariah's first costumes were fashioned here. * Lake of Dreams * Mountains of the Sun * North Sea * Sea of Grel - A sea that borders Skartaris to the west. It contains ports such as Bal Shazar, Kiro, Bakwele and Kallistan. It also contains the Bay of Tears, Balgar Bay, and Captain Hawk's Stronghold. The Warlord met Ligia (a beautiful woman of the sea) who once saved his life when he was defending her. ** Bal Shazar - A sprawling seaport city that is known for its slave auctions. When the Warlord was captured, this city was where he first met Machiste. ** Bakwele - A teeming port where the Warlord, Machiste, and Mariah occasionally stop during their travels. ** Bay of Tears - It's located in the Sea of Grel. Pirates and slave-traders tend to come into conflict with each other here. ** Kallistan * Shaban D'aba * Shadow Forest * Shamballah - A great golden city that is filled with Atlantean technology. It's also the home of the Warlord's wife Tara and their son, Joshua, is Shamballah's rightful king. During the Warlord's first visit, Shamballah's computers malfunctioned and nearly killed everyone who lived there. * Shebal Gladiator Arena - An area next to the Bay of Tears where men are trained to fight each other. The Warlord fights Machiste in a death match. Rather than kill Machiste, the Warlord kills Shebal himself and organizes a gladiator army of his own. * Skyra - An airborne city that was maintained by a cyborg named Tragg. The Warlord, Machiste, and Mariah were brought there by Pteranodons where they were forced to kill the caretaker who had a taste for flesh. With Tragg dead, the city fell to the ground and was destroyed. * Swamplands - The Swamplands of Skartaris are filled with poisonous snakes and semi-aquatic dinosaurs. This was where the Warlord was hunted by a man named Stryker. * Temple Grimfang * Temple of the Sun * Terminator - A land of perpetual darkness where Skartaris meets Earth. Deimos built his castle here when the Mask of Life made him vulnerable to sunlight. ** Castle Deimos - This was where Deimos' castle was located. * Thera - The first Skartarian city that the Warlord visited and where he first met Deimos who was a high priest there. Although Thera is civilized, they were looked down by the other cultures who use them for human sacrifice. The city was later sacked by The Warlord's army and Deimos was overthrown. * Tower of Fear - A gigantic spire filled with demons who appear and disappear at random to kill anyone who enters the tower. The Warlord and Machiste were forced to enter the Tower of Fear to retrieve the Mask of Life which they did, not knowing it would be used in resurrecting Deimos. * Umber * Valley of the Lion * Valley of the Snowbeast - A place in Skartaris that is always cloudy and constantly covered in snow. The Warlord met a kindly

Yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. is an ape-like creature purported t ...

-like creature here. When Machiste accidentally killed it, it was revealed that the creature was actually a beautiful winged creature that was trapped in a fur-like cocoon.

In other media

* Skartaris appeared in the ''

Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and ...

'' episode "Chaos at the Earth's Core".

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

, Stargirl, and S.T.R.I.P.E. were summoned by The Warlord's daughter Jennifer against Deimos.

Metallo Metallo () is a name used by multiple supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of Superman. Metallo is usually depicted as a cyborg with a kryptonite power source in his heart, which he ...

and the

Silver Banshee Silver Banshee is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of Superman. In television, she has been portrayed by Odessa Rae in ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville'' and Italia Ricci in the Arrowvers ...

had provided his forces with energy weapons in exchange for capturing the Great Stone which is actually a large chunk of

Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...

. With the Justice League's help, they defeated Deimos' forces, bringing peace to Skartaris. Afterwards, Green Lantern closed the portal to that world so no one can capture the Great Stone. * In the episode of '' Powerless'' titled "Win, Luthor, Draw", Wendy goes through a portal inside LexCorp and returns in warrior armor claiming she had been to Skartaris. * In the film ''

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially ...

'', Arthur and Mera descend into the Trenches pursued by the mutated Atlantean inhabitants that live there. They emerge in a subterranean world where dinosaurs have survived. Here they also discover the trident Arthur needs to claim kingship, and his mother Atlanna who has been trapped in this submerged world since she disappeared. Though unnamed, with its connection to ancient Atlanteans and surviving dinosaurs, this world within ours would seem to be Skartaris.