Azoth the Avenger Is a Friend of Mine - Recap

A young boy, Craig, reads a comic about his hero, Azoth the Avenger. He hears his abusive father Darrell yelling downstairs. As Craig paints his Azoth figurine, he sees an inscription on the base. Darrell comes in and asks Craig how he’s doing in basketball, and is disgusted with the fact Craig “lets” himself get beat up. After Darrell leaves, Craig examines the inscription and compares it to a code key in the comic book. He recites the words and the figure glows with light, and then disappears. Craig turns, and sees the real Azoth the Avenger appear in his room.

Azoth demands to know how he was brought there but Craig has to have him hide as his mother Lorraine comes in. She apologizes for Darrell, saying he’s had a hard time. Once she leaves, Azoth drops down from the ceiling and notices that Craig was attacked, and says he must be avenged. They go to the basketball court while Craig explains about the modern world. He tosses Azoth an apple and the warrior slices it in half in mid-air. The three street punks appear and start beating up on Craig, and Azoth emerges from the shadows. Azoth throws one punk away with his bare hands and the other two run away.

Craig goes back to his apartment to get some food and then sneaks Azoth into the basement through the laundry chute. They eat and Azoth looks at the comics of his adventures. Craig shows him the model base and Azoth talks about a pack of demons that killed his family when he was Craig’s age. He fled and is still haunted by the one battle he never fought.

The next day, Craig asks Azoth to take the boy back with him and Azoth agrees he needs a squire. Craig hears his dad yelling at his mother about the missing food and goes upstairs to say he took it for a friend. Darrell doesn’t believe him but Azoth comes in with his sword and declares that Darrell is the evil he must battle. Darrell throws coffee in Azoth’s face and then beats him mercilessly as Craig looks on. Darrell takes the sword and throws Azoth out, then demands an explanation from Craig. Darrell insists that he was just protecting his family but Craig insists that Azoth was trying to protect him and his mother from Darrell. Craig finally admits that Azoth is from the local comic book store and both Darrell and Lorraine forbid him from seeing him again.

Craig goes down to the basement where Azoth is recovering from his wounds. Lorraine comes downstairs and tends to Azoth’s wounds, then apologizes. He tells her that Darrell is unworthy of her and she knows that he held back rather than kill Darrell. Azoth explains that if he had killed Darrell, it would have done Craig more harm than good. Craig comes downstairs and tells Lorraine that Darrell wants her. Azoth tells Craig that the boy has more power than he knows, and it’s time to return Azoth to his realm. Darrell starts to come downstairs and Azoth tells Craig it’s his battle to fight. Craig recites the magic words to send Azoth back from where he came. He then goes upstairs and gets the sword as Darrell verbally assaults his wife. Darrell gives him to the count of three and then knocks the sword out of Craig’s hand. Lorraine leaps on her husband but he easily knocks her to the ground. Lorraine says Azoth is a better man then Darrell, and Darrell goes berserk. Craig recites the magic words and Darrell disappears in a burst of light.

Later, Lorraine comes into her son’s room, where Craig is painting a new figure: his father.

Share this article with your friends