Damien

> Stick to the truth! I'm nobody's lab project. I was summoned to this world! I was not made in some lab!
>
> Damien, to Dr. Sciuridae

**Damien** was a megalomaniac and a powerful being of unknown heritage capable of generating and controlling fire. He first appeared in the El Goonish Shive arc as a silhouette, and was only later revealed in the Painted Black arc, where he was the primary villain. Damien had white hair, red eyes, and pale skin with black stripes in some areas that glowed when he was angry or using his powers. He was the leader of a group of chimera consisting of Vlad, Hedge, Guineas, and Grace, although Grace fled and escaped to Moperville. He attempted a kamikaze explosion in an attempt to kill Grace, which ultimately only managed to kill himself.

Damien was extremely arrogant, violent, and a megalomaniac. He believed himself to be a god that was summoned to Earth and thus justified in all his actions. He tended to strike his underlings (except for Vlad, who never got on his bad side). He intended to use Grace as a means to breed an army of seyunolu in a single generation with which he could conquer the world.

## History

Damien was supposedly created in a lab as an answer to an old prophecy that claimed an individual would arise as a great leader of the seyunolu, and that this individual would be a master of fire. This origin was revealed by Dr. Sciuridae during the Painted Black arc, though Damien was enraged by the mention of it and claimed to have been summoned, not created. He killed the group that created him for lack of faith in his abilities when he was planning to attack Project Lycanthrope's facility. He killed everyone present at Project Lycanthrope's facility as well, excluding Grace, Vlad, Hedge, and Guineas, as he was planning to use them to breed an army. This all occurred before the start of the story.

Damien sent Hedge out to recapture Grace, and beat Hedge when he returned with only Elliot. Damien interrogated the captured Elliot, believing that Elliot was a chimera due to the fact that Elliot was in his cat form at the time, but became irritated and left when he realized that Elliot was lying. He assigned Guineas to guard him and showed his violent tendencies when he returned to find Hedge on guard, striking Hedge in the face. He ordered Hedge to guard their other prisoner, who was later revealed to be Dr. Sciuridae.

When Grace, Ellen, and Nanase arrived to rescue Elliot from The Nest, Damien knocked Grace unconscious with a single punch and imprisoned her alongside Dr. Sciuridae. He began talking with her and the doctor, coaxing the doctor into revealing the origin of Grace and her siblings. It was revealed that Damien was responsible for the death of one of Grace's parents, the uryuom Mr. Guyur, though he did not know who Guyur was at the time. This revelation sent Grace into a blind rage wherein she accessed the dormant strengths of her lespuko heritage. Because of this transformation, Grace was able to grievously harm Damien, due to his regeneration being suppressed by the properties of Grace's claws. Grace offered him a chance at redemption, but he refused. In an act of desperation and nihilistic despair, he released the full extent of his powers, fueling an explosion with which he intended to kill Grace, taking his own life in the process. Grace was saved by Nioi, who surrounded herself and Grace with a magic shield.

Later on, once Grace entered school and learned about World War II, she freaked out upon realizing, among other things, that many would follow Damien just like many followed Adolf Hitler.

## Gallery

Damien.gifDamien normallyDamien (glowing).gifDamien's stripes glowing
## Abilities

Damien could generate and control fire and was seemingly immune to fire-based damage until his final act. He also was capable of regeneration, making him extremely difficult to kill. Due to these two abilities, he never gained any skill in melee combat.

## Quotes

> If I am truly a god... ...then this body doesn't matter. If I'm mortal, life isn't worth living. In either case, I'm taking you with me...
>
> Damien, to Grace

> Come with me...
>
> First and last words he said to Grace

## Trivia

* Damien went through many redesigns before coming to his canon appearance, including Roman-based attire and a crown of thorns. He was intended to be a villain with a light look, with white clothes and red stripes, but this was rejected after his powers were chosen to be fire-based.

## References

1. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-10-13 ("Untitled. A Walk In The Park cover")
2. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-03-03 ("Damien Has a Fear")
3. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-03-03
4. ↑ 4,0 4,1 EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-04-28
5. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-10-16
6. ↑ 6,0 6,1 EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-01-05
7. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-01-07
8. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-11-21
9. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-12-08
10. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-12-11
11. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-12-17
12. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-12-15
13. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-01-09
14. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-02-04
15. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-02-06
16. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-02-14
17. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-03-15
18. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-05-05
19. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-05-12
20. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-05-14
21. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2008-01-18
22. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2008-02-12
23. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-05-07 ("Impossible to Win")
24. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2003-10-16 ("Grace thinks back to her "rescue".")
25. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-05-12 ("Grace VS Damien Climax.")
26. ↑ EGS Main Story Comic for 2004-07-14 ("The Tale of King Damien")