Suenteus Po

**Suenteus Po** was a philosopher and social and political leader in Estarcion. His name predates him and was used by his descendants and many of their followers. In his final known incarnation, he was one of only three living aardvarks.

## History

Po himself stated that he was not the first of his name, stating that he took the name after a "great historian who had led the Sepran Empire away from the pitfall of centralized government several hundred years before."

He claimed to have lived through a number of different incarnations over the centuries. His first incarnation was that of a great warrior/statesman. The Judge claimed that he recruited his military by sending young boys into the Red Marches and told them to defend the area in the name of the Sepran Empire. Oscar referred to Po as "a student of history, aware that there had never been a successful assault on the upper city...so he swept into the Feldwar Valley, over-running the lower city and neighbouring lands..gaining complete control of all supply lines into Iest. He installed a military government...assigned the best of his men to guard all roads and stairways into the upper city and declared himself prime minister."

His second incarnation was a goldsmith who carved religious images into coins and was executed by the Great Andrena as a heretic. The second incarnation's trial and subsequent execution are seen by Cerebus and Astoria during her trial.

He claimed to have lived the rest of his incarnations as a humble ascetic.

He was President Adam Weisshaupt's uncle.

He engaged Cerebus in a series of Mind Games, during the first of which, he gave Cerebus the impression that he was an only semi-competent leader of a small quasi-religious group of drug users, the Illusionists. He claimed to have no knowledge of Cirinist "plans", and to be helping Cerebus "for fun".

When Cirin first set eyes on Po, she recognized him and addressed him by name. After attempting to impart his wisdom unto Cirin, Cerebus and Astoria (succeeding only with the last), he departed.

### Other Pos

* Alfred, Suenteus Po's son who renamed himself Suenteus Po the Second upon the death of his fater. Founder of the Illusionists.
* Suenteus Po III, Alfred's son. "A bloated caricature of his father," according to Po. He had Po's then-current incarnation, the goldsmith, arrested and turned over to Great Andrena.
* Suenteus Po of Harbourside, an Anarcho-Romantic writer
* One of the Suenteus Pos wrote a book of children's tales some time around 1312 which "were in fact allegories for complex spells and incantations", including that for the creation of the Apocalypse Beast.

## Quotes

* "The more worthwhile the Road, the more seductive will be those paths divergent from it."
* "The hardest lesson for the Reformer to learn is that he chooses not whom he inspires, nor does he choose the form and the substance of that inspiration."
* "Once a profound truth has been seen . . .it cannot be 'unseen'."
* "One person's trifle is another's reason for living. . ."
* Talking to Cirin: "Why won't you admit that in an over-populated world the greatest self-indulgence is childbirth."

## Dave Sim on Suenteus Po

* "Suenteus Po reflected much of my best thinking on various subjects at the time I introduced him into the storyline. He was my mouthpiece in the world of Cerebus at the time, as the Judge had been before him and as Rick-as-prophet would be after him. The reader is free to see each viewpoint as superseding the previous viewpoint - as I intended - or to adhere to whichever viewpoint seems wisest to him or her."

* "No, I had no idea that the Marche region was called that because they sat on the border of the papal estates, but I'd be willing to bet that my former brother-in-law who created the map and place names - and so named the Red Marches - knew it. He was and is very well-read and self-educated. I continually trip over his sly references to obscure historical items - like Clovis and Suetonius which he transmogrified into Suenteus."

* Q2: How did Mrs. Thatcher survive the cataclysm that destroyed Iest? It occurred right after Cerebus and Cirin ascended, didn't it? She was in the upper city close to ground zero, as were Astoria and Suenteus Po. Did Astoria and Po die in the cataclysm?

Dave: I would imagine that Astoria and Suenteus Po died in the cataclysm. She might be a different Mrs. Thatcher along the same lines of the two or three Oscar Wildes in the story. You can pick whichever one makes you less uncomfortable: Mrs. Thatcher had a miraculous escape from the cataclysm or there’s more than one Mrs. Thatcher. I’ll back up your choice 100% whichever one it is.
## References

 1. ↑ *Cerebus No. 158*, page 7
2. ↑ *Cerebus No. 160*
3. ↑ *Cerebus No. 99*
4. ↑ *Cerebus No. 160*, page 10
5. ↑ *Church & State I*, page 507
6. ↑ *Cerebus No. 20*
7. ↑ *Cerebus* No. 175
8. ↑ *Cerebus No. 160*, page 9
9. ↑ *Cerebus No. 24*, page 16
10. ↑ *Cerebus* No. 157, page 139
11. ↑ *Cerebus* No. 160, page 7
12. ↑ *Cerebus* No. 177, page 17
13. ↑ *Cerebus* No. 177, page 18
14. ↑ *Cerebus* No. 177, page 19
15. ↑ *Collected Letters 2004*, page 403
16. ↑ *Collected Letters 2004*, page 568
17. ↑ Dave's Q&A from August 2005