Red Rajah

Origin

The Red Rajah emerges from a mystical jewel called the Star of Capistan. Once the jewel takes a host body then the Red Rajah becomes its spokesman and protector. The Star of Capistan is a jewel sacred to a secret Pakistani religious group called the Cult of the Unliving Four. It is the largest ruby on the planet and it contains an incredible power for good or evil. The ruby is sentient and is sensitive to human brainwaves on a global and perhaps a cosmic scale. It is imbued with a supreme will and a drive all its own, the gem seeks an end to conflict and an absolute harmony among all men's mind. The gem must take a host body to act as its spokesman and protector and upon contact that host becomes the Red Rajah.

The Star of Capistan mesmerizes Dr. Strange when he visits an old friend, Omar Karindu who is the Brahmin of the secret cult. The Star is out of control and takes Dr. Strange as his next host. Dr. Strange is transformed into the Red Rajah who now possesses the abilities of the sorcerer supreme. Egghead and his Emissaries of Evil are interested in the Star of Capistan and attempt to look for it. Rhino and Solarr would face the new Red Rajah and is quickly dispatched when the Rajah overloads Solarr's amplifier and then overpowers the Rhino. The Defenders seek Karindu for some answers and he tells them that the current incarnation of the Red Rajah is Dr. Strange. The Red Rajah begins to mesmerizes a huge mass of people including Karindu and Strange's servant Wong. Luke Cage, Nighthawk and the Hulk discover the Red Rajah in Central Park and confront him. The Rajah defeats the trio and makes them his mental servants. Valkyrie, Hellcat and the Red Guardian are the only Defenders left and attempt to free the Defenders and the rest of the Manhattan population.

The three lady Defenders attack the Red Rajah but with no success and the Red Guardian is nearly mesmerized by the Red Rajah until Hellcat intervenes. The ladies retreat and realize they need help so Valkyrie summons Clea. The ladies come up with a plan and confront the Red Rajah once again in Central Park. The Red Rajah commands his captive Defenders to attack Valkyrie, Hellcat and Red Guardian. During the battle, Clea appears behind the Red Rajah and attempts to make contact with her lover Stephen Strange with her mind. Dr. Strange still deeply submerged in the will of the Star of Capistan feels the gentle probing of his beloved and struggles with his own strength of will to reestablish contact. The essence of the Rajah is unable to cope with the mental assaults and allows Dr. Strange to escape. Dr. Strange then destroys the Star of Capistan which comes the freedom of the masses.

Powers & Abilities

The Red Rajah can mesmerize a large amount of people because of the jewel's abilities but  the Rajah's physical body is only as powerful as its host. If the jewel takes over the body of a normal human being then it is vulnerable to various attacks and can be killed. However when the jewel took over Dr. Strange, then the Red Rajah had the abilities of the sorcerer supreme. That incarnation of the Red Rajah had the ability to increase its size and mass, fire mystical bolts, use numerous spells, had superhuman strength and could levitate.