Robert W. Sullivan IV

A little teaser from CS4, which is coming along nicely. Also, Rob returns to Coast to Coast AM next Saturday night, so stay tuned for information on that – more coming next week.

Led Zeppelin’s “♫ traveler of both time and space [who] sit[s] with elders of the gentle race this world has seldom seen ♫” is often considered one of the occult founders of Rock ‘n’ Roll as his presence forever looms in Hollywood and pop culture. Crowley’s shadow falls upon SPECTRE’s Blofeld and Casino Royale’s Le Chiffre in Fleming’s James Bond universe.[1] Frater Perdurabo’s impact upon the latter villain is clearly visible in the 2006 cinematic version of Fleming’s first novel. Le Chiffre uses a platinum-plated inhaler, signifying Crowley’s chronic drug abuse, causing the magickian to develop asthma in the 1920s.[2] M (Judi Dench) states that Le Chiffre is a chess prodigy paralleling Crowley, who was a chess master. And, like the Beast, Le Chiffre is a sadomasochist, torturing Bond’s testicles (and enjoying it) before meeting his demise by getting a bullet through the head. In a bizarre twist, Le Chiffre finances 9/11, suggesting Crowley’s magick that transcended that tragic day. 

[1] Actors that have portrayed Blofeld include Anthony Dawson in From Russia with Love (1963) and Thunderball (voiced by Eric Pohlmann (1913-1979) in both films); Donald Pleasence in You Only Live Twice; Telly Savalas in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; Charles Gray in Diamonds are Forever; Max von Sydow (1929-2020) in the noncanonical Never Say Never (1983); and Christopher Waltz in Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021). Orson Wells (1915-1985) portrayed Le Chiffre in the 1967 noncanonical Casino Royal and Mads Mikkelsen in its 2006’s canonical adaption.

[2] In Fleming’s story, Le Chiffre uses the inhaler because he suffers from haemolacria, causing him to weep blood from his left eye.