Aleister Crowley

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Revision as of 03:30, 27 November 2013 by Dai-Guard (talk | contribs) (remove unneccessary quote box template)
"To know, to do and to keep silent."
—The man himself.
"Crowley had the first two down pat."
Alan Moore, on the above.

Aleister Crowley (1876-1947), born Edward Alexander Crowley, was an influential English occultist, provacateur, hedonist, mountaineer, chess player, and artist dubbed "The Wickedest Man in the World." His motto was "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law; love is the law, love under will." He is known for his occult writing and drug experimentation. Also noted for appearing on the cover of The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album, drawing the interest of Jimmy Page, and being the subject of the Ozzy Osbourne song "Mr. Crowley." Not to be confused with Anthony J. Crowley.


Aleister Crowley and his works provide the following tropes:


Media where Crowley plays an important role

  • Elfen High: Where he appears as the sex-crazed wizard in charge of the school.
  • He appears as a boss battle in Shin Megami Tensei II with real magic powers and a One Winged Angel form, as a horny, completley insane wizard who attempts to kill the heroes out of anger that he can' preform a wild demonic orgy. It's not made clear if it's really Crowley you see or if it's a demon assuming his form, and it's also not made clear if he dies or simply escapes after you win the battle with him.
  • Also in To Aru Majutsu no Index, where he's the Man Behind the Man to all of Academy City, and is the number one heretic among the Magic Side. Aiwass is also his mentor.
  • Two of the more powerful and important demons in Supernatural are named Alastair and Crowley, respectively. The latter in life sold his soul for a bigger dick - make of that what you will.
  • W. Somerset Maugham based Oliver Haddo, the villain of his novel The Magician, on Crowley, a contemporary of his. Haddo reappears as the villain of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III: Century with even more specifically Crowleyan associations.
  • He has an occasional guest role in The Scarifyers as an advisor on the occult to the heroes. They themselves believe he is utterly insane. He's depicted as rather camp and generally harmless.
  • Frequently appears in the works of Robert Anton Wilson, most prominently in Masks of the Illuminati.