| “ | Of course I'm the real Devil! | „ |
| ― Pan to Jack Horner, Jack of Fables #16 — "Jack o' Lantern" |
Pan is a Fable devil who first appears in Jack of Fables #16 — "Jack o' Lantern." He is one of several Devils (who are all the Devil) that Jack Horner made a deal with in order to prolong his life.
History
Deal with Jack Horner
Throughout his life, Jack Horner engaged in multiple agreements with different devils to extend his lifespan. Having first made a deal with Old Scratch, Jack had no choice but to pursue another Devil to buy him out of his current contract. After years of searching, he finally managed to find another, Pan. Pan claims that he is the real Devil and that Old Scratch is "just an uncredentialed upstart in a badly stitched suit." Jack haggled for a new deal; a hundred new years of life in exchange switching his contract over to Pan. Pan accepted.[1]
As the century was nearing its end, Jack found himself compelled to locate another Devil, Lucifer, who freed him from the pact he had made with Pan, thereby granting Jack an additional one hundred years to his lifespan.[1]
Elusive prey
Eventually, Jack is killed in a chaotic battle, and all the Devils — Pan, Chernobog, Lucifer, Old Scratch and Nick Slick — came to collect Jack's soul. Pan promptly asserts his entitlement to Jack's soul; however, the others make similar claims. Consequently, so as soon as they have their quarry in their sight, They commence an argument regarding who among them should rightfully possess Jack's soul. Taking advantage of the distraction, Jack's ghost slips away and escaped.[2]
Reckoning
However, the group eventually catches up with him: One day, when Jack's ghost was hitchhiking, a red and black van with a flame motif stops to pick him up, but when the doors open, all five Devils jump out of the car, ready to catch him. After arguing which of their hells he would go to, they eventually decide to put Jack in a specialized Hell custom-made just for him, where he will sit alone on an empty planet with nothing to do but think about everything he'd done wrong.[3]
Appearances
Jack of Fables
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Fables |
Original source
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, rustic music and impromptus, and companion of the nymphs. He has the hindquarters, legs, and horns of a goat, in the same manner as a faun or satyr. With his homeland in rustic Arcadia, he is also recognized as the god of fields, groves, wooded glens, and often affiliated with sex; because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring.