COUNT COGLIOSTRO
Count Cogliostro is one of only three characters in Spawndom to attain figurehood. The others are Al Simmons and Takeda. There are to date, only two Cogliostro figures, both MTCC Exclusives:
December 1999 MTCC Exclusive: Cogliostro
Count Cogliostro is but one of many identities assumed by Cogliostro as he is supposedly to have live since the creation of humankind.
Green Cogliostro
Figurewise, he is quite easily distinguishable from the successive figure that would appear the next year with his predominant colour - green. Green is also the colour of his cape although the interior of the cape is grey.
December 2000 MTCC Exclusive: Cogliostro
The second version released a year later under MTCC has definitely better paint scheme. And the card is also embellished with a longer and more impressive title.
Red Cogliostro
Between the 'Green' and 'Red', the latter is definitely the more difficult to obtain. Just ensure that when you correspond with your seller you are buying the Cogliostro that has red as the dominant colour. Note the red portion of the cape is in the inside while the external is black. His armour also received a repaint.
THE STORY OF COGLIOSTRO
His first appearance is in Spawn issue #9 (March 1993) courtesy of a certain Neil Gaiman. The original name is not Cogliostro but Count Nicholas Cagliostro, named after a famous 18th century occultist: Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. Just google the name for more information.
He started out as a mentor to Al Simmons the Spawn and was rather jovial in the beginning. But over successive issues, he becomes increasingly serious, grumpy and tends to speak in cryptic sentences.
The many "faces" of Cog
(1) An alley bum in March 1993.
(2) In the 1996's Spawn Bible, he is Count Alessandro di Cogliostro.
(3) In the 1997 Spawn Movie, he is an assassin from 15th century's Kingdom of Saxony who became a Hellspawn after his death. He abandoned most of his power to limit his dependency on Malebolgia but maintained some natural abilities, such as a sharp blade that automatically extends from his right arm.
(4) In October 1998' s issue of Spawn #77, he stripped down to show Al Simmons his slave "markings".
(5) In Spawn the Dark Ages (March 1999), a spinoff from the main comic series, he introduced himself as "Merridyn...Merlin...Prospero...Cogliostro".
Also in Spawn the Dark Ages he has a mark on his top torso that marks him off as a Spawn but note that in Spawn the Dark Ages, the 'Three Sisters' also have similar markings although those markings on the girls disappeared gradually!
(6) In Season 3 Episode 1 of the HBO animated series in May 1999, he was the Black Knight who is Malebolgia's errand boy and later, he uses his black art to escape and in the process assumes several identifies, the first being Merlin.
(7) "I have been called many names in my past: Cain, Malcus, Fustus, Merlin, Cogliostro." In Spawn issue #120 (October 2002), he is revealed as Cain, the first murderer and first Hellspawn.
Cain is certainly the most convenient and as it makes possible for Cogliostro to be whoever he claimed he was (except Adam of course).
FAQ
Q: Since Cogliostro is eternal, why don't he choose a more dapper appearance like Mammon?
A: Cog has been walking this Earth since his birth as Cain and he prefers his current old geezer persona because he is bored with his Brad Pitt look.
