Agamotto
Encyclopedia
Agamotto is a fictional character
in the Marvel Universe
. He is known mainly as the source of the Eye of Agamotto
—a tool of magical clairvoyance used by superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange
.
explained that while many people assumed such names to be distorted allusions to real-world spiritual terminology, he "just made 'em up." In the Modern Greek
language, Agamotto's name is transliterated using slightly different vowels in order to avoid an unfortunate resemblance to a vulgar phrase.
The character appears in Marvel Premiere #5 (November 1972), #8 (May 1973), Doctor Strange #1 (June 1974), #5 (December 1974), Marvel Team-Up #77 (January 1979), Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #6-7 (August–September 1989), #32 (August 1991), #43 (July 1992), #48-50 (December 1992-February 1993), #54 (June 1993), #72 (December 1994), and Secret Defenders #25 (March 1995).
Agamotto appeared as part of the "Vishanti" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
#8.
, Agamotto is one of the three eternal Vishanti
and one of the most powerful mystical
entities in the Marvel Universe
. The Vishanti bestow mystical knowledge and power upon sorcerers
who invoke their names in spells, and are the main backers of former Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth's dimension, Doctor Strange
.
Little more is known about Agamotto than his fellow Vishanti members. He is known to have existed during the Earth's infancy, is the spawn of Oshtur, and is known to have power enough within his realm to battle Galactus
to a standstill.
By some accounts Agamotto was the first Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth's dimension, holding enough power and skill to clash against the power of the Dread Dormammu
. This likely means that Agamotto helped to protect the Earth from evil before a native Sorcerer Supreme could be established. It is likely due to this that Agamotto chose to donate many articles of his power to the Marvel Universe's Sorcerer Supreme
, as he felt a special connection to that realm. Among these items are at least two versions of the Eye of Agamotto
, the Orb of Agamotto
and the Book of the Vishanti
; Agamotto also created the Moebius Stone, which was a mystic item he created that had a limited ability to manipulate time. The Stone was able to raise the dead, absorb the life-force of another and accelerate or reverse the passage of time within a confined area, though sometimes random time related side effects occurred. Doctor Druid eventually destroyed the artifact because he felt it was too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. Additionally, the Minorus have made reference to using the Spine of Agamotto to somehow install people as governors; the Oracle of Agamotto was also briefly used as a back-up device when the Orb was shattered and before Clea mended it mystically.
Agamotto himself is called "the All-Seeing," and has apparently spent his long life observing events throughout the multiverse
from the dimension in which he resides. He has been known to express partial apathy at any one universes' destruction as each is just one of the many universes that he likes to follow. Often this type of behaviour is part of an act he puts on: he has pretended to be indifferent or even hostile to Strange before just to teach or motivate him. The Vishanti feel responsible for the safety of every universe, but on at least one occasion the other Vishanti interfered, because they felt that Agamotto was being selfish. At other times, Agamotto chose to warn Strange, even though the other Vishanti felt that he had betrayed them. Despite Agamotto's fierce and indifferent character, it is clear that the Vishanti are considerably more openly inclined to aiding good than other near-omnipotent beings.
Agamotto is a non-corporeal entity, that was born from Oshtur sometime tens of millions of years ago, that can take on any form. Often while appearing on Earth he takes the form of the head of a cat
-like being. On one of these occasions Agamotto resembled a lion
, while on another he appeared as a tiger
. When Doctor Stephen Strange has visited Agamotto's own dimension, Agamotto has appeared to him as a gigantic caterpillar
. Agamotto explained to Strange that he had made himself an image from Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
that he had seen in Strange's mind. When appearing as the caterpillar, Agamotto usually acts informal, even glib to others, while as part of the Vishanti he takes on a more serious and formal persona.
When Dr. Strange used the Orb of Agamotto after being mortally wounded by his enemy, Silver Dagger, he was drawn through the Orb into Agamotto's realm. This was the first time Strange had encountered Agamotto without the other two Vishanti and in his guise as the Wonderland caterpillar. For reasons of his own, Agamotto did not reveal his true identity to Strange during this encounter, instead toying with Strange before revealing how to leave the realm. Strange followed Agamotto's instructions and returned to life, then defeated the Silver Dagger and imprisoned him in Agamotto's realm. Strange later returned to Agamotto's realm to escape imprisonment in the Hell-lord Mephisto's dimension. This time the Caterpillar revealed to Strange that he actually was Agamotto, but insisted that Strange remain there as his companion. Though Strange explained his need to leave to save the soul of his friend Sara Wolfe, Agamotto refused to let him leave. Strange's attempts to force his way past the vastly more powerful Agamotto were unsuccessful until he threatened to destroy Agamotto's "hookah pipe". Agamotto agreed to allow Strange to leave his dimension in exchange for the hookah. Moreover, Agamotto revealed he had secretly rescued all of Strange's mystic talismans - including the Book of the Vishanti, the Scrolls of Watoomb and the Orb of Agamotto - that Strange had believed destroyed in his battle with the alien sorcerer Urthona. After returning the talismans, Agamotto gave him a cryptic clue about the conflict between Mephisto and his rival Hell-lord Satannish that Strange later successfully interpreted and used to defeat the two demons. When Strange used the All-Seeing Eye to aid Galactus during the so-called Infinity War, Agamotto objected and decided to confiscate the magic items he himself empowered. After following the Eye back to its master's pocket dimension, Strange attempted to convince Agamotto to allow them to use his Eye. When Agamotto refused to relent, Galactus arrived and attempted to take the talisman by force. Agamotto transformed into a monstrous caterpillar creature and attacked Galactus until Oshtur and Hoggoth appeared and admonished him. Agamotto begrudgingly returned the Eye, along with the Orb and Lesser Amulet to Strange. When appearing as part of the Vishanti, Agamotto acts as solemnly as Hoggoth and Oshtur. In his pocket dimension, however, Agamotto's behavior is rather erratic. He may be disinterested or protective; behaving kindly one moment and then cruelly the next. Agamotto may be continually role-playing in his encounters with Strange to test his skill and determination.
However, Agamotto has apparently granted his power to beings such as the Minorus or Witchfire.
When Doctor Strange
and Daimon Hellstrom
are possessed by an unspecified demonic entity, they attempt to claim the Eye from Doctor Voodoo, causing it to teleport to Avengers Mansion
. Luke Cage
touches the object and mutates in a monstrous version of himself, the entity that has possessed him subsequently 'jumping' into Iron Fist, who then teleports away with the Eye, triggering a rift in the sky that Strange states means the end of everything. As the Avengers battle the demons back on Earth, Iron Fist finds himself in a white void where he encounters the Ancient One, who claims that he is responsible for the current invasion due to his anger at Strange's recent 'failures'. When Iron Fist returns to Earth- now dressed in a new costume-, he claims that the Ancient One has told him that Strange stole the Eye from the Ancient One rather than being given it by his master, challenging Strange to admit the truth. Noting that such a claim contradicts everything the Ancient One taught him about the Eye, Strange realises that the entity they are facing is not his master, with a casual comment by Spider-Man
prompting the sorcerors to realise that the enemy they face is Agamotto himself, trying to reclaim his Eye and alleging that the Vishanti are "no more". Although the group attempt to defeat Agamotto by empowering Wolverine
to serve as their avatar by using a spell to channel all of their powers into Wolverine so that he can battle Agamotto in his realm, Doctor Voodoo is finally forced to sacrifice himself to forever banish and cast out their foe from the Earth realm, apparently destroying himself and the Eye at the same time.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. He is known mainly as the source of the Eye of Agamotto
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
—a tool of magical clairvoyance used by superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
.
Publication history
In a preface to the Dr. Strange story in The Origin of Marvel Comics, co-creator Stan LeeStan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
explained that while many people assumed such names to be distorted allusions to real-world spiritual terminology, he "just made 'em up." In the Modern Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
language, Agamotto's name is transliterated using slightly different vowels in order to avoid an unfortunate resemblance to a vulgar phrase.
The character appears in Marvel Premiere #5 (November 1972), #8 (May 1973), Doctor Strange #1 (June 1974), #5 (December 1974), Marvel Team-Up #77 (January 1979), Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #6-7 (August–September 1989), #32 (August 1991), #43 (July 1992), #48-50 (December 1992-February 1993), #54 (June 1993), #72 (December 1994), and Secret Defenders #25 (March 1995).
Agamotto appeared as part of the "Vishanti" entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#8.
Fictional character biography
Together with Oshtur and HoggothHoggoth
Hoggoth is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The character appears in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #43 , #48-49 , and #54 ....
, Agamotto is one of the three eternal Vishanti
Vishanti
The Vishanti are a fictional triumvirate of powerful mystical beings appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. The three beings who make up the Vishanti are Agamotto the All-Seeing , Omnipotent Oshtur , and Hoary Hoggoth...
and one of the most powerful mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
entities in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. The Vishanti bestow mystical knowledge and power upon sorcerers
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
who invoke their names in spells, and are the main backers of former Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth's dimension, Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
.
Little more is known about Agamotto than his fellow Vishanti members. He is known to have existed during the Earth's infancy, is the spawn of Oshtur, and is known to have power enough within his realm to battle Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
to a standstill.
By some accounts Agamotto was the first Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth's dimension, holding enough power and skill to clash against the power of the Dread Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
. This likely means that Agamotto helped to protect the Earth from evil before a native Sorcerer Supreme could be established. It is likely due to this that Agamotto chose to donate many articles of his power to the Marvel Universe's Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme or Sorceress Supreme is a title granted in the fictional Marvel Universe to the "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension". By...
, as he felt a special connection to that realm. Among these items are at least two versions of the Eye of Agamotto
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
, the Orb of Agamotto
Orb of Agamotto
The Orb of Agamotto is a fictional magical item in the Marvel Comics universe. It is a powerful scrying crystal ball owned and used by Doctor Strange for clairvoyance. It can also be used to detect magic in use anywhere in the world and provide Strange with a location and visual.The orb rests in...
and the Book of the Vishanti
Book of the Vishanti
The Book of the Vishanti is a fictional grimoire appearing in Marvel Comics, most closely associated with the character of Doctor Strange. It first appeared in Strange Tales #116 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It is the greatest known source of "white" magical knowledge on the...
; Agamotto also created the Moebius Stone, which was a mystic item he created that had a limited ability to manipulate time. The Stone was able to raise the dead, absorb the life-force of another and accelerate or reverse the passage of time within a confined area, though sometimes random time related side effects occurred. Doctor Druid eventually destroyed the artifact because he felt it was too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. Additionally, the Minorus have made reference to using the Spine of Agamotto to somehow install people as governors; the Oracle of Agamotto was also briefly used as a back-up device when the Orb was shattered and before Clea mended it mystically.
Agamotto himself is called "the All-Seeing," and has apparently spent his long life observing events throughout the multiverse
Multiverse (Marvel Comics)
Within Marvel Comics, most tales take place within the fictional Marvel Universe, which in turn is part of a larger multiverse. Starting with issues of Captain Britain, the main continuity in which most Marvel storylines take place was designated Earth-616, and the multiverse was established as...
from the dimension in which he resides. He has been known to express partial apathy at any one universes' destruction as each is just one of the many universes that he likes to follow. Often this type of behaviour is part of an act he puts on: he has pretended to be indifferent or even hostile to Strange before just to teach or motivate him. The Vishanti feel responsible for the safety of every universe, but on at least one occasion the other Vishanti interfered, because they felt that Agamotto was being selfish. At other times, Agamotto chose to warn Strange, even though the other Vishanti felt that he had betrayed them. Despite Agamotto's fierce and indifferent character, it is clear that the Vishanti are considerably more openly inclined to aiding good than other near-omnipotent beings.
Agamotto is a non-corporeal entity, that was born from Oshtur sometime tens of millions of years ago, that can take on any form. Often while appearing on Earth he takes the form of the head of a cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
-like being. On one of these occasions Agamotto resembled a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, while on another he appeared as a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
. When Doctor Stephen Strange has visited Agamotto's own dimension, Agamotto has appeared to him as a gigantic caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
. Agamotto explained to Strange that he had made himself an image from Lewis Carroll's
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
that he had seen in Strange's mind. When appearing as the caterpillar, Agamotto usually acts informal, even glib to others, while as part of the Vishanti he takes on a more serious and formal persona.
When Dr. Strange used the Orb of Agamotto after being mortally wounded by his enemy, Silver Dagger, he was drawn through the Orb into Agamotto's realm. This was the first time Strange had encountered Agamotto without the other two Vishanti and in his guise as the Wonderland caterpillar. For reasons of his own, Agamotto did not reveal his true identity to Strange during this encounter, instead toying with Strange before revealing how to leave the realm. Strange followed Agamotto's instructions and returned to life, then defeated the Silver Dagger and imprisoned him in Agamotto's realm. Strange later returned to Agamotto's realm to escape imprisonment in the Hell-lord Mephisto's dimension. This time the Caterpillar revealed to Strange that he actually was Agamotto, but insisted that Strange remain there as his companion. Though Strange explained his need to leave to save the soul of his friend Sara Wolfe, Agamotto refused to let him leave. Strange's attempts to force his way past the vastly more powerful Agamotto were unsuccessful until he threatened to destroy Agamotto's "hookah pipe". Agamotto agreed to allow Strange to leave his dimension in exchange for the hookah. Moreover, Agamotto revealed he had secretly rescued all of Strange's mystic talismans - including the Book of the Vishanti, the Scrolls of Watoomb and the Orb of Agamotto - that Strange had believed destroyed in his battle with the alien sorcerer Urthona. After returning the talismans, Agamotto gave him a cryptic clue about the conflict between Mephisto and his rival Hell-lord Satannish that Strange later successfully interpreted and used to defeat the two demons. When Strange used the All-Seeing Eye to aid Galactus during the so-called Infinity War, Agamotto objected and decided to confiscate the magic items he himself empowered. After following the Eye back to its master's pocket dimension, Strange attempted to convince Agamotto to allow them to use his Eye. When Agamotto refused to relent, Galactus arrived and attempted to take the talisman by force. Agamotto transformed into a monstrous caterpillar creature and attacked Galactus until Oshtur and Hoggoth appeared and admonished him. Agamotto begrudgingly returned the Eye, along with the Orb and Lesser Amulet to Strange. When appearing as part of the Vishanti, Agamotto acts as solemnly as Hoggoth and Oshtur. In his pocket dimension, however, Agamotto's behavior is rather erratic. He may be disinterested or protective; behaving kindly one moment and then cruelly the next. Agamotto may be continually role-playing in his encounters with Strange to test his skill and determination.
However, Agamotto has apparently granted his power to beings such as the Minorus or Witchfire.
When Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:He first appeared in Ghost Rider Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics...
are possessed by an unspecified demonic entity, they attempt to claim the Eye from Doctor Voodoo, causing it to teleport to Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
. Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
touches the object and mutates in a monstrous version of himself, the entity that has possessed him subsequently 'jumping' into Iron Fist, who then teleports away with the Eye, triggering a rift in the sky that Strange states means the end of everything. As the Avengers battle the demons back on Earth, Iron Fist finds himself in a white void where he encounters the Ancient One, who claims that he is responsible for the current invasion due to his anger at Strange's recent 'failures'. When Iron Fist returns to Earth- now dressed in a new costume-, he claims that the Ancient One has told him that Strange stole the Eye from the Ancient One rather than being given it by his master, challenging Strange to admit the truth. Noting that such a claim contradicts everything the Ancient One taught him about the Eye, Strange realises that the entity they are facing is not his master, with a casual comment by Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
prompting the sorcerors to realise that the enemy they face is Agamotto himself, trying to reclaim his Eye and alleging that the Vishanti are "no more". Although the group attempt to defeat Agamotto by empowering Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
to serve as their avatar by using a spell to channel all of their powers into Wolverine so that he can battle Agamotto in his realm, Doctor Voodoo is finally forced to sacrifice himself to forever banish and cast out their foe from the Earth realm, apparently destroying himself and the Eye at the same time.