Elder Gods (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Elder Gods are fictional characters from the Marvel Comics
universe
. They were the first generation of Earth's gods
, apparently inspired by Greek mythology
and the Cthulhu Mythos
.
, born from Earth's natural magical energies. It then decided to spread its substance over the planet, creating the rest of the gods. The full number of the Elder gods has not been revealed, but among them were: Gaea, goddess of the Earth; Chthon, god of black magic, Set
the serpent god of chaos, and Oshtur
, goddess of the stars. Hyppus and Isuus are other mentioned Elder gods. The "Wild One" (seemingly inspired by Rebel Without A Cause
) is an Elder god who only made one brief appearance, in a plot involving the otherdimensional Sorcerer Supreme
Shanzar. The Gibborim
are also Elder gods, surviving the Demogorge, having ruled Earth before humanity arose, but as their power faded, they retreated to a limbo-like dimension; they are sustained through souls, a demonic quality, and possess vast magical powers, including that of resurrection and reality-manipulation; they existed in a void-like limbo until the events of X-Infernus
released them, albeit temporarily.
Gaea took to nurturing living beings. Chthon wrote his spells down in an indestructible set of parchments that would be known as The Darkhold
. Oshtur left Earth for the vastness of space and to explore the mystic heritage of the universe. Set discovered that if he ate the weaker gods his own power would increase, so he started to do so, becoming the first murderer in the history of the planet. The process also caused him to degenerate into a demon
. Most of the other Elder gods, with the exception of Gaea, began to imitate him, so that, eventually, whoever was not devoured was now a demon.
Gaea, concerned that the actions of her peers would harm the life she was protecting, summoned the Demiurge and mated with it, in order to create a champion: Atum
, god of the sun. Atum proceeded to kill the other gods in battle, absorbing their energies afterwards. But the energies eventually caused him to mutate into a demonic form of his own: Demogorge, the god-eater. Demogorge continued to devour the rest of the gods. Even Chthon and Set working together were unable to defeat him. Soon, the last of the gods realized that their only hope laid in escaping from Earth, which they did, though it meant they would be trapped in other dimensions. Chthon, however, left the Darkhold behind, hoping someone would summon him back someday. Set, too, kept a mental link with the plane. After visiting far distant worlds, Oshtur returned to Earth and discovered what transpired on her homeworld. Shocked at what had become of her siblings, she volunteered to leave the Earth dimension of her own volition so as to not upset the balance her sister had placed within the mystic boundaries of the Earth.
After finishing his task, Demogorge released the energies he'd absorbed, returning to his form as Atum. He then left Earth, to live within the sun. Gaea continued to guide the evolution of life on Earth.
Billions of years later, during the age of the dinosaurs, Set managed to return to Earth, by feeding on the mental energies of reptiles. Gaea, however, summoned Atum again, who somehow transformed into Demogorge again. The two Elder gods battled with Set growing extra heads as his were destroyed until Set was too weak to continue, and returned to his extradimensional prison. This battle could have been the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs in the Marvel Universe
's Earth (except those in the Savage Land
.) Atum then returned to the sun.
The energies released by Demogorge gave birth to the next generation of demons (Mephisto
, Satannish
, Thog
, Marduk Kurios and more). They may also have given rise to the assorted pantheons
of gods that currently populate the Marvel Universe - Atum himself is said to have a connection to some of them, such as the Egyptian one. It is known, however, that Gaea, under various identities, began to mate with some of the new deities, becoming the mother goddess in all of Earth's pantheons. Sometime after the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of the various pantheons, Oshtur gave birth to a new being on Earth - Agamotto
. Agamotto was instructed by Oshtur to watch the Earth dimension in order to learn from it. Soon, after he developed vast magical abilities and longed to join his mother in the other realms. He left behind several artifacts to aid those who looked to uncover the magic of his lineage, the Eye of Agamotto
, the Orb of Agamotto
, and the Book of the Vishanti
.
With the exception of Gaea and Atum, the surviving, demonic Elder gods are still imprisoned, though they continue to affect the Earth indirectly, through their worshippers, or evil artifacts.
In New mutants vol.3 #20 the Elder Gods imprisoned are released again by General Ulysses and the Limbo Babies, using the Bloodstone amulet that originally belonged to Belasco, Illyana Rasputin though already had a plan to defeat them. She made a pact with the omega mutant Legion (full details still unknown) who unleashes his full power to the corrupted gods, who didn't have a chance to survive: all of them are wiped out of existence by the god-like mutant, ending their evil forever. Legion then destroys the Bloodstone amulet and returns the bloodstones to Magik as part of the pact, preventing the cursed object's power from ever being used again.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
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...
. They were the first generation of Earth's gods
Gods (Marvel Comics)
Several characters in many Marvel Comics stories have been referred to as gods. Generally, however, only those belonging to two specific types are considered to be the "true" gods. Note that only ONE of these beings are divine in the commonly understood sense, but most are rather simply powerful...
, apparently inspired by Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and the Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu Mythos
The Cthulhu Mythos is a shared fictional universe, based on the work of American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft.The term was first coined by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent of Lovecraft, who used the name of the creature Cthulhu - a central figure in Lovecraft literature and the focus...
.
Fictional group history
The Elder gods first appeared billions of years ago, when organic life was beginning to evolve on Earth. The first of them was a being known as the DemiurgeDemiurge (comics)
Demiurge is a fictional character, a cosmic entity in the Marvel Comics universe, based loosely on the concept of the Demiurge. It is the sentient life force of Earth's biosphere, creator of the elder gods, and the father of Atum, conceived with Gaea....
, born from Earth's natural magical energies. It then decided to spread its substance over the planet, creating the rest of the gods. The full number of the Elder gods has not been revealed, but among them were: Gaea, goddess of the Earth; Chthon, god of black magic, Set
Set (Serpent God)
Set is the name of a fictional demon-god within the continuities of Conan the Barbarian and Marvel Universe.He is apparently an amalgam of the name of the Egyptian god Set and the appearance and characteristics of the Egyptian monster Apep and the Greek mythological figure the Lernaean Hydra. This...
the serpent god of chaos, and Oshtur
Oshtur (Marvel Comics)
Oshtur is a fictional character published in Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as an Elder Goddess born from the demiurge sometime billions of years ago. Unlike her siblings, Oshtur had a fascination with the realms beyond Earth. She took to the heavens before the fall of the Elder Gods...
, goddess of the stars. Hyppus and Isuus are other mentioned Elder gods. The "Wild One" (seemingly inspired by Rebel Without A Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
) is an Elder god who only made one brief appearance, in a plot involving the otherdimensional 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...
Shanzar. The Gibborim
Gibborim (comics)
The Gibborim are a group of comic book characters in Marvel Comics' award-winning series, Runaways. They were created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona...
are also Elder gods, surviving the Demogorge, having ruled Earth before humanity arose, but as their power faded, they retreated to a limbo-like dimension; they are sustained through souls, a demonic quality, and possess vast magical powers, including that of resurrection and reality-manipulation; they existed in a void-like limbo until the events of X-Infernus
X-Infernus
X-Infernus is a four-issue comic book mini-series that started December 2008. Written by C. B. Cebulski, with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, it was a sequel to Inferno. It sees the return of the character Magik searching Limbo for her soul....
released them, albeit temporarily.
Gaea took to nurturing living beings. Chthon wrote his spells down in an indestructible set of parchments that would be known as The Darkhold
Darkhold
The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is a fictional book in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Darkhold was co-created by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. The Darkhold was first mentioned in Marvel Spotlight #3 but first shown in Marvel Spotlight #4...
. Oshtur left Earth for the vastness of space and to explore the mystic heritage of the universe. Set discovered that if he ate the weaker gods his own power would increase, so he started to do so, becoming the first murderer in the history of the planet. The process also caused him to degenerate into a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
. Most of the other Elder gods, with the exception of Gaea, began to imitate him, so that, eventually, whoever was not devoured was now a demon.
Gaea, concerned that the actions of her peers would harm the life she was protecting, summoned the Demiurge and mated with it, in order to create a champion: Atum
Atum (comics)
Atum is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, based loosely on the Ra of Egyptian mythology. The character first appears in Thor Annual #10 and was created by Alan Zelenetz and Bob Hall....
, god of the sun. Atum proceeded to kill the other gods in battle, absorbing their energies afterwards. But the energies eventually caused him to mutate into a demonic form of his own: Demogorge, the god-eater. Demogorge continued to devour the rest of the gods. Even Chthon and Set working together were unable to defeat him. Soon, the last of the gods realized that their only hope laid in escaping from Earth, which they did, though it meant they would be trapped in other dimensions. Chthon, however, left the Darkhold behind, hoping someone would summon him back someday. Set, too, kept a mental link with the plane. After visiting far distant worlds, Oshtur returned to Earth and discovered what transpired on her homeworld. Shocked at what had become of her siblings, she volunteered to leave the Earth dimension of her own volition so as to not upset the balance her sister had placed within the mystic boundaries of the Earth.
After finishing his task, Demogorge released the energies he'd absorbed, returning to his form as Atum. He then left Earth, to live within the sun. Gaea continued to guide the evolution of life on Earth.
Billions of years later, during the age of the dinosaurs, Set managed to return to Earth, by feeding on the mental energies of reptiles. Gaea, however, summoned Atum again, who somehow transformed into Demogorge again. The two Elder gods battled with Set growing extra heads as his were destroyed until Set was too weak to continue, and returned to his extradimensional prison. This battle could have been the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs 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...
's Earth (except those in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
.) Atum then returned to the sun.
The energies released by Demogorge gave birth to the next generation of demons (Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
, Satannish
Satannish
Satannish is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Satannish is a very powerful extra-dimensional demon who has clashed with Doctor Strange. Satannish is known for granting mortals mystical power in exchange for their souls...
, Thog
Thog
Thog the Nether-Spawn, Overmaster of Sominus is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He is a demon from the extra-dimensional world of Sominus who has clashed with the Man-Thing.-Publication history:...
, Marduk Kurios and more). They may also have given rise to the assorted pantheons
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
of gods that currently populate the Marvel Universe - Atum himself is said to have a connection to some of them, such as the Egyptian one. It is known, however, that Gaea, under various identities, began to mate with some of the new deities, becoming the mother goddess in all of Earth's pantheons. Sometime after the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of the various pantheons, Oshtur gave birth to a new being on Earth - Agamotto
Agamotto
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.-Publication history:In a preface to the Dr...
. Agamotto was instructed by Oshtur to watch the Earth dimension in order to learn from it. Soon, after he developed vast magical abilities and longed to join his mother in the other realms. He left behind several artifacts to aid those who looked to uncover the magic of his lineage, 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...
.
With the exception of Gaea and Atum, the surviving, demonic Elder gods are still imprisoned, though they continue to affect the Earth indirectly, through their worshippers, or evil artifacts.
In New mutants vol.3 #20 the Elder Gods imprisoned are released again by General Ulysses and the Limbo Babies, using the Bloodstone amulet that originally belonged to Belasco, Illyana Rasputin though already had a plan to defeat them. She made a pact with the omega mutant Legion (full details still unknown) who unleashes his full power to the corrupted gods, who didn't have a chance to survive: all of them are wiped out of existence by the god-like mutant, ending their evil forever. Legion then destroys the Bloodstone amulet and returns the bloodstones to Magik as part of the pact, preventing the cursed object's power from ever being used again.