Marvel Master

Secret Origins of the Marvel Universe

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Secret Origin of Shango, the West African God of Thunder & Lightning!!

Storm #7 (2025) promises to reintroduce a number of thunder gods (including Shango, the West African God of Thunder & Lightning) to the Marvel Universe in a tale by Murewa Ayodele, with art by Luciano Vecchio!

Thor Annual #10 (1982) saw Shango, also known as Xevioso, team-up with Thor & other gods to battle the powerful Demogorge, the God Eater!

Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #17 (1990) revealed the lineage of Shango & his brethren of the Vodū, the pantheon of West African gods!

Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009) revealed the origin of Shango & his fellow Vodū, the Gods of West Africa!

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Secret Origin of Susanoo, the Japanese Shinto God of Storm & Sea!!

Storm #7 (2025) promises to reintroduce a number of thunder gods (including Susanoo, the Japanese God of Storm & Sea) to the Marvel Universe in a tale by Murewa Ayodele, with art by Luciano Vecchio!

Black Axe #2 (1993) told the story of how Susanoo defeated the eight-headed Serpent of Koshi & obtained the legendary Grasscutter Sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi!

Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009) revealed the origin of Susanoo & his fellow Amatsu-Kami, the Shinto Gods of Japan!

Chaos War: God Squad #1 (2010) saw Susanoo welcome the God Squad to the realm of the Shinto Gods of Japan while they sought refuge from Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the Chaos King!

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Secret Origin of Chaac, the Mayan God of Rain, Thunder & Lightning!!

Storm #7 (2025) promises to reintroduce a number of thunder gods (including Chaac, the Mayan God of Rain, Thunder & Lightning) to the Marvel Universe in a tale by Murewa Ayodele, with art by Luciano Vecchio!

Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009) revealed the origin of Chaac & his Ahau brethren, the pantheon of Mayan Gods!

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Secret Origin of Mamaragan, the Aboriginal Spirit of Lightning & Thunder!!

Storm #7 (2025) promises to reintroduce a number of thunder gods (including Mamaragan, the Australian Aboriginal Spirit of Lightning & Thunder) to the Marvel Universe in a tale by Murewa Ayodele, with art by Luciano Vecchio!

Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009) revealed the origin of Mamaragan and his brethren in the pantheon of Aboriginal Gods!

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Secret Origins of the Mohawk Folklore of Kahhori in Marvel Comics!

Strange Tales (vol. 3) #1 (1994) shows the mythological origin of the world as told by the Keewazi Tribe of Oklahoma. It describes how Manitou, the Great Spirit, emerged from the Sky World known as Giizhigong and created light. But when this light created an evil shadow of Manitou known as KhLΘG that sought to undo everything Manitou had created, it was banished.

In Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #25 (1990), the Native American mischief spirit Nanabozho gathered a coalition of indigenous gods intent on punishing Europeans for their treatment of the native population and desecration of the sacred land that jeopardized the stability of Orenda, the spiritual energy which existed within the inhabitants and environment of Giizhigong. When the hunting spirit Owayodata and his mortal champion Red Wolf refused to help, Nanabozho took them to Giizhigong for punishment, where they were rescued by Dr. Strange.

Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009) explained that the Sky World of Giizhigong was connected to the Earth realm via interdimensional portals hidden across the North American continent, and that the Manidoog (the god-like spirits revered by the indigenous population) utilized the mystical energy of Giizhigong known as Orenda to perform a variety of superhuman feats!

Marvel Studios' "What If?..." Season 2, Episode 6, "What If Kahhori Reshaped the World?" (2023) explored an alternate reality where the Tesseract housing the Space Stone arrived on Earth in the 16th century and enchanted a lake in Haudenosaunee Territory. A young Mohawk woman named Kahhori falls into the lake and finds herself transported to Sky World, a heavenly realm much like Giizhigong where the inhabitants appear to use a mystical power in the environment similar to Orenda to perform superhuman feats like super speed, element manipulation, and energy projection!

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Demiurge Primordial, the Godcreator!!

Thor Annual #10 (1982): In a primal time many eons ago when the Earth was still forming, the Demiurge (the incarnation of the power of creation) arose from the crackling energy of the planet's nascent biosphere!

Silver Surfer Annual #2 (1989): The Demiurge seeded the newborn planet with its energies, giving rise to Earth's Elder Gods: Gaea (Mother Nature), the dark mystic Chthon, the serpentine Set, and the sorceress Oshtur!

Thor Annual #10 (1982): However, when most of the other Elder Gods degenerated into demonic beings and began to destroy each other, the benevolent Gaea convinced the Demiurge to help her create Atum, the first of a new generation of gods!

Silver Surfer Annual #2 (1988): Atum attacked the demonic Elder Gods and absorbed their corrupted life forces, transforming him into the monstrous Demogorge!

Thor Annual #10 (1982): After all of the demonic Elder Gods had either been destroyed or chased into other dimensions by the Demogorge, he purged the corrupted god energies from his body and reverted back to his Atum form, eventually retreating into Earth's sun.

The History of the Marvel Universe #1 (2019): This god energy fell back to the Earth, where the nascent consciousness of mankind eventually tapped into it, giving rise to new pantheons of gods born in man's image.

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Sun Wukong the Monkey King & the Peaches of Immortality in "Shang-Chi & the Quest for Immortality" Graphic Novel!

In the Shang-Chi & the Quest for Immortality graphic novel, a young Shang-Chi learns about the Monkey King and the Peaches of Immortality!

Sun Wukong the Monkey King first appeared in the Marvel Universe in Fear Itself: Monkey King #1 (2011)!

And the Peaches of Immortality, also known as P'an-t'ao, are grown in the gardens of Xi Wangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, in Ta-Lo!

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The Secret Origins of Xibalba & Wayep in the Marvel Universe!!

In Amazing Spider-Man #21 (2023), Peter & Mary Jane are attacked by Dr. Benjamin Rabin, who blames Peter for banishing his god Wayep in a dimension known as Xibalba! Rabin then uses his mystical powers to transport Peter & Mary Jane to a hellish landscape!

Wayep is actually a Mayan god of mischief. He belongs to a pantheon of other Mayan gods known as the Ahau, similar to the Asgardians and the Olympians!

Xibalba is the underworld of the Mayan gods that serves as Wayep's base of operations! It was first mentioned in Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #29 (1994)!

Way back in Amazing Spider-Man #556-557 (2008), Benjamin Rabin used an ancient equation to summon Wayep to Earth during a period when the Earth & the realm of the Mayan gods were aligned. Rabin would have gained Wayep's powers if he sacrificed two mortal lives. But Spider-Man prevented him from sacrificing the second life before the cosmic alignment ended, trapping Wayep in Xibalba!

Wayep later met up with the demon Mephisto at the Infinite Embassy in Journey Into Mystery #627 (2011)!

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Secret Origin of Shang-Chi's Ten Rings in the Marvel Universe!!

Secret Origin of Shang-Chi's Ten Rings in the Marvel Universe!!

Thor #301 (1980) introduced Yu-Huang (the Jade Emperor) & the Xian (the Gods of China) to the Marvel Universe!

Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009) expanded upon the Gods of China in the Marvel Universe and introduced Nezha, the God of Youth & Mischief!

Shang-Chi & The Ten Rings #5 (2022) revealed that Shang-Chi's Ten Rings originated with Nezha's powerful Universe Ring!

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First Mention of Chaac in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!!

First Mention of Chaac in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!!

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor of the Talokanil reveals that Chaac, the Mayan God of Rain & Abundance, gave the shaman of his people a vision that provided them the means to adapt to life underwater.

In Marvel Comics, Chaac debuted in Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 (2009), where he is also described as the Mayan God of Rain & Lightning, able to command the elements of the storm (such as wind, rain, thunder & lightning)!

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First Mention of Kukulkán in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

First Mention of Kukulkán in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!!

The new trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reveals that Namor is known as "K'uk'ulkan, the Feather Serpent God" to the inhabitants of his underwater realm of Talocan.

In the comics, Kukulkán is the wind god of the Ahau, the pantheon of Mayan Gods in the Marvel Universe!

Kukulkán was first mentioned in Namora #1 (1948)!

Coincidentally, Namora also features in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, played by Mabel Cadena!

Kukulkán again features in X-Men #25-26 (1966), where he battles the original X-Men!

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The Lady of Elche in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

The Lady of Elche in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

Thor: Love & Thunder featured the first appearance of a character known as the "Elche Goddess," also known as the "Lady of Elche" ("Dama de Elche"), played by actor Nicole Milinkovic!

An Iberian artifact from the 4th century BCE, the Lady of Elche is associated with Tanit, the Carthaginian goddess worshiped by the Punic-Iberians!

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Council of the Gods in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

Council of the Gods in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

The Council of the Gods, first appearing in Marvel Comics in Thor #300 (July 1980), finally makes its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Thor: Love & Thunder!

Convening in Omnipotence City's Golden Temple, the Council of the Gods includes deities representing many different pantheons from across the Marvel Universe!

ZEUS

Played by: Russell Crowe

Pantheon: Olympian

MINERVA (ATHENA)

Played by: Carmen Foon

Pantheon: Olympian

BAST

Played by: Akosia Sabet

Pantheon: Egyptian / Wakandan

AZTEC GOD

Played by: Nico Cortez

Pantheon: Aztec

MĀORI PRINCESS

Played by: Chayla Korewha

Pantheon: Polynesian

MAYAN GOD

Played by: Imaan Hadchiti

Pantheon: Mayan

MASKED GODS

Played by: Justin Paul Hitchcock & Nazih Kheir

Pantheon: West African

JADEMURAI GOD

Played by: Kuni Hashimoto

Pantheon: Chinese

NINNY OF THE NONNY

Played by: Taika Waititi

Pantheon: Kronan

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Artemis Cameo in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

Artemis Cameo in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

Artemis, the Olympian Goddess the Hunt, makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut at Omnipotence City in Thor: Love & Thunder (played by Priscilla Doueihy)!!

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"Goddess of the Dead" in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

"Goddess of the Dead" in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

Thor: Love & Thunder featured the first appearance of a character known as the "Goddess of the Dead," played by actor Clariza Vicente!

The costume design is based on Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the primordial chaos entity (also known as the Chaos King) who posed as the Japanese God of Evil in Marvel Comics. Mikaboshi was a shape-shifter who appeared in both male and female forms, first mentioned in Thor: Blood Oath #6 (2005) by Michael Avon Oeming & Scott Kolins!

But the MCU "Goddess of the Dead" also incorporates the calavera (sugar skull) imagery from Mexico's Day of the Dead!

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First Appearance of Talocan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!!

First Appearance of Talocan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!!

It has been confirmed that Namor's underwater kingdom of Atlantis from Marvel Comics will be known to its inhabitants as "Talocan" in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!

In Aztec mythology, the realm of Tlālōcān is ruled by the rain god Tlāloc and the water goddess Chalchiuhtlique.

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Bast Cameo in Thor: Love & Thunder!!

Bast Cameo in Thor Love & Thunder!!

Bast, the Panther Goddess of Wakanda, makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut (in human form) at Omnipotence City in Thor: Love & Thunder (played by Akosia Sabet)!!

Concept art by Jonay Bacallado.