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Shuma-Gorath

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Shuma-Gorath
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMarvel Premiere #5 (Mentioned)(November 1972) "Marvel Premiere" #10 (Full) (September 1973)
Created bySteve Englehart
Frank Brunner
In-story information
SpeciesOld Ones/Many-angled ones
Notable aliasesLord of Chaos
AbilitiesEnergy projection
Reality manipulation
Shapeshifting
Levitation
Teleportation
Vast mystical powers
Immortality

Shuma-Gorath (/ˈʃuːmə ˈɡɔːræθ/) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Shuma-Gorath first appears as an adversary for Doctor Strange in Marvel Premiere #10 (September 1973), created by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner. The character's name is taken from Robert E. Howard's short story "The Curse of the Golden Skull", which features a dying magician named Rotath invoking the "iron-bound books of Shuma-Gorath" in a curse against humanity.

Fictional character biography

During Earth's pre-history Shuma-Gorath ruled the world, and demanded human sacrifice until eventually banished by time-traveling sorcerer Sise-Neg.[1] The entity eventually returns during the Hyborian Age, but is imprisoned within a mountain by the power of the god Crom.[2] Shuma-Gorath continues to be an influence on Earth until returned to its home dimension by Crom.[3]

When the entity tries to return to Earth via the mind of the Ancient One, his disciple Doctor Strange is forced to kill him to prevent this.[4] Years later, Strange battles Shuma-Gorath in its home dimension, and although victorious, he gradually becomes a new version of the entity. Strange commits suicide to prevent this transformation and is resurrected by an ally.[5] Sorcerer Nicholas Scratch summons the entity to Earth but it is driven back by the combined efforts of Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, the Salem's Seven and villain Diablo.[6]

Shuma-Gorath is eventually revealed to be one of the four undying extra-dimensional "multi-angled ones" guiding a metaphysical invasion from a dimension called the "cancerverse". In attempting to destroy Death itself, the entity and its allies are rendered inert by the conceptual form of Death and subsequently are trapped in the cancerverse when it is destroyed.[7] Shuma-Gorath survives and once again attempts to invade Earth but is repelled by the superhero team the Avengers with the Spear of Destiny.[8]

During the 2011 "Fear Itself" storyline, Shuma-Gorath is among the demons to meet at the Devil's Advocacy to discuss the threat of the Serpent and what this means to them.[9]

During the 2013 "Infinity" storyline, Thanos' servant Ebony Maw manipulates Doctor Strange into summoning Shuma-Gorath to the streets of New York. The creature is met by Luke Cage and his new team of Avengers.[10] Blue Marvel arrives at the scene of the battle and flies through Shuma-Gorath's head, destroying its physical manifestation. Shuma-Gorath's astral body possesses a crowd of people in New York City and attempts to recreate itself on Earth. It is weakened through mystical attacks by Power Man and White Tiger and finally banished by Monica Rambeau, who penetrates Shuma-Gorath's eye as a ray of light and disperses the entity from within.[11]

The Last Days of Magic storyline describes Shuma-Gorath as responsible for destroying the home planet of the character Imperator, leader of the Empirikul, by sending a group of evil sorcerers after his family. This leads the Imperator to dedicate his life to destroying magic in every universe.[12]

Later, during a battle, Dormammu states to Doctor Strange that he helped the Empirikul in finding Shuma-Gorath, who was defeated by the Imperator. Doctor Strange later banishes Dormammu to Shuma-Gorath itself, who was visibly wounded and seeking revenge.[13]

Powers and abilities

Shuma-Gorath is an ancient force of chaos, the immortal, nigh-invincible, and godlike ruler of nearly a hundred alternate universes, capable of energy projection, shapeshifting, teleportation, levitation, altering reality, and sympathetic magic, among many other feats. He is described as being vastly more powerful than other mighty demonic enemies, such as Satannish and Mephisto, and is capable of automatically destroying multiple galaxies through aura-pressure alone.[14]

Other versions

In the "Venomized" event, a Poison Shuma-Gorath was present in the Poison Hive's invasion of the Prime Marvel Universe, fighting Vision and Falcon, successfully bonding a symbiote to the latter.[15]

In other media

Marvel Cinematic Universe

  • Shuma-Gorath partly appeared in the first and fourth episodes of What If...?, only seen in each appearance as a mass of tentacles emerging from a portal.[16]

Video games

See also

References

  1. ^ Marvel Premiere #14 (March 1974). Marvel Comics
  2. ^ Conan the Barbarian #240 (Jan. 1991). Marvel Comics
  3. ^ Conan the Barbarian #260 (Sept. 1992). Marvel Comics
  4. ^ Marvel Première #3-10 (July 1972 - Sept. 1973). Marvel Comics
  5. ^ Strange Tales vol. 2 #15 (June 1988). Marvel Comics
  6. ^ Marvel Knights 4 25-27 (Feb. - April 2006. Marvel Comics
  7. ^ Thanos Imperative #6 (Nov. 2010)
  8. ^ Invaders Now! #5 (Apr. 2011)
  9. ^ Journey Into Mystery #627. Marvel Comics
  10. ^ Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #2 (October 2013). Marvel Comics
  11. ^ Mighty Avengers vol. 2 #3. Marvel Comics
  12. ^ Doctor Strange Vol. 4 #7
  13. ^ Doctor Strange Vol. 4 #16
  14. ^ Strange Tales vol. 2 #14 (June 1988)
  15. ^ Venomized #1-5. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ "Shuma-Gorath: What If just confirmed a cosmic villain scarier than Thanos | Inverse".
  17. ^ "Shuma-Gorath Voice - Doctor Strange franchise | Behind The Voice Actors". behindthevoiceactors.com. December 21, 2019. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  18. ^ http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/b/mshshu.htm
  19. ^ http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/a/mshsfshu.htm
  20. ^ "Voices of Shuma-Gorath". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
  21. ^ "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Collector's Edition – with Bonus!". Gamestop. 2010-11-16. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  22. ^ "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: New Characters, Release Date, and Special Edition". Capcom. 2010-11-15. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  23. ^ "Doctor Strange Pinball". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
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