AFRICAN GODS
Classification: Extra-Dimensionals/Immortals
Location/Base of Operations: Ala (an dimension similar to Olympus or Asgard)
Known Members: (in the Marvel Universe): Anansi, Avlekete, Buluku, Dam-Ayido (Damballah), Eschu, Ezili, Legba, Lusa, Mahu, Nana (Gaea), Ndriananahary, Nyambe, Ogun, Sagbata (Baron Samedi), Shango/Xevioso
Affiliations: Thor and the Asgardians; Other races of Gods
Aliases: Loa/Voodoo Gods; Oshiras/Sky Gods (two separate branches)
First Appearance: (none named) Thor I#300 (October, 1980);
(Shango) Thor Vol. 1 Annual 10 (1980);
(as a race) Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme Vol. 1 #17 (1990)
Powers/Abilities: The African Gods possess the ability
to tap into and manipulate ambient energies of the universe in the form of
magic such as crossing dimensions, casting spells and animating the dead
as zombies. They also tend to have superhuman strength and incredible
endurance.
The African Gods resemble African-American mortals, but are practically perfect
in physical perfection. Presumably, like the Asgardians and Olympians,
they have physical densities three times greater than similar human tissue.
They also cease to age upon reaching adulthood, but they might not be as
immortal as the Olympian Gods.
Traits: The African Gods are made up of two interconnected
parts: The Loa (gods of earth and the underworld) and the Orishas (gods of
sky and heaven). This separation almost parallels the Aesir and the Vanir
of the
Asgardians.
History: The origins of the African Gods are largely unrevealed but they are most likely descended from Buluku and Gaea in her role as Nana, the African Mother-Earth. (In Thor #301, she said she was ancestor for all the gods). Unlike most gods, they still have greater prominence in the mortal world as creators of the Voodoo religion. Many of their mortal worshippers have carried this faith into the Caribbean, South America and isolated parts of the Southern United States.
(Thor#300(fb))-Centuries ago, the leader of the African Gods, possibly Lusa and/or Nyambe, attended a council of Godheads in which they agreed not to interfere with the activities of the Celestials
(Thor#301)-Thor visits Ala, where he successfully petitions the Lusa and Nyambe, the leaders of the African Gods for a portion of the life energies to revive the Asgardians, slain in battle with the Celestials.
(Thor vol. 1 Annual 10)-Shango helps Thor defeat the entity
Demogorge. Briefly consumed by the creature, he is freed when it rejects
Thor.
(Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme vol. 1, # 17)-The connection of the African gods to Voodoo is revealed from the Book of the Vishanti.
(Thor I#398)-Two African Gods, presumedly Nyambe and Anansi, appear behind the Enchantress when she's screaming over Heimdall's death.
Comments: Adapted to the Marvel Universe by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio, and Keith Pollard.
Nyambe had more significance over Shango or his father Lusa.
Anansi is a spider-god of wisdom who acted as vizier to his father,
Nyambe.
Nyambe, Lusa, and Buluku have all been listed as rulers. My
book on African spirits places a lot of importance on Nyambe as ruler, judge
and Great Spirit. Lusa is mentioned only as the sun-god who fathered the
Great Twins of which Shango and Damballah are two of. In the MU, I would
surmise that Buluku supersedes them both to keep disension out of the Loa
(Voodoo Gods) and their relations the Orishas (Sky Gods).
In an alternate reality, (Earth-Thor-Thrall of Seth, @ What
If II#38), Buluku meets with the godheads to discuss Seth who has conquered
Asgard in this reality.
In the Marvel Universe, the Black Panther and a large portion
of the people of Wakanda worship the Panther God. While
there is no "Panther God" in the African pantheon, Christopher Priest, the
ALWAYS ENTERTAINING writer of the Black Panther, named the Panther God as
Bast. Bast is an Egyptian Cat God, but I see no reason why the worship of
this deity couldn't have migrated South slightly to take hold in Wakanda.
So, we're going with naming Bast as the Panther God, and including him/her
(Androgyny is not that uncommon in mythology) with the Egyptian Gods, for
now.
The
Lion
God also claims to be one of the African Gods, although
he does not correspond to any previously known mythological character. (Then
again, neither does the Enchantress.) At any rate, the best explanation would
appear to be placing both the Panther and Lion Gods in the Egyptian Pantheon,
as Bast and Sekhmet. I doubt any other clarification is
forthcoming--Snood.
Profile by William Uchtman and Snood.
Clarifications:
Baron Samedi, aka Sagbata, the god, is the patron, or at least
the role model for:
Baron Samedi, the AIM agent, @ Strange Tales I #171
Damballah a.k.a. Dam-Ayido is not to be confused with:
With respect to the two mythic Damballahs, Carycomix suggests: "The one who acted as eponym and power source for Brother Voodoo's first major bad guy was spawned by the Elder God Set. Set was probably trying to steal worshipers from the real Damballah, the same way some of his were stolen by Seth of Heliopolis! According to an issue of 'Nightmask' (one of the Marvel New Universe books that came out in the 1980's), the real Damballah was seen by his Afro-Caribbean worshipers as benevolent.", to which Snood replies: "It's name was Damballah at least as far back as 10000 BC, which is earlier than I might expect the African Gods to have been around. Perhaps the African Damballah stole the Set-spawn's thunder, much the way Seth did to Set." Carycomix replies that "If so, then Set's kid may have had another name. Perhaps, the Stygian equivalent of Apophis? According to the STARGATE: SG-1 website, the symbol for the actual Apophis of Egyptian mythology was a snake!"
Ogun, the God has no known connection
to:
Ogun, the ninja mentor/enemy to Wolverine, @ Wolverine and
Kitty Pryde#2
Ogun, the Wakandan security guard at the Wakandan Consul
in New York, @ Iron Man I#332
see comments regarding the Lion and Panther Gods
Last updated: 08/25/03
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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