The Elder Gods are powerful cosmic entities that first appeared in Marvel comics in the 1960s. They are derived from the Elder Gods of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos stories and play an important role in various Marvel storylines. Some key facts about the Elder Gods:
- They are among the most ancient entities in the Marvel Universe
- They dwell in extradimensional realms outside normal space and time
- They have vast cosmic powers and influence over magic and other dimensional energies
- They often manipulate events on Earth to further their own cryptic agendas
In the Marvel Universe, there are many different Elder Gods with their own origins, realms, and motivations. The most notable of these include:
Chthon
Chthon is one of the first and most powerful Elder Gods created soon after the beginning of the universe. He represents chaos and black magic. Chthon carved out a realm in another dimension that became known as Otherplace. He would later go on to empower the Darkhold and have a major influence on witchcraft and dark magic on Earth.
Gaea
Gaea is an Elder Goddess who embodies life, nature, and renewal. She is the living conscious of the Earth itself. Gaea mated with the Demiurge to spawn the entity Atum, who helped create the pantheon of Gods worshipped in ancient Egypt. She is a benevolent figure who often aids heroes like Thor and the Avengers.
Oshtur
Oshtur represents order and intellect in contrast to Chthon’s chaos. She is said to have crafted the first magic spells. Oshtur has a daughter named Hoggoth who is also an Elder God associated with order.
Set
Set is an Elder God worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as the god of death and evil. He would later clash with gods like Thor and become a prominent adversary. Set dwells in a realm called the Abyss.
Dreaming Celestial
The Dreaming Celestial looks like a gigantic sleeping Celestial. It was dormant beneath San Francisco for millennia and was a source of great power. Its motives and role are clouded in mystery.
Origins and Background
The origins of the Elder Gods stretch back eons to the dawn of life in the Marvel Universe. After the Big Bang, elementary cosmic entities emerged representing various cosmic forces. Among the first of these were Chthon, Gaea, Set, and Oshtur. As reality itself coalesced into being, these Elder Gods shaped and defined the nature of the mystical realms adjacent to Earth’s dimension.
The Elder Gods existed long before any lifeforms like humans, predating even the ascension of the modern gods of myth like Zeus or Odin. Each Elder God stakes out its own dimensional realm to have influence over some facet of existence. Gaea’s realm is called the “God Quarry” while Oshtur dwells in the “Dimension of Ashes.”
Though not exactly omnipotent, the Elder Gods have vast cosmic powers that seem godlike from a human perspective. They are able to manipulate matter and energy on a planetary or even galactic scale as needed. Much of their power derives from their connection to mystical forces underlying reality. Each Elder God has a cult of mortal worshippers that marvel at their immense power.
The Elder Gods are not united and sometimes come into conflict with each other over their different philosophies and goals. Chthon represents the expansion of chaos, darkness, and evil while Oshtur and Gaea stand for more positive values like order, nature, and renewal. Their ageless struggle maintains the cosmic balance between opposites.
Key Storylines Involving the Elder Gods
The Elder Gods regularly intervene in the affairs of humankind, usually through chosen proxies. Some key storylines that involve the machinations of the Elder Gods:
– The “Darkhold Redeemers” storyline revolves around various heroes trying to battle the evil influence of the ancient Darkhold tome, powered by Chthon.
– In Thor issues #129-131, it is revealed that Set is the Serpent God worshipped by the Egyptians. After being exiled for eons, Set returns and battles Thor.
– The “Infinity War/Crusade” crossovers feature the Goddess, who is revealed to be an aspect of Gaea corrupted by being fused with Adam Warlock’s evil side. This creates a cosmic clash involving Thanos and Earth’s heroes.
– The “Siege of Wundagore Mountain” storyline centres around Chthon trying to manifest on Earth through the heir of Wundagore, Quicksilver. The Avengers and X-Men unite to battle the Elder God’s forces.
– In “Atlantis Attacks,” Set tries to escape his exile and conquer Earth’s dimension by corrupting ancient Atlantean magic. This brings Set into conflict with the Sub-Mariner.
– In “The Thanos Imperative,” Mar-Vell becomes the avatar of Lord Mar-Vell, a twisted version of himself worshipped as a god in the Cancerverse dimension. He threatens the entire Marvel-616 continuity.
Powers and Abilities
The Elder Gods possess unimaginable cosmic powers that often blur the lines between science and magic. Their abilities include:
- Nigh invulnerability – difficult to injure or destroy thanks to their mystical nature.
- Immortality – having existed for billions of years.
- Vast magical power to alter reality and control mystical energy.
- Teleportation across dimensions and space-time.
- Tissue and elemental manipulation on a planetary scale.
- Ability to reshape entire realms and pocket dimensions.
- Bestowal of power on chosen avatars and worshippers.
- Cosmic awareness – knowledge of events across vast distances.
The full extent of the Elder Gods’ powers is unclear even to other ancient Marvel entities. They exist on a scale beyond most other beings, even vastly powerful ones like Odin or Dormammu. This makes them extremely dangerous when meddling in human affairs. Only united forces like the Avengers have succeeded in thwarting their apocalyptic agendas.
Examples of Elder God Powers
– Chthon creating entire races like vampires, warewolves, and demons to populate Otherplace and do his bidding.
– Gaea able to reshape the continents, raise new mountain ranges, and cause mass extinctions.
– Set teleporting pyramids from Egypt to the United States by force of will.
– The Dreaming Celestial moving the Earth at will with thought alone.
– Oshtur weaving complex spells that bind demons for eternity in limbo-like dimensions.
Even depleted in power or manifested partially on Earth, Elder Gods have frightened heroes like Doctor Strange and Thor with their ability to warp reality. At their peak, they are universal forces few entities dare challenge.
The Elder Gods vs. Other Marvel Cosmic Beings
The Elder Gods may appear god-like to humans, but how do they compare to other major cosmic entities in the Marvel Universe? Here is a comparison:
Vs. Celestials
– The Celestials are “space gods” who wield almost limitless power. They and the Elder Gods were among the first beings to shape reality after its creation.
– Celestials are dedicated to experimenting on and influencing life throughout the universe. The Elder Gods pursue more abstract mystical agendas.
– In direct confrontations, the Celestials appear to slightly outclass the Elder Gods in most encounters. However, the Elders have succeeded in challenging Celestial ambitions at times.
Vs. Abstract Entities
– Abstracts like Eternity or Infinity represent universal essences and supersede the Elder Gods in power and scope.
– The Elders can manipulate reality in localized ways abstracts cannot. But abstracts have absolute purview over concepts like time or space across all realities.
– Both operate on a cosmic scale, but abstracts are closer to true omnipotence. Elders are still limited in important ways.
Vs. Hell Lords
– Powerful demons like Mephisto, Satannish, and Dormammu rule over specific mystical dimensions adjacent to Earth.
– In their own realms, Hell Lords may eclipse the Elders, but Elders have more flexibility to manifest power across multiple dimensions.
– Within a realm like the Dream Dimension, Dormammu has beaten Chthon in direct magical combat before. But in the Earth dimension, Chthon has proven dominant.
So while not absolute, the Elder Gods exist firmly among the elite pantheon of godlike beings in Marvel Comics that stand above even the Asgardian gods who often interact with Earth.
Notable Elder Gods
Here is a table summarizing some of the most prominent Elder Gods:
| Name | Alignment | Domain | Worshippers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chthon | Evil | Chaos Magic | Darkholders |
| Gaea | Good | Life/Nature | Wiccans |
| Set | Evil | Death | Set Cultists |
| Oshtur | Good | Order | Oshturans |
| Dreaming Celestial | Neutral | Prophecy | Alpha Primitives |
This covers five of the most prominent Elder Gods who have affected events on Earth, though many more exist scattered across the Marvel Universe and in dimensions adjacent to Earth.
Conclusion
In summary, the Elder Gods are ancient and enigmatic cosmic entities with origins that stretch back billions of years across Marvel history. Beings like Chthon, Set, Oshtur, and Gaea manipulate events across dimensions to further their own abstract agendas that are often at odds. Their vast power, which dwarfs that of gods like Odin or Zeus, makes them feared across many planes of reality and by humans who worship them as deities. The Elder Gods provide the backdrop to an occult cosmology in the Marvel Universe that often intersects with the adventures of supernatural heroes like Doctor Strange. Though not fully omnipotent, the Elders’ ability to alter reality on a massive scale makes them an ever-present threat lurking in the background ready to send ripples through the fabric of space and time.
