Shuma-Gorath

Shuma-Gorath
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Premiere #5 (November 1972)
Created by	Robert E. Howard Steve Englehart Frank Brunner
In-story information
Species	Demon
Notable aliases	Lord of Chaos
Abilities	Energy projection Reality manipulation Shapeshifting Levitation Teleportation Vast mystical powers Immortality

Shuma-Gorath is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Shuma-Gorath was first mentioned in a short story by author Robert E. Howard.

Publication history

Shuma-Gorath is first mentioned in the Robert E. Howard short story "The Curse of the Golden Skull," in The Howard Collector #9, Spring 1967, which features the character Kull. A dying magician named Rotath invokes the "iron-bound books of Shuma-Gorath" in a curse against humanity.

As a Marvel character, his first appearance was as an adversary for Doctor Strange in Marvel Premiere #5 (November 1972), created by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner.

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]

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.^[12]

In other media

Video games

• Shuma-Gorath appears as a playable character in the fighting game Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Frank Perry.
• Shuma-Gorath appears as a playable character in the fighting game Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, voiced again by Frank Perry.
• Shuma-Gorath appears as a playable character in the fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, voiced again by Frank Perry.
• Shuma-Gorath appears as a playable character via downloadable content in the fighting games Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, voiced by Paul Dobson.^[13][14][15]
• Shuma-Gorath is featured in the Doctor Strange virtual pinball game for Pinball FX 2.^[16]

See also

• Shub-Niggurath

References

External links

• Shuma-Gorath at Marvel.com
• Shuma Gorath at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe