QUETZALCOATL

Real Name: Quetzalcoatl

Identity/Class: Mexican god

Occupation: God of sun, wind, and wisdom

Group Membership: The Mexican Gods

Affiliations: The Apaco, Apollo, Horus, Indra, Shango, Tawa, and Thor (allies)

Enemies: Demogorge, Tezcatlipoca

Known Relatives: Mixcoatl (father),
Hurakan (foster father),
Gaea (mother, alias Coatlique), 
Xolotl (twin-brother), Quetzalpetlatl (twin-sister), Nanauatzin (son),
Thor, Huitzilopochtli (half-brothers), Coyoxauhqui (half-sister),
The Adityas and the Titans (half-brothers and half-sisters),
Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, Camaxtli (uncles),
Ahpuch (cousin)

Aliases: Ehecatl (the god of wind)

Base of Operations: Celestial Teotihuacan ("City of the Gods")

First Appearance: Thor Annual#10 (1982)

Powers/Abilities:
Quetzalcoatl possesses the conventional powers of the Mexican Gods.  He has superhuman strength (Class 50 perhaps) and endurance plus mystical abilities enabling him to fly and command ambient elemental energies, such as having control over the air and wind.  He can also teleport under certain conditions.

History: (myth) Quetzalcoatl supported Itzamna, as Tezcatlipoca demanded blood sacrifices from the Aztecs.  Tezcatlipoca hated the young god for his loyalties to older heritage.  The two warred for centuries.  Quetzalcoatl was actually able to depose Tezcatlipoca and, after changing him into a jaguar, dumped Tezcatlipoca into the ocean.  Quetzalcoatl was then, in turn, deposed by Tlaloc, the water-god, working for Tezcatlipoca.

Returning to take control, Tezcatlipoca impersonated a god named Titlacauepan in order to shame Quetzalcoatl into getting drunk enough to rape his sister, Quetzalpetlatl.  He then showed Quetzalcoatl's true image as a feathered serpent in his "smoking mirror" and shamed him into fleeing Teotihuacan.  Promising to return, Quetzalcoatl went into exile with the Mayan Gods in the underworld.  In his final act of revenge to undo the good Quetzalcoatl had created, Tezcatlipoca took mortal form and convinced the Aztecs to accept the Spanish Conquistador Hernando Cortez as the returning Quetzalcoatl (See Comments regarding this).  The Aztecs belief that Cortez was their returning god made it that much more easier for the Spanish Conquistadors to conquer the Aztecs.

(Thor Annual#10) - Quetzalcoatl was sent to aid Thor and many other gods against the menace of Demogorge the God Eater, who had been raised from the dawn of time by Ahpuch and the death-gods of other pantheons.  Unable to affect the entity in battle, he was consumed with the death-gods as well as his allies but was freed when Thor caused a shift in the creature's palate. Becoming Atum once more, his true being, Demogorge released Quetzalcoatl as well as all of the other swallowed immortals.

(Marvel Universe: The End#5) - Alongside various Earth heroes, Abstractions, and other gods, Quetzalcoatl was summoned by the Living Tribunal to oppose the mad Titan Thanos, who had usurped true omnipotence in the Marvel Universe. 

(Incredible Hercules#116-117) - Quetzalcoatl was in attendance a the Council of Godheads was gathered by Athena to discuss the menace of the Skrulls.
    Itzamna, along with Hunab Ku, Tezcatlipoca, Inti, and Quetzacoatl, volunteered Ajak the Eternal to fight for them.

COMMENTS: Created by Alan Zelenetz and Bob Hall

The Aztecs Gods and the Mayan Gods are considered to be the same race, and are titled under the Mexican Gods.  They are, however, distinct from the Incan Gods.

In the myth section of Quetzalcoatl's history, it is stated that a vengeful Tezcatlipoca "convinced the Aztecs to accept the Spanish Conquistador Hernando Cortez as the returning Quetzalcoatl."  This, of course, does not come from any historical documentation or scholarly reference; it is merely another of Will's wild suppositions.  Although an imaginative concept, in reality no divine intervention instigated what would become a systematic slaughter of millions of American Natives by European invaders.  Instead, the Aztec people made a grave mistake by believing that Cortez was Quetzalcoatl returned, which, as the myth history illustrates, was supposed to occur at some point.--Kyle

Gaea admitted in Thor I#301 that she had been Coatlique as well as Jord to the Asgardians and Aditi to the Hindus.  This makes Quetzalcoatl siblings with Thor (of the Scandinavian/Norse Gods), the Titans (of the Greco-Roman pantheon), and the Adityas (ancestors of the Hindu Gods).

In Aztec Myth, Quetzalcoatl was often referred to as The Feathered Serpent.  Makes me think he'd have an archaeopteryx as a pet.  Appropriately enough, there is a giant pteradactyl named for him. It is called Quetzalcoatlus.

Per Degaton  points out, "Young Allies Comics #20 has a story entitled, 'The Crown of Quetzalcoatl!'"



In What If II#38, Quetzalcoatl is garbed exactly like previous depictions of Tezcatlipoca and even recalling his encounter with Thor against Demogorge.  The only sense to be made of this is that Quetzalcoatl has replaced Tezcatlipoca in this reality.  (Or he really dug Tezcatlipoca's threads --Prime Ed-ternal)

Profile by William Uchtman and Snood.

Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS:

Other Gods and Eternals have been mistaken for Quetzalcoatl in the past, these include:

(What If II#38) - In an alternate reality, Tezcatlipoca was again usurped by Quetzalcoatl who even took his arraignments of leadership.  In this timeline, Quetzalcoatl, possibly representing Itzamna, met with the godheads to discuss Seth, who had conquered Asgard in this reality.

Appearances:
Thor Annual#10 (1982) - Mark Gruenwald & Alan Zelenetz (writers), Bob Hall (pencils), Rick Bryant, Andy Myshynsky, Al Gordon & Kevin Dzuban (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
What If? II#38 (June, 1992) - Roy Thomas, Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier (writers), Marshall Rogers & M.C. Wyman (pencils), Sam De La Rosa & Rod Ramos (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Marvel Universe: The End#5 (July, 2005) - Jim Starlin (writer/pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Incredible Hercules#116-117 (June-July, 2008) - Greg Pak & Fred van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciler), Paul Neary (inker), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)

Last updated: 09/21/08

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Back to Characters