SHIVA

Real Name: Shiva (also Siva)

Identity/Class: Hindu God

Occupation: God of Destruction and Rebirth

Group Membership: The Hindu gods (Daevas)

Affiliations: Angkor, Dansen Macabre, the Cult of Kara-Kai

Enemies: The Rakshasas

Known Relatives: Daksha (father-in-law), Himavat (father-in-law), Ammavaru (mother?),
    Parvati (wife),
Kâli (wife),
    Ganesha, Skanda (sons),
    Dharma, Kama (nephews), Padma, Vach (nieces),
    Lakshmi, Sarasvati (sisters-in-law),

Aliases: Sharevar (Persian name), Nataraja, Jyotirlinga

Base of Operations: Kailasa in the Nirvana Dimension

First Appearance: (Mentioned; see comments) Real Mystery Magazine I#2 (July, 1940); (seen) Thor I#301 (November, 1980)

 

 

Powers/Abilities: Shiva possesses greater than normal powers of the Hindu gods. He has incredible strength to match Thor (Class 100) and endurence as well as remarkable speed and reflexes in his four arms. He also has considerable powers to manipulate energy, but not as far as Vishnu's extent. In addition, he can project energy from his third eye, which enables him to mentally enslave and control others, as long as they remain in its direct path. He carries an arsenal of weaponry, including his lightning spear, which can release lighting in the form of bolts of cages.
He is, however, much more powerful in his native dimension than he would be in another such as Asgard.

 

History: (Hindu Myth) - Shiva is the part of the ruling triumvirate of gods that also includes Vishnu and Brahma, who are his brothers only in the sense of equalness in power and role. The three rose to ruling council of the Hindu gods after Vishnu overthrew the Rakshasas, the Hindu demons who overthrew their vedic ancestors.

BTS - Shiva apparently granted power to the woman who became Dansen Macabre.

(Thor I#301) - In the wake of Ragnarok, Thor appeared in Nirvana seeking a portion of the life energies necessary to resuscitate the Asgardians. Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva however put the option to a vote and decided not to donate the energies preferring rather they go on to other immortals. A clash of tempers, however, causes a confrontation between Shiva and Thor that leads back to Bifrost, the rainbow bridge to Asgard. Realizing he was overwhelmed by the thunder-god's passion, Shiva formulated an uneasy truce and relinquished the energies Thor wanted. The two separate with uneasy tension.

(Thor Annual#10) - Indra assists Thor, Apollo, Tawa, Quetzalcoatl and Shango against Demogorge the God Eater. Although briefly consumed by the entity himself, he is rescued by Thor.
INDRA TELLS THOR THAT IT WAS IN FACT HE WHOM THOR BATTLED PREVIOUSLY (in issue#301), NOT SHIVA. THIS WAS PART OF SOME UNEXPLAINED DECEPTION. (see comments)

(Thor I#398) - While in Nirvana, Shiva overhears the Enchantress's primal scream over the death of her lover, Heimdall.

(Thor II#61) - Thor was called before the Council Elite to be tested for worthiness to join them, as a replacement for Odin. Shiva was present at this meeting, and it was he who insisted that the newcomer perform the Koronkakkta, a ritual to test his character. Thor was judged as having failed the test.

 

 

 

 

Comments: Adapted by Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio

    The use of Shiva, one of the principal gods of the Hindu religion, and his defeat at the hands of Thor, did not sit well with members of one of the largest, thriving religions on the planet. As a result, Marvel ret-conned that appearance to be Indra, posing as Shiva.
According to Will U:
    "Shiva appears in Thor Annual 10 claiming to be Indra, who is a golden-skinned deity. The ruse is confusing, but easily explained above. The confusion can be made as thus. When Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva ascended to heaven, they replaced Varuna, Mitra and Rudra, respectively. Rudra was a storm-god and a sort of mentor to Indra (Rudra's sons, the Maruts, even followed Indra into battle). Several hypothetical translations think Rudra and Shiva to be the same deity, but their families and descriptions don't line up. Furthermore, Rudra and Indra were more water gods; Shiva was also a god of volcanoes and fire.
However, Marvel lists the character appearances as Indra, not Shiva.--Snood.

In Hindu myth, Shiva rides a bull named Nandi, who is also a god in animal form.

Discussions on Shiva:

According to Pranshu B. Saxena, who "is a believer of sanatan dharma or what the foreigners refer to as Hinduism. Hindu originally means simply a person living in india (more accurately east of river sindhu (indus)).
The concept of religion as you say in the west is very, very different from that in India.
"

Pranshu continues with the further discussion:

Another opinion courtesy of Shubh Karan:

Will defends his claim that it is Shiva, and not Indra, in both Thor#301 and Annual#10:

In OHotMU 2006#3 it was confirmed that Indra impersonated Shiva at least on one occasion.

 

According to John McDonagh:
The Destroyer, Remo Williams, originated in a series of paperback books. A policeman framed for murder, he became a special government assasin for the agency CURE. Trained by Chiun, he developed mystical martial arts powers. Unarmed and dangerous, he discovered he was an avatar of Shiva.

The place of the Destroyer in the Marvel Universe is a little uncertain. Using the idea that the adventures could have taken place in real time (don't you feel older, thinking that the origin of the Fantastic Four did not take place until after the early 1990's), you could fit them in. Admittedly, in Destroyer I#1 (magazine), a character says "Who do you think you are, the Hulk?". However, that could have been a reference to Xemnu the Titan.

I recently purchased a copy of Adventure House's reprint of Real Mystery Magazine I#2 (July, 1940). This is one of Martin Goodman's "shudder pulps." Since it's been established that Goodman's magazines are 616 stories (with the probable exceptions of his sci-fi stories set in the future), I've been looking through whatever copies I can of his magazines for anything of particular interest for 616 continuity/history.
I noticed that the main villain in the story "Mates for Hell's Half-World Minion," Anya Prami the Priestess of Anguish, says "I tell you I will destroy every young person in this city--destroy them in a madness and horror such as you never dreamed of! Before Siva, Eighth Avatar of Vishnu, I swear it!" Shiva never actually appears in the story, but this is probably the first (publication-wise) reference to him in a 616 story.
Luke Van Horn

Profile by William Uchtman. Edited/Revised by Snood.

Clarifications: Shiva the God should not be confused with:


Appearances:
Thor I#301 (November, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), Keith Pollard (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Thor Annual#10 (1982) - Mark Gruenwald & Alan Zelenetz (writers), Bob Hall (pencils), Rick Bryant, Joe Rubinstein, Andy Myshynsky, Al Gordon & Kevin Dzuban (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Thor I#398 (December, 1988) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Don Heck (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Thor II#61 (May, 2003) - Dan Jurgens (writer), Ben Lai (pencils), Ray Lai (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)


Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 05/22/17

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