SHOU-HSING
Real Name: Zhao Yen
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Chinese god)
Occupation: God of time, stars and immortality, vizier to Yu-Huang, mentor to the Ba-Xian
Affiliations: Council of God-Kings, the San Hsing (gods of fortune) of the Xian
Enemies: Akhenaten
Place of Birth: State of Wei (near modern-day Kaifeng, China)
Known Relatives: Lu-Hsing, Fu-Hsing (brothers), Nugua (sister-in-law), Mo-Ye (nephew), Fu-Fei (neice)
Aliases: Nanji Laoren ("Old Man of the South Pole"), Shou-Xing, Shou-Shen, Shou-Lao, Star of Long Life
Base of Operations: Palace of the Happy Isles in Ta-Lo (Chinese Heaven)
First Appearance: Marvel Universe: The End#2 (May, 2003)
Powers/Abilities: Shou-Hsing possesses the conventional attributes of the Chinese gods. He has superhuman strength (Class 15 perhaps), resistance to injury and a long-life enchantment. He quite possibly has mystical skills that have yet to be revealed. In myth, he could predict the life spans of mortals and inscribe them in stone.
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 290 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald (white facial hair; formerly black)
Distinguishing Features: Distended cranium
History:
(Thor & Hercules:
Encyclopaedia Mythologica) - In the 4th century, Zhao Yen
was born a frail and sickly child, and he was destined to die before
the age of twenty; but a fortune teller instructed him to travel to a
nearby field with food and rice wine, where he met two elderly men
playing a game of strategy. Thankful for Zhao's hospitality, they
revealed themselves as gods in Yu Huang's service who were responsible
for fixing the dates of mortal birth and death. They granted Zhao
immortality and he became Shou-Hsing, the god of health and longevity.
Inheriting the responsibility of assigning the life span of mortals,
he became closely associated with fellow deities Fu-Hsing (god of good
fortune) and Lu-Hsing (god of prosperity). He later became Yu Huang's
official vizier within the Jade Court at Yujing Shan.
(Marvel Universe: The End#2) - A group of Godheads met to discuss the actions of Akhenaten against humanity: Atar (Vedic/Persian), Horus (Egyptian), Hunab Ku (Mayan), Izanagi (Japanese), Ndriananahary (African, Buluku), Thor (Asgardian), Vishnu (Hindu), Zeus (Olympian), and Shou-Hsing. They also discussed summoning Those of the Forgotten Realm. Horus, who was most familiar with Akhenaten, used the Eye of Ra to spy on the powerful being, but Akhenaten detected them and attacked, destroying all present, except Thor and Zeus, who managed to flee.
(Marvel Universe: The End#4 - BTS) - Thanos gained the virtually unlimited power of the Heart of the Infinite and altered time so that Akhenaten never gained his power, effectively undoing his actions and restoring those he had destroyed. However, to those who could understand or even remember what had happened, these actions were seen as the replacement of one threat with another, perhaps even worse.
(Marvel Universe: The End#5-6) - The Godheads joined together with a multitude of heroes and villains from Earth and the rest of the universe to oppose Thanos, who had gained supreme power from the Heart of the Infinite. Thanos easily wiped out every single being in the universe, but later was convinced by Adam Warlock to sacrifice himself to restore the universe to its previous state.
(Heroic Age: Prince of Power#1) - The Council met to discuss who would be the greatest hero of the heroic age. Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor were proposed by some, and Athena told them with certainty that it was Amadeus Cho.
(Heroic Age: Prince of Power#2) - When Vali Halfling of the Pantheon extinguished the Promethean Flame that granted Olympians their immortality, Athena screamed in pain; she was comforted by Izanagi. Fearing Vali's threat to attain everything he needed to gain full omniscience, all Council members returned to their respective realms.
Comments: Adapted by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom.
The San-Hsing are China's counterpart to the Olympian Fates.
Shou-Hsing’s trademarks were the peach, which represented long life, and the crane, a sign of immortality. The concept of storks delivering babies supposedly comes from Chinese myth.
While it is entirely possible the denizens of K'un-L'un posed as the Chinese gods, much like the Eternals did for the Olympians, the extent of their coincidences could be attributed to interaction between their races.
In Chinese myth, Shou-Hsing is one of the San-Hsing, Chinese gods of fortune who predestined the fates and destinies of mortals. He has served as an advisor to Yu-Huang, who rules the Chinese gods and protects the sacred garden of Hsi Wang Mu, the queen of the Chinese gods, whose apples, the P’an-T’ao, offer immortality. He also serves as mentor to the Ba-Xian, eight mortals who were so favored by the gods that they were given immortality.
New and additional images by Ron Fredricks.
Profile by Will U.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Shou-Hsing should not be confused with:
Appearances:
Marvel Universe: The End#2 (May, 2003) - Jim Starlin
(writer/pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Marvel Universe: The End#4-6 (June-August, 2003) - Jim
Starlin (writer/pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Heroic Age: Prince of Power#1 (July, 2010) - Greg Pak &
Fred Van Lente (writers), Reilly Brown (pencils), Terry
Pallot with Jason Paz (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Heroic Age: Prince of Power#2 (August, 2010) - Greg Pak
& Fred Van Lente (writers), Reilly Brown (pencils),
Terry Pallot (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
First posted: 08/25/2003
Last updated: 07/29/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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