SVAROG
Real Name: Svarog (also spelt Svaros)
Identity/Class: Russian god
Occupation: God of the sun, fire, rain and sky; Chieftain of the Russian Gods
Affiliations: The Russian Gods, ally of Zeus, Odin, Osiris, Tezcatlipoca, Itzamna, Nuada and Manitou
Enemies: Thanos
Known Relatives: Praamzius (father); Sweigsdunka (mother); Potrimpo, Pikuolis (brothers); Kupala (sister); Lada (sister/wife); Perun, Tiermes, Stribog, Kalvis, Svarozvich (sons); Ursula, Milda (daughters); Diva, Zhiva, Laima, Marzana (daughters by an unknown goddess); Krumine, Rasyte (nieces); Bangputys (nephew); Rod (grandfather); Gaea (grandmother, alias Erce);
Aliases: Dievs (Latvian name); Laukosargas (Lithuanian name);
Base of Operations: Svarga (Russian Heaven)
First Appearance: Thor I#300 (October, 1980); (named) Infinity Gauntlet#2 (August 1991)
Powers: Svarog possibly possesses greater power than any other Russian God. He has superhuman strength (probably Class 100), stamina, vitality and resistance to harm. He has extraordinary power to tap into and manipulate mystical energies on a level close to Odin or Zeus.
Weaknesses: None known
Physical Description: Svarog resembles a huge mustached middle-aged man with the brawn and vigor of a younger man in his prime.
History: (Russian Myth)- Svarog is the son of Praamzius (time) and Sweigsdunka (stars). Very little else is known about him except he apparently became ruler of the Russian Gods by either overthrowing the ancient Baltic gods of the region or by united them under one rule uncontestedly. At one point, he became so powerful he extended portions of his power among his sons, but Perun the thunder-god and Tiermes (Svantovit) the war-god ended up usurping their brother's shares. Svarog refused to get involved as they turned on each other and as well allowed Perun to partially assume leadership of the Russian gods on occasion.
(Thor I#300, [301]) Svarog and the other
godheads gathered to discuss the threat of the Celestials to
their perspective realms. The Celestials, however, demolished the
Destroyer construct holding the life forces of the Asgardians,
which caused the energies within it to be dispersed.
Thor came to Svarga afterwards for a portion of the life energies
to revive the Asgardians after this ordeal. Svarog considered
Odin had lived up to their pact, and donated the required
energies.
(Infinity Gauntlet#2) After Thanos wielded the Infinity Gauntlet, Svarog and the last surviving godheads met in Asgard to examine the threat of the mad Eternal. Briefly stranded there, he helped to preserve the Norse realm as Adam Warlock led Earth's heroes to defeat Thanos.
Comments: Adapted by Jim Starlin & George Perez.
In Thor I#301, Gaea admitted to being the Mother Earth for all the known pantheons of Earth. Most likely, this includes the Russian Erce.
Several Godheads previously seen in the Marvel Universe and existing in myth do not appear in Infinity Gauntlet #2. Possibly, they were wiped from existence by Thanos. These include Anu (Mesopotamian), Yu Huang (Chinese), Izanagi, Takamimusubi (both Japanese), Viracocha (Incan), Ukko (Finnish) and Tame (Polynesian).
Theoretically, Perun's overshadowing of Svarog's worship on Earth in ancient Russia could be linked to his being bound to the amulet used by Valeri Sovloyev. As yet, Marvel has established nothing to confirm this.
John McDonagh adds: In Red Sonja III#12 (February 1986), a man thinks "Praise Svarog for the loyalty of Khazaks!".
Clarifications: None
First Posted: 04/07/2002
Last updated: 11/30/2004
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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