AMATERASU
Real Name: Amaterasu
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Amatsu-Kami) goddess
Occupation: Goddess of the sun
Group Membership: Amatsu-Kami (the Gods of Japan) (Ame-no-Mi-Kumari, Awo-kashiki, Aya-kashiki, Bishamon, Ebisu, Ho-Ti, Inari, Izanagi, Izanami/Gaea, Kaminari, Kagutsuchi, Mikaboshi, Oho-tomahe, Oho-tomahiko, Susanoo, Takamimusubi, Tsukuyomi);
formerly Council of Godheads (Balder the Brave, Inti, Osiris, others)
Affiliations: Hera, Hercules (Heracles/Alcaeus), Young Gods (Brightsword/Carter Dyam, Caduceus/Mark Cadmon, Calculus/Jawaharel Patel, Daydreamer/Catherine Moranis, Genii/Jason Kimball, Harvest/Chi Lo, Highnote/Raoul Hernandez, Mindsinger/Gregor Buhkarov, Moonstalker/Kiana, Sea Witch/Bridgit O'Hare, Splice/Chandra Ku, Varua/Mira), Zeus, her worshippers
Enemies: Mikaboshi; (while under Mikaboshi's thrall): God Squad (Daimon Hellstrom, the Panther God, Sersi, Silver Surfer/Norrin Radd, Venus the siren)
Known Relatives: Izanagi (father), Gaea (mother, alias Izanami), Susanoo, Tsuki-Yomi, Kagutsuchi, Ebisu (brothers), Takamimusubi (husband/uncle), Awo-kashiki (grandfather), Aya-kashiki (grandmother), Oho-tamahiko (great-grandfather), Oho-tomahe (great-grandmother) (see comments)
Aliases: None (see comments)
Base of Operations: Ama
First Appearance: (Mentioned by name only) Wolverine II#32 (October 1990); (seen) Thor/Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica (2009); (in-story) Chaos War#3 (January, 2011)
Powers/Abilities: Amaterasu possessed the conventional powers of the Amatsu-Kami (Gods of Japan) including superhuman strength (possibly Class 25 or above), stamina, vitality, resistance to injury and an immortality comparable to the Olympian gods. She also had mystical abilities related to the sun, such as conjuring heat and light, though the full extent of these abilities was unrevealed. When using her mystical abilities, her hair blazed with fire.
Height: Variable
Weight: Variable
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Black
History:
(Thor/Hercules: Encyclopaedia (fb) - BTS) - Amaterasu was created by Izanagi, the ruler of the Japanese gods, and Gaea, the goddess of Earth worshipped as Izanami in Japan, as a member of an extradimensional race of beings known as the Amatsu-Kami who were worshipped as gods by the ancient Japanese between 10,000 BC to 1945 when Shintoism ceased to be the main religion in Japan.
(All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: A-Z Update I#1 - Amatsu-Kami entry (fb) - BTS) - Amaterasu ultimately married the god Takamimusubi and the couple were allowed to rule the Amatsu-Kami more actively for Izanagi, who chose to remain in Ama. Following the god Susanoo's claim of finding the powerful Grasscutter Sword within the body of eight-headed dragon Yamato-no-Orichi, he gifted the sword to Amaterasu and the sword was eventually passed down through numerous heroic owners before resting for centuries within a guarded temple. When the senior goddesses of the various Earthly pantheons decided to empower a race of Young Gods to allow the cosmic Celestials to study and appreciate Earth, Amaterasu helped watch over the chosen candidates.
(Wolverine II#32 - BTS) - Wolverine referred to Japan as "the Land of Amaterasu."
(Thor/Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica - BTS) - In recent years, Mikaboshi (later the Chaos King) acquired the Grasscutter Sword and conquered Ama, the home of the Japanese gods, slaying many of the Amatsu-Kami and absorbing their powers while survivors such as Amaterasu fled into hiding in other realms until Mikaboshi was defeated.
(Chaos War#3) - Amaterasu attended the Council of Godheads representing the Amatsu-Kami and discussed the situation with Amatsu-Mikaboshi, who had overturned the underworld as the Chaos King, utilizing deceased Olympians such as Zeus, Hera and Ares as his thralls. Sealing off the throneroom where the Godheads were meeting to hinder the Chaos King from accessing portals to the other godly pantheons, Amaterasu encountered Balder, who disagreed with her decision since it would prevent the Council of Godheads from leaving their meeting chamber and insisted that they should focus on Earth or it would be lost. Amaterasu, however, considered the mortal realm already lost and wanted more attention focused on their godly allies. After Hercules was forced to strike down his possessed father, he impugned Amaterasu and the Council for not rallying to his aid, which inadvertently alerted the Chaos King to their location. Amaterasu and the rest of the Council quickly retreated as the Chaos King attacked them and used their location to jointly access the other godly realms, devastating the Mayan underworld and the Otherworld of the Celtic gods before turning his attention towards the realm of the Amatsu-Kami.
(Chaos War: God Squad#1) - As Amatsu-Mikaboshi devastated Japan, Amaterasu stood before him trying to stop him, only to be struck down by him. The incident was witnessed by the God Squad, who managed to flee, picking up the Wakandan Panther God as an ally. They ended up in Takamaghara, the home of the Gods of Japan, where they encountered Susanoo and Tsukuyomi, who turned out to be under the thrall of Amatsu-Mikaboshi along with the previously slain and restored Inari and Amaterasu. The four possessed Shinto Gods battled the God Squad, who quickly retreated, leaving behind the Panther God to cover their retreat. In the melee, Amaterasu was incinerated by the Silver Surfer.
Comments: Created by Larry Hama, Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (pencils) & Tom Palmer (inks).
I'm not sure how much of the mythological info for Amaterasu regarding her history, relatives, other names, et al. are relevant in the Marvel Universe. She was a very important deity to the Japanese, ancestor to their divine kings, and possibly based on an actual legendary ruler. Since Marvel cannot copyright mythological deities, their take on the character may not resemble the actual deity. An extended bio on Amaterasu incorporating details on her Marvel Universe counterpart (as much as I know) can be found at the Guide to the Mythological Universe.
"Amatsu" is a Japanese prefix that translates to "heavenly." It turns up in many of the expanded names for the Japanese gods (Amaterasu, Amatsu-Kami, Amatsu-Mikaboshi, etc). Amaterasu was likely restored to life in Chaos War I#5 after Hercules defeated Amatsu-Mikaboshi and reset reality back to normal.
Amaterasu is mentioned in the Amatsu-Kami bio in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: A-Z Update#1.
Amaterasu's height & weight would be variable, as she has appeared at varying sizes in her Marvel's appearances. Her eye color remains unrevealed, as the art in her appearances has never shown a close enough view of her eyes. - Proto-Man
Profile by Thor2000
CLARIFICATIONS:
Amaterasu has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Thor & Hercules: Encyclopedia Mythologica, p6, top panel (Amaterasu, main image)
Chaos War#3, p1, pan3 (closeup)
Chaos War#3, p1, pan4 (Amaterasu at Council of Godheads)
Appearances:
Wolverine II#32 (October 1990) - Larry Hama (writer), Marc Silvestri (pencils), Dan Green (ink), Glynis Oliver (color), Pat Brosseau (letters), Bob Harras (editor)
Thor & Hercules: Encyclopedia Mythologica (2009) - Anthony Flamini, Greg Pak, Fred Van Lante & Paul Cornell (writers), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Chaos War#3 (January, 2011) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Chaos War: God Squad#1 (February 2011) - Marc Sumerak (writer), Dan Panosian (pencils/ink), Antonio Fabela (color), Dave Sharpe (letters), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Last updated: 02/12/17
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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