SISE-NEG SISE-NEG
Real Name: Sise-Neg Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-74113) future (31st century) magic-user; time traveler
Occupation: Sorcerer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Primitive hominids of Earth circa 1 million BC, including those that would become the Wanderers;
formerly Baron (Karl) Mordo;
Carlo Zota invoked his spell
Enemies:
Avengers (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau,
Iron Man/Tony Stark, Thor Odinson, Wasp/Janet Van Dyne), Ganyrog and the people of Yann, Lancelot du Lac, Living Tribunal, Loki Laufeyson, Merlin, Shuma-Gorath; people of Sodom and Gomorrah (notably the Priests of Death)
formerly Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Genesis, "God," "the One," "the All-Powerful (all references he used for himself);
impersonated Cagliostro
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly Yann, unidentified dimension;
formerly 18th century Paris, France, Earth-616;
formerly an unidentified location on Earth-74113's 31st century
First Appearance: (Behind-the-scenes) Strange Tales I#158
Marvel Premiere I#13 (January, 1974)
Powers/Abilities: Gifted in intellect, Sise-Neg possesses advanced skills in manipulating magical energies.
Able to use magical means to transport through time, he was further able to use his 31st
century magical skills to usurp what was apparently a finite amount of
mystical energy available on Earth (or perhaps the universe). His
magical skills increased the further he went back in time, while other
mystics around him found their powers drained.
Some of Sise-Neg's mystic time travel knowledge is inscribed in what became known as the Book of Cagliostro.
By the time he reached the modern time period, he could travel interdimensionally, magically overpower the Asgardian sorcerer-god Loki, project powerful energy blasts (sufficiently to knock away the powerful Asgardian warrior-got Thor), encase Loki in an immobilizing amber-like substance, etc.
In the 18th century A.D., he could cast illusions and/or alter his form, and telepathically read the minds of others, at least.
Once he had reached the 6th century A.D. on Earth, he could generate or summon a dragon (matter/energy transformations).
After reaching 2000 B.C., he could take on a celestial form and/or revert to his human form as well as to obliterate small villages.
Upon reaching 1 million B.C., he could take on a massive cosmic form, and he was powerful enough to challenge, weaken and banish Shuma-Gorath, although not powerful enough to destroy him/it.
At the time of the universe's creation, he was apparently powerful enough to generate, or at least guide, such a creation.
Initially possessing normal human physical abilities, he apparently gained superhuman durability, at least, as he accumulated mystic power. By the time he reached the modern time period, he could tolerate lighting strikes from Thor, repulsor blasts from Iron Man, energy bursts from Captain Marvel, and strikes from Captain America's shield.
Height:
6'1" (variable as he could assume various cosmic manifestations; he
could also either transform to mimic others or use illusion to do so)
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eyes: Green (sometimes gold or red-ish when glowing with energy)
Hair: Bald (dark eyebrows)
Skin: Gold
History:
(Marvel Premiere I#13 (fb) - BTS) - Sise-Neg originated in the 31st century of Earth-74113,
a world where a trend toward mysticism had reached its zenith, and 75%
of Earth's population used magic in their daily lives. As the mystic
energy in the universe was apparently finite, it had to be shared among
all who understood its use, according to their relative skills, and the
large number of users meant that none of those using magic could
control much power.
(Marvel Premiere I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Sise-Neg often read of epic battles between ancient knights and dragons.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Avengers of the modern age were legendary in Sise-Neg's time.
(Marvel Premiere I#13 (fb) - BTS) - Sise-Neg was frustrated with his limitations and ultimately determined that he could do have access to much more energy if the past where fewer magic-users existed, and his 31st century magic skills would afford him a larger percentage of energy than others. He further considered that as he became stronger, he would be able to command and an even larger percentage in succeeding eras: The further he traveled back in time, the more powerful he would become.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1 (fb) - BTS) - Sise-Neg stopped off at the extradimensional world of Yann, a nexus of mystic forces, in the modern time period.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1 - BTS) - Seeking power -- with the goal of usurping the rule of Asgard from Balder -- via his Scrying Sphere, Loki sensed great power on the distant world Yann. Appreciating the danger of the quest, Loki asked his wife, Sigyn, to act as his anchor while he made the journey.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1 (fb) - BTS) - Giving Sigyn a Norn Stone to help maintain his link to Asgard, Loki departed for Yann. Sigyn monitored Loki's progress via Loki's Scrying Sphere, but after a day she lost contact with him.
Loki encountered Sise-Neg and proposed an alliance, but Sise-Neg refused, leading to a conflict.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1 (fb) - BTS) - The geophysical forces unleashed forces beyond the control of Ganyrog and the science colony, and so they retreated to Yann's farthest moon for safety.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1 - BTS) - Sigyn used the Norn Stone to seek out Thor at Avengers Mansion. After Sigyn convinced Thor and the Avengers to help find Loki, Dr. Strange -- who had encountered Sise-Neg in his past but Sise-Neg's future due to the nature of Sise-Neg's traveling backward in time -- appeared before the Avengers and revealed the nature of the threat of the conflict between Loki and Sise-Neg. Combining his mystic powers with Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, Strange transported himself and the Avengers to Yann, where Ganyrog appeared to them in a hologram, noting their departure due to the forces unleashed by the strangers.
(Avengers: Loki Unleashed#1) - When Thor confronted Loki and Sise-Neg, they each blasted him, knocking Thor away. When Loki's argued this as evidence that they should be allied, Sise-Neg feigned agreement long enough to grasp Loki's arm and begin draining his power, contending that Loki had intended to do the same to him. After Captain Marvel broke up the conflict, Sise-Neg fired a blast at her that passed through her energy form and cased Loki's body in an amber-like containment.
While the Wasp diplomatically requested Loki be released to their custody -- interrupting Thor's confrontational approach --and Dr. Strange attempted to convince Sise-Neg to depart peacefully, Sise-Neg refused to be told what to do. As he arrogantly demonstrated his power against the planet Yann, the Avengers engaged Sise-Neg, keeping him off-balance with a series of strike until the Living Tribunal appeared and immobilized him.
Apparently seeking both to protect Yann's nature as a nexus world and to allow Sise-Neg to continue to his destiny, the Tribunal then dispatched Sise-Neg to continue his journey into the past.
(Marvel Premiere I#13 (fb) - BTS / Jean-Marc Lofficier's unpublished Book of the Vishanti / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#2: Cagliostro
entry) <between 1786-1789 AD> - Wishing men to remember him before he completed his journey to the dawn of creation, Sise-Neg traveled to 18th
century Paris and impersonated Cagliostro while Cagliostro was off
seeking a cure for vampirism for his wife, and opposing Dracula. There
and then Sise-Neg described the merest basics of his time-travel
techniques so that men could have a dim understanding of the genius
behind them. He ultimately left this information behind in his journal.
(Marvel Premiere I#12 (fb) - BTS / Marvel Premiere I#13 (fb) - BTS) - Having studied the Book of Cagliostro, Baron (Karl) Mordo traveled back in time, hoping to usurp Doctor Strange's role as Sorcerer Supreme. Following Mordo's trail, Dr. Strange read from the Book of Cagliostro and eventually ended up in 18th century Paris.
(Marvel Premiere I#13 (fb) - BTS) - En route, both Strange and Mordo felt their powers to be weakened (as a result of Sise-Neg having accumulated a greater amount of the available mystic power).
(Marvel Premiere I#13 ) -
There he observed "Cagliostro" (actually Sise-Neg) standing a top a
cart being pulled servants and being cheered by the crowd. Strange
recognized "Cagliostro" and considered that he had written the book
that had unlocked the secrets of time for Mordo and himself. Seeking to
speak with "Cagliostro," Strange eventually found him alone in his
domicile, resting and lacking any mystic defenses, but as he
approached, he sensed a weakening of his powers.
Sensing Strange's approach, "Cagliostro" mystically opened the doors and invited him in. Strange noted having traveled from the future and of his contemporary Mordo seeking to alter the future toward his evil ends; Strange mystically showed "Cagliostro" an image of Mordo during his explanation. Dismissing Strange's problems and his "parlor tricks" " as he blasted away Cagliostro" announced that he stood above other men's problems and lives and that no one could involve him in any matter against his will. Appreciating that Strange and his adversary had read "his" book, "Cagliostro" continued that while it may have been an error to indulge his ego in composing it, the harm was slight as he would soon be departing Paris forever. "Cagliostro" then vanished.
(Marvel Premiere I#13 - BTS) - Appreciating that Mordo had not yet met Cagliostro but would soon be seeking him out, Strange then impersonated Cagliostro and awaited Mordo. Swiftly recognizing the deception, Mordo assaulted Strange, but when Strange used the Eye/Amulet of Agamotto on Mordo, Strange's foe suddenly vanished, pulled away to "Cagliostro."
Sensing someone approach Cagliostro's dwelling, Strange returned to Cagliostro's form and greet the visitor, only to seemingly relive his own previous arrival to this home from the other side, as if he were Cagliostro greeting the arriving Strange.
(Marvel Premiere I#13) - "Cagliostro" subsequently returned to his home, warning him that he should have departed his house and life before becoming a threat. When Strange noted that "Cagliostro" was abusing reality with his tinkerings in time and that he proposed to stop him, "Cagliostro" mystically assaulted Strange; with Mordo's aid, Strange fell.
When Mordo complimented "Cagliostro" on being a competent ally, "Cagliostro" blasted Mordo, calling him a "vain, presumptuous, fool" and noting that he did not take allies. After explaining that his time travels had caused the temporal disruptions that caused both Mordo's being pulled to his side and Strange's reliving the past, Sise-Neg revealed his true form and identity and then detailed his own history, explaining that he was the cause of Strange and Mordo's weakness. Announcing that he was preparing to travel to the dawn of time when there were no other sorcerers, Sise-Neg announced that he would then be the all-powerful "God" before departing.
(Marvel Premiere I#13 - BTS) - Hoping to gain Sise-Neg's favor and convince him to recreate their reality with himself (Mordo) as Sorcerer Supreme, Mordo traveled to the past in pursuit of Sise-Neg. Strange resolved to follow both Mordo and Sise-Neg into the past to thwart this great threat.
(Marvel Premiere I#14 (fb) - BTS) - En route to the past and progressively absorbing mystic energy, Sise-Neg (and Mordo) stopped in 6th century Britain, drawn by and seeking to discover the source of a mammoth concentration of mystical power.
(Marvel Premiere I#14) - As Strange arrived in that same time, Sise-Neg noted that neither he nor Mordo mattered to him, but he continued that as he intended to become the one, all-powerful God, he needed all knowledge. See a rushing an approaching knight on horseback, Sise-Neg determined that he wished to witness a battle between a knight and a dragon, and he demonstrated his current power level by creating a giant dragon. This dragon appeared in the path of Lancelot du Lac (soon to be Sir Lancelot of the Round Table), knocking him from his horse. Although Strange asked Sise-Neg if the god he wished to be cared nothing for humans, and Side-Neg noted that while he was above humanity, he would allow Strange to fight for the knight.
(Marvel Premiere I#14 - BTS) - Using the Eye of Agamotto to blind the eyelid-less dragon (see comments), Strange drove it back into a mountainside, the rocks of which crumbled atop and covered the dragon. Thanking Strange for saving him, Lancelot wrongly assumed him to be the sorcerer Merlin, of whom he had heard, leading Strange to realize Merlin to be the source of mystic energy Sise-Neg was seeking.
(Marvel Premiere I#14) - Noting how Lancelot was fated to help bring about the destruction of Camelot via his affair with King Arthur's wife, Guinevere, Mordo argued to Sise-Neg that humanity sowed the seeds of their own destruction and needed to be ruled by someone strong, like Sise-Neg.
(Marvel Premiere I#14 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Sise-Neg apparently absorbed Merlin's power.
(Marvel Premiere I#14)
- Noting that he would ponder Mordo's argument, Sise-Neg vanished into the past again along with Mordo.
(Marvel Premiere I#14 - BTS) - Strange pursued Sise-Neg's trail. (Marvel Premiere I#14) - Circa 2000 BC, Sise-Neg, now taking on a more godly aspect, noted an even greater concentration of mystic energy (the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah), and he paused his time travel -- followed by Mordo and Strange -- to investigate this. Noting the people to be lost in sin and degradation, Sise-Neg considered that their power was wasted and easily taken. While Mordo urged Sise-Neg to simply destroy the people and take their power, Strange argued that sin was not an excuse for murder and that they did not know the people's true nature. Acknowledging Strange's points, Sise-Neg returned to his human form and joined Strange and Mordo on the streets, intending to find which of the two sorcerers was correct. However, his ordering the people present to conduct him to their leaders or face instant death provoked a violent response in the gathered people, who resolved to kill them like they did with other strangers there. The people summoned their Priests of Death who used mystic wands projecting blasts able to sear the bones from flesh. Strange futilely exhausted most of his remaining mystic power trying to block the beams, but then Sise-Neg, angered by the assault, told them they had angered God as he destroyed their city. (Marvel Premiere I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Only a handful of survivors -- presumably including Lot and his family -- escaped the cities' destruction. |
(Marvel Premiere I#14 (fb) - BTS) - Sise-Neg then returned to his temporal journey, with Mordo and Strange following. (Marvel Premiere I#14)
- In prehistoric times (see comments),
Sise-Neg welcomed Strange and Mordo to the final pause in his journey.
As Strange noted primitive hominids fleeing from some unseen terror,
Sise-Neg instructed him to speak no more of humanity, as he washed his
hands of them. As the immense Shuma-Gorath emerged from the ground and
began wrapping the hominids in its tentacles, Sise-Neg recognized this
as the final possessor of mystic energy he must have. Risking Sise-Neg's ire, Strange appealed him to look at the hominids desperately struggling and appreciate that they were his ancestors. Accepting this, Sise-Neg blasted Shuma-Gorath. Swiftly realizing that the other-dimensional demon absorbed mystic energy just as he did and that he could not destroy the demon or risk it leaching his power, Sise-Neg instead drew off enough of Shuma-Gorath's power to cause it to sleep before it even became aware of his presence. He then forced it into another dimension where it would remain for "millennia" (see comments). Before departing the realm, Sise-Neg created a garden haven for the two remaining hominids who had survived Shuma-Gorath's assault. Noting that both Strange and Mordo had been of service to him, Sise-Neg invited them to continue his journey, and they watched as Earth dissolved into molten rock before collapsing into the sun, and eventually for everything to collapse back into nothing. |
Acknowledging that he had been wrong to consider re-creating the universe in his own image, Sise-Neg noted that while mankind was not perfect, it was this dimension's closest approximation to perfection, and he resolved to recreate the universe exactly as it had been before. As he apparently did so, Sise-Neg asked them not to remember him as the man named Sise-Neg, but as the god called Genesis. (Marvel Premiere I#14 - BTS) - Cast back to their own time, Mordo was apparently maddened by what he had seen while Strange questioned whether they had truly observed a second creation or whether the original creation had recurred (or simply persisted). |
(Defenders VI#1 - BTS) - Utilizing either the Book of Cagliostro or another book containing Sise-Neg's time travel spells, Carlo Zota sought to escape the rampaging Adam-IV (aka Korvac). Unable to stop the spell that had already started, the Masked Raider shot the spellbook, causing the magic to run wild and causing Zota to vanish.
Comments: Created by Steve Englehart, Frank Brunner, and Crusty Bunkers...
Crusty
Bunker, or the Crusty Bunkers, was the collective pseudonym of a group
of comic book inkers clustered around Neal Adams' and Dick Giordano's
New York City-based art and design agency Continuity Studios from 1972
to 1977. The group was also occasionally credited as Ilya Hunch, Chuck
Bunker, or The Goon Squad. Many Crusty Bunkers team members went on to
successful individual careers in the comics industry.
While Sise-Neg's role in the creation of the universe has been called into question, the Living Tribunal confirmed his involvement in Avengers: Loki Unleashed, noting that when they had first met Strange, they had shown him the origin of the universe, specifically noting that's Strange's averting his eyes prevented him from seeing Sise-Neg's role in its creation.
You can do an internet search for Sodom and Gomorrah...theories abound, and you can look them up...For the purpose of this profile, I'm less interested in what happened in the real world than what happened on Earth-616.
In the real world, dinosaurs were extinct circa 65 million BC, and the
earliest hominids were around closer to 1 million BC. In Reality-616
and many Marvel realities, dinosaurs survived in various locations,
notably the Savage Land, but also parts of Africa. So, seeing dinosaurs
and hominids together isn't necessarily problematic on Earth-616.
The hominids present and their descendants, the Wanderers, is discussed in greater detail in the Wanderers profile.
I'm no herpetologist, but as far as I know, most lizards have eyelids,
and most snakes do not, and that's one way to tell them apart. The
"glass snake," for example, is actually a legless lizard and not a
snake. At any rate, if the dragon didn't have eyelids, it was
apparently more like a legged serpent...or maybe it lost its eyelids in
a previous conflict, or something....
Sise-Neg received a small text entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11's Appendix, as well as a full entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#2.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Sise-Neg should be distinguished from:
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#158/2 (July, 1967) - Roy Thomas (writer), Marie Severin (penciler), Herb Trimpe (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#12 (November, 1973) - Book of Cagliostro only - Steve
Englehart, Mike Friedrich & Frank Brunner (writers), Frank Brunner
(pencils), Crusty Bunkers (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#13 (January, 1974) - Steve Englehart (writer), Frank Brunner (penciler), Crusty Bunkers (inkers), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Premiere I#14 (March, 1974) - Steve Englehart (writer), Frank Brunner (penciler), Dick Giordano (inker), Roy Thomas (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#2 (January, 1991) - Mark Gruenwald (head writer, concept/editor), Peter
Sanderson (research consultant), Len Kaminiski, Jamie Tost, Glenn
Herdling (writers), Keith Pollard (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker),
Phil Sheehy (editorial assistant)
Avengers:
Loki Unleashed#1 (November, 2019) - Roger Stern (writer), Ron Lim
(penciler/inker), Alanna Smith, Shannon Andrews, & Ballesteros
(assistant editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Defenders VI#1
(October, 2021) - Al Ewing (writer), Javier Rodriguez (penciler),
Javier Rodriguez & Alvaro Lopez (inkers), Will Moss, Sarah
Brunstadt (editors)
First posted: 03/15/2022
Last updated: 03/15/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other 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
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!
