Marvel Comics is a well-known American comic book publisher and multimedia entertainment company. Over the years, they have created numerous fictional characters that have become popular around the world. One interesting aspect of Marvel Comics is their incorporation of pagan elements in the stories and character development. Paganism refers to a wide range of beliefs and practices that existed before the spread of Christianity, and Marvel Comics has explored and integrated some of these ancient belief systems into their narratives. One notable example is the inclusion of Norse mythology in the Marvel universe. Characters like Thor, Odin, and Loki are based on the gods and goddesses from Norse mythology.
Unrevealed Pagan
One of three brothers raised in Naga Hills, India, the boy who would become Pagan displayed great strength in his youth. Unfortunately, a sickness swept through his village, claiming the lives of many, including the boy and his brother. The boy's life force (and that of his brother) were absorbed into the body of the boy's second brother, who grew up to become Jonathan Tremont, founder of the religious Triune Understanding. Years later, Tremont obtained a shard of purifying light, formed by the universe itself in response to the Triple-Evil that had destroyed many worlds. Using the shard, Tremont resurrected both of his brothers in physical form using the life forces he had absorbed. As part of a smear campaign against the newly-returned Avengers, Jonathan Tremont sent the intelligent brother (now known as the mindlessly enraged Pagan) to cause a ruckus in New York. Just as Tremont had planned, the Avengers arrived on the scene and battled Pagan, who managed to make them look foolish by burrowing underground and escaping their clutches. He later burst from the ground while the Avengers were visiting the Triune Understanding, prompting another battle between himself and the Avengers. During this battle, the Avengers were made to look even more foolish when their enemy Lord Templar (secretly the second brother of Tremont) arrived and flew Pagan into space. Templar and Pagan later showed up to battle the Avengers at the home of Mrs. Chandler, widow of the supposedly deceased 3-D Man. When the Avengers were needed elsewhere, Photon managed to cut the battle short by phasing through Pagan's body, draining him of his Tremont-based energies. Some time later, when the Avengers and Tremont were captured by the Triple-Evil, Jonathan released Pagan and Templar from his body to combat the Evil. As the battle progressed, Tremont became drunk with power and began absorbing the life forces of his followers into himself. He soon drained the life forces of Lord Templar and Pagan as well, and set out to obtain the other shards of purifying light. Triathlon managed to draw Tremont's power into himself using his own shard, defeating Tremont.
Marvel pagan
Real Name: Unrevealed (last name may be Tremont)
Identity/Class: Human, possible mutant or mutate
Occupation: Agent of Jonathan Tremont, destroyer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Lord Templar (briefly posed as his enemy), Jonathan Tremont
Enemies: Avengers (Beast/Hank McCoy, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Firestar/Angelica Jones, Justice/Vance Astrovik, Photon/Monica Rambeau, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Thor/Thor Odinson, Triathlon/Delroy Garrett Jr., Vision/"Victor Shade," Wonder Man/Simon Williams), Blue Marvel (Adam Brashear), Peg Chandler, Jack of Hearts (Jack Hart), Triple-Evil (a shard of extradimensional evil from the Trion), the Triune Understanding (though he was secretly working with the Triune's leader, Jonathan Tremont)
Known Relatives: Jonathon Tremont and Lord Templar (brothers)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile;
formerly Naga Hills, India
First Appearance: (in shadow, arm only): Avengers III#13 (February, 1999);
(fully seen): Avengers III#14 (March, 1999)
Powers/Abilities: Pagan had some degree of superhuman strength (possibly max Class 100) and durability. He had been shown to lift a car and withstand hex blasts from Scarlet Witch, punches from the Beast, a solidified fist in the heart from Vision and punches from energy-based Wonder Man. He appeared to draw power from a seemingly limitless source, although this source was never identified.
History: (Avengers III#50 (fb)) - The boy who would become Pagan was one of three brothers who were born and grew up in the Naga Hills region of India. While he demonstrated exceptional intelligence as a youth, this did not save him from a sickness that swept through their village and killed both he and one of his brothers . Somehow, however, the third brother (later Jonathon Tremont) managed to absorb both of his brothers' dying life forces into himself. Years later, Tremont obtained one of three energy pyramids which were created by the universe itself as antibodies against the Trion shard of evil. Tremont used the power he gained from the pyramid to resurrect his two brothers as Lord Templar and Pagan, a creature who reveled in destruction. The three brothers then worked to gain the energy of the other two energy pyramids, primarily through the creation of the Triune Understanding religious movement.
(Avengers III#13) - Pagan was present with Jonathan Tremont as Lord Templar returned to Tremont following a battle with the Avengers.
(Avengers III#14/Avengers III#0 (fb)) - Pagan was publicly seen causing a ruckus in New York's Times Square, destroying nearly everything he saw. The Avengers were drawn to the scene but Pagan ultimately escaped the Avengers by burrowing into the ground at an incredible speed.
(Avengers III#15 (fb) - BTS) - Pagan was spotted several times after his encounter with the Avengers, challenging anyone to stop him and prompting the Avengers to monitor his appearances.
(Avengers III#15/Avengers III#0 (fb)) - While the Avengers were speaking with Triathlon at the Triune Understanding's Texas headquarters, Pagan burst from the ground and battled the Avengers yet again until Lord Templar showed up and defeated Pagan using his Avatars of Templar. Lord Templar then claimed that he had taken pity on the Avengers and would take Pagan into outer space.
(Avengers III#0 - BTS) - The television show The All-New It's Amazing! reported on the Avengers, including their recent battles with Pagan in Times Square and Texas.
(Avengers III#36-37) - Pagan and Lord Templar busted into the house of Mrs. Chandler, the widowed wife of 3D Man and battled the Avengers. Now publicly working for Lord Templar, Pagan was knocked out by Photon and Jack of Hearts, with Lord Templar being defeated by Triathlon, prompting the duo to vanish from the battle.
(Avengers III#50) - Aboard the Trion energy shard, Jonathan Tremont released Lord Templar and Pagan to help battle the shard's defenders. Ultimately, however, Tremont drained both of their life forces back into himself in an effort to destroy the shard and steal the power of all three pyramids for himself. Tremont's energy was subsequently siphoned by Triathalon and the fate of Lord Templar and Pagan was left unknown.
(Age Of Heroes#3 - BTS) - Through unrevealed means, Pagan managed to seperate himself from his two brothers and returned to Earth. Arriving in Paris, he soon caused considerable trouble.
(Age Of Heroes#3) - Pagan's presence in Paris was picked up by Adam, the Blue Marvel, who raced to the city of lights to oppose him. In the end, Adam managed to knock the villain out.
Comments: Created by Kurt Busiek, George Perez and Al Vey.
The return of Pagan might also indicate Jonathon Tremont and Lord Templar are back in action.
--Norvo
Profile by Proto-Man . Later updated by Norvo.
Clarifications:
Pagan has no known connection to:
- Bella Pagan, temporal physicist @ X-Men II#191
- or any other character with a similar name
images:
Avengers III#36, p13, pan2 (Pagan with Lord Templar, main image)
Avengers III#14, p14, pan8 (head shot)
Age of Heroes#3, p19, pan3 (return)
Appearances:
Avengers III#13 (February, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey, Scott Koblish (finishes), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#14 (March, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#15 (April, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), George Perez (pencils), Al Vey, Scott Koblish, Jerry Ordway (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#0 (1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Stuart Immonen (pencils), Wade Von Grawbadger (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#36-37 (January-February, 2001) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Steve Epting (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Avengers III#50 (March, 2002) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Rick Remender (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Age Of Heroes#3 (September, 2010) - "Don't Believe the Hype" story - Kevin Grevioux (writer), MC Wyman (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Lauren Sankovitch, Tom Brevoort (editors)
First posted: 01/14/2002
Last updated: 05/19/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know .
How Will the MCU Handle Wiccan’s Problematic Name? There’s an Easy Fix.
Joe Locke has been cast in the upcoming Marvel series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, and many fans believe that he’ll be playing Billy Kaplan, the teenage version of one of Wanda Maximoff’s children. In the comics, Billy grows up in a Jewish family, learns how to use magic, and joins the Young Avengers, eventually becoming a powerful spirit of the Earth called the Demiurge. Billy is awesome for a lot of reasons, but there’s one problem: his superhero name, Wiccan.
If Billy really is entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now is the perfect time for Marvel to deal with the name—and there’s a solution that would make pagan fans very happy.
Characters like Thor, Odin, and Loki are based on the gods and goddesses from Norse mythology. They possess supernatural abilities and are depicted as powerful beings who interact with both mortals and other Marvel superheroes. In addition to the Norse gods, Marvel Comics has also incorporated characters and concepts from Greek and Roman mythology.
Billy’s code name Wiccan, explained
When Billy first emerges as a superhero in Young Avengers, he styles himself after Thor and goes by the name Asgardian, choosing to use only lightning powers. However, after he reveals the true scope of his abilities, Kate Bishop suggests that he go by the name Wiccan instead.
(Marvel Entertainment)Billy’s name is based on the word Wicca, which comes from the Old English word ƿiċċa (pronounced “witch-ah”), meaning “sorcerer.” That’s really all there is, in terms of the name’s backstory—Kate just seems to connect Billy to Wicca based on the fact that he casts spells. On the surface, the name might seem reasonable. However, the modern word Wicca doesn’t refer to any generic sorcerer, like its Old English predecessor does. Wicca, and the derivative word Wiccan, only refer to a specific religion and its practitioners. And as far as we know, Billy Kaplan doesn’t belong to that religion.
For instance, Hercules, who is based on the Greek hero Heracles, is depicted as a powerful demigod with superhuman strength and endurance. Other figures from Greek and Roman mythology, such as Zeus and Apollo, have also made appearances in Marvel stories. Furthermore, Marvel has introduced various characters who draw their powers and inspiration from pagan traditions. For instance, the character of Wiccan is a teenage superhero who practices magic and is associated with Wicca, a modern pagan religious movement. Wiccan's abilities are tied to his connection with mysticism and the supernatural. The inclusion of pagan elements in Marvel Comics not only adds diversity to their fictional universe but also provides opportunities for storytelling and exploring different belief systems. It allows readers to learn about various mythologies and religious traditions, expanding their knowledge and understanding of different cultures. It is worth noting that Marvel Comics often adapts and modifies pagan concepts and characters to fit within their superhero narrative. While they may draw inspiration from ancient beliefs, their portrayal of these elements is fictional and shaped to fit the Marvel universe. In conclusion, Marvel Comics has integrated pagan elements in their storytelling and character development. By incorporating figures from Norse, Greek, and Roman mythology, as well as characters associated with modern paganism, Marvel Comics provides readers with a diverse and captivating fictional universe that draws inspiration from various religious and spiritual traditions..
Reviews for "From Myth to Modernity: How Marvel Adapted Pagan Lore for a Contemporary Audience"
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