Gaea (comics)
Encyclopedia
Gaea is a fictional character
appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
, based loosely on the Gaia
of Greek mythology
. She is a primeval Earth goddess, who has enfused her life essence into those of all Earth's living beings. She is the embodiment of the spirit of life, growth, harvest, and renewal on Earth.
(vol. 2) #6-8 (February–June 1975), and was created by Steve Englehart
and Gene Colan
. Her origin was revealed in Thor Annual #10 (1982).
The character made subsequent appearances in Giant-Size Avengers #4 (June 1975), Avengers vol. 1 #187 (September 1979), Thor vol. 1 #300-301 (October–November 1980), Thor Annual #10 (1982), Thor Annual #11 (1983), Dr. Strange vol. 3 #2 (January 1989), Marvel Graphic Novel: Spider-Man: Spirits of the Earth (1987), Captain America vol. 1 #337 (December 1987), Classic X-Men #20 (April 1988), Thor Annual #14 (1989), Iron Man Annual #10 (1989), Silver Surfer Annual #2 (1989), Fantastic Four Annual #22 (1989), Uncanny X-Men Annual #13 (1989), Uncanny X-Men #262 (June 1990), Quasar #24-25 (August–September 1991), Defenders vol. 2 #1-10 (March–October 2001), Thunderbolts vol. 1 #55 (November 2001), Defenders vol. 2 #11-12 (January -February 2002),
Order #1-6 (April–September 2002), and Hulk vs. Hercules: When Titans Collide #1 (June 2008).
Gaea received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
#4.
who were born when the entity called the Demiurge
spread his essence over the Earth, at a time when life was starting to evolve on the planet. Gaea felt empathy for the lesser lifeforms and decided to watch over them.
However, the rest of the gods, following the example of Set the Snake God, started eating each other to increase their power, a process that turned all but Gaea into demons. Worried that they might menace the organic life forms, Gaea summoned the Demiurge
and "mated" with it, to give birth to her first son, the sun-god Atum
, who, in its form of Demogorge the God-Eater, devoured all the demons, except those that escaped to other planes, such as Set and Chthon. Gaea then merged with the Earth itself, and dedicated herself to guiding evolution. Atum went to live in the Sun.
Millions of years later, Gaea decided to allow the dinosaur
s to become extinct, so mammals would evolve in their place. This angered Set, who drew power from them. He made the dinosaurs try to hunt down all mammals, so Gaea summoned the Demogorge to deal with him. Their battle may have finished killing off the dinosaurs. In the end, Set was banished from Earth.
Thousands of years ago, when the second generation of gods began to appear on Earth, Gaea mated with many of them (under various identities) thus becoming the "Mother-Goddess" mentioned in several myths. Under the name "Jord" she mated with Odin, who wanted a son who would be strong on Earth (not just in Asgard
) and gave birth to Thor
after Odin created a cave in Norway for the birth. However, Thor was not told the true identity of his mother, instead he was told Frigga was his mother.
One thousand years ago, the cosmic entities
known as the Celestials
came to Earth and forced the gods to stop intervening with humanity's development; they also revealed they would return in one thousand years to judge humanity. Worried, the Godheads (the rulers of the various pantheons
) met and made plans to combat the entities on their return; however, afraid that might fail, Gaea met with the queens of the gods and came up with an alternate plan: they would choose the Young Gods
, a group of twelve humans, each representing one of mankind's achievements, as time went by. Each would be made immortal and put to sleep in a secret chamber, where they would be watched over by the various goddesses of all the pantheons (taking turns) until the Celestials' return.
Several years ago, Gaea was captured by the entity called Dormammu
, but was freed by Doctor Strange
and his lover, Clea
.
Later, the souls of all Asgardians (except Thor's) possessed the body of the Destroyer
and attacked the Celestials, only to be defeated and scattered. Gaea then appeared with the Young Gods, and presented them to the Celestials as proof of man's worth to survive. They were accepted, and the Celestials left without destroying the Earth. Gaea, in the form of a dark-haired woman, then healed the wounded Thor, and explained the whole story to him. She also told him how he could restore the Asgardians' souls to their bodies with help from all the other Godheads, which he then went on to obtain. Gaea then went back to being 'one with the planet'.
Years later, Gaea's magic was invoked by the evil alien Yandroth to curse the group of heroes known as The Defenders
into coming together to fight threats to Earth against their will, but eventually they convinced her to release them. After that, Gaea empowered Nighthawk
with the ability to gather the Defenders at will should the need arise.
During the Chaos War
storyline, Gaea helps Hercules during his fight against the forces of Amatsu-Mikaboshi
, the Chaos King. She directs him to embrace her daughter Pele the fire goddess and in doing so Hercules dies. He then recreates himself as the God of Gods, imbued with Gaea's power. He uses this power to defeat Mikaboshi then gives it all up to restore the universe.
Returns in Asgardian form at Thor's Funeral at the end of Fear Itself alongside Freyja and Idunn
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
appearing in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, based loosely on the Gaia
Gaia (mythology)
Gaia was the primordial Earth-goddess in ancient Greek religion. Gaia was the great mother of all: the heavenly gods and Titans were descended from her union with Uranus , the sea-gods from her union with Pontus , the Giants from her mating with Tartarus and mortal creatures were sprung or born...
of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. She is a primeval Earth goddess, who has enfused her life essence into those of all Earth's living beings. She is the embodiment of the spirit of life, growth, harvest, and renewal on Earth.
Publication history
Gaea first appeared in Doctor StrangeDoctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
(vol. 2) #6-8 (February–June 1975), and was created by Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart is an American novelist. In his earlier career he was a comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s...
and Gene Colan
Gene Colan
Eugene Jules "Gene" Colan was an American comic book artist best known for his work for Marvel Comics, where his signature titles include the superhero series, Daredevil, the cult-hit satiric series Howard the Duck, and The Tomb of Dracula, considered one of comics' classic horror series...
. Her origin was revealed in Thor Annual #10 (1982).
The character made subsequent appearances in Giant-Size Avengers #4 (June 1975), Avengers vol. 1 #187 (September 1979), Thor vol. 1 #300-301 (October–November 1980), Thor Annual #10 (1982), Thor Annual #11 (1983), Dr. Strange vol. 3 #2 (January 1989), Marvel Graphic Novel: Spider-Man: Spirits of the Earth (1987), Captain America vol. 1 #337 (December 1987), Classic X-Men #20 (April 1988), Thor Annual #14 (1989), Iron Man Annual #10 (1989), Silver Surfer Annual #2 (1989), Fantastic Four Annual #22 (1989), Uncanny X-Men Annual #13 (1989), Uncanny X-Men #262 (June 1990), Quasar #24-25 (August–September 1991), Defenders vol. 2 #1-10 (March–October 2001), Thunderbolts vol. 1 #55 (November 2001), Defenders vol. 2 #11-12 (January -February 2002),
Order #1-6 (April–September 2002), and Hulk vs. Hercules: When Titans Collide #1 (June 2008).
Gaea received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#4.
Fictional character biography
Gaea is one of the Elder GodsElder Gods (Marvel Comics)
The Elder Gods are fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe. They were the first generation of Earth's gods, apparently inspired by Greek mythology and the Cthulhu Mythos.-Fictional group history:...
who were born when the entity called the Demiurge
Demiurge (comics)
Demiurge is a fictional character, a cosmic entity in the Marvel Comics universe, based loosely on the concept of the Demiurge. It is the sentient life force of Earth's biosphere, creator of the elder gods, and the father of Atum, conceived with Gaea....
spread his essence over the Earth, at a time when life was starting to evolve on the planet. Gaea felt empathy for the lesser lifeforms and decided to watch over them.
However, the rest of the gods, following the example of Set the Snake God, started eating each other to increase their power, a process that turned all but Gaea into demons. Worried that they might menace the organic life forms, Gaea summoned the Demiurge
Demiurge (comics)
Demiurge is a fictional character, a cosmic entity in the Marvel Comics universe, based loosely on the concept of the Demiurge. It is the sentient life force of Earth's biosphere, creator of the elder gods, and the father of Atum, conceived with Gaea....
and "mated" with it, to give birth to her first son, the sun-god Atum
Atum (comics)
Atum is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, based loosely on the Ra of Egyptian mythology. The character first appears in Thor Annual #10 and was created by Alan Zelenetz and Bob Hall....
, who, in its form of Demogorge the God-Eater, devoured all the demons, except those that escaped to other planes, such as Set and Chthon. Gaea then merged with the Earth itself, and dedicated herself to guiding evolution. Atum went to live in the Sun.
Millions of years later, Gaea decided to allow the dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s to become extinct, so mammals would evolve in their place. This angered Set, who drew power from them. He made the dinosaurs try to hunt down all mammals, so Gaea summoned the Demogorge to deal with him. Their battle may have finished killing off the dinosaurs. In the end, Set was banished from Earth.
Thousands of years ago, when the second generation of gods began to appear on Earth, Gaea mated with many of them (under various identities) thus becoming the "Mother-Goddess" mentioned in several myths. Under the name "Jord" she mated with Odin, who wanted a son who would be strong on Earth (not just in Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
) and gave birth to Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
after Odin created a cave in Norway for the birth. However, Thor was not told the true identity of his mother, instead he was told Frigga was his mother.
One thousand years ago, the cosmic entities
Cosmic entities (Marvel Comics)
Cosmic entities, also referred to as cosmic beings, are a type of fictional character in the . They possess power on a stellar, galactic, universal, or even multiversal level, far beyond those of humans or conventional superheroes, and frequently serve some natural function in the...
known as the Celestials
Celestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
came to Earth and forced the gods to stop intervening with humanity's development; they also revealed they would return in one thousand years to judge humanity. Worried, the Godheads (the rulers of the various pantheons
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
) met and made plans to combat the entities on their return; however, afraid that might fail, Gaea met with the queens of the gods and came up with an alternate plan: they would choose the Young Gods
Young Gods (comics)
The Young Gods are a fictional group in the Marvel Comics universe. They are a group of twelve young human beings who were chosen by the major pantheons of Earth's goddesses to represent the finest qualities of humanity and the pinnacle of mankind's genetic potential and cultural...
, a group of twelve humans, each representing one of mankind's achievements, as time went by. Each would be made immortal and put to sleep in a secret chamber, where they would be watched over by the various goddesses of all the pantheons (taking turns) until the Celestials' return.
Several years ago, Gaea was captured by the entity called Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
, but was freed by Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and his lover, Clea
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
.
Later, the souls of all Asgardians (except Thor's) possessed the body of the Destroyer
Destroyer (Thor)
The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The...
and attacked the Celestials, only to be defeated and scattered. Gaea then appeared with the Young Gods, and presented them to the Celestials as proof of man's worth to survive. They were accepted, and the Celestials left without destroying the Earth. Gaea, in the form of a dark-haired woman, then healed the wounded Thor, and explained the whole story to him. She also told him how he could restore the Asgardians' souls to their bodies with help from all the other Godheads, which he then went on to obtain. Gaea then went back to being 'one with the planet'.
Years later, Gaea's magic was invoked by the evil alien Yandroth to curse the group of heroes known as The Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
into coming together to fight threats to Earth against their will, but eventually they convinced her to release them. After that, Gaea empowered Nighthawk
Nighthawk (Marvel Comics)
Nighthawk is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character: a supervillain-turned-superhero from the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, Kyle Richmond, who belonged to the team Squadron Sinister;...
with the ability to gather the Defenders at will should the need arise.
During the Chaos War
Chaos War (comics)
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries Chaos War, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot publications, and by three issues of Incredible Hulks, a...
storyline, Gaea helps Hercules during his fight against the forces of Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
, the Chaos King. She directs him to embrace her daughter Pele the fire goddess and in doing so Hercules dies. He then recreates himself as the God of Gods, imbued with Gaea's power. He uses this power to defeat Mikaboshi then gives it all up to restore the universe.
Returns in Asgardian form at Thor's Funeral at the end of Fear Itself alongside Freyja and Idunn
Idunn (comics)
Idunn is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics Marvel Universe, based loosely on the Iðunn of Norse myth. Odin appointed Idunn Keeper of the Golden Apples, whose mystical properties retard the aging process of the Asgardians....
.