Vishanti
Encyclopedia
The Vishanti are a fictional triumvirate of powerful mystical beings appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
. The three beings who make up the Vishanti are Agamotto the All-Seeing
(The Light of Truth), Omnipotent Oshtur
(Oshtur the Omnipotent, Lady of the Skies), and Hoary Hoggoth
(Hoggoth the Hoary, Lord of Hosts). They are extra-dimensional creatures with vast magical abilities, which are generally benevolent towards humanity and support the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme
. They grant occult power and knowledge to benevolent practitioners of sorcery, including Doctor Strange
and Brother Voodoo
. The three all live in extra-dimensional homes, but can observe and interact with other dimensions from their homes.
The Vishanti can manifest themselves to humans, but take disguises that the human mind can recognize to interact with them as their true forms are incomprehensible to any human, even human beings trained in the occult. They commonly manifest themselves to Doctor Strange as a bald male humanoid head, a green female humanoid head, and a lion-like head with flaming eyes.
sought out the Vishanti and asked them for knowledge and mystical power. In return, Aged Genghis would gather the most powerful mages and sorcerers on Earth every century to test them. The strongest would become Earth's Sorcerer Supreme
. The Sorcerer Supreme would protect Earth's dimension for the Vishanti and fight their enemies and in return could call upon the powers of the Vishanti.
Presumably around this time, the Vishanti created or influenced the creation of the Book of the Vishanti
as a counterpart to the Darkhold
, a book of black magic created by the Elder God Chthon.
Near the end of the 20th century, the Vishanti and various other magical entities went to war. This war was known as the War of the Seven Spheres. During this war the Vishanti were matched against their counterpart, the Trinity of Ashes. The Vishanti expected Doctor Strange
, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme to fight at their side, but when they mentioned that they expected the war to last for several millennia, Strange refused, not wanting Earth to remain unprotected for so long, and rejected the Vishanti's power. Nearly powerless, Stephen Strange was driven from Earth by the ancient sorceress Salome. Salome offered her services to the Vishanti in exchange for power. The Vishanti found the amoral Salome repulsive, but accepted her offer in their need for soldiers. Still, Agamotto warned Strange about the deal Salome made with them. Shortly afterwards, Strange found a new source of power: he tapped into the mystical power of the Earth itself. With this new power, Salome was defeated and the Vishanti approached Strange again and asked him to become their soldier, feeling that with this new source of power Strange was even more valuable and even threatened to kill him should he not comply. This time, Strange, feeling that he owed the Vishanti for all their support over the years, agreed under the condition that they would return him in time after the war ended to the moment he had left the Earth, so that the Earth would not remain unprotected.
Fought in other dimensions, the war lasted for 5000 years, but only a nanosecond passed on Earth. The Vishanti, apparently on the winning side, returned Strange to Earth. Several months after his return, Strange could call upon the power of the Vishanti again. A short time after the War ended, one of the principal artifacts involved in it - the Sphere of Sara-Kath - lighted upon Earth once more, to be dabbled with by Technomages who had no idea of its power. In studying it, they accidentally released an entity called Buel, a 'Gremlin
-Lord', who had been imprisoned in another dimension. Dr. Strange managed to destroy Buel and the Sphere with the aid of Spider-Man
.
At one point, the Vishanti were summoned by Doctor Strange to aid him against Sligguth
, the minion of Shuma-Gorath
. The Vishanti later appeared to the entities Kubik
and Kosmos
on their tour of the planes of existence. Agamotto also appeared to Doctor Strange as a talking caterpillar in the world within his amulet, and became the jailer of Silver Dagger
after he was banished there.
The Vishanti have never appeared to any human, even those trained in the occult, in their true aspect, which no mortal mind could comprehend and remain sane, instead appearing in a variety of disguised physical forms.
The Book of the Vishanti
, a treatise on magic compiled by the Vishanti, which besides containing countless spells and other mystic lore, is itself a powerful magical icon whose mere physical presence repulses spells hurled against it. Attained by the Ancient One
many years ago by time-traveling to ancient Babylonia, it is currently held by Doctor Strange
. The Orb of Agamotto
is a large crystal orb which allows the user to view events of mystical significance occurring throughout the universe, and in various mystic dimensions. The Eye of Agamotto
is an amulet which can release a beam of mystical light that dispels illusions, reveals hidden truths, and can heal or enhance the abilities of a willing recipient bathed in its beam. It also allows the wearer to release the Eye to become a "third eye" affixed to the wearer's forehead, allowing mystical mental probes of persons and objects. All of these items were long ago presented to the Ancient One by Eternity
and are currently possessed by Doctor Strange.
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...
. The three beings who make up the Vishanti are Agamotto the All-Seeing
Agamotto
Agamotto is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is known mainly as the source of the Eye of Agamotto—a tool of magical clairvoyance used by superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange.-Publication history:In a preface to the Dr...
(The Light of Truth), Omnipotent Oshtur
Oshtur (Marvel Comics)
Oshtur is a fictional character published in Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as an Elder Goddess born from the demiurge sometime billions of years ago. Unlike her siblings, Oshtur had a fascination with the realms beyond Earth. She took to the heavens before the fall of the Elder Gods...
(Oshtur the Omnipotent, Lady of the Skies), and Hoary Hoggoth
Hoggoth
Hoggoth is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The character appears in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #43 , #48-49 , and #54 ....
(Hoggoth the Hoary, Lord of Hosts). They are extra-dimensional creatures with vast magical abilities, which are generally benevolent towards humanity and support the Earth's Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme or Sorceress Supreme is a title granted in the fictional Marvel Universe to the "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension". By...
. They grant occult power and knowledge to benevolent practitioners of sorcery, including 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 Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo
Brother Voodoo is a fictional character, a supernatural superhero in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Gene Colan, he first appears in Strange Tales #169...
. The three all live in extra-dimensional homes, but can observe and interact with other dimensions from their homes.
The Vishanti can manifest themselves to humans, but take disguises that the human mind can recognize to interact with them as their true forms are incomprehensible to any human, even human beings trained in the occult. They commonly manifest themselves to Doctor Strange as a bald male humanoid head, a green female humanoid head, and a lion-like head with flaming eyes.
Fictional history
Little is known about the Vishanti's origins. All three are ancient and very powerful; Agamotto has claimed to be older than the Earth itself and "hoary" Hoggoth might be even older; Oshtur was among the ancient Elder Gods of Earth, spawning Agamotto years after her emergence. The Vishanti, especially Agamotto, have protected the Earth's dimension for billions of years. Thousands of years ago, the human known only as Aged GenghisAged Genghis
Aged Genghis is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe who first appeared in Strange Tales #136.-Fictional character biography:...
sought out the Vishanti and asked them for knowledge and mystical power. In return, Aged Genghis would gather the most powerful mages and sorcerers on Earth every century to test them. The strongest would become Earth's Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme
Sorcerer Supreme or Sorceress Supreme is a title granted in the fictional Marvel Universe to the "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension". By...
. The Sorcerer Supreme would protect Earth's dimension for the Vishanti and fight their enemies and in return could call upon the powers of the Vishanti.
Presumably around this time, the Vishanti created or influenced the creation of the Book of the Vishanti
Book of the Vishanti
The Book of the Vishanti is a fictional grimoire appearing in Marvel Comics, most closely associated with the character of Doctor Strange. It first appeared in Strange Tales #116 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It is the greatest known source of "white" magical knowledge on the...
as a counterpart to the Darkhold
Darkhold
The Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, is a fictional book in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:The Darkhold was co-created by Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog. The Darkhold was first mentioned in Marvel Spotlight #3 but first shown in Marvel Spotlight #4...
, a book of black magic created by the Elder God Chthon.
Near the end of the 20th century, the Vishanti and various other magical entities went to war. This war was known as the War of the Seven Spheres. During this war the Vishanti were matched against their counterpart, the Trinity of Ashes. The Vishanti expected 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 ....
, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme to fight at their side, but when they mentioned that they expected the war to last for several millennia, Strange refused, not wanting Earth to remain unprotected for so long, and rejected the Vishanti's power. Nearly powerless, Stephen Strange was driven from Earth by the ancient sorceress Salome. Salome offered her services to the Vishanti in exchange for power. The Vishanti found the amoral Salome repulsive, but accepted her offer in their need for soldiers. Still, Agamotto warned Strange about the deal Salome made with them. Shortly afterwards, Strange found a new source of power: he tapped into the mystical power of the Earth itself. With this new power, Salome was defeated and the Vishanti approached Strange again and asked him to become their soldier, feeling that with this new source of power Strange was even more valuable and even threatened to kill him should he not comply. This time, Strange, feeling that he owed the Vishanti for all their support over the years, agreed under the condition that they would return him in time after the war ended to the moment he had left the Earth, so that the Earth would not remain unprotected.
Fought in other dimensions, the war lasted for 5000 years, but only a nanosecond passed on Earth. The Vishanti, apparently on the winning side, returned Strange to Earth. Several months after his return, Strange could call upon the power of the Vishanti again. A short time after the War ended, one of the principal artifacts involved in it - the Sphere of Sara-Kath - lighted upon Earth once more, to be dabbled with by Technomages who had no idea of its power. In studying it, they accidentally released an entity called Buel, a 'Gremlin
Gremlin
A gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more...
-Lord', who had been imprisoned in another dimension. Dr. Strange managed to destroy Buel and the Sphere with the aid of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
.
At one point, the Vishanti were summoned by Doctor Strange to aid him against Sligguth
Sligguth
Sligguth is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Sligguth was first mentioned in Marvel Premiere #4 ; the character actually first appeared in Marvel Premiere #5 , and was created by Archie Goodwin and Barry Windsor-Smith. Sligguth was apparently...
, the minion of Shuma-Gorath
Shuma-Gorath
Shuma-Gorath is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard, best known for his later interpretations as a demonic enemy of Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics publications. He is also well known for being an unconventional playable character in the Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom video...
. The Vishanti later appeared to the entities Kubik
Kubik
Kubik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as a Cosmic Cube in Tales of Suspense #79 , and as Kubik in Avengers #289...
and Kosmos
Kosmos (Marvel Comics)
Kosmos is a character in the Marvel Comics universe, a fusion of the Beyonder and Molecule Man, who are apparently parts of a Cosmic Cube, and cared for by Kubik....
on their tour of the planes of existence. Agamotto also appeared to Doctor Strange as a talking caterpillar in the world within his amulet, and became the jailer of Silver Dagger
Silver Dagger (comics)
Silver Dagger is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Silver Dagger was a former criminal who was also a former Cardinal in the Catholic Church. He was driven mad by reading the Darkhold in the form of the Shiatra Book of the Damned...
after he was banished there.
Powers and abilities
The Vishanti have the vast ability to manipulate the energies of the forces of magic for virtually any purpose.The Vishanti have never appeared to any human, even those trained in the occult, in their true aspect, which no mortal mind could comprehend and remain sane, instead appearing in a variety of disguised physical forms.
The Book of the Vishanti
Book of the Vishanti
The Book of the Vishanti is a fictional grimoire appearing in Marvel Comics, most closely associated with the character of Doctor Strange. It first appeared in Strange Tales #116 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It is the greatest known source of "white" magical knowledge on the...
, a treatise on magic compiled by the Vishanti, which besides containing countless spells and other mystic lore, is itself a powerful magical icon whose mere physical presence repulses spells hurled against it. Attained by the Ancient One
Ancient One
The Ancient One is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe. He was the mentor of Doctor Strange and preceded him as Sorcerer Supreme.-Fictional character biography:...
many years ago by time-traveling to ancient Babylonia, it is currently held 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 ....
. The Orb of Agamotto
Orb of Agamotto
The Orb of Agamotto is a fictional magical item in the Marvel Comics universe. It is a powerful scrying crystal ball owned and used by Doctor Strange for clairvoyance. It can also be used to detect magic in use anywhere in the world and provide Strange with a location and visual.The orb rests in...
is a large crystal orb which allows the user to view events of mystical significance occurring throughout the universe, and in various mystic dimensions. The Eye of Agamotto
Eye of Agamotto
The Eye of Agamotto is a fictional mystical item in the Marvel Comics universe. The artist Steve Ditko, drew inspiration from the real world charm called 'The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha', known among Buddhists as "The Amulet of Snail Martyrs", a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against...
is an amulet which can release a beam of mystical light that dispels illusions, reveals hidden truths, and can heal or enhance the abilities of a willing recipient bathed in its beam. It also allows the wearer to release the Eye to become a "third eye" affixed to the wearer's forehead, allowing mystical mental probes of persons and objects. All of these items were long ago presented to the Ancient One by Eternity
Eternity (comics)
Eternity is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by scripter-editor Stan Lee and artist-plotter Steve Ditko, the character is first mentioned in Strange Tales #134 and first appears in Strange Tales #138 Eternity is a fictional character that...
and are currently possessed by Doctor Strange.
Manifestations
- Agamotto, when appearing as part of the Vishanti, usually takes the form of a lion or a tiger and in most cases only the head appears, with red eyes resembling flames and the image of an ankh on his brow. In other appearances he has taken the form of a large ant, but during these appearances a tiger's head was also present among the Vishanti. (Whether this was simply a mistake by the creative team of the comic book or means that the Vishanti take on each other's appearances when it suits them is unknown.) Agamotto has also appeared as a hookah-smoking caterpillar, with hazel eyes.
- Hoggoth usually appears as an old, bald man (or sometimes with silver hair) with blue or purple skin, pointed ears and whose multifaceted eyes have no pupils and burn with blue energy. At other times he either appears as a large ant or takes Agamotto's guise of a tiger or lion (see Agamotto).
- Oshtur appears as a green or golden-skinned woman, either bald, with long blue or auburn hair or long strands of ivyIvyIvy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
-like leaves on her head. In this form she has blue-white eyes resembling stars.