Heliopolitans

Heliopolitans are a species of deities that feature in Marvel Comics.

History

The Heliopolitans were a race of gods from Egyptian mythology and were based in their own realm of the Celestial Heliopolis.

The Egyptians were said to had been their playthings back in a time when they were free to travel between the Othervoid and the dimension of Earth. (Moon Knight v8 #2)

In 1000 AD, the Third Host of the Celestials occurred, during which the aliens informed they would return 1,000 years later to judge Earth's right to continue existing. Ra attended the Council of Godheads meeting to discuss this threat. (Thor Annual v1 #7)

For centuries, they were said to had waged a silent war among themselves with this involving human beings. (Moon Knight v8 #2)

Osiris later empowered Thor to revive Asgardians who were harmed by the Destroyer. (Thor v1 #301)

The pantheon of Wakanda has three Egyptian deities: Bast, Thoth and Ptah, the pantheon is called The Orisha,(Black Panther v6 #13) orisha is a Yoruba word for spirit and deities, other gods in the pantheon are Kokou and Mujaji. Sekhmet, the sister of Bast (Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica v1 #1) and Sobek (Black Panther v5 #3) were also worshiped in Wakanda, although they are not part of the pantheon.

After the tragic death of her baby and abandonment by her husband, Pamela Shaw decided that she would take her own life. She was brought to a New York hospital where she was kidnapped by the Heliopolitan god of death, Seth, and given a second chance at life. In exchange for killing Seth's enemy, Hogun the Grim, Pamela would be made whole once more. However, a mere mortal would not be up to the task of killing an Asgardian god, so Seth put the glowing sign of Aton in the palm of her hand, which gave her the awesome powers of Wind Warrior. (Thor v1 #395)

Sesmu was worshipped by a New York City-based cult which attempted to resurrect him on Earth by ritualistically sacrificing human victims. However, the ceremony was interrupted by Moon Knight, who violently attacked the members of the Cult of Shesmu. Having inadvertently completed the ritual by spilling the blood of the cultists on Shesmu's altar and knocking over his sacred oils, Moon Knight was confronted by Shesmu, who manifested on Earth and attempted to replace Khonshu as Moon Knight's new patron god, but was rejected. (Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood v1 #4)

Overview

They were able to project their consciousness from across the Othervoid and allow them to interact with mortal hosts. This allowed such beings to serve as an aspect of the god in the physical plane. (Moon Knight v8 #2)

Their kind were shown to be capable of speaking all languages. (Moon Knight v8 #2)

Relics related to their kind included:

• Book of Thoth :
• Third Eye of Horus : a hawk shaped mask that allowed individuals to see beyond the normal human spectrum. Common sides effects include abject eye-bulging terror, and loss of sanity. An inexperienced user is likely to pass out. (All-New X-Men v1 #8)
• Mask of Amenhotep :
• Orb of Ra : an ancient mystical artifact dating back to the time of the Egyptian necromancer, Rakses (c. 1051-1047 BC). According to Egyptian mythology, the Orb was crafted from the right eye of Hathor in order to prevent her from transforming into the war goddess, Sekhmet. A device of immeasurable power, it had demonstrated the ability to raise the dead, as well as to take command over the living. (Bloodstone v1 #3)
• Eye of Ra-Maat : allowed the user to witness events across the realms. (Thor Annual v3 #1)
• Chariot of Time :

Creatures in service to the pantheon included:

• Demons of the Sands :

They were said to reside in a place outside space and time with this being an area known as the Othervoid. (Moon Knight v8 #2) Eternal Egypt was said to be a place beyond time. (Conan: Serpent War v1 #4)

One of the realms tied to the Heliopolitans was Duat. (Heroic Age: Prince of Power v1 #2) It was known as the City of the Dead and as a place where souls go to be judged. The Gates of Osiris served as an entry point into the city where it was guarded by powerful deities. (Moon Knight: City of the Dead v1 #1) It was the realm of the deity Osiris and the residence of other gods and supernatural beings. The streets of Duat are crowded with Ushabtis, clay funerary figurines buried in tombs in the Earth realm that become magically animated in the afterlife and are sent out to perform menial tasks for Duat's inhabitants. (Heroic Age: Prince of Power v1 #3) The realm of Duat is purely psychoactive, and its physical geography can shift and reshuffle based on the content of one's heart without the proper mental discipline. (Moon Knight: City of the Dead v1 #1)

Members

• Atum :
• Ra :
• Horus :
• Osiris :
• Anubis :
• Anput :
• Bast :
• Seth :
• Khonshu :
• Thoth :
• Shesmu : guardian at the Gates of Osiris within the realm of Duat, Celestial Heliopolis. (Moon Knight: City of the Dead v1 #1)
• Hem-Netjer : a bald headed priest who operated the Eye of Ra-Maat and offered knowledge to Seth in exchange for gold. (Thor Annual v3 #1)
• Ammut :
• Grog :
• Scarab : a female insectile being covered in green chitin who served as an assassin. (Thor Annual v3 #1)
• Gog :

Notes

• The Heliopolitans were created by Stan Lee and Werner Roth where they made their first appearance in Marvel Tales v1 #96 (June, 1950).
• They were based on the deities of Egyptian Mythology.

In other media

Television

• In Moon Knight, the Enneads appeared in the setting of the live-action film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their kind were led by the Ennead Council who attempted to limit their effects in the affairs of mortals. Throughout human history, the Ennead are known to have taken on Human Avatars, using them to carry out their will and observe for them. Using the Great Pyramid of Giza as thier headquarters, the council would regually meet and discuss each other's actions, imprisoning members of the council who disobeyed thier rules. As time went on, more and more disobedient Ennead were imprisoned in ushabti, until only seven members remianed, Osiris, Hathor, Horus, Tefnut, Isis, Khonshu and Ammit. Meanwhile, other Ennead continued their godly duties, such as Taweret, the Goddess of Women and Children, who worked as a guide, leading people into the Egyptian afterlife, the Duat.

Films

• In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the gods made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting:
  • In Captain America: Civil War, several Ancient Egyptian gods were referenced in the setting of the live-action film.
  • In Thor: Love & Thunder, Isis and Bast appeared in the setting of the live-action film. They were shown as serving as representatives of their people to the Council of Godheads that resided in Omnipotence City.

Appearances

• Marvel Tales v1: (1950)
• Thor v1:
• Thor Annual v3:
• Moon Knight:
• Black Panther:
• Moon Knight: City of the Dead v1:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry
• The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Heliopolitan gods

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