Rama Kushna
Rama Kushna is a comic character deity who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Rama Kushna
Centuries ago, she watched over the good inhabitants of Earth with her kindness being a belief that inspired many followers. However, the evils in the world caused mankind to desire action rather than beliefs leading to a decline in the belief in Rama Kushna where over the years her name was almost forgotten. She recognised her failure at this point leading to her seeking to helping the innocent in the mortal world. To achieve that end, she sought out an agent that would perpetuate good whilst silencing evil. She found such an agent in a blameless man who had been abused by corrupt forces and burned for vengeance as he died. Rama appeared before the man where she made him an offer namely to strike a balance between good and evil whilst continuing to tip the balance in good's favour for all eternity. The man agreed with him being granted powers by Rama to overcome the world's most evil beings and brought them to Nanda Parbat where Rama Kushan's power was strongest. At this point, hundreds of beings were at the Himalayan refuge waiting to begin their life anew. By this time, the man had grown weary of the long endless service and asked Rama Kushna to be given a spiritual rest from his duties as he desired an end. However, she refused as she highlighted their bargain namely his eternal service in exchange for achieving his revenge. This caused the man to lash out and in his anger he turned on Rama Kushna with him leaving her as well as the land of Nanda Parbat. The act of rebellion grew in his mind and the agent sought to actively turn against his former master. To achieve that end, his astral form found the Sensei of the society of assassins who he possessed as he sought to use the group for his own ends. His goal was namely the destruction of Rama Kushna and releasing the people in Nanda Parbat as deprived of her embrace these individuals would revert to their evil ways. (Deadman v2 #2)
It was known that after World War I that her monks found an unconscious Lee Travis in the snow-covered mountain where they brought him to Nanda Parbat. Once there, they learnt that the man had intended to die as he had been traumatised by the horrors he had seen in the Great War. However, he came to stay with the monks where he learnt to meditate to heal both physically and mentally. Though recovered, he believed the life of virtue in the monastery did not reflect the horrors in the real world outside. The priestess who tended to him suggested that maybe he could be a force of good and change in the world where she asked him to meditate on the matter. On that night, Travis's astral self met with Rama Kushan who gifted him a vision of the future. This showed the rise of a great inspirational hero that would become a force for truth and justice in the world with this kindling the hope within Travis. However, this same vision showed that the hero was going to be felled by a great and terrible monster with the people mourning him. Similarly, Travis was distraught at seeing this and decided to avenge this hero long before his death. He journeyed out into the world to discover that ten years had passed but his body had only experienced a week of and he went forth to become a masked superhero called the Crimson Avenger. (Golden Age Secret Files and Origins v1 #1) The Fakir Vashnu was a noted disciple of Rama Kushna when he was at the Hill's Circus Performers. It was said that she watched over the fate of Boston Brand and had chosen him to be the recipient of a special gift. After Brand was killed, he made manifestations of the goddess who informed him that he was dead but she gave him the opportunity to redeem himself by avenging himself against his killer. As a result, he became a ghostly entity that could possess others with him being known as Deadman. (Strange Adventures v1 #250)
Rama Kushna, in the cave, hears Deadman's plea and his demand to be allowed to return to the outside world, that he may help redress the imbalance of evil. Rama agrees, and Deadman is allowed to leave and begin his mission anew. (Strange Adventures v1 #216)
Vashnu was a prominent disciple of Rama Kushna when he was in the Hill Performers' Circus. He was said to watch over the fate of Boston Brand and had chosen him to receive a special gift. After Brand was killed, the goddess manifested and informed him that he was dead, but gave him a chance to redeem himself by taking revenge on his killer. As a result, he became a ghostly entity that could possess others who noticed him, becoming known then as Deadman. (Strange Adventures v1 #250)
Rama Kushna came to guide Deadman to Rutland in Vermont where a mystical disturbance on Halloween. This came to be from a brood of demonic gargoyles who had hoped to hatch their young to spread and conquer Earth. Deadman manages to destroy the two gargoyles and their eggs possessing the body of their intended sacrifice and using her body to destroy the eggs and blow up their cave. (DC Super-Stars v1 #18)
Deadman came to still blame himself for the death of Abraham Gold, and in a fury he told Rama Kushna that he wanted to quit. She thought he was being ungrateful and short-sighted, not seeing that Gold’s death redeemed the life of his son. She promised him the final rest he desired on one condition, which she did not name. She transported him to Metropolis during an earthquake, and after watching Superman minimalize the damage Deadman wanted to know what was going on. Alex Atley confronted Superman, and begged him to take him to S.T.A.R. Labs, saying he was the cause of the earthquake. Atley had been on the government project Earth-Heart, which bored into the center of the earth, and when he began having heart attacks he invented the Cardialink, a two-part mechanism, one implanted in his chest, and one implanted in the earth’s core, that was supposed to synchronize his heartbeat with the earth’s pulse, Unfortunately the Cardialink backfired, and his erratic heart was causing worldwide earthquakes. S.T.A.R. Labs Dr. Klyburn set him up with a pacemaker to prevent any more catastrophies. Superman figured the city was safe, and flew off, but Deadman got suspicious when Atley’s daughter and her boyfriend Dennis visited and Dennis seemed a bit too interested. He followed Dennis, who told mob figure Mr. Genarian about the Cardialink. Generian was near death, and would do anything to prolong his life, and Dennis just wanted to make extra cash. Genarian’s men recklessly unhooked Atley from his pacemaker, causing another earthquake, but they lost their motivation when Genarian got overexcited and passed away. Deadman found Superman, and possessed him to bring the situation to his attention. Deadman entered Atley, and Death confronted him, but they battled on the astral plane, and Death backed off. Superman dug to the center of the earth for the other half of the Cardialink, and turned it off with Atley’s help. He promised to perform super-surgery to make Atley healthy again. Deadman told Rama Kushna he no longer had any intention of quitting, because he’d fought death, saved a life, and lived to tell the tale. (DC Comics Presents v1 #24)
Rama resigned herself to her fate when Jonah had brought his army from the society of assassins that struck at Nanda Parbat as he sought revenge against his former master after serving her for centuries. During this time, she was seemingly destroyed by Jonah's machinations but not before ensuring that Deadman would be able to stop the evil from him. (Deadman v2 #4)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of history was created with a different series of events. Rama Kushna
During World War II, General Electric used his robots to take over Nanda Parbat and utilised his science to cage the goddess Rama Kushna. She was freed by a band of American superheroes and soldiers where she thanked them before wiping the mind from all outsiders that she banished from the hidden city. (Bug! The Adventures of Forager v1 #2)
Nanda Parbat later came under attack from the Witch-Marked of the goddess Hecate who was intending to purge the world of magic and begin anew under her reign with her seeking to destroy Rama Kushna. (Justice League Dark v2 #4) This saw Hecate use Manitou Dawn who was sent to raze the city leading to the Rama Kushna dispatching Deadman with seeking aid from the ranks of the Justice League Dark. (Wonder Woman v5 #56) The two gods battled but Deadman and the Justice League Dark managed to provide a distraction to allow Rama Kushna to escape to safety. (Justice League Dark v2 #4)
Overview
Personality and attributes
She was noted for being the Balancer of Good over Evil. (Brave and the Bold v1 #86)
Statues dedicated to the goddess had her appear with six arms. It was claimed that she was the face of the universe. (Strange Adventures v1 #250)
Her still and soft voice was noted to had been filled with kindness that comforted the abused, ravaged, sick and the weak. (Deadman v2 #2)
Rama's goal was to use nature's harmonious energies to create a similar balance in the world of man. (Deadman v2 #3) Rama Kushna served the balance and attempted to restore it if it drifted towards order or chaos. (Reign in Hell v1 #7) She believed without darkness, the world would be as blind as if there was no light with the two being needed in the world. (Deadman v3 #4)
Only people with a special destiny were able to seek an audience with Rama Kushna. (52 v1 #32)
Powers and abilities
She claimed that was not actually a god as her powers were not without limit with her and her abilities being born from the planet's elemental core. Rama Kushna said that she was a spirit of the Earth. (Deadman v2 #3) She was said to be the living voice of all that was and was not with her being the perfect countenance that smiled upon her followers forever. (52 v1 #32)
Nanda Parbat was a place where energies flowed freely allowing Rama Kushna to control the wills of those that came there and balance it towards good as she perceived it. (Deadman v2 #3) Rama Kushna's own realm was a fabled land of blossoms and goodness. (Brave and the Bold v1 #86)
Her devotees were once stated to had numbered in legions. (Deadman v2 #2)
Notes
- Rama Kushna was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino where they made their first appearance in Strange Adventures v1 #205 (October, 1967).
Alternate Versions
- In Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three v1 #10 (2014), an alternate version of Rama Kushna appeared in the Injustice reality set in a world in the Multiverse.
In other media
Television
- In Justice League, Rama Kushna made her first appearance in the DC Animated Universe episode "Dead Reckoning" where she was voiced by actress Juliet Landau. Rama instructed Deadman where to go after The Master was killed and also informed him what to do after Deadman killed the Legion's Devil Ray.
Films
- In Justice League Dark, Rama Kushna briefly appeared in a flashback and was referenced in the animated film with no voiced lines. She was said to be a goddess that took pity on Boston Brand after he was murdered and resurrected him as a ghost so that he could avenge his death. Rama Kushna later warned Deadman of a great danger to the world and sent Deadman to stop it with the threat eventually revealed to be the sorcerer Destiny.
- In Injustice, Rama Kushna appeared in the setting of the 2021 animated film adaptation where she was voiced by actress Laura Bailey. After being killed, Dick Grayson came to meet Rama Kushna who turned him into a ghost-like being where he came to be known as Deadwing.
Video games
- In DC Legends, Rama Kushna was referenced in Deadman's backstory in the setting of the mobile video game. An item available to Deadman was the Idol of Rama Kushna.
Appearances
- Strange Adventures v1: (1967)
- JSA v1:
- Golden Age Secret Files and Origins v1:
- Justice League Dark v1:
- DC Universe Presents v1:
External Links
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