Bast (Marvel)
Bast is a female comic deity who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Bast was an Egyptian goddess and a member of the Heliopolitans and The Orisha, the pantheon of Wakanda, other gods in the pantheon are Thot, Ptah, Kokou and Mujaji. (Black Panther v6 #13) 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.
Alongside Thoth, Kokou, Mujaji, Ptah, and Nyami, Bast came to be a member of the pantheon of Wakanda known as Orisha. The humans and the Orisha defeated the Originators and banished them to the Nether-Realms beyond a group of gates. As part of their duty, the Orisha became guardians of these gates. (Black Panther v1 #167)
After Varnae, the first vampire, stole the Vibranium from Ptah's fire, Khonshu gathered forces with gods from East (Ennead) and West (Orisha) Africa: Bast, Eshu, Gherke, Ptah and Kokou. (Black Panther: Blood Hunt #2-3)
Around 10,000 years ago, the lands that would become known as Wakanda was home to a collection of primitive human tribes. It was during this time a massive meteorite made of a sound and energy-absorbing mineral, which would later be known as Vibranium crashed to Earth. One of the tribes, led by their mightiest warrior, decided to investigate, believing this to be a gift from the gods. When they reached the crater, they found that the material vibrated and decided it would be useful to forge into weapons. However, the radiation the meteorite gave off also had a side effect, turning some of the tribesmen into 'Demon Spirits'. Bashenga prayed to the 'Panther God' to give him the strength to defeat these demons, becoming her avatar and the first Black Panther since prehistoric times and uniting the tribes to form the nation of Wakanda. His lineage would later rule the country for centuries. (Black Panther v1 #7)
An unidentified sorcerer created the Claw of Bast, a powerful artifact using Bast's power to restore the sick or dead while also empowering its wielder. It was employed seven times before Egyptian leader Khafre had it broken into fragments in 2,500 BC. (Before the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards v1 #3)
During World War II; Wakanda was attacked by Col. Fritz Klaue. The then chieftain, Azzuri, escaped into the jungle and consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb. In a vision, he spoke to the Panther God, but as he recovered, he was attacked by an actual panther. Luckily, Azzuri was able to kill it and then wore its skin as a symbol of intimidation in order to defeat the invader. (Fantastic Four Unlimited v1 #1)
In his second take-over of Heliopolis, Seth imprisoned the Heliopolitan gods again, but this time drained off their powers. He apparently captured one of Bast's familiars and drained off enough power from her to keep her subservient to him, he sent her on espionage and reconnaissance missions in Asgard to see if they were aware of his plans. Secretly viewing Balder ruling in Odin's absence, she reported his conversation with Odin's vizier to Seth before being reduced to dust by his whims. (Thor v1 #386)
When the Hell-lord Mephisto sought to consume T'Challa's soul, he was forced to consume Bast's as well as every previous Black Panther; unable to contain this mass of noble, pure spirits, Mephisto relinquished them all and swore to avoid Wakanda. (Black Panther v3 #5)
After Storm defeated the Shadow King-possessed Black Panther T'Challa, she traveled to the temple of the Panther God and sought a commune with the Panther God. After initially being angered by her arrogance, the Panther God aided her by sending a pack of panthers to her side, which proved his support and earned her the trust of the Wakandans. (X-Men: Worlds Apart v1 #3) Storm defeated the Shadow King-possessed Cyclops who then possessed her. On the Astral Plane, however, the Shadow King found that Storm had remained bound to the Panther God, who devoured the Shadow King. (X-Men: Worlds Apart v1 #4)
Overview
Personality and attributes
She later came to be referred to as the Sacred Black Panther (Fantastic Four v1 #53), Panther-God (Avengers v1 #87) and the Panther Spirit (Black Panther v1 #1-12) (Black Panther v2 #4).
Powers and abilities
Items linked to Bast included:
- Black Book of Bast :
- Claw of Bast :
- Wedjat, the Eye of Ra :
Notes
- Bast was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby where she made her first appearance as totem in Fantastic Four v1 #52 (July, 1966).
- Afterwards, the character was referred to as the Panther-God in in Avengers v1 #87 (April, 1971).
- She was referred to as the Panther Spirit in Black Panther v1 #1-2 (January, 1977 - November, 1978 1977) and Black Panther v2 #4 (October, 1988).
- Finally, the character was referred to as being Bast in Black Panther v3 #21 (August, 2000).
- Christopher Priest was the first author to make the Panther god actually be Bast, based on Bastet of Egyptian Myth.
- Orisha is a Yoruba word for spirit and deities, Yoruba was one of the official languages of Wakanda. (Marvel Atlas v1 #2)
In other media
Films
- In Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa says Bast Sekhmet are not rivals and they are psychopomp deities in the MCU: "In my culture, death is not the end. It's more of a stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands, and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veld where you can run forever."
- In Thor: Love and Thunder, Bast appeared in the setting of the 2022 live-action film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where she was portrayed by actress Akosia Sabet. She was shown as being part of the Council of Godheads that resided in Omnipotence City.
Appearances
- Fantastic Four v1: (1966)
- Avengers v1: (1971)
- Black Panther v2: (1988)
- Black Panther v3: (2000)
External Links
- Marvel Database Entry
- The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Panther God (Black Panther character/Egyptian God)
- Comicvine Entry
- Wikipedia Entry
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