Are the gods in Marvel, really gods?

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I've kind of come to consider Galactus and the Celestials something of a universal counterpart to gods. While gods are tied to the specific planets they emerge on, the Celestials and Galactus fill similar functions on a universal scale.

 

[The Question]

Yeah, I've kind of come to consider Galactus and the Celestials something of a universal counterpart to gods. While gods are tied to the specific planets they emerge on, the Celestials and Galactus fill similar functions on a universal scale.

Kind of like the New Gods over at DC.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

A bit, although before Morrison got to them, they weren't really on the same scale as the Celestials. They were just sci fi gods who lived out in space.

 

[The Question]

A bit, although before Morrison got to them, they weren't really on the same scale as the Celestials. They were just sci fi gods who lived out in space.

I don't know who's idea it was (I know it wasn't Morrison), but at one point it was said that the New Gods are in fact Celestial sized normally, and that Boom Tubes shrink them down when they come to Earth for practical reasons.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That doesn't seem to work with various comics I've read. Others have visited New Genesis and Apokalips and the New Gods are all still their usual sizes. Then again, I guess most people get to those places via boom tubes themselves, so they might just grow to a comparable size. Anyway, that's weird either way. What's the point of it if it always works out so that everyone is the same size in the end?

 

[The Question]

That doesn't seem to work with various comics I've read. Others have visited New Genesis and Apokalips and the New Gods are all still their usual sizes. Then again, I guess most people get to those places via boom tubes themselves, so they might just grow to a comparable size. Anyway, that's weird either way. What's the point of it if it always works out so that everyone is the same size in the end?

I think it was building up to one of those "Now you shall see my TRUE form!" type of deals. Justice League fights Darkseid, thinks they're doing well, then he goes all kaiju on their asses.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, makes sense. Of course, they could always just call Mr. Miracle or Big Barda or one of their other New God buddies in. It's not like they have any shortage whatsoever of them. Plus, Morrison kind of already used that concept with the Wonderworld heroes, and there wasn't really anything divine about them. They were like an oververse version of the JLA, basically--big simply because the dimension they inhabit is big. Kind of takes the juice out of embiggening gods if there are others who are similarly embiggened just 'cause.

 

[The Question]

Yeah, makes sense. Of course, they could always just call Mr. Miracle or Big Barda or one of their other New God buddies in. It's not like they have any shortage whatsoever of them.

True. But then I'm pretty sure sicking giant Barda and Mr. Miracle to fight giant Darkseid would result in two giant corpses falling in Metropolis.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, they'd have the JLA as backup. The JLA have always figured out some way to beat Darkseid, size notwithstanding.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Where does Spectre fall in this equation?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Somewhere in the DC universe?

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

Don't you mean everywhere?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Touché.

 

[Shockdingo]

Thor acknowledges that there is a power greater even than himself and his fellow gods. He's talked to some priests and never seems to begrudge them their faith in what they (and apparently Thor) believe is a supreme God.

This is an awesome and interesting thread so far! I'm getting more into Thor these days and I was wondering if you had examples of the bold above? I'm just curious if this is in the more modern books or some of the late 80s era ones?

Well, the details are fuzzy, but the gist of it was:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And then all of that book of Gensis crap went down, but shortly after the creation of everything a much cooler thing happened when the elder gods came forth from the stuff of creation.

Woah, dude, that's interesting! I never knew Marvel delved into this subject that much.

About Mephisto's status:
I remember reading something saying that he's a ruler of some hellish realm/part of hell as we know it, but he actually is not the equivalent of Satan/Lucifer/ etc in Marvel; he gains power from people and beings who believe him to be such. It's been ages since I read that, but it got locked in my mind around the time other characters in the MU claimed to be the Final Boss of Badness.

In Wolverine's current trip to hell we see what looks to be another interpretation of the Devil, he hasn't mentioned his name or a specific title, but he bares no resemblance to any of Mephy's forms. (He's even bluish-purple!)

 

[TheCorpulent1]

This is an awesome and interesting thread so far! I'm getting more into Thor these days and I was wondering if you had examples of the bold above? I'm just curious if this is in the more modern books or some of the late 80s era ones?

The two that I can recall are Thor #303, which is basically a normal, rational Thor dealing with a priest, and the 8-part arc "Spiral," which ran through Thor vol. 2 #60-67 and shows a Thor lacking his humanity dealing with modern religion and politics after he brings Asgard to Earth. Both are pretty good stories.

 

[Anubis]

Yeah,

Spoiler

Crazy priest tries to blow Thor up with a Nuke along with this little girl Thor Brought back from the dead sans a soul.

It was awesome to say the least.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Shyeah, damned fine arc.

 

[Shockdingo]

Sounds awesome, I'll check it out when I can.