Marvel Comics has introduced many powerful god-like beings over its 80+ year history. Determining who exactly was the first god to appear in Marvel chronology can be tricky, as gods like Odin and Zeus had their origins hinted at long before they made full appearances. That being said, there are a few contenders for the title of “first god” in Marvel comics.
Top Contenders for First God in Marvel
Here are some of the top choices for the first godly being to appear in Marvel:
- Amatsu-Mikaboshi -Japanese god of evil and chaos. First referenced in Venus #4 in 1949.
- Odin – Ruler of Asgard, father of Thor. First referenced in Journey into Mystery #85 in 1962, first full appearance in Journey into Mystery #97 in 1963.
- Zeus – King of the Olympian gods. First referenced in Venus #5 in 1949, first full appearance in Venus #12 in 1951.
- Set – Egyptian god of violence and disorder. First full appearance in Captain America Comics #17 in 1942.
- Cyttorak – Powerful magical entity worshipped as a god. First referenced in Strange Tales #124 in 1964.
The Case for Set
Taking into account first references vs. first full appearances, the Egyptian god Set has the earliest undisputed first full appearance of any divine being in Marvel history. He showed up in Captain America Comics #17 in 1942, where he was freed from a centuries-long imprisonment and fought Captain America and Bucky Barnes.
This makes Set the first full-fledged god to appear in a Marvel comic. He displayed typical godly abilities like superstrength, shapeshifting, and firing magical bolts of energy. He was only defeated when Cap buried him under a massive stone monument, imprisoning him once again.
Set’s Origins
Set is based on the actual mythological figure from Egyptian legend. He was the god of chaos, violence, desert storms, and other dangerous forces of nature. In later myths he became associated with evil and darkness.
The Marvel version of Set stayed true to these origins. He was shown as a power-hungry god who wanted to overthrow rulers like Orisis to dominate Egypt. His appearance in that classic WWII-era Captain America comic marked the first time a full-fledged god appeared as a major antagonist in the early Marvel Universe.
Earlier Marvel God References
Set’s 1942 debut pre-dated the first Marvel appearances of gods like Zeus and Odin, who would become much more prominent divine figures in Marvel lore. However, Set was not actually the very first god referenced in Timely/Marvel history.
That honor goes to Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the Japanese “God of Evil,” who was first named in a 1949 issue of Venus. This was merely a reference however, not a full appearance.
Likewise, Zeus and Odin were both first referenced in Marvel Comics in 1949 and 1962 respectively. But neither made full appearances as active characters until later.
Set Appeared Before Thor
It is also notable that Set’s 1942 debut came long before Thor’s first appearance in Journey into Mystery #83 in 1962. So Set beat out the Norse God of Thunder by 20 years!
This helps underscore the fact that Set was not just the first full god in Marvel – he was the first significant supernatural deity to play an important role in a Marvel comic story. The appearance of an ancient god like Set was groundbreaking for the early Marvel era.
Other Notable Early Marvel Gods
While Set was the first fully-realized god to appear, some other divine beings started popping up not long after:
- Venus – Based on the Roman goddess of love. First appeared in 1948.
- Loki – Norse trickster god. First appeared in 1949.
- Neptune – Roman god of the seas. First appeared in 1949.
- Odin – Ruler of Asgard. First full appearance in 1963.
- Hercules – Greek demigod. First appeared in 1965.
- Thor – Norse God of Thunder. First appeared in 1962.
- Poseidon – Greek god of the ocean. First appeared in 1965.
Set preceded mythological figures like these by over a decade. This reinforces his status as the first Marvel god to make a full appearance as a major character in Marvel continuity.
Set vs. Cyttorak
One potential challenger to Set’s “first god” status did not actually appear until later in Marvel history. This is Cyttorak, a hugely powerful magical entity with god-like abilities.
Cyttorak and his mystical dimension called the Crimson Cosmos were first referenced in Strange Tales #124 in 1964. So this was over 20 years after Set’s 1942 appearance.
However, a case can be made that Cyttorak is actually an elder god who predates the Marvel Universe. Some stories imply he has existed for millions or even billions of years before the dawn of human civilization.
If true, this would potentially make Cyttorak the oldest known god-like being in Marvel canon. But since he first appeared in text decades after Set, I would still argue Set has the strongest claim to being the first literal god to appear in Marvel comics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Marvel has introduced many all-powerful gods and god-like beings over the decades, Egyptian deity Set was the first to make a full appearance as a major character in a Marvel story. His debut in Captain America Comics #17 in 1942 predated other prominent gods like Thor, Zeus, and Odin by many years.
Set’s appearance also changed the landscape of Marvel storytelling by introducing an ancient mythological god into a modern superhero universe – a creative crossover that would go on to help define Marvel’s unique style.
So while others like Cyttorak may predate Set in the lore, Set still stands as the first literal god to directly impact events in the early Marvel comics universe. That pioneering role cements Set’s status as the first full-fledged diety in Marvel history.
| God | First Appearance |
|---|---|
| Set | Captain America Comics #17 (1942) |
| Venus | Venus #1 (1948) |
| Loki | Venus #6 (1949) |
| Odin | Journey into Mystery #85 (1963) |
| Thor | Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) |
| Cyttorak | Strange Tales #124 (1964) |