Shuma-Gorath: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Shuma Gorath

First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #5 (November, 1972)

Powers: The Ancient Force of Chaos, Immortality, Near Invincible, Energy Projection, Shapeshifting, Teleportation, Reality Altering, Levitation and more.

Affiliation: Old Ones, A Class Three Demon

Love Interests: None

Did You Know: Shuma-Gorath is the ruler of hundreds of dimensions

A Little History

Hailing from an extra dimensional realm, Shuma-Gorath is one of the “Old Ones” who arrived on Earth to feed on mankind.

Over 21,000 years ago, Shuma-Gorath was defeated and placed inside a mountain where it could cause no harm to Earth’s inhabitants. 10,000 years later, two sorcerers, Kulan Gath, and Vammatar, realized that each possessed an element need to release the creature. Fortunately, their quest to release it fell through as the two could not come to terms and betrayed one another.

Some years later, Vammatar and the warrior, Conan of Cimmeria came into conflict. This conflict caused Vammatar to set fire to Conan’s village which, while destroying the small village, also cleared a path to the mountain were Shuma-Gorath was imprisoned. While sleeping, Conan received a vision of further destruction to his people. To prevent this, he and his companion Hobbs, made their way to the mountain and confronted Vammatar. 

Now at the mountain, Shuma-Gorath took control of Hobbs and had him read from the Iron-Bound Books. The reading freed the creature. At this time, the sorcerer Vammatar was joined once again by Kulan Gath and for a short time, the two held their own against the beast. Eventually, the creature was too much to handle and overpowered the two. It then killed them.

In an act of desperation, Conan picked up the magical books, read a passage that granted him protection and defeated the beast.

In our lifetime, Dr. Strange and the Ancient One came to battle various beings. Most notably were Knightmare, Ebora, Dagoth, Kathulos, and the Living Buddha. During the encounter, Strange detected an energy trail that he followed to a Black Hole. Once at the end, the Hole spoke to him. This was, in fact, the voice of Shuma-Gorath. He learned that the beast had been attempting to be reborn through the mind of the Ancient One.

Dr. Strange, the protector of the Earth and the Mystical Realms, sought to stop Shuma-Gorath but was unable to. To prevent the beast from gaining a foothold on his world, he killed his teacher. Doing this sent the creature back to its own realm and released the Ancient One. Now released, the Ancient One was able to become one with the Universe.