| Seth | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Thor #240 (Oct 1975) |
| Created by | Bill Mantlo, Roy Thomas, and Sal Buscema |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Heliopolitan Gods |
| Notable aliases | Set, Sutekh, the Serpent God, Lord of the Unliving |
Seth is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Comics universe, based loosely on the Set of Egyptian mythology.
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Seth is the Egyptian god of evil and death, living in the city of Celestial Helopolis. He is married to the goddess Nepthys. His right hand is missing, and he usually wears a metal cup over it.
Three thousand years ago, Seth dismembered Osiris and scattered the pieces all over Egypt although Isis reassembled her husband, and he then imprisoned his mother Isis and brother Horus with Osiris in a pyramid. Upon regaining their freedom, Seth attacked them, Thor, and Odin with skeletal horsemen. He was defeated when the energy projected through Odin's axe severed his right hand, and was flung into space.[1]
Seth later attacked Thor in the guise of Donald Blake. Seth brought an army to Earth to battle Thor and the Thing, imprisoned Horus in Heliopolis, and summoned the monstrous Devourer. Seth apparently surrendered when the Devourer went on a rampage.[2]
Much later, Seth plotted to invade Asgard.[3] When it was ready, Seth directed his invasion force to attack Asgard.[4] He endowed three humans with superhuman powers to become his mortal allies, the Earth Force. Seth attempted to gain the soul of Hogun the Grim, and commanded a second wave assault on Asgard.[5] He was revealed to have captured Odin in the wake of Odin's battle with Surtur and stole the powers of the Egyptian gods. He successfully conquered Asgard, and battled Balder.[6] Seth battled Earth Force, Hogun, and the Black Knight. Seth turned into a huge black serpent, but dwindled into nothingness when the Black Knight's ensorcelled body ripped through his jaws.[7]
Seth once tried to destroy the United Nations, as part of a plot to instigate a nuclear war, but was thwarted when the hero Moon Knight destroyed an icon which was the source of Seth's magic.[8][9]
As a member of the race of superhumans known as the gods of Heliopolis, the character possesses superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, resistance to all terrestrial diseases and some magic. He possesses additional abilities due to his station as a god of death, from manipulation of the forces of magic, and due to absorbing the abilities of other Egyptian deities. Seth can change his shape to become an enormous serpent, can mesmerize others with a glance, permanently enhance the abilities of other characters (such as Lorelei),[10] and cast various mystical spells for a variety of effects. He has extensive knowledge of necromancy, and can resurrect fallen foes as personal thralls,[11] or revive after his body is destroyed.[12] The character's scale of power has been depicted as rivalling that of Odin, and possibly as capable of destroying entire galaxies.[12]
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