| Shuma-Gorath |
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| Real Name: Shuma-Gorath Powers: Shuma-Gorath is known as a lord of chaos, and is an impossibly-old being of malevolence and entropy. As such, it can manipulate mystic energies for a near-omnipotent range of power. The demon can defend itself by dissipating physical energies into mystical might. Shuma-Gorath can also magically manipulate matter on a solar-system scale. It is difficulty to attack physically, with both a rubbery armored skin as well as the ability to shift to an immaterial state. Its greatest weakness is the fact that once he is defeated in a particular dimension, it is barred from entering that plane for several millenia. History: Shuma-Gorath is a god-like demon. The manner in which Shuma-Gorath first came into being is unclear. It was seen by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, as it ruled the Earth, with prehistoric men and creatures under its command, perhaps a million years ago. At some point several millenia ago, Shuma-Gorath encountered the time-travelling magic user, Sise-Neg. Sise-Neg battled the entity, forcing Shuma-gorath to sleep, only to awaken in the 20th Century hungering for the souls walking upon the face of the Earth. It manifested itself as a presence in the mind of Doctor Strange's mentor, the Ancient One, for it needed the Ancient One's energies to allow it full existence on the Earth's plane. To this end, it used unholy minions to cause several disasters around the Earth, forcing the Ancient One and his disciple Doctor Strange to investigate and fight the various monsters, and thus expend their powers while strengthening Shuma-Gorath. In final conflict with Doctor Strange, Shuma-Gorath was near physical incarnation when the Sorceror dove into the mind of the Ancient One and destroyed his ego. Without a clear conception of self, the Ancient One was useless as a vessel for Shuma-Gorath, who fled this plane. Doctor Strange believed that doing so would murder the Ancient One, and indeed the aged master's body was stilled. But in fact, this was the key step to the Ancient One's elevation to oneness with the universe. Recently, Doctor Strange once again came into conflict with Shuma-Gorath. Strange was in the depths of corruption when the two joined battle, and he used black magic to draw on the strength and life force of some small fraction of the Earth's population, as well as the evil essence of one of Shuma-Gorath's more powerful servants, in order to destroy the demon. |