Bendigeidfran, known as Bran the Blessed, was a mortal giant who rose to prominence as a king of Britain and later ascended to godhood as a Celtic demigod. Born to the storm god Leir, he was one of the few Celtic gods to remain active in the mortal realm into modern times, often manifesting through human hosts.
History
Origins and Early Years[]
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Bran's modern host
Bendigeidfran, whose name translates to "Blessed Crow," was a mortal giant born in the Kingdom of Gwynedd, in what is now modern-day Wales. He was the son of the storm god Leir and Penarddun. During his youth, he was tutored by the royal bards of Gwynedd.[1] At some point, he joined the Walkers, a group of men wise in magic. While half of the Walkers eventually turned to evil, becoming the Evil Walkers, Bendigeidfran remained one of the six Proud Walkers.[3]
King of Britain[]
Upon reaching adulthood, Bendigeidfran was crowned king of Britain. During his reign, he arranged the marriage of his sister, Branwen, to King Matholwch of Ireland. When he learned that Matholwch was mistreating Branwen, Bendigeidfran led a military expedition across the Irish Sea to rescue her. The ensuing war resulted in the deaths of both Matholwch and Bendigeidfran, with the latter being beheaded during the conflict.[1]
Godhood[]
After his death, Bendigeidfran was resurrected and ascended to godhood, becoming known as Bran the Blessed. As an immortal demigod, he gained the ability to alter his size and weight at will, as well as the conventional superhuman physical attributes associated with Celtic deities.[1] He received worship from mortals but did not seek such veneration.[2]
Bran became one of the few Celtic gods to remain active in the mortal realm into modern times.[1] To maintain his strength on Earth, Bran often manifested through a human host, forming a symbiotic partnership. This practice was common among the Tuatha de Danaan, who weakened after prolonged stays in the mortal plane. The bond between Bran and his host was symbolized by a tattoo, though the strain of hosting a deity often led to the premature death of the mortal involved.[2][6]
Modern Age[]
Modern Host[]
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Brawling with She-Hulk
In the modern age, Bendigeidfran formed a partnership with Bran Murphy, a mortal from Lakewood, Ohio, who had worked as a bodyguard for the occult super-villain Dark Art.[1] Bendigeidfran liked Murphy due to their shared name. Hired by Fourth Wall Enterprises (FWE), Bran Murphy, under the influence of Bendigeidfran, bombed a bar in downtown Manhattan to provoke She-Hulk.[7] When She-Hulk tracked him to Ohio, Bendigeidfran orchestrated the murder of Dark Art and facilitated She-Hulk’s arrest.[8]
Conflict with Hercules[]
As one of the few representatives of the Celtic pantheon on Earth, Bendigeidfran was approached by the Olympian demigod Hercules, who sought his support for an unspecified endeavor,[2] likely related to the Earth pantheons' involvement in the Skrull Invasion. Bendigeidfran made remarks about Hercules' wife, Megara, which led to a violent brawl between the two deities in the streets. She-Hulk intervened to stop the conflict.[2]
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Killing Dark Art
Current Status[]
Following the separation from Murphy, Bendigeidfran took on a new host, Monique, a woman who had previously shared a cell with She-Hulk. He offered her the power to protect her family in exchange for hosting him.[2] Bendigeidfran’s current whereabouts and activities remain unknown.[1]Attributes
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Powers
- Giant/Tuatha de Danaan Physiology: Bran was originally a "mere mortal Giant", a mortal demigod-giant, but he apotheosized to full godhood upon being resurrected.[1]
- True Immortality: Upon reaching godhood he became immune to aging and diseases and now he cannot be killed through conventional means.[1]
- Size Alteration: At that occasion, he also gained the ability to alter both his size and weight at will, with unknown upward limits,[1] though he has demonstrated that he can extend at least to the size of a multiple stories-building.[2]
- Superhuman Strength: He has enhanced strength enabling him to lift about 100 tons.[9]
- Superhuman Durability: Bran is highly resistant to damage.[9]
- Regenerative Healing Factor: He can be wounded in battle but his godly life essence gives him incredible recuperative abilities allowing him to fully recover from a penetration wound within minutes to hours, depending on its severity.[1][9]
- Possession: Bran can manifest himself on Earth via human host. Matching tatoos appear on the arms of Bran and of the host, though Bran can make his tatoo invisible. The link weakens the host and it slowly kills him but if the host dies of violent death Bran could die too. Bran and his host can see through each other's eyes.[9]
Abilities
Weaknesses
See Also
- 4 appearance(s) of Bendigeidfran (Earth-616)
- 2 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Bendigeidfran (Earth-616)
- 1 minor appearance(s) of Bendigeidfran (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) of Bendigeidfran (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Bendigeidfran (Earth-616)
- 4 image(s) of Bendigeidfran (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Bran the Blessed's entry
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #30
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Marvel Atlas #1 ; United Kingdom's entry
- ↑ See Penarddun's page notes
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #14 ; Bran the Blessed's profile
- ↑ Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; The Tuatha de Danaan's entry
- ↑ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #24
- ↑ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #28–30
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #14
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 14