Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)

Lady of the Lake
Name	Niamh Chinn Óir ("Niamh of the Golden Hair")
Current Alias	Lady of the Lake
Aliases	Niamh, Nimue, Vivienne, Water Cow, Water Wench
Affiliation and Relationships
Affiliation	Celtic Gods, ally of Merlin and King Arthur
Relatives	Grandparents: Leir (paternal grandfather); Iarbonel (paternal great-grandfather); Gaea/Danu (paternal great-grandmother) Parents: Mannanan (father); Fand (mother) Children: Sir Lancelot (adopted son) Other Relatives: Bran (uncle); Branwen (aunt); numerous others
Physical Characteristics
Gender	Female
Height	6′2″ (1.88 m), Variable
Weight	Variable
Eyes	Irises: Blue
Hair	Blond
Origin and Living Status
Origin	Tuatha de Danaan/Faerie hybrid
Living Status	Alive
Reality	Earth-616
Place of Birth	Presumably Otherworld
Personal Information
Identity	Secret
Citizenship	Tír na nÓg
Occupation	Goddess of lakes
Education	Trained in druid magic
Base of Operations	Niamh's Lake, Avalon, Otherworld; Lake Benoye near Benoye, France Formerly Dozmary Pool (modern-day Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, United Kingdom)
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Steve Parkhouse, Paul Neary
First	Hulk Comic (UK) #18 (July, 1979)
First	Hulk Comic (UK) #18 (July, 1979)

History

Origin and Youth

Niamh Chinn Óir ("Niamh of the Golden Hair") was the daughter of the Tuatha de Danaan (Celtic god) Sea God Mannanan and of the faerie Fand. It is unknown where she was born, though it is presumed to have been in Otherworld.

During her youth, Niamh was given by her father a magical horse, named Enbarr, that could run across air and on water.

Middle Ages

Upon reaching adulthood, Niamh made her home under the waters of Dozmary Pool (in modern-day Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, United Kingdom).

After King Ban of Benwick was killed by Frankish King Claudas, Niamh raised Ban's son Lancelot as her own.

She gave Lancelot an enchanted ring that protected him from magic. Lancelot then went on to serve King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, as one of his knights.

She later came into possession of Excalibur after Beowulf used it to seal away Grendel's Mother. She later gave it to King Arthur and has distributed it as needed.

When Makluans threatened Camelot, she sent the Sir Percy of Scandia, the Black Knight, forward in time to possess his descendant and Black Knight successor Dane Whitman, and enlist the help of the British team Excalibur.

Modern Age

The Lady of the Lake

Niamh bestowed Excalibur upon Dane Whitman when the Black Knight's Ebony Blade was (temporarily) destroyed by the Iron Ogre.

Under guidance from Niamh, Adam Crown stole a priceless Iron Age sword from the Museum of Pagan Antiquities (secretly housed over Mys-Tech Central) and cast it into a canal in East London. Niamh surfaced holding Caliburn, which Adam would hold as one of the Knights of Pendragon, each bonded to a spirit of Camelot, his being King Arthur.

During the Secret Invasion the Skrulls were able to invade Otherworld, and Niamh ended up being killed by them. She was later restored to life thanks to Pete Wisdom.

Niamh and other rulers of Otherworld plan for war against the Manchester Gods

When the industrial entities known as the Manchester Gods materialized in Otherworld and began assimilating the landscape, an informal summit was held between Master Wilson of the Manchester Gods and the various rulers of Otherworld: Niamh. the Dagda, King Arthur, Merlyn, and Captain Britain. However, no compromise was reached, as Master Wilson demanded that gods should no longer rule Otherworld, and the two sides went to war. Later, Niamh, the Dagda, Merlyn, Captain Britain, and other denizens of Otherworld were assembled in Camelot by King Arthur to rally the alliance of factions for battle against the Manchester Gods. At that time, the Asgardian trickster god Loki (who had been sent to Otherworld by the Asgardian All-Mother to assist in the efforts against the Manchester Gods), requested that Niamh show him the Holy Grail that she protected, as the Asgardian death goddess Hela required its magic waters to heal the wounds inflicted upon her by the Dísir; however, the skeptical Niamh denied Loki's request. As the war raged on, Niamh, Merlyn, Captain Britain, and King Arthur conducted battle strategy from within Camelot. But when Loki became sympathetic to the cause of the Manchester Gods and detonated several symbolic locations which empowered the traditional gods and lords of Otherworld, the battle shifted in favor of the Manchester Gods, at which time they pressured their enemies into signing a treaty under terms favorable to them. Niamh, the Dagda, Merlyn, Captain Britain, and King Arthur were present at the signing of the armistice with Master Wilson that brought an end to the war with the Manchester Gods and established Otherworld as a parliamentary democracy rather than a monarchy. In return for Loki's assistance in the Manchester Gods' victory, Master Wilson distracted Niamh with masses of paperwork so that Loki could sneak Hela to the Holy Grail and heal her wounds.

Attributes

Power Grid

Powers

Niamh Chinn Oir has the conventional powers of a Celtic Goddess, presumably including:

• Superhuman Strength: Niamh Chinn Oir possesses superhuman strength and can lift about 25 tons, the same as the average Danaan female.
• Superhuman Speed
• Superhuman Stamina
• Superhumanly Dense Tissue: The tissues of her body have about 3 times the density of the tissues of a human body, contributing to her superhuman strength and weight.
• Superhuman Durability: Her body is highly durable like her fellow Celtic gods.
• True Immortality: Niamh Chinn Oir is a true immortal in the sense that she is immune to aging and hasn't physically aged since reaching adulthood. Niamh Chinn Oir is also immune to all Earthly diseases and infections.
• Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite her body's resistance to injury, it is possible to injure Niamh Chinn Oir. However, if injured, her godly life-force enables her to heal damaged tissue with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. However, as with most Dannans, Niamh Chinn Oir cannot regenerate a severed limb or organs without the aid of outside assistance from a god far more adept at magic and/or is far more powerful than herself.
• Energy Manipulation: Like most other Celtic gods and goddess deities of prominence, Niamh Chinn Oir is able to control magical forces to a considerable degree on a scale, but only a few are shown. She is, however, able to enchant physical objects, travel through time and dimensions through lakes and other bodies of water, and can turn her body into liquid form. She can also control plant growth.
  • Teleportation: The Lady of the Lake can teleport herself and others through bodies of water.
• Precognition: The Lady of the Lake possesses limited precognitive abilities.

Paraphernalia

Equipment

Often possesses Excalibur, the Holy Grail, Sword of Light, Shield of Night and the sword Caliburn.

Transportation

She rides her magic steed Enbarr, that can run across air and on water.

See Also

• 16 appearance(s) of Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)
• 2 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)
• 1 minor appearance(s) of Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)
• 3 mention(s) of Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)
• 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)
• 7 image(s) of Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)
• 2 item(s) used/owned by Niamh Chinn Óir (Earth-616)

Links and References

• Niamh Chinn Óir on Wikipedia.org
• Lady of the Lake on Wikipedia.org
• Lady of the Lake at the Appendix
• The Lady of the Lake at the Guide to the Mythological Universe