Vodū

Vodu
Name	Vodu
Aliases	Orishas, West African gods, Voodoo
Origin and Status
Origin	Pantheon; Nature Gods
Reality	Earth-616
Base of Operations	Orun
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Don Rico, Werner Roth
First	Lorna, the Jungle Queen #5 (October, 1953)
First	Lorna, the Jungle Queen #5 (October, 1953)

History

Origins

According to ancient myths, Buluku, the supreme all-father of the Vodu, merged with the primordial Earth Mother Gaea (later known among the Vodu alternatively as "Nana," "Ale," and "Asase Ya"), and sired twin offspring: The sun god Lusa and the moon goddess Mahu. As a result of this merging, the "supreme creator" was sometimes worshipped by mortals as the androgynous "Nana Buluku." Vodu worshippers believe that Lusa and Mahu joined forces to create the mortal world, mortal life, and mortal technology in four days' time. Buluku remained in Orun, content to leave this newborn mortal world's care to his children. Lusa and Mahu, in turn, sired several divine pairs of twins, including Avlekete and Ezili, Ogun and Shango, Dam-Ayido Wede and Sagbata, and Eschu and Legba.

Ancient History

Lusa, Mahu, and their family became directly active in mortal affairs and descended to the ancient city of Ife, the legendary first city of the Yoruba people. Eventually, their twins, who each possessed a unique aspect of Buluku's omnipotence, strayed from Ife and settled in other mortal cities in Western Africa.

When many of their worshippers were forcibly relocated to the Caribbean islands as slaves in the 16th century AD, Dam-Ayido Wede, the Vodun god of serpents, followed the slave ships across the Atlantic Ocean and brought Vodu worship to the New World.

20th Century

For centuries tribes in the Congo worshiped the Vodu goddess known as Mamalu until the 1950s when white settlers convinced the tribes that Mamalu did not exist. Furious Mamalu blamed the jungle adventurer Lorna the Jungle Queen as being responsible for stealing her worshipers. She influenced a tribesman named Kabu with offers be her mate if he performed a sacrifice to bring her to Earth. Lorna attempted to stop Mamalu but it was not until that Mamalu decided to take Lorna's companion Greg Knight as a mate did her plan fail as the jealous Kabu seemingly slew her.

Modern Age

Cuban-American entertainment entrepreneur Nestor "NeRo" Rodriguez consulted a Santerian priest ("santero") and invoked Eschu to empower him so that he could avenge his father, who had been murdered by the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) years earlier. Eschu answered Rodriguez's call and granted him superhuman abilities. Calling himself "Eleggua" in honor of his patron deity, Rodriguez used his family's fortune to bankroll the Santerians, a street-level vigilante team operating out of New York City and comprised of his childhood friends, who were similarly empowered by Ezili, Ogun, Oya, and Shango.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Enhanced Strength
Enhanced Endurance
Immortality
Immunity: To all terristrial diseases
Invulnerability
Healing Factor

All data is based on Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1

Each Vodu possess a unique aspect of Buluku's omnipotence.

Abilities

Additional Superhuman Powers: Every Vodu has his unique ability -often connected to forces of nature.

Average Strength Level

Average male god can lift about 25 tons, a female goddess about 20 tons.

Habitat

Habitat

Orun

Miscellaneous

Type of Government

Council of the Vodû

Representatives

Ananai, Avlekete, Babalú, Buluku, Damballah/Dam-Ayido Wede, Eschu/Ellegua, Ezili, Gorilla God/Ghekre, Legba, Lusa, Mamalu, Mahu, Ogun, Oya, Sagbata/Baron Samedi, Shango

Notes

• In West Africa the Òrìshà or Vodu religions are not gathering their gods in pantheons like we know for ancient European believe systems like Thor's Asgardians or Hercules' Olympians. Instead every family has one special Òrìshà or Vodu they worship. Said fact leads to the result that there are unmanageable accounts of Òrìshàs and countless variations in stories, origins, manifestations and interpretations in West Africa.
• In the Marvel Universe 'Vodun' is depicted as some kind of magic -especially as 'Black Magic'. It is also suggested that 'Vodun' has or had human sacrifices a couple of times, but in reality 'Voodooists' sacrife production animals, alcohol and even vegetables. It is also shown misleadingly that the oracle uses bones to predict the future. In fact the oracle uses kauri mussels.

See Also

• 27 appearance(s) of Vodū
• 3 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Vodū
• 2 minor appearance(s) of Vodū
• 8 mention(s) of Vodū
• 3 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Vodū
• 2 invocation(s) of Vodū
• 11 image(s) of Vodū
• 27 representative(s) of Vodū