MAUI
Real Name:
Maui-Potiki
Occupation:
God of rain, adventurer, fisherman
Legal Status:
Citizen of AoTeAroa
Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of the existence of Maui except as a mythological deity.
Other Aliases:
Maui-Tiketike
Place of Birth:
Place of Death: Po
Marital Status: Possibly married
Known Relatives:
Taranga (father), Makea (mother), Maui-take, Maui-roto, Maui-pae, Maui-whao
(brothers), Hina-uri (sister), Irawaru (brother-in-law), Tamakaia (possible wife), Rata (paternal
grandfather), Mahu-Ike (maternal grandmother), Tame,
Haumea
(ancestors),
Group Affiliations: ally of the Oceanic Gods
Base of Operations:
First Appearance: Maui has yet to appear in the Marvel or DC Universes
History: Maui is the youngest son of the legendary Maori chieftain, Taranga and his wife, Makea-a-tutara, daughter of the Maori fire-goddess, Mahu-Ike, one of a member of an extra-dimensional race of beings known as the Kahunas, who were worshipped as gods throughout the Pacific Islands and Australia. According to myth, Maiu had been born premature and his mother cast him off the sea where he was found and adopted by the gods. As a young man, Maui was already considered the epitome of bravery and so full of pranks and mischief that the gods tried to channel his energies into acts of heroism against enemies of the gods. He also used this position to get what he wanted. When his mortal mother complained that there was not enough hours in the day to do what she wanted, Maui lassoed and caught Tama the sun-god and obtained a vow from him to extend the hours of the day. Tama conceded his wish and in return, Maui endorsed worship of the sun in gratitude, often bringing gifts from heaven to share with mortals. Among the gifts he brought to earth was the gift of fire, stolen from his grandmother, Mahu-Ike.
Maui also beloved the goddess, Tamakaia, possibly taking her as his wife and she sired him a number of children whose names are unrevealed. He also fell in love with Sina, the dawn-goddess. (Not to be confused with Hina-nui-te-po, the death-goddess, daughter of Hina-hua-one, the goddess of the dead.) Hina was the wife of Tuna-Roa, the fish-god, and had departed him to seek out other lovers. Departing on the pretense to gather food, Hina encountered several men who fearing the eel-god’s vengeance were afraid to take Tuna’s wife. Maui's mother urged him to take the goddess as his wife, but when the people learned that Maui had taken Hina as his wife, they went to tell Tuna. At first, Tuna didn’t care, but the people annoyed him about it so much that he traveled to Maui to win his wife back. Maui met him in combat and slew him in Sina's honor. In one account, Sina used magic to bury Tuna and cast spells that returned him to life from the coconut tree that sprang from his grave.
One of Maui's greatest accomplishments was claiming the underwater city of Te Ika-a-Mazui from the ocean. Maui had created a fishing hook from the jawbone of one of his ancestors (some myths claim it was fashioned from the jaw of his mortal grandmother), and while he was fishing from the cliffs of his home, he hooked something underwater and obtained the help of his brothers in their canoes to tow it above the water surface. Their combined might resulted in forcing the sunken city to the surface world where Maui claimed it. It seems that Maui might have created an hyperbole in claiming the land in light of modern geological science, but the island became known as modern northern New Zealand in recent years.
In his last adventure, Maui decided to try
and gain immortality for mortals or for himself by slaying Hina-hau-one,
the goddess of the dead. To do so, he ventured into the land of Po to seek out
Hina-hau-one and remove her from power so that death would vanish from the
world. In later myths, it was claimed he entered Maui's body to be reborn as a
god himself, but a bird followed him the underworld and woke Hina-hau-one as she
was sleeping. Discovering Maui, she slew him to keep him from ever departing her
realm, and immortality was forever lost to mortals.
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 275 lbs.
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Strength Level: Maui possessed superhuman strength to an unknown degree.
He was certainly stronger than a normal man of his size, weight and build who
engaged in extensive regular exercises, but it is unknown if he was superhuman.
Known Superhuman Powers: Maui possessed incredible strength,
stamina, endurance and vitality, possibly in the superhuman range. He possibly
had some mystical prowess; in some myths, Maui and Tuna changed themselves into
various animals to battle each other. His full
abilities are unrevealed without knowing which of his exploits are actual or
based on hyperbole.
Abilities: Maui is an extra-ordinary athlete, tracker, fisherman and combatant. He also has some inventive skill in creating objects from available materials, such as a fish-hook from bone and a a net to help him catch fish.
Comments: As yet, Maui has not yet been seen in the Marvel or DC handbooks.
Maui lends his name to the city, Maui, in modern Hawaii.
Last updated: 03/10/14