MIKABOSHI
Real
Name:
Amatsu-Mikaboshi ("August Star of Heaven")
Occupation:
God of evil
Legal
Status:
Non-Entity
Identity:
The general populace of Earth is unaware of Mikaboshi except as a mythological
character.
Other
Aliases:
Ama-no-kagaseo ("Brilliant Male”)
Place
of Birth:
Inapplicable
Known
Relatives:
None
Group
Affiliation:
Leader of the Oni (undead spirits) and Ama-no-Jaku-Tengu (demons of Yomi)
Base
of Operations:
Yomi (The Japanese Underworld)
First
Appearance:
(behind the scenes) Thor: Blood Oath #5
History:
Mikaboshi is the god of evil against the Kami,
a race of extra-dimensional beings who were worshipped as gods by the ancient
Japanese. His origins are unknown, but he is believed to belong to an order of
demons that originated several millions of years ago. In the primal history of
Earth, a number of Elder Gods had coalesced into existence out of the Earth’s
biosphere known as the Demiurge, but these beings ended up degenerating into
demons and were eradicated by Atum, the son of Gaea,
the only one of the Elder Gods allowed to exist. Although Atum had destroyed the
Elder Gods, a residue of energy left on earth gave rise to a new order of
demonic entities among which only a few of them is known. Only a few of these
demons have been identified, such as Mephisto, Satannish, Surtur, Tartarus and quite
possibly Mikaboshi. Mikaboshi has constantly been at odds against the Kami, who
became gods for the mortals in the land that would be modern Japan. Under the
Shinto Religion, Mikaboshi was considered the antithesis to the positive forces
of life. Japanese onmyoji (mystics) attempted to establish a cult to Mikaboshi
in the Nineteenth Century in an attempt to direct her power of destruction
against one's enemies. Queen Hitoka of Yamato was one of the last known
Mikaboshi worshippers until turning to more diplomatic measures with China.
Mikaboshi later returned during World War Two in the form of the red sun
insignia on the Imperial flag.
For
untold millennia, Mikaboshi has fought to possess the enchanted Grasscutter
sword, a sacred weapon of the Kami, and sent hordes of evil spirits and demons
to try and conquer it for her. The power of the sword was known to even the
Olympian and Asgardian gods of the west who considered it equal to Mjolnir among
the Asgardian gods. Thor, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg of the Asgardian gods
sought Grasscutter in order to placate the Giants of Jotunheim and fought their
way around Mikaboshi's armies of the undead in order to take Grasscutter and
depart Ama, the home of the Japanese Gods with it.
Mikaboshi
became incensed that the Grasscutter sword could be taken so easy from him and
sought revenge against the gods of the west. Following the apparent deaths of
the Asgardians after Ragnarok, Mikaboshi became bolder and decided to launch an
assault upon Olympus using Alexander Aaron, the mortal son of the war-god Ares. Zeus,
the King of the Olympian Gods, raised up an army of mighty warriors from the
afterlife such as Achilles to combat Mikaboshi, but when Mikaboshi faced
Achilles in battle, he delivered a vicious scar to his face that would not heal.
Assuming the form of a female, Mikaboshi then began to twist Alexander's
feelings for his father, using drugs to help convince Alexander to hate his
father and become a god of war himself, forging a suit of armor to help him lay
siege of Olympus. Assuming Alexander's form, Mikaboshi tricked Zeus into
lowering his guard, and drove his hands through Zeus' chest in order to try and
kill him, but Zeus survived the wound, but Mikaboshi continued Alexander's
training, and gave him the Grasscutter sword to wield against Ares.
Even
as Mikaboshi faced the armies of Olympus, Zeus used his magic to undo
Mikaboshi's spell over Alexander. As the Japanese Gods arrived to help the
Olympians, Alexander used the Grasscutter sword to slice Mikaboshi in half and
Poseidon sent a flood to overwhelm his armies and wash them away from Olympus.
Whether
Mikaboshi has truly been destroyed is unrevealed.
Height:
Variable
Weight:
Indeterminate
Eyes:
Black
Hair:
Black
Strength
Level: Unrevealed, Mikaboshi possesses superhuman strength, but to an
unknown degree.
Known
Superhuman Powers: Mikaboshi possesses vast supernatural power, which is
apparently inherent within him. He can use this magical energy for a variety of
effects, among which are his ability to alter his form and shape; he also often
taken on a female form to appear harmless. He is otherwise almost always
represented as a being of black, shadowy energy with a mask for a face. He can
reshape his limbs into razor-sharp blades, and assume the form of a
fire-breathing serpent. He also often employs powers of levitation, teleportation,
the projection of mystical energy as force blasts, invisibility, matter
manipulation, image projection and the creation of interdimensional nexus points
among other feats. His power is of such extent that he can control numerous
minor demons and manipulate animate the corpses of the deceased en masse at
will.
As a demonic entity, Mikaboshi also has several powers enabling him to capture and detain the astral bodies (sheaths of the soul) of recently deceased human beings. Mikaboshi does not have jurisdiction over all of humanity's deceased. It is not yet known what the prerequisite conditions are for him to manipulate a human soul, nor are the precise means by which he accomplishes the feat known. Apparently these conditions require that the human being in question willingly submit to Mikaboshi's will. It is not yet known how a human being may free himself from bondage to Mikaboshi. Nor is it revealed whether or not Mikaboshi "feeds" on the psychic energies as other demons do.
As a demon, Mephisto is functionally immortal to some extent and beyond such human needs as food, air and sleep. His body seems to be composed of some sort of supernatural substance more durable and resilient that human flesh and tissue and malleable enough to be contorted and twisted into various shapes and forms.
Among
the demons of various extra-dimensional netherworlds adjacent to earth,
Mikaboshi has few rivals in terms of personal power and scope of influence. Only
Mephisto, Ahriman,
Thog and Satannish come close.
Comments:
In the Marvel Universe, Mikaboshi could be the same entity as Mephisto, or any
one of several "Satan" figures that have appeared so far.
Thanks
to Michael Hoskins (Prime Eternal) for his help in detailing Mikaboshi’s
Marvel appearances.