SUSANOWO
Real Name
: Takehaya-Susanowo ("Vain Impetuous Hero")Occupation: God of sea and storm
Legal Status: Citizen of Ama
Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Susanowo except as a mythological character.
Other Aliases: Taka-haya-susa-no-wo, Susano-o-no-Mikoto ("His Brave Swift Impetuous Male Augustness"), Susanoo, Susa-Noo, Take, Atago-Gongen, Buto, et al.
Place of Birth: Onokoro, Japan
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives: Izanagi (father), Izanami (mother), Takamimusubi, Uhjini, Tunokui, Ontonoji, Omadaru (uncles), Kamimimusubi, Suhjini, Ikugui, Ootonobe, Kashikone (aunts), Tsukiyomi, Kagutsuchi, Owatatsumi, Shinatsuhiko, Minantonokami, Takaokami, Haniyasuhiko, Ooyamatsumi, Hiruko, Emma-O (brothers), Amaterasu, Uke-Mochi, Wakahirume, Kawanokami, Shinatobei, Kuraokami, Haniyasuhime (sisters), Kushinada (wife), Okuninushi, Ohmagatsumi, Otoshino, Uganomitama (sons), Suserihime, Miyazuhime, Isohime (daughters), Takiribimeno, Ikitisimapime, Takitupime (daughters by Amaterasu), Takemikazuchi, Ajisukitakahikone (sons by Amaterasu), Sukuna, Yorodaumime, Mihotsuhime, Omohikane (cousins), Onitsunu (grandson),
Group Affiliations: The Gods of Japan
Base of Operations: Izumo, Japan
First Appearance: Chaos War #2
History: Susanowo is a member of an extra-dimensional race of beings known as the Amatsu-Kami ("Heavenly Ones") who were worshipped as gods by the Ancient Ainu and Japanese people in Eastern Asia. He was one of a trinity of gods at a large hierarchy of deities along with Amaterasu, the sun-goddess, and Tsukiyomi, the moon-god.
According to the Kojiki, heaven and earth were once joined until they were separated by the gods, Takamimusubi, the god of heaven, and his wife, Kamimimusubi, the goddess of earth. In their roles as Toyokumono and Kuninotokotachi, they charged their siblings, Izanagi and Izanami, the gods of day and night, with the task of creating more land from the sea. According to the Ninhongi, Izanagi and Izanami came down from Mount Takamagahara (modern Mount Fuji) linking Earth with Ama, and standing upon Amanohashidate, the floating bridge of heaven, they stirred the ocean with a jeweled spear in order to mystically pull the islands up from the bottom of the sea. It it is not sure when this would have occurred, but it is possible this occurred at the end of the Hyborian age, a theoretical period of time that occurred after the last Ice Age and before the beginning of written records. Izanagi claimed all the islands as his own and built a house on the island of Onokoro from where he ruled all of Japan.
Izanagi and Izanami were the first Emperors of Japan; their descendants ruling Japan until their earthly rules were over and they departed Earth for Ama, the home of the Japanese gods. They had several children together, but his first son, Hiruko, did not please him and he set him adrift in a boat of reeds upon the ocean. Among his favored children were Amaterasu, the sun-goddess, Tsukiyomi the moon-god and Susanowo the storm-god. However, when Kagutsuchi the fire-god was born, Izanami was set afire by his birth and so badly burned that she died and descended to the underworld with their children. Izanagi descended into Yomi, the Japanese underworld, to retrieve them but was repulsed by her decomposed corpse. He fled back to the realm of the living with Amatersasu and her siblings and eventually came to a rest at the mouth of a stream surrounded by orange trees and bushes and clovers near modern-day Hyuga, Japan. With the waters, he washed the taint of death and the underworld from himself and his children and imparted portions of godhood from himself to his children from his eyes and face to make them immortal. However, in the Nihongi, the second book of Shintoism, it was claimed he actually created his children from parts of his body with Amaterasu coming from his left eye, Tsukiyomi from his right eye and Susanowo from his nose.
Susanowo is dominated by two-different personalities. His ara-mi-tama ('wicked soul") drives him to commit acts of destruction and violence, but his nigi-mi-tama ("beneficent scent") renders him a very kind and gentle deity. Izanagi divided portions of the world between them. He gave Amaterasu the sun, Tsukiyomi the moon and gave Susanowo dominion over the sea. Disgruntled and unhappy with his role as god of the sea, Susanowo much preferred to be the god of the dead and preferred to rule Yomi alongside his mother, Izanami, in the underworld. Izanagi exiled him from Ama, but before departing, he decided to say farewell to Amaterasu. Together, they sired several children including the Raiden or gods of thunder. In later myths, it was said they came into being from the melted tip of his spear while their daughters were born from the breath of Amaterasu. However, Susanowo became offended when Uke-mochi, the food-goddess, came to serve him and produced food by expelling it from her mouth. Displeased, he slew the goddess and dropped a dead diseased cow through the roof of the temple of Amaterasu. Amaterasu was so ashamed that she fled to Earth and concealed herself in the Amenoiwato cave near Otsugi, Japan where she barricaded herself within and withdrew all sunlight from Earth. The Amatsukami gathered to try and coax her out, but she did not finally emerge until Omoikane and Usumei used trickery to draw her out and back to heaven.
Excited with his feats, Susanowo lost control and rampaged over the land and destroyed the rice fields belonging to Amaterasu. For his impetuousness, the gods shaved his beard, pulled his nails out and ousted him from heaven. He ended up in Izumo, Japan where he became ancestor of their later rulers. On Earth, he battled the eight-headed dragon, Koshi, and slew him in order to save the life of the rice-goddess, Kushinada, who he took as his wife. Together, they sired Okuninisi, the god of medicine, Ohmagatsumi, god of misfortune, and Isohime, the mermaid-goddess. A
ccording to legend, Susanowo either found kusanagi within Koshi or created the sword from part of his corpse. Also known as the Grasscutter sword, the sword became the most powerful weapon among the gods of Japan and a symbol of great courage. Susanowo eventually presented it to Amaterasu, possibly as a token of forgiveness over his past grievances, but he remained a complicated and bipolar deity given to periods of great evil tempered by periods of great beneficence. Once as he was traveling through Japan during a storm, he came upon the home of a wealthy man named Kotan-Shorai, who failing to recognizing him, refused him shelter. Susanowo forced entry afterward and chopped the inhospitable into pieces and sacrificed him to the gods.Susanowo lived on Earth as ruler of Izumo and was ancestor of the Izumo tribes. He was credited with with planting the forests on the coast of Korea and building the mountains in the province of Kii on the south side of Japan. He was also considered chieftain over the spirits of the dead under Emma-O, the god of the dead. The Ancient Japanese sacrificed to him to rid themselves of disease and pestilence. The ox was considered sacred to him.
Susanowo and the Kami were worshipped as gods far longer than the majority of any other pantheon of gods on Earth, and when he departed Earth, he seemed to be welcomed back into Ama. However, several of the Japanese gods continued to live between Earth and Ama for centuries afterward until around 1000 AD, when an edict by the Third Host of the Celestials forbade the Japanese Gods with trafficking with mortals. Shintoism, the worship of the Japanese gods, continued well into modern times until after World War Two when Japan resolved to separate church and and state, and the current emperor renounced his divinity. During the encounter with the Celestials, either Izanagi or Takamimusubi had met with the rulers of the other pantheons of earth and became a member of the Council of Godheads. As per a pact with Odin, Chieftain of the Asgardian gods, either Izanagi or Amaterasu donated the necessary life-energies to Thor to restore the Gods of Asgard to life after the Fourth Host of the Celestials.
In recent years, Mikaboshi, the god of evil, escaped Yomi and stole the Grasscutter Sword, using it to sever Amenohashidate linking Ama with Earth and then devastating the home of the gods. It is not known what happened to Susanowo during the attack, but several of the Kami were either killed in the attack or fled into hiding. Afterward, Bishamon, the war-god, and Inari, the rice-god, rallied the remaining gods and garnered the support of the Olympian Gods in defeating Mikaboshi. Afterward, Susanowo was either restored to life as a pawn of Mikaboshi or fell under his mental control under other means and helped Mikaboshi spread a war of chaos and confusion over the Earth and the godly realms. Mikaboshi was finally destroyed or exiled from reality by Hercules with the help of several gods and a retinue of Earth's superhuman champions. Afterward, much of Earth was restored to normal and Susanowo regained his mind and will.
Susanowo's later activities are unrevealed.
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 365 lbs.
Eyes: Blue-Green
Hair: Black
Strength Level: Susanowo possesses the conventional strength of a Japanese god of his size, height and built who engages in regular in extensive regular exercises; he has superhuman strength enabling him to lift (press) 85 tons under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Susanowo possesses the conventional physical attributes of the Amatsu-kami or Gods of Japan. Like all Japanese Gods, he is exceptionally long-lived, but he is not immortal like the Olympian gods; he has aged at an extremely slow rate since reaching adulthood and cannot die by any conventional means. He is immune to all Earthly diseases and is resistant to conventional injury. If he were somehow wounded, his godly life force would enable him to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of his bodily molecules to cause him a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of significant power, such as Izanagi, Takamimusubi or Amaterasu, or for a number of Japanese gods of equal power working together to revive him. Susanowo also possesses superhuman strength and his Kami metabolism provides him with far greater than human endurance in all physical activities. (Kami flesh and bone is about twice as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the superhuman strength, speed and weight of the Amatsu-kami.)
Susanowo can also tap into and manipulate the Earth's elemental energies and can conjure storms and tidal waves somewhere on a scale equal to Zeus or Poseidon of the Olympian gods. He has dominion over the sea and can create tidal waves, hurricanes and tsunamis capable of destroying fishing fleets and whole villages. He can animate and control sea water into pillars, torrents and shapes such as thrones and giants hands and faces controlled by his mind. He also has control over the benign elements of the sea, such as being able to influence sea life. He can mentally move seaweed to hold and constrict around his enemies. He is also immune to the sea-crushing depths and can dive underwater for long periods of time without any ill effects.
Abilities: Susanowo is a powerful and capable warrior, swordsman and combatant trained in swordsmanship and Japanese martial arts.
Weapons: Susanowo once wielded kusanagi, better known as the Grasscutter sword. Discovered within the dragon known as Koshi, the sword was enchanted to cleave or slice through any physical or non-physical substance. Susanowo also has access to many weapons of Japanese origin.
Limitations: Due to his dual nature, Susanowo has aspects of a bipolar personality. Under his nigi-mi-tama personality, he is a kind and beneficent god capable of great kindness and generosity, but under to control of his ara-mi-tama personality, he is capable of great evil and violence which only seems to come to end until after his taste for violence has been sated.
It has also been suggested that Susanowo is traditionally more powerful closer to Japan in the land of his worshippers than he is elsewhere on Earth. Although he doesn't lose his godly power away from the North Pacific, he is not nearly as powerful in the North Atlantic or in the Indian Sea.
Comments: This bio describes Susanowo as he had appeared in Marvel Comics; it is unrevealed if he has appeared in DC Comics.
Last updated: 07/30/13