SHUMA-GORATH
Created By: Robert E. Howard (name), Steve Englehart & Frank Brunner
First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #5 (Nov. 1972)
Role: Elder Evil, Why The Frick Is He In A Video Game?
PL 18 (516), PL 19 (516) Within His Dimension
STRENGTH 17
STAMINA 18
AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 10
DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 7
AWARENESS 6
PRESENCE 5
Skills:
Deception 12 (+17)
Expertise (Dimensions & Space) 14 (+21)
Expertise (Magic) 14 (+21)
Insight 6 (+12)
Intimidation 13 (+18)
Perception 8 (+14)
Persuasion 7 (+12)
Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 8 (Ambidextrous, Dimensional Hell-Lord), Daze (Intimidation), Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Persuasion), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Magic) 4, Improved Hold, Last Stand, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 10, Ritualist, Startle, Well-Informed, Withstand Damage
Powers:
"Immortal Entity"
Regeneration 8 (Feats: Regrow Limbs) [9]
Immunity 12 (Aging, Life Support, Sleep) [12]
Immortality 1 (1 month) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]
Power-Lifting 6 (100,000 tons) [6]
Impervious Toughness 15 [15]
Flight 10 (2,000 mph) [20]
Senses 6 (Detect Magic- Ranged, Acute, Analytical, Counters Illusion) [6]
"Master of Tongues" Comprehend 4 (Languages 4) [8]
"Demonic Shapeshifter" Morph 4 (Any Form) (Extras: Metamorph) [24]
"Anime Heroine's Worst Nightmare- Many Tentacles" Extra Limbs 10 [10]
"Extra Power Within His Dimension" Damage +2 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (Flaws: Limited to Within His Dimension) [8]
Note: Every power in the Magic Array is boosted this way (by 1-2 ranks).
"Variable Size"
Growth 12 (Str & Sta +12, +12 Mass, +6 Intimidation, -6 Dodge/Parry, +1 Speed, -12 Stealth) -- (48 feet) [24]
Features 5: Increased Mass 5 [5]
Elongation 2 [2]
"Elder God Might"
"Magic Stream" Damage 18 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Line +4) (93) -- [113]
- Dynamic AE: "Magic Burst" Damage 18 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic) (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4) (93)
- Dynamic AE: "Magic Wave" Damage 18 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic) (Extras: Area- 500ft. Cone +4) (93)
- Dynamic AE: "Magic Blast" Blast 22 (Feats: Dynamic, Variable 2- Any Magic, Extended Range 2, Indirect, Penetrating 14) (43)
- Dynamic AE: Force Field 2 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Affects Others 12, Impervious 6) (21)
- Dynamic AE: Mind-Reading 16 (Feats: Dynamic) (Extras: Effortless) Linked to Communication 5 (Mental) (Feats: Dimensional) (Extras: Area) (75)
- Dynamic AE: Illusion 14 (Feats: Dynamic) (All Senses) (71)
- Dynamic AE: Insubstantial 4 (Feats: Subtle 2) (22)
- AE: "Capable of Nearly Any Effect" Variable (Magical) 12 (84)
- AE: Remote Sensing 24 (Visual, Hearing) (64,000 miles) (Feats: Dimensional, Subtle) (74)
- AE: Movement 6 (Dimensional Travel 3, Time Travel 3) (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Attack) (23)
- AE: Teleport 15 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Extended, Accurate) (65)
- AE: Healing 12 (Extras: Ranged, Resurrection) (36)
- AE: "Alter Thoughts & Memories" Affliction 16 (Will; Dazed/Compelled/Transformed Thoughts) (Extras: Perception Range +2, Cumulative) (64)
- AE: Mind Control 16 (64)
- AE: "Group Mind Control" Mind Control 12 (Extras: Area- 60ft. Burst +2) (Flaws: Touch Range -2) (48)
- AE: Move Object 16 (Extras: Perception Range) (48)
- AE: "Molecular Transformation" Transform 12 (Anything to Anything) (Extras: Continuous) (60)
- AE: "Teleport Others" Teleport 15 (Feats: Increased Mass 5) (Extras: Attack, Perception Ranged +2) (80)
- AE: "Create Temptation" Create 15 (Feats: Innate, Precise) (Extras: Movable) (47)
- AE: Nullify Magical Effects 15 (Extras: Broad, Simultaneous, Perception Range) (75)
- AE: "Drain Magical Energy" Affliction 16 (Will; Impaired/Disabled/Transformed to Powerless) (Extras: Perception Ranged +2) (Flaws: Limited to Magical Beings) (32)
Summon Demons 5 (Extras: Horde, 8 Minions +6, Active, Variable- Demons) [55]
Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+17 Damage, DC 32)
Magic Attacks +18 Area (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Blast +12 (+22 Ranged Damage, DC 37)
Blast Within His Dimension +12 (+24 Ranged Damage, DC 39)
Area Attacks Within Hell +18 (+18 Damage, DC 33)
Initiative +3
Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +18 (+20 Force Field, +8 Impervious), Fortitude +18, Will +16
Complications:
Motivation (Power)
Enemy (Doctor Strange)
Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 74--37 / Advantages: 36 / Powers: 329 / Defenses: 32 (516)
-Shuma-Gorath is by FAR most well-known for his out-of-nowhere appearance in
Marvel Superheroes, the Capcom fighting game. This inclusion is probably the most bizarre single thing about any of those games- you could at least argue that the various X-Characters were famous enough, but this is a villain with less than two-dozen appearances in 30 years of existence, and he was chosen for a video game over Ultron, Kang, Mephisto, Red Skull, Dr. Octopus, Norman Osborn or ANY other villain they could've used in this role. I still don't get it, other than they wanted a token weird guy for the game. He's basically an Elder Evil Dr. Strange villain (you know, like pretty much ALL Dr. Strange villains), which makes it even weirder, because Strange was nowhere close to the
Marvel fighting games (then again, nor were Blackheart's key rivals Ghost Rider & Daredevil).
-During Earth's pre-history, Shuma-Gorath ruled the world, demanding human sacrifice until he was banished by the human sorcerer Sise-Neg. He is imprisoned by the god Crom during the Hyborian Age, and finally manifests in the mainstream Marvel time to combat Doctor Strange. It was Shuma-Gorath who was responsible for the death of the Ancient One, as Strange was forced to kill his own mentor when the Demon attempted to manifest within the Ancient One's own mind. He shows up on many other occasions, generally as some kind of "Elder Evil", taking part in the usual stories, and banished in the usual ways. He has appeared a few times in recent years, at one point being banished by Al Ewing's "Luke Cage Avengers" squad.
-Shuma-Gorath is also one of the Many-Angled Ones, a race of beings like himself- many limbs, eyes and mouths everywhere, etc. They came from The Fault- a "Cancerverse" Alternate Universe where Death held no power and everything grew out of control. Personally I felt this was around the time Abnett & Lanning had run out of cool ideas in the Cosmic scene, and it doesn't surprise me that the books died out right near the end of that arc. It was just kind of a messy, boring storyline by that point.
-Shuma-Gorath is yet another Elder Evil, which basically means he ends up with Mephisto/Elder God stats. There's no real evidence for how powerful he is, as he claims that Mephisto & Satannish are way below him, yet neither of THOSE guys ever got solo-killed by Dr. Strange. The "Many-Angled Ones" are like lesser Shumas, packing PL 8 (jobbers) to PL 15-ish stats, with some potentially being even stronger. Their powers, intellects, etc. can be all over the place (they were shown jobbing to multiple Cosmic Beings like Galactus and The Celestials, though at least one was taken out after a constant assault), so an entire army of them is nasty.