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For months, Marvel has been teasing the arrival of its most powerful god of all time, with Thor warning Storm about an impending “Thunder War” between the publisher’s elemental deities. Now, the First Thunder God has finally arrived, and fans get to see the deity that has everyone from Thor to Eternity freaking out like never before. And it’s not just what this Thunder God supreme looks like – it’s who he just took down.
In Storm #9 (from Murewa Ayodele, Lucas Werneck, Alex Guimarães and Travis Lanham), months of teasing pay off as the First Thunder God is revealed in all his glory. Hadad appears wearing gold and azure armor, eyes and hands glowing with cosmic storm power. Completing the look is Hadad’s throne, which is made out of the broken body of Oblivion – one of the strongest beings in Marvel lore, above even the gods… at least until Hadad came along.
Over the last few months, Storm has been embroiled in the dark return of the first thunder god, Hadad, fighting against the efforts of other rogue storm gods who want to end his exile outside reality. Storm has become the herald of Eternity (the embodiment of Marvel’s reality), vastly increasing her power to fight against Hadad’s godly followers. Now, the god himself has officially arrived.
Previously in Marvel lore, ‘Hadad’ was an alternate name of the demonic god Ba’al, however Storm’s enemy appears to be a new character.
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His First Move Was Taking Down a Galactus-Class Cosmic Being
In Marvel lore there are multiple kinds of gods, but three are of most note. First, there are the Elder-Gods – the first beings on Earth who embodied primordial concepts and were later wiped out by Atum. Second, there are the Universal Abstracts – the eight cosmic beings who define the structure of the cosmos. Last – and supposedly least – are the regular gods, tied to the mythology of individual cultures. However, Storm has flipped the script, revealing that a billion years ago, the first ‘regular’ storm god rose up and defeated the Cosmic Abstracts. Now, he’s back.
Beating Oblivion is a near-impossible task that, until now, only the One Above All could have comfortably accomplished.
Hadad somehow became powerful enough that he transcended his station, beating cosmic abstracts like Eternity, Death and the Phoenix Force, and turning them into his armor and weaponry. Hadad was only defeated when the One Above All descended from the multiversal ether and banished him outside reality. However, Hadad hasn’t wasted his time in exile. Outside time and space, Hadad has created a host of ‘Rot Storms’ – forces of cosmic decay that are capable of destroying even Galactus.
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The Rules of Godhood Just Changed
Hadad Has Done the Impossible, And He’s Only Just Started
While Hadad has been a mysterious figure until now, it’s clear why even his fellow storm gods worship him, as beating Oblivion is a near-impossible task that, until now, only the One Above All could have comfortably accomplished. Oblivion is the embodiment of chaos, entropy and decay, and the opposite force to Eternity. While Eternity has powered-up Storm to take on Hadad, even this beyond-godlike upgrade doesn’t seem like it will be enough, as Hadad not only defeats Oblivion but adds the cosmic entity to his arsenal. In his prior attack on the cosmis abstracts, Thor revealed:
He grew so mighty that he wove Eternity as his cloak and forged Death into his war club. The Phoenix Force was his armor, and Infinity was his shield.
Marvel’s godly landscape has been shaken up in recent months, as Immortal Thor has followed the return of several evil Elder-Gods to Earth. However, even their power is dwarfed by Hadad, who has confronted the seemingly unbeatable forces of creation and turned them into his weapons and armor. Even Hadad’s followers (Chaac, Shango, Susanoo and Mamaragan) are literal gods, so the villain’s return is huge news.
The balance of power is always shifting in Marvel lore, but Hadad’s arrival is so huge because it seemingly breaks the barriers between the types of cosmic being in Marvel lore, confirming that a lowly god can rise up against the abstracts who define existence through their very being. For any fan of epic superhuman battles, Hadad’s arrival couldn’t be more exciting, redefining how powerful gods can become in Marvel lore, and challenging Storm and Thor like never before.
Storm #9 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Associated with the mythical realm of Asgard, Thor is a Marvel Comics hero who channels the power of thunder to slay their foes. Though the name is chiefly tied to Thor Odinson, several other characters also take on the role of God of Thunder, including Odinson’s love interest, Jane Foster. Odin is portrayed as a physically imposing hero with incredible strength and typically wields the dwarven forged hammer, Mjolnir.
“}]] Thor is terrified as Marvel’s mega-god returns. Read More