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God

The Religious Affiliation of
God
 

Religion: God CBR Scale: D

Name: God

Other Names: The Voice; One Above All; The Creator; Yahweh; Jehovah; Elohim; Allah; The God of the Covenant; King of Kings; Lord of Lords; Heavenly Father; Father in Heaven; Jack Kirby; Stan Lee; Dave Cockrum; Jack

Classification: deity deity   real/historical person real/historical person  

Publisher(s): various

Earliest Appearance Listed in This Database: Old Testament (1402 B.C.): "Genesis"

Earliest Appearance Listed in This Database (Additional Details): (Timely/Marvel) Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939): "The Human Torch"; (DC: as "The Voice", e.g. "The Presence", DC) More Fun Comics #52 (Feb. 1940): "The Spectre"

Super? (Has Super Powers/Special Abilities/Technology): Yes

Number of Appearances: 313

   Comic Book Appearances: 17

   TV, Film Appearances: 295

   Video Game, Computer Game Appearances: 1

Dimension: Heaven

Gender: male

The exact "first appearance" of "God" in a comic book would vary depending on how one defines God, how one defines an "appearance" and exactly what one accepts as constituting a "comic." We have listed God's first appearance in a Marvel comic as being in the very first Marvel/Timely comic ever published: Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939). Does God actually appear in this comic? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But given the miraculous nature of events depicted, God's will and influence are presumably present in this very first Timely/Marvel comic.

In Marvel comics, God has been referred to as "the One Above All" by the Living Tribunal and others. Significant Marvel appearances of God include: Fantastic Four # 511 (2004); Supreme: The Return #5; Howard the Duck #6 (Aug. 2002).

Another particularly significant and poignant appearance of God was in Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 3) #40. In this story, God appears to Spider-Man and helps him realize the significance of his life. God here mentions his Son Jesus and all that his Son suffered.

God has often been identified as "The Presence" in the DC Universe. His servants include: Zauriel (JLA), the Earth-Born Angels (incl. Supergirl, Comet, Blithe), the Spectre, the Word. Heroes drawing from the Presence's power include Seraph, Ramban. In Justice League of America #124 (Nov. 1975), God intervened at Spectre's behest to return the members of the Justice League of America back to life.

Mainstream super-hero comics actually refer directly to God surprisingly often. A small sampling of comics with such references is found below. By this, we mean characters make actual, intentional references to God, the Supreme Being of the universe. These references do NOT include references to deities from various pantheons (such as Thor, Hercules, etc.) or profane utterances (i.e. "Oh my G-d!").

We use the word "sampling" literally. We have made no attempt to catalogue every reference to God in mainstream super-hero comics or Marvel comics or any other subset of sources. We have "sampled" comics and related sources. Our database contains relatively few primary sources which we have extensively indexed with regards to character appearances. Where we have found intentional references to God in these sources (or actual appearances of God Himself), we have added these sources to this listing.

Excerpts

BELOW: Rick Grimes' prayer for strength? After being shot and gravely wounded, Rick Grimes was in coma, lying in a hospital bed for a month. He wakes up to find himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. After nine pages of encountering no living people - only horrific zombies - Rick drops to his knees while whispering "Oh God..." He buries his face in his hands and remains silently on his knees for some time. He then stands back up and seems to have the resolve to carry on. He mounts a bicycle he found and heads to his family home intent on finding his wife and son. "The Walking Dead" comic book series does not use thought balloons or internal first-person narrative captions. Readers are not privy to exactly what is going through Rick's mind while he is on his knees, although he was clearly in despair and clearly found the strength to carry on. It is up to the individual reader to decide if Rick's expression "Oh God..." was the beginning of a prayer, a semi-prayer, or merely a profane utterance. Similarly, it is up to the individual reader to decide if Rick's prayer (or non-prayer) was answered.

Rick Grimes' prayer for strength?

Source: The Walking Dead #1 (Oct. 2003): "Days Gone Bye, Part 1", pg. 11. Written by Robert Kirkman. Art by Tony Moore. See also: prayer; kneeling; God; Rick Grimes


This character is in the following 125 stories which have been indexed by this website:
A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe (1840): "The Morning Breaks; the Shadows Flee"
Amazing Fantasy (vol. 1) #15 (Aug. 1962): "The Bell-Ringer!" (cameo)
The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #599 (Sep. 2009): "American Son: Conclusion" (mentioned)
Ash: The Fire Within #1 (May 1996): "God's Never Been to Brooklyn" (mentioned)
Avengers (vol. 5) #1 (Feb. 2013): "Avengers World" (mentioned)
AVX: VS #1 (June 2012): "The Invincible Iron Man vs. Magneto" (mentioned)
Batman and the Outsiders (vol. 2) #11 (Nov. 2008): "Outsiders No More: Part 1" (mentioned)
Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3 (July 2009): "Last Man Standing" (mentioned)
Battle Pope (vol. 1) #1 (June 2000)
The Candlemaker (1957) (mentioned)
Captain America
Collection of Sacred Hymns
Daredevil
Dark Avengers
The Defenders (vol. 1) #97 (July 1981): "Slouching Toward Bethlehem" (mentioned)
Deseret (1850)
Fantastic Four: What Lies Between (2007) (mentioned)
Genesis
Heroes for Hire (vol. 2) #6 (Mar. 2007): "Guns, Gems, Robots and Terrorists!" (mentioned)
High Flight (18 Aug. 1941)
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #257 (Mar. 1981): "Crypt of Chaos!" (mentioned)
JLA
Joker: Last Laugh #6 (Jan. 2002): "You Only Laugh Twice" (mentioned)
JSA vs. Kobra
Justice
Justice League of America (vol. 2) #26 (Dec. 2008): "The Second Coming, Chapter Five: Spiritus Mundi" (mentioned)
Justice League: Cry for Justice
Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #29 (Sep. 2009): "Fresh Meat" (mentioned)
Mars
Marvel Comics
Marvel Double-Shot #3 (Mar. 2003): "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (mentioned)
Marvel Knights (vol. 1) #1 (July 2000): "The Burrowers" (mentioned)
Marvel Knights 4
Marvel Knights Spider-Man
Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #12 (Apr. 1985): "...Nothing to Fear..." (mentioned)
The Marvels Project #1 (Oct. 2009) (name seen in illustration (or on screen))
Maximum Security #1 (Dec. 2000): "Illegal Aliens" (name seen in illustration (or on screen))
Megaton Man
Millennial Star (vol. 1) #1 (May 1840): "The Morning Breaks; the Shadows Flee"
Moon Knight Saga (Oct. 2009) (mentioned)
More Fun Comics #52 (Feb. 1940): "The Spectre"
The Morning Breaks, the Shadows Flee (1864): "The Morning Breaks; the Shadows Flee"
Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #44 (Oct. 2009): "War of the Marvels, Chapter 3: Weak Points and Strong" (mentioned)
The New Avengers
Old Testament (1402 B.C.): "Genesis"
The Secret Defenders #16 (June 1994): "Strange Changes, Part 2: Resurrection Tango" (mentioned)
The Songs of Zion
Space Oddity (11 July 1969) (mentioned)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) (mentioned)
The Torch
The Ultimates: Against All Enemies (2007) (mentioned)
The Uncanny X-Men
Venom (vol. 2) #1 (May 2011): "Project Rebirth 2.0" (mentioned)
The Walking Dead
X-Factor
X-Force (vol. 3) #21 (Jan. 2010): "Necrosha: Chapter Two" (mentioned)
X-Men
X-Men Forever
X-Men: Divided We Stand
X-Men: Legacy


Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
  - http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/God.html
  - http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026790/
  - http://www.comicvine.com/the-presence/29-56244/
  - http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Presence_(New_Earth)
  - http://www.marvunapp.com/master/goagok.htm
  - https://www.comics.org/issue/556/
  - https://www.comics.org/issue/92517/
  - http://www.marvunapp.com/master/coacol.htm
  - http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/brandtellenmt.htm
  - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presence_(DC_Comics)
  - http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=presence
  - https://www.comics.org/issue/29191/
  - http://www.comicvine.com/comic/justice-league-of-america/2014/15750/&i=47015
  - http://www.aroundcomics.com/?p=515
  - http://marvel.wikia.com/Incredible_Hulk_Vol_1_257
  - http://www.comicvine.com/the-fulcrum/29-60755/
  - https://www.comics.org/issue/39582
  - http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/More_Fun_Comics_Vol_1_52