Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982):
“A Gathering of Heroes!”
by Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant, John Romita Jr., etc.

Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1

Title: “A Gathering of Heroes!”

Medium: comic

Cover date: June 1982

Publisher:
Written by: Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant
Art by: John Romita Jr., Pablo Marcos

131 characters in this story:

Character (Click links for info about character and his/her religious practice, affiliation, etc.)	Religious Affiliation	Team(s) [Notes]	Pub.	# app.
The Unknown (lead character)	cosmic entity	[embodies death/mortality]		587
The Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast) (lead character)	quasi-cosmic entity w/ personal obsession	Elders of the Universe		71
Spider-Man (Peter Parker)	Protestant	Secret Defenders; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends...  The Avengers; Weapon X (Exiles)		10,664
Captain America (Steve Rogers)	Protestant	Redeemers; Secret Defenders...  The Avengers; The Invaders; The Ultimates; Weapon Plus		5,992
The Hulk (Bruce Banner)	Catholic (lapsed)	Hulkbusters; Pantheon...  Secret Defenders; The Avengers; The Defenders; The Order; The Ultimates; Warbound; Weapon X (Exiles); X-Saviours		4,551
Iron Man (Tony Stark)	futurist; technophile; mostly secular; sometimes prays; Alcoholics Anonymous	Force Works; Illuminati...  The Avengers; The Ultimates; Weapon X (Exiles)		5,673
Thor (Donald Blake)	Norse/Teutonic deity	Asgardian; Cosmic Avengers...  The Avengers; The Ultimates; Thor Corps		4,362
Daredevil (Matt Murdock)	Catholic	Marvel Knights; Weapon X (Exiles)		1,801
The Sub-Mariner (Namor)	Atlantean Greco-Roman classical religion	Atlantean; Dark X-Men...  human; Illuminati; The All-Winners Squad; The Avengers; The Cabal; The Defenders; The Invaders; The Order; X-Men		1,864
Doctor Strange (Dr. Stephen Strange)	occult	Illuminati; Midnight Sons...  Secret Defenders; The Avengers; The Defenders; The Order		1,687
Yellowjacket (Hank Pym)	atheist	Commission on Superhuman Activities; Secret Defenders...  The Avengers; The Defenders; The Liberators		1,543
The Thing (Ben Grimm)	Jewish	Fantastic Five; The Avengers...  The Fantastic Four; The Yancy Street Gang; U.S. Air Force; Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation		5,017
Human Torch (Johnny Storm)	Episcopalian	Fantastic Five; Fantastic Force...  Metro College; The Fantastic Four		4,393
Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)	humanist; portrayed alternatively as explicitly believing in God and as atheist	Fantastic Five; Illuminati...  The Avengers; The Fantastic Four		4,661
Invisible Girl (Susan Storm Richards)	Episcopalian	Lady Liberators; The Avengers...  The Fantastic Four		4,069
Cyclops (Scott Summers)	Protestant; mutant supremacist	Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; Summers Rebellion...  The Twelve; X-Factor; X-Men		8,371
The Beast (Hank McCoy)	Episcopalian; agnostic	Academy of Tomorrow; Brotherhood of Mutants...  The Avengers; The Defenders; X-Club; X-Factor; X-Men		5,233
Iceman (Bobby Drake)	Jewish Catholic	Secret Defenders; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends...  The Champions; The Defenders; The Twelve; X-Factor; X-Men		1,752
Angel (Warren Worthington III)	Episcopalian	Academy of Tomorrow; Horsemen of Apocalypse...  Renegades; Secret Defenders; St. Joe's Preparatory School; The Champions; The Defenders; X-Club; X-Factor; X-Force; X-Men; X-Saviours		1,741
Professor X (Charles Xavier)	religious	Brotherhood of Mutants; Genoshan Excalibur...  Illuminati; The Mutant Underground (founder); The Twelve; X-Men (founder)		4,999
Wolverine (James Howlett / Logan)	raised Protestant; sometimes atheist; has practiced Buddhism; skeptical seeker	Alpha Flight; Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy...  First Flight; Secret Defenders; Team X; The Avengers; The Canadian Army; Weapon Plus; Weapon X; X-Force; X-Men; X-Treme Sanctions Executive		10,615
Storm (Ororo Munroe)	Goddess worship	black; Lady Liberators...  Morlocks (leader); The Fantastic Four; The Twelve; Weapon X (Exiles); X-Men; X-Saviours; X-Treme Sanctions Executive		5,068
Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)	Catholic (raised Gypsy/Roma)	Excalibur; Neyaphem...  X-Men; X-Treme Sanctions Executive		4,345
Colossus (Peter Rasputin)	Communist atheist (former)	Excalibur; The Acolytes...  Weapon X (Exiles); X-Men		4,122
Sprite (Kitty Pryde)	Jewish	Excalibur; S.H.I.E.L.D....  The Exiles; X-Men		3,128
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)	Gypsy/Roma; ethnic half Jewish; sorceress	A-Next; Brotherhood of Mutants...  Force Works; Lady Liberators; Secret Defenders; The Avengers; The Ultimates		1,624
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)	Gypsy/Roma; ethnic half Jewish; sometimes mutant supremacist	Brotherhood of Mutants; The Avengers...  The Ultimates; X-Factor		944
The Wasp (Janet van Dyne)	Dutch Reformed (nominal); atheist	Lady Liberators; The Avengers...  The Ultimates		1,339
Hawkeye (Clint Barton)	Christian (denomination unknown)	Chain Gang; The Avengers...  The Great Lakes Avengers; The Thunderbolts; The Ultimates		1,515
Black Panther (T'Challa)	African primal-indigenous religion; Black Panther Cult (leader)	black; Fantastic Force...  The Avengers; The Fantastic Four		786
Wonder Man (Simon Williams)	religious	Force Works; Galactic Guardians...  Guardians of the Galaxy; The Avengers; Thunder Guard		788
Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)	Russian Orthodox Communist (lapsed)	Lady Liberators; Marvel Knights...  The Avengers; The Champions; The Ultimates		1,789
Falcon (Sam Wilson)	Baptist	black; SHIELD Super-Agents...  The Avengers		531
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)	Christian (medieval)	Excalibur; Heroes for Hire...  The Avengers		430
Vision	synthezoid; Catholic (temporary)	A-Next; Galactic Guardians...  Guardians of the Galaxy; The Avengers; Weapon X (Exiles); Young Avengers		1,393
She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)	Christian (denomination unknown) - nominal	Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg-ampersand-Holliway; Heroes for Hire...  Hulkbusters (S.H.I.E.L.D.); Lady Liberators (leader); S.H.I.E.L.D.; The Avengers; The Fantastic Four; Weapon X (Exiles)		952
Tigra (Greer Grant)	mystically empowered	Cat People; Counter Force...  Lady Liberators; The Avengers		310
Moon Knight (Marc Spector)	Egyptian classical religion (raised Jewish)	CIA; Marvel Knights...  The Avengers; United States Marine Corps		423
Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)	Anglican (nominal); mystical	Excalibur		365
Ant-Man (Scott Lang)	repentant	A-Next; Heroes for Hire...  The Avengers; The Fantastic Four; Thunder Guard		120
Luke Cage	Christian (denomination unknown)	black; Heroes for Hire...  Marvel Knights; The Avengers; The Defenders; The Fantastic Four [formerly owned a bar and theater]		951
Iron Fist (Danny Rand)	Tibetan (K'un L'un) Buddhism	Heroes for Hire; Secret Defenders...  The Avengers		672
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)	Zenn-La religion	Heralds of Galactus; Secret Defenders...  Star Masters; The Defenders; The Order; Zenn-Lavian		826
Havok (Alex Summers)	Catholic (lapsed)	Academy of Tomorrow; Brotherhood of Mutants...  Dark Descendants; Magistrates; Old Landon College; Starjammers; X-Factor; X-Men [Cyclops' brother]		592
Arabian Knight (Abdul Qamar)	Sunni Muslim (Bedouin)	Arab; Desert Sword...  Pantheon		30
Hercules	Greco-Roman classical religion	Heroes for Hire; Olympian...  Renegades; The Avengers; The Champions		1,029
Doc Samson (Dr. Leonard Samson)	Jewish	E.D.I.T. (leader); Initiative		304
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)	Wundagorian Transhumanism (raised); HYDRA (former)	Heroes for Hire; HYDRA...  Lady Liberators; S.H.I.E.L.D.; Secret Defenders; The Avengers		353
Mockingbird (Bobbi Morse)		S.H.I.E.L.D.; The Avengers...  The Great Lakes Avengers [was Hawkeye's wife]		293
Dazzler (Alison Blaire)	singing	Academy of Tomorrow; Excalibur...  X-Men		447
Guardian (James MacDonald Hudson)		Alpha Flight		131
Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen)	Native American shamanism (Sarcee)	Alpha Flight; Native American		187
Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)	Catholic; LGBT; Quebecois separatist terrorist (former)	Academy of Tomorrow; Alpha Flight...  Secret Defenders; X-Men [skier]		284
Aurora (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier)	Catholic nun	Alpha Flight; Weapon X...  X-Men		211
Sasquatch (Dr. Walter Langkowski)	Jewish	Alpha Flight; Omega Flight		327
Snowbird (Narya)	Inuit demi-goddess	Alpha Flight; First Flight		115
Gypsy Moth (Sybil Dvorak)	Hedonist cult (leader); Gypsy/Roma (raised)	Femizons; Initiative: Women Warriors...  Night Shift; The Masters of Evil; The Thunderbolts		35
Paladin		Heroes for Hire; Intruders...  Outlaws; The Thunderbolts; Wild Pack		136
Namorita (Nita Prentiss)	Atlantean Greco-Roman classical religion	Atlantean; Secret Defenders...  The Defenders; The New Warriors		305
Machine Man (Aaron Stack)	N.A.	Heavy Metal; Midnight Wreckers...  Nextwave; Operation: Lightning Storm; The Avengers		174
Multiple Man (Jamie Madrox)	Episcopalian; Buddhist	Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; Fallen Angels...  X-Corporation; X-Corps; X-Factor		257
Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)	Vodoun houngan	black; Heroes for Hire...  The Howling Commandos		110
Polaris (Lorna Dane)	Jewish Catholic	Academy of Tomorrow; Horsemen of Apocalypse...  Starjammers; The Acolytes; The Twelve; X-Factor; X-Men [studied geophysics in college]		464
Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom)	Catholic (former priest)	Shadow Hunters; The Defenders...  The Howling Commandos		207
Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)	Norse/Teutonic paganism (Asgardian)	The Defenders [former Chooser of the Slain]		325
Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond)		Redeemers (Earth-712); Redeemers...  Secret Avengers; Squadron Sinister; Squadron Supreme; The Defenders; The Thunderbolts		361
Hellcat (Patsy Walker)		Lady Liberators; Legion of Unliving...  The Avengers; The Defenders		656
Devil-Slayer (Eric Simon Payne)	Cult of the Harvester of Eyes (former)	The Defenders		44
Moondragon (Heather Douglas)	Titanian priestess	Infinity Watch; The Avengers...  The Defenders [raised by Shao-Lom monks on Titan]		335
Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)	Buddhist (disciple of Vishnu Dass); occult	The Defenders		125
Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon)	Inhuman religion	Illuminati; Inhuman Royal Family...  Inhumans; Inhuman		505
Medusa (Medusalith Boltagon)	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans...  Inhuman; Lady Liberators; The Fantastic Four; The Frightful Four		416
Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin Maximoff)	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans...  Inhuman; The Avengers; The Fantastic Four		531
Gorgon	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans...  Inhuman		317
Karnak	Inhuman religion (priest)	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans...  Inhuman		299
Triton	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans...  Inhuman		278
Lockjaw	N.A.	dog; Inhuman Royal Family...  Inhumans; Pet Avengers [teleporting dog; escort to Inhumans Royal Family]		257
Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder)		[aristocrat; fisherman...]		315
Shanna the She-Devil (Shanna O'Hara Plunder)		[1st app: Shanna, the She-Devil (vol. 1) #1 (Dec. 1972)]		158
Zabu	N.A.	Pet Avengers; saber-toothed cat [sabretooth tiger]		163
Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida)	Shinto	Asian; Big Hero 6...  C-Corps; Horsemen of Apocalypse; Pacific Overlords; The Marauders; The Twelve; X-Corporation; X-Men		259
Sabra (Ruth Bat-Seraph)	Jewish	The Mutant Underground; X-Corporation		59
Doctor Druid (Anthony Ludgate)	Druidism (plus Tibetan Buddhism)	Secret Defenders (leader); Shock Troop (leader)...  The Avengers; The Monster Hunters		151
Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)	atheist	Protectors of the Universe; S.H.I.E.L.D....  SHIELD Super-Agents; Star Masters; The Avengers		317
Jocasta	N.A.	Initiative: Mavericks; The Avengers		142
Stingray (Walter Newell)		Initiative: Point Men (leader); Initiative...  The Avengers; The Defenders		124
Firebird (Bonita Juarez)	Catholic	Hispanic; The Avengers...  The Rangers		84
Hero	Eternals religion	Eternals; The Avengers		51
Jack of Hearts (Jonathan Hart)		The Avengers; The Defenders		144
Captain Universe	cosmic entity	[manifestation of Uni-Power, a portion of the Enigma Force]		77
Werewolf By Night (Jack Russell)		Night Shift; The Howling Commandos		273
The Living Mummy (N'Kantu)	African primal-indigenous religion (Swarili)	Shock Troop; The Howling Commandos		40
Shroud (Maxillian Quincy Coleridge)	Hindu (Cult of Kali)	Night Shift		70
ROM		Spaceknights		98
3-D Man (Chuck and Hal Chandler)		1950s Avengers		19
Torpedo (Brock Jones)		[Stivak's successor]		33
Guardsman (Michael O'Brien)		Guardsmen; Project: Pegasus...  The Avengers (staff)		65
Whizzer (Bob Frank)		Liberty Legion; Penance Council...  The All-Winners Squad; The Avengers; The Invaders; V-Battalion		108
Captain Ultra (Griffin Gogol)		Initiative: Nebraska team; The Defenders		30
Ikaris	Eternals religion	Eternals; New Breed...  Star Masters; Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation		103
Sersi	Eternals religion; Hedonist	Eternals; The Avengers		229
Ajak	Eternals religion; worshipped by Aztecs and Incans	Eternals [servant of Celestials]		31
Makkari	Eternals religion	Eternals; First Line...  The Monster Hunters		111
Thena (Azura)	Eternals religion	Eternals; Heroes for Hire...  New Breed		87
Karkas	Deviant religion; Eternals religion	Deviants; Eternals		9
Night Rider (Carter Slade)		[1st app: The Ghost Rider (vol. 1) #1 (Feb. 1967)]		22
Texas Twister (Drew Daniels)		SHIELD Super-Agents; The Rangers...  Thunderbolts Army		38
Red Wolf (Will Talltrees)	Native American spirituality (Cherokee)	Native American; The Rangers		34
Titanis	Eternals religion	Eternals; Eternal		3
Ransak the Reject (Ransak)	Deviant religion (raised); Eternals religion	Delta Force; Deviants...  Eternals (ally); New Breed		17
Collective Man (Han, Chang, Lin, Sun and Ho Tao-Yu)	Maoist Communist	3-Peace; Asian...  People's Defense Force; The 198		26
Le Peregrine (Alaine Racine)		[ 1st app: Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982) ]		19
American Eagle (Jason Strongbow)	Navajo traditional religion (tribal leader)	Native American		27
Shamrock (Molly Fitzgerald)	Catholic	[ 1st app: Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982) ]		13
Blitzkrieg (Franz Mittelstaedt)		Schutz Heiligruppe		11
Talisman	Australian Aboriginal religion	Aboriginal Australian		7
Defensor (Gabriel Sepulveda)		Hispanic		5
El Aguila (Alejandro Montoya)	Catholic	[ 1st app: Power Man and Iron Fist (vol. 1) #58 (Aug. 1979) ]		16
Red Ghost (Ivan Kragoff)	Marxist Communist	Super-Apes (leader); The Frightful Four		95
Aquarian (Wundarr)	Water Children (leader, prophet)	Dakkamite [Wundarr's origin is a parody of Superman's origin.]		30
Blue Shield (Joe Cartelli)		Project: Pegasus		21
Razorback (Buford Hollis)		[from Arkansas; based at Starstop]		23
Tamara Rahn	alien	Banari		10
Vanguard (Nikolai Krylenko)	Communist	Exiles (Russian); Siberforce...  The People's Protectorate; The Soviet Super-Soldiers; Winter Guard		56
Ursa Major (Mikhail Uriokovitch Ursus)	Communist (former)	Exiles (Russian); Siberforce...  The People's Protectorate; The Soviet Super-Soldiers; Winter Guard		45
Crimson Dynamo (Dimitri Bukharin)	Communist	KGB; The People's Protectorate...  The Soviet Super-Soldiers		36
Darkstar (Laynia Petrovna)	Communist Party member; Christian (denomination unknown)	Exiles (Russian); Republican Guard...  Siberforce; The Champions; The People's Protectorate; The Soviet Super-Soldiers; Winter Guard; X-Corporation		116
Stan Lee (cameo)	Jewish	[principal Marvel Comics creator]		258
The Collector (Taneleer Tivan) (cameo)	quasi-cosmic entity w/ personal obsession	Elders of the Universe		80
Korvac (Michael Korvac) (cameo)		Intimidators (leader); Prime Mover's minions [born 2977 A.D.; would-be universal conqueror]		17
Xaphan (1-panel cameo)  Not officially named, but referred to by later archivist as "Xaphan."	demon/fallen angel	[ 1st app: Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982) ]		1

This story was indexed from secondary sources only. The character list above is not necessarily comprehensive. Webpage for Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982) created 8 December 2009. Last modified 26 December 2013.

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