5 superheroes of Indian origin in Marvel Universe
We all love superheroes as they represent the best in us, and we take immense pride in our favorite caped crusaders. But we Indians take pride in our origins, too, and to see our identity represented by superheroes feels incredible. While the comic world is filled with superheroes, they are mostly white. However, here are five Marvel superheroes of Indian origin.
Dinesh Deol aka Grid
Dinesh Deol already had every Indian's favorite job as an engineer. However, when affected by the Terrigen Mist Cloud from the Terrigen Bomb, he gained the powers of seeing and psionically controlling the electromagnetic spectrum, thanks to his Inhuman heritage. With a superhero name Grid, this Mumbai boy can also interact with computers, act as an energy conduit, and emit electromagnetic blasts.
Pavitr Prabhakar aka Spider-Man
The Spider-Man: India series ran for four issues and started in India before going global. It imagines Spider-Man in an Indian setting. Pavitr Prabhakar is the desi Peter Parker, a poor village boy who moves to Mumbai to study on a half scholarship. The comics explore how a yogi gave him the powers of a spider. Pavitr's Spider-Man reappears in the mainstream Spider-Verse comics.
Raz Malhotra aka Giant-Man
Raz Malhotra was born to Indian parents in Denver, Colorado. His work on artificial intelligence drew the attention of the Ant-Man villain, Egghead, who wanted his knowledge to make villainous AI copies of Avengers. Scott Lang and Hank Pym saved Raz from this encounter, and Lang gave Raz a Giant-Man suit, thus starting his career as a superhero who later worked with the Ultimates.
Shakti Haddad aka Cerebra
Indians really are smart people going by these comic characters. Shakti Haddad, or Cerebra, fled India after disagreeing with her father's malevolent genetic experiments. She then helped establish the new version of the X-Men. The gifted mutant can detect and sense mutants if they are nearby through telepathy. Her control over minds allows her to manipulate nervous systems as well, paralyzing or stunning people.
Paras Gavaskar aka Indra
Born to wealthy parents in Panchajana, outside Mumbai, Paras Gavaskar was taught Jain Dharma and not to harm living beings. Once his mutant powers manifested, he joined the Xavier Institute under the codename Indra. Initially, his powers included an extremely durable exoskeleton, but once he lost them temporarily, he developed psionic powers. He gained Hindu-styled levitating weapons and armor like knives, swords, and axes.
