#ComicBytes: These Marvel characters were inspired by Hindu Gods
Marvel has one of the most expansive universes in comic history. It is infested by heroes, villains, alien races, and several Gods. These Gods are often based on mythology, like Thor has been borrowed from Norse mythology. Considering how rich Hindu mythology is, it is unsurprising that Marvel made characters inspired by Hindu Gods. Read about them here.
A race to worship and respect
In the Marvel Universe, the Hindu Gods belong to a race of beings called the Daevas. They live in Nirvana and besides immortality, have a host of superhuman powers like speed, strength, reflexes, regenerative abilities, and mystical energies or magical powers.
Skanda: The God who allied with the mutants
Skanda is another name for Kartikeya. The God appears in Marvel as an ally of the X-Men, especially Hank McCoy or the Beast. He has the power of flight, extreme strength, speed, durability, and resistance to most injuries and poison. The God has appeared across several issues of the Marvel comics and happens to harbor a deep grudge against Doctor Doom.
Indra: Our very own God of War
In the Marvel comics, Indra's origin is slightly murky but Marvel presents him as the most powerful warrior God in the Hindu pantheon. Notably, when Indra first met Thor, he lost the epic battle to the Norse God of thunder. Nonetheless, Indra commands immense respect among Marvel Gods, and he has even appeared in issues like Chaos War.
Shiva: The Indian God of thunder
Shiva is one of the three Gods, who lead the pantheon. Shiva tangled with Thor, when the latter tried to convince Hindu Gods to give up some of their essences to rebuild a destroyed Asgard. Shiva refused and lost the ensuing battle. However, the backlash from Hindu readers convinced Marvel to change the defeated character to Indra, who was disguised as Shiva.
Brahma: The untested God in Marvel
The Hindu God of Knowledge, Brahma, is also one of the three chieftains of the Hindu pantheon. Although he has not made many appearances in the comics, he is simply too powerful to be a mere supporting character. Endowed with both brains and brawn, Brahma is a chief figure of the Daevas race, and his physiology makes him more powerful than ordinary Gods.
Vishnu: Time to meet the strongest Marvel Hindu God
The leader of the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu also has a seat at the Council of Godheads. The Hindu God confers with the Norse and Greek Gods, Odin, and Zeus. Marvel comics show Lord Vishnu ruling all of Vaikunth, and along with other Gods, Vishnu battled the Celestial Host to try and stop it before it managed to destroy the whole planet.
