OWAYODATA
Real
Name:
Nayenezghani
Occupation:
God of the Hunt and Protector of the Cheyenne Indians, mentor of Red Wolf
Legal
Status:
Citizen of Shipolo
Identity:
The general populace of Earth is unaware of Owayodata except as a Native
American Spirit. He is well known to the Cheyenne Indians.
Other
Aliases:
Wolf-God, Great Spirit of the Cheyenne, Great Manitou, Sosondowa (Iroquois
name), Hokewingla (Dakota), Pokanghoya (Hopi), Uyuuyewe (Sia), Wakan Tanka,
Place
of Birth:
somewhere in the former Navaho Territory
Marital
Status:
Married
Known
Relatives:
Manabozho
(father), Onatah (mother), Chibiabos,
Wabasso, Coyote
(uncles), Yolkai-Estsan (aunt), Hino,
Hotamintanio
(brothers), Omamama
(sister), Tawa
(half-brother), Pawa
(half-sister), Glendenwitha (wife), Hasteoltoi (daughter), Anpa (sister-in-law),
Wildrun (deceased), Johnny Wakely (deceased), Will Talltrees (possible
descendants)
Group
Affiliation:
The Anasazi
(Native American Gods),
Base
of Operations:
Shipolo and Ka' Kai-Bia near the Cheyenne Reservation in Arizona
First
Appearance:
(name only) Avengers I #80, (actual) Marvel Spotlight #1
History:
Nayenezghani is the son of Manabozho, Great Spirit of the Anasazi, an
extra-dimensional race of beings worshipped as gods by the Native Americans, and
his wife, Onatah, the corn-goddess. As young gods, Nayenezghani and his brother,
Thobadzistshini (later Hotamintanio) were given enchanted weapons to defend the
gods and protect earth from their eternal enemies, notably the Anaye, demonic
entities that threatened mortal man, and the Anamaqkui, maligned spirits from
the underworld. Many of the Anaye over several centuries were destroyed in order
to make the world safe for mortals, but a few apparently continued to exist.
Nayenezghani later became the god of the hunt for many of the Native Americans
who worshipped him under various names. As Sosondowa, he was wooed by Anpa the
dawn-goddess, but instead married her sister, Glendenwitha, the star-goddess,
and took her home to Shipolo, the realm of the Native American gods, to hide
from Anpa's wrath. As the wolf-god, Owayodata, he became the protector of the
Cheyenne Indians and began a custom of making over their greatest warriors in
his image.
According
to tradition, Owayodata had descended to earth several hundred years ago and
empowered a great warrior named Wildrun to become his presence on earth and
serve as an exemplar to all warriors. He often sent him after treats to mortals
or to the lands of the Native Americans. Wildrun became the first Red Wolf
afterward in a long line of successors, and when he died, Owayodata appeared to
carry his spirit or “soul” into heaven. All the following men to carry the
mantle of Red Wolf were suspected to be descendants of Wildrun including Johnny
Wakely in the Nineteenth Century. The most recent Red Wolf is Will Talltrees,
who often arrived at Owayodata’s sacred mound at Ka Kai-Bai, near the Cheyenne
Reservation in Arizona, where Owayodata often appeared in person to Talltrees.
It is not clear whether previous Red Wolf’s also utilized the site, but
whenever Talltrees needed spiritual guidance or suspected Owayodata desired his
presence; he always arrived at the site. At one point, Talltrees moved to
Phoenix and lived as a construction worker named Thomas Thunderhead. He also
fell in love with Jill Tomahawk, and wanted to marry her, trying to shirk his
responsibility as Red Wolf, but Owayodata manifested in order to remind him that
he had devoted himself to a life of sacrifice and peace keeping, and could not
afford the love of a woman or the companionship of friends, and that it was his
destiny to carry his responsibility alone. Regranted his costume and wolf-guide,
Lobo, Talltrees broke up with Jill and departed Phoenix.
Sometime
later, Red Wolf was hovering near death on an operating table after a brutal
fight with the Bengal and took a mental trip to the spirit realm of his
ancestors where he met with Owayodata. Admitting his guilt over some things he
did in Vietnam, Talltrees was informed by Owayodata that his guilt over the past
was why he had been chosen to carry the mantle and that it was his best weapon
in becoming a more righteous warrior. Talltrees afterward came to terms with his
guilt and chose to live.
In
recent years, Owayodata’s fellow gods, Coyote, Hotamintanio, and Calumet of
the Anasazi approached Owayodata to aid them in battle against all Americans,
particularly the descendants of the Europeans who had taken the ancestral lands
of their worshippers, whom they called “white man.” Backed by the spirits of
millions of slain Native Americans, the three gods took Owayodata hostage to
keep him from interfering with their plans, but Red Wolf and Black Crow working
in tandem with Doctor Strange subsequently rescued him. Strange vanquished the
rogue gods from Earth with a spell, but Owayodata continues to watch over Red
Wolf from his native realm.
Height:
6’ 5”
Weight:
475 lbs.
Eyes:
Brown
Hair:
Brown
Unusual
Physical Traits:
On Earth, Owayodata often appears as a man with the head of a wolf, or as a wolf
of extra-ordinary physical size.
Strength
Level:
Owayodata possesses superhuman strength enabling him to lift (press) over 65
tons under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Owayodata possesses the conventional powers of the Anasazi or Native American Gods. Like all Anasazi, he is extremely long lived: he has aged very slowly since reaching adulthood and cannot die by any conventional means. He is immune to all Earthly diseases and is resistant to conventional injury. If he were somehow wounded, his godly life force would enable him to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of his bodily molecules to cause him a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of significant power, such as Manabozho and Wabasso or for a number of Native American gods of equal power working together to revive him. Owayodata also possesses superhuman strength and his godly metabolism provides him with far greater than human endurance in all physical activities. (Anasazi flesh and bone is about three times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the superhuman strength and weight of the Native American gods.)
Owayodata
is physically stronger and more powerful than the typical Native American god,
with the exception of deities such as Hino, Hotamintanio and Manabozho. He has
incredible stamina and can track any prey relentlessly without having tiring. He
has exceptional senses on par with Manabozho and can see
through “the veil of the world,” perceiving stimuli and senses on a level
bordering on clairvoyance. He can use all his senses at once and smell scents
and detect the presence of all living things. Possibly the best tracker among
his race, he can be a relentless pursuer and a formidable hunter.
Owayodata
also seems to be able to tap into and manipulate undefined mystical energies,
enabling him to cross dimensions, augment the powers of his
Weaponry:
Owayodata is proficient with a knife and a bow and arrow.
Limitations:
It is believed that Owayodata in the modern era can only affect Earth through
his champion, Red Wolf.
Comments:
Thanks to Michael Hoskins (Prime Eternal) of the Marvel
Appendix for his help in compiling his MU appearances.
Owayodata's
mythological past is pieced together from Navaho, Iroquois, Dakota and Cheyenne
myths. Since his birth is described in Navaho legends, Nayenezghani may be his
earliest name.
Updated:
02/19/07