SKANDA
Real Name:
Skanda
Occupation:
God of war, Patron god of bachelors
Legal Status:
Citizen of Nirvana
Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of the existence of Skanda except as a mythological character.
Other Aliases:
Kartikeya, Karttikeya, Kataragamo Deviyo, Verethragna (Persian name), Murugan, Muruhan, Mangala,
(Tamil names), Subramanya,
Place of Birth:
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives:
Shiva
(father), Parvati
(mother), Ganehsa
(brother), Kali
(sister), Siddhi, Buddhi (sisters-in-law), Ksema, Labha (nephews), Dharma, Padma, Vach, Daksha, Kama (cousins), Lakshmi,
Sarasvati
(aunts), Vishnu,
Brahma (uncles),
Himavat (grandfather), Gaea
(grandmother, alias Ammavaru),
Group Affiliations: The Hindu Gods
Base of Operations:
First Appearance: (historical) "Pantheons of the Megaverse" by C.J. Carella, (recent) Wonder Woman II #149
History: Skanda is the son of Shiva, one of the chieftains of of the extra-dimensional race of beings known as the Daevas or Devas, who were worshipped as gods by the Ancient Hindus. According to myth, Shiva originally had six sons born at one time, but they were so powerful that the other gods were afraid of them. When Parvati, Shiva's wife, left him to care for his sons, Shiva used mystical means to fuse all his infant sons into one body and then immersed him in the sacred waters of the Ganges River to insure his godhood. He then took Skanda atop a mountain for his radiance to be seen by all the other gods. Because of his incredible origin, Skanda was destined to be the god of war prophesized to slay Taraka, a member of the Rakshasas, an eternal enemy of the Hindu gods.
As a youth, Skanda had been raised by six goddesses in the waters of the Ganges. He was carried away by Agni the fire-god, who had taken the form of a bird, in order to encounter Kartikeya, the son of Agni and Ganga, who had been the god of war in the Vedic Pantheon, and engaged in bravado with Kartikeya. Slaying the descendant deity, he took his name and place in the pantheon of the gods. Skanda was also identified with Verethragna of the Persian deities. He became one of the most revered deities of India slaying demons, monsters and enemies of the gods, including Taraka. As a reward for his accomplishments, Shiva awarded him with the position of general over the celestial armies.
Despite his millennia of existence, Skanda retained the youth of a youthful man to insure his enemies would always underestimate him. Skanda and and his brother, Ganehsa, eventually decided to compete for wives, choosing a race around the world to decide who was more worthy to marry. Skanda set off to race around the world, but Ganehsa, however, proved much more the wily god in his brother's absence by circling his father, Shiva, who under Hindu religion represented the epitome of all creation. Skanda bitterly challenged the point of the race, but Ganehsa upheld his choice by reciting scriptures from the Vedas and the Sastra. Shiva had to consent to Ganehsa's argument or otherwise doubt the veracity of the holy tomes. Skanda was infuriated by the decision and vanished toward Kraunca Mountain for self-discovery. Parvati became grief-stricken toward his absence and sent Shiva to take her with him on his visits to his son. In the Hindu religion, Skanda's name became known for bestowing auspicious behavior, conferring the sanctity of celibacy. (Some myths insist Skanda later married the goddess Kumari, but she was actually the wife of Kartikeya, the son of Agni.)
When Alexander the Great invaded the Middle East in his Fourth
Century conquests, the Ancient Hindus confused him as the mortal avatar of
Skanda. In modern years, Skanda joined with the Devas and the Olympian Gods
against Cronus of the Titans leading an army of Titans and Rakshasas against the
Hindu Gods as his foothold into invading Elysium, the Judeo-Christian afterlife.
Although briefly overwhelmed, Skanda rallied with the gods and Wonder Woman, the
chosen champion of the Olympian gods, and defeated Cronus, exiling him into the
underworld.
Height: 4' 8"
Weight: 345 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Strength Level: Skanda possesses superhuman strength enabling him to lift
(press) about 45 tons under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Skanda possesses the conventional physical attributes
of the Devas or Hindu gods. Like all Devas, he is extremely long-lived, but he
is not immortal like the Olympian gods. He has not aged 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 Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma or for a number of
Hindu gods of equal power working together to revive him. Skanda also possesses
superhuman strength and his Deva metabolism provides him with far greater than
human endurance in all physical activities. (Deva flesh and bone is about three
times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the superhuman
strength and weight of the Hindu gods.)
Skanda is physically stronger and more powerful than the
majority of the Hindu gods with the obvious exception of Shiva, Vishnu and
Brahma. He can move with incredible speed and his reflexes and dexterity are all
in the superhuman range that he can overtake any enemy with the sensation of a
hundred warriors reacting at once. He has incredible war-lust in battle and his
savagery is overwhelming. His cosmic life force supplying him endless energy to
make him virtually inexhaustible to the point that once he is overtaken by his
war lust he cannot be stopped until there is nothing more for him to overtake.
He is the most powerful champion among the Hindu gods.
Abilities: Skanda is a powerful warrior trained in all forms of combat
and capable of turning virtually anything into a weapon.
Weapons: Skanda's preferred weapon is the bow and arrow, but he is also
proficient with swords and other weapons.
Pets: Skanda rides upon peacock.
Comments: This bio sums up Skanda's mythological history with his
appearance in the DC Universe. He has not been seen in the Marvel Universe.
Last updated: 04/18/07