VIRACOCHA
Real Name:
Con Ticci Viracocha
Occupation:
Chieftain of the Incan Gods, god of sun, sky and rain, tutelary god of Cuzco and
Tiahuanaco
Legal Status:
Citizen of El Dorado
Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of the existence of Viracocha except as a mythological deity.
Other Aliases:
Huiracocha, Pachacamac (Quecha names), Arunaua (Chibcha), Tocapa/ Tuapaca/Tuchpacha (Collao),
Guinechan (Araucanian), Abira (Antioquia), Kanonatu (Waraus), Aiomum Kondi (Arawak),
Imamana-Viracocha, Konira Wirakocha, Tonapa Viracocha Nipacachan, Ilya-Tiqsi
Wiraquia Pacayacaciq (Spanish)
Place of Birth:
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives:
Bochica (possible father), Chia (possible mother), Chibchacum (uncle), Coniraya
(brother), Zaramama (sister) Cocamama (sister/wife), Inti
, Tupan,
Caruincho
(sons), Quilla, Chasca, Cuycha, Bachue (daughters), Sajama (son by Illimani),
Jurupari, Jacy, Thunapu (nephews), Peruda (niece), Vichama, Ekkeko (grandsons),
Huitaca (Grand-daughter), Manco Capac (grandson, deceased), Tecumotzin
(grandfather, possibly deceased), Gaea (grandmother, alias Pachamama)
Group Affiliations: The Incan Gods, The Council Elite
Base of Operations:
El Dorado, formerly Tiahuanaco (now modern Cochamarca, Bolivia)
First Appearance: Thor I #300
History: Viracocha is a member of a race of extra-dimensional beings who were worshipped as gods by the Ancient Incan Empire. The name of their race is unrevealed, but recently they have been dubbed as "el Doradans" based on the mistaken belief of the Spanish conquistadors who came to South America looking for a mystical city of gold known as "el Dorado." In actuality, "el Dorado" refers to a man of gold, the remains of a fallen warrior sent to the afterlife covered in gold and sent adrift on a raft upon a lake. According to the Incans, the realm of their gods was reached through mystical portals in bodies of water on Earth and through underground lakes and rivers.
Not much is known about Viracocha's origins. According to some accounts, he is the son of the sun-god Inti, who is later identified as his own son and the progenitor of the semi-divine kings of the later Incan Empire. Inti, however, is often confused with the much older Quecha sun-god Bochica whose worship predates both Viracocha and Inti. Presumably, the older deity is the parent of the later Incan gods, and Inti later took over the older god's worshippers. By most accounts, Viracocha once lived on Earth as a mortal ruler. According to ancient myths, he created a race of giants from the rocks of the earth, but they became unruly and he used a flood to remove them from the earth. He then set out to create mankind from the clay of the earth, but he sent another flood to save them from fire sent to Earth by Chibchacum, the god of the underworld. From among the mortals to survive was Pariacaca, who rode out the flood from atop Mount Condorcoto; his ancestors becoming progenitors of the later tribes of South America. Whether these stories are based on any true accounts or if they have been distorted from actual events is unrevealed.
Viracocha founded the city of Tiahuanaco in what later became modern Bolivia and took Cocamama, the fertility-goddess, as his wife. She gave birth to several children, such as Inti the sun god, Quilla the moon-goddess, and Tupan, the thunder-god. He also sired Sajama by the daughter of a foreign mountain-god. His children emerged on Earth from Lake Titicaca and became worshipped as gods on Earth. Viracocha also arbitrated over Coniraya for his rape of the goddess Chasca, sending him into exile for a time but later welcoming him back into his presence.
For unknown reasons, Viracocha eventually decided to depart for earth to leave his rule over Earth to his mortal descendants. His son, Inti, became father of Manco Capac, founder of the Incan Empire which quickly rose into prominence by conquering and assimilating all the neighboring tribes and their deities into a single pantheon of gods. Worship of Viracocha was merged with several deities, such as Aiomum Kondi, who was either a foreign god or a mortal ruler descended from the gods. A wise shaman named Thunapu, possibly the son of Chasca from the rape of Coniraya, however, traveled the Earth turning the Incas from their gods for one true God. Benevolent in intent and possessed of mystical power, Thunapu had the power to work miracles and cure the sick, but he was mortal and slain by an angry ruler displeased by his powers.
Eventually, the Incan Empire was overthrown by the invading Spanish armies lead by explorers called Conquistadors looking for gold. The Spanish invaders also overthrew the Incas from power and seized their lands. Viracocha and the other Incan gods, however, were forbidden to interfere to protect their worshippers. Several years earlier, Viracocha had been approached by Odin, Ruler of the Asgardian gods to form an alliance of gods known as the Council Elite to discuss the threat of the Third Host of the Celestials. The Celestials had been responsible in guiding the development of humanity and threatened to seal off the portals of all the godly realms to Earth unless the gods made a pact to stop trafficking with mortal affairs. As a result of this pledge, the Incan gods had to lessen their ties with Earth. Viracocha also made a vow with Odin to donate a portion of the life energies required to revive the Asgardians slain during the Fourth Host of the Celestials. When Thor came to El Dorado for the required life energies, Viracocha took on his elderly mortal guise to meet him and donate the required life energies. In donating these energies, Thor realized that Viracocha had lived up to his promise and formed an alliance between all the gods of Earth.
Some years later, the Council met again to debate the threat Thanos posed with the Eternity Gauntlet. Viracocha does not appear for this gathering. Whether he was represented by proxy or was unable to appear is unrevealed.
Despite the decline of the Incan Empire, the Incan gods do not have as nearly many worshippers today as they had in ancient times. Several modern South American tribes still honor the ancient Incan rites of their ancestors, merging them with attributes of modern Roman Catholicism, among them, the Kamekeri tribe of Costa Verde. In recent years, Kulan Gath took captive the Kamekeri goddess, Peliali, and petitioned the former Incan gods in order to try and gain godhood for himself. Viracocha, meanwhile, ignored his demands and Kulan Gath was defeated by the Avengers before being seized by the dark entities which he himself worshipped.
Viracocha's later activities have not yet been revealed.
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black
Strength Level: Viracocha possesses superhuman strength to an unknown
amount. Potentially, he could be stronger than the typical Incan god. A typical
Incan god has superhuman strength enabling him to lift
(press) 30 tons under optimal conditions.
Known Superhuman Powers: Viracocha possesses the conventional physical attributes
of the Doradans or Incan gods. Like all Doradans, he is extremely long-lived,
but he is not immortal like the gods of Olympus. He ages at a much more slower
rate than normal human beings 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 Bochica and Coniraya or for a number of
Doradan gods of equal power working together to revive him. Viracocha also possesses
superhuman strength and his Doradan metabolism provides him with far greater than
human endurance in all physical activities. (Doradan flesh and bone is about three
times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the Doradan's superhuman
strength and weight.)
Viracocha also has significant ability to tap into and
manipulate mystical and elemental energies to perform feats of magic. He can
control the weather to create rainstorms to create floods and disperse them at
will. He can animate ordinary substances such as clay and rock to create
sentient humanoid creatures independent of his will. He can change his form at will
and traverse extra-dimensional boundaries, such as from Earth to el Dorado. His
full range of abilities is unrevealed, but he could be equal to gods like Zeus
or Odin in
power.
Base of Operations: Viracocha presides in the other-dimensional realm of
Hanan Pacha ("higher earth"), later called el Dorado, a small "pocket" dimension adjacent to Earth; an interdimensional
nexus between Hanan Pacha and Earth exists concealed behind a waterfall near Lake
Parima (modern Lake Igague) near Tunja in modern Colombia. Hanan Pacha resembles a large planetary asteroid mass with its own atmosphere and seasonal
cycles. It is linked to Earth (Hurin Pacha or "middle land") through a
celestial bridge named Tequendama and connected to the underworld of Ucu Pacha
("lower land") or Paititi, set aside for the spirits of their
worshippers. Ucu Pacha is also reached from earth by the Mani-mani River which
flows into it. The Incan gods refer to Earth as Manoa in much the same way
the Asgardians refer to Earth as "Midgard."
Comments: This bio pretty much describes Viracocha in the Marvel Universe. He has yet to appear in DC Comics.
Clarifications: Viracocha is not to be
confused with:
Last updated: 02/24/08