MIKABOSHI

MIKABOSHI

Real Name: Amatsu-Mikaboshi ("August Star of Heaven")

Occupation: God of evil

Legal Status: Non-Entity

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Mikaboshi except as a mythological character.

Other Aliases: Ama-no-kagaseo ("Brilliant Male”), Myoken-Bodhisattva (Buddhist name),

Place of Birth: Inapplicable

Known Relatives: None

Group Affiliation: Leader of the Oni (undead spirits) and Ama-no-Jaku-Tengu (demons of Yomi)

Base of Operations: Yomi (The Japanese Underworld)

First Appearance: (behind the scenes) Thor: Blood Oath #5, (actual) Ares #1

History: Mikaboshi is the god of evil against the Kami, a race of extra-dimensional beings who were worshipped as gods by the ancient Japanese. His origins are unknown, but he is believed to belong to an order of demons that originated several millions of years ago. In the primal history of Earth, a number of Elder Gods had coalesced into existence out of the Earth’s biosphere known as the Demiurge, but these beings ended up degenerating into demons and were eradicated by Atum, the son of Gaea, the only one of the Elder Gods allowed to exist. Although Atum had destroyed the Elder Gods, a residue of energy left on earth gave rise to a new order of demonic entities among which only a few of them is known. Only a few of these demons have been identified, such as Mephisto, Satannish, Surtur, Tartarus and quite possibly Mikaboshi. Mikaboshi has constantly been at odds against the Kami, who became gods for the mortals in the land that would be modern Japan. Under the Shinto Religion, Mikaboshi was considered the antithesis to the positive forces of life. Japanese onmyoji (mystics) attempted to establish a cult to Mikaboshi in the Nineteenth Century in an attempt to direct her power of destruction against one's enemies. Queen Hitoka of Yamato was one of the last known Mikaboshi worshippers until turning to more diplomatic measures with China. Mikaboshi later returned during World War Two in the form of the red sun insignia on the Imperial flag.

For untold millennia, Mikaboshi has fought to possess the enchanted Grasscutter sword, a sacred weapon of the Kami, and sent hordes of evil spirits and demons to try and conquer it for her. The power of the sword was known to even the Olympian and Asgardian gods of the west who considered it equal to Mjolnir among the Asgardian gods. Thor, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg of the Asgardian gods sought Grasscutter in order to placate the Giants of Jotunheim and fought their way around Mikaboshi's armies of the undead in order to take Grasscutter and depart Ama, the home of the Japanese Gods with it.

Mikaboshi became incensed that the Grasscutter sword could be taken so easy from him and sought revenge against the gods of the west. Following the apparent deaths of the Asgardians after Ragnarok, Mikaboshi became bolder and decided to launch an assault upon Olympus using Alexander Aaron, the mortal son of the war-god Ares. Zeus, the King of the Olympian Gods, raised up an army of mighty warriors from the afterlife such as Achilles to combat Mikaboshi, but when Mikaboshi faced Achilles in battle, he delivered a vicious scar to his face that would not heal. Assuming the form of a female, Mikaboshi then began to twist Alexander's feelings for his father, using drugs to help convince Alexander to hate his father and become a god of war himself, forging a suit of armor to help him lay siege of Olympus. Assuming Alexander's form, Mikaboshi tricked Zeus into lowering his guard, and drove his hands through Zeus' chest in order to try and kill him, but Zeus survived the wound, but Mikaboshi continued Alexander's training, and gave him the Grasscutter sword to wield against Ares.

Even as Mikaboshi faced the armies of Olympus, Zeus used his magic to undo Mikaboshi's spell over Alexander. As the Japanese Gods arrived to help the Olympians, Alexander used the Grasscutter sword to slice Mikaboshi in half and Poseidon sent a flood to overwhelm his armies and wash them away from Olympus.

Whether Mikaboshi has truly been destroyed is unrevealed.

Height: Variable

Weight: Indeterminate

Eyes: Black

Hair: Black

Strength Level: Unrevealed, Mikaboshi possesses superhuman strength, but to an unknown degree.

Known Superhuman Powers: Mikaboshi possesses vast supernatural power, which is apparently inherent within him. He can use this magical energy for a variety of effects, among which are his ability to alter his form and shape; he also often taken on a female form to appear harmless. He is otherwise almost always represented as a being of black, shadowy energy with a mask for a face. He can reshape his limbs into razor-sharp blades, and assume the form of a fire-breathing serpent. He also often employs powers of levitation, teleportation, the projection of mystical energy as force blasts, invisibility, matter manipulation, image projection and the creation of interdimensional nexus points among other feats. His power is of such extent that he can control numerous minor demons and manipulate animate the corpses of the deceased en masse at will.

As a demonic entity, Mikaboshi also has several powers enabling him to capture and detain the astral bodies (sheaths of the soul) of recently deceased human beings. Mikaboshi does not have jurisdiction over all of humanity's deceased. It is not yet known what the prerequisite conditions are for him to manipulate a human soul, nor are the precise means by which he accomplishes the feat known. Apparently these conditions require that the human being in question willingly submit to Mikaboshi's will. It is not yet known how a human being may free himself from bondage to Mikaboshi. Nor is it revealed whether or not Mikaboshi "feeds" on the psychic energies as other demons do. 

As a demon, Mephisto is functionally immortal to some extent and beyond such human needs as food, air and sleep. His body seems to be composed of some sort of supernatural substance more durable and resilient that human flesh and tissue and malleable enough to be contorted and twisted into various shapes and forms.

 Among the demons of various extra-dimensional netherworlds adjacent to earth, Mikaboshi has few rivals in terms of personal power and scope of influence. Only Mephisto, Ahriman, Thog and Satannish come close.

Comments: In the Marvel Universe, Mikaboshi could be the same entity as Mephisto, or any one of several "Satan" figures that have appeared so far.

Thanks to Michael Hoskins (Prime Eternal) for his help in detailing Mikaboshi’s Marvel appearances.