10 Comic Characters Influenced By Mythology

Comics based on folklore and mythology are perhaps the most interesting, because they add a layer of complexity to the comic world and characters. Here is a list of our favourite 10 comic characters influenced by mythology.

Lucifer Morningstar

This DC comic character who first appeared in The Sandman borrows heavily from Biblical mythology. Lucifer is an adaptation of the Biblical fallen angel. Even though he majorly appears as a supporting character in ‘The Sandman’, he is essentially one of the most powerful characters in the pantheon. He became so popular that DC published a spin off of ‘The Sandman’, in which he was the protagonist.

Wonder Woman

This is another DC comic, which takes inspiration from Greek mythology. The main character is Wonder Woman, a beautiful Amazonian princess with warrior like abilities. She is the daughter of Queen Hippolyta, and her father is the mighty Greek God Zeus. She is the mightiest of all Olympian Gods, and a power to reckon with. Several movies and TV shows have her as the lead, including the movie of the same name starring Gal Gadot.

Yu-Gi-Ho

This Japanese manga tells the story of a young boy called Yugi who becomes possessed by an Egyptian spirit that helps him decode puzzles. The spirit belongs to a Pharoah who loses his memory, and Yugi and his companions set out to restore the memory of this Pharoah.

18 Days

This comic is based on the 18 days of the Great War, or Mahabharata, of Indian lore. This is an epic saga of love and war which transcends ages and beckons the Age of Man, thwarting the Age of God, as per the Hindu wheel of time.

Deadman

A character who made his first appearance in the Strange Adventures comic of DC, Deadman is a combination of Greek and Indian mythology. Not only is he an Olympian who is murdered while performing as a trapeze, but also he is awarded the power to possess people by Rama Kushna, a reimagination of the Indian deity Ram. The comic also borrows from Hindu mythology the concept of Karma, wherein Deadpan possesses evil people and makes them do good things.

Ravanayan

This is an Indian comic featuring the character Ravan, the antagonist of the Indian epic Ramayan. In the comics, he is shown as the generous ruler of the prosperous kingdom of Lanka, instead of a womanizer. It also showcases his perspective on the chain of events that led to his abduction of Lord Ram’s wife Sita.

Loki

Loki, like Thor, Odin and some other characters, derives his superhuman identity from the Norse pantheon. In the pantheon, he is a god of mischief who wreaks havoc in the life of others. He first appears in the comic Thor, featuring a Norse god himself.

Hercules

Also, a first appearance in the Wonder Woman comics is the Roman hero who symbolizes strength and masculinity. In the comics, he is depicted not as a hero with incredible power but as a rough rogue of sorts.

Atlas

This character appears in several DC comics and takes inspiration from the Greek hero who shouldered the sky. He is a titan who attempts to overthrow the Olympians, and his loss credits to the punishment of carrying the weight of the celestial heavens. This character’s depictions often include a globe symbolizing the heavens on his head.

Nagraj

Nagraj comics feature as their lead an Indian superhero who takes inspiration from the mythological concept of a Nag – or an intelligent snake. With an elaborate backstory involving an invocation gone wrong, a queen of Ichhadari Nags and a miraculous cure for a dead body, Nagraj comes into existence. An evil scientist unleashes him for terrible purposes, but that plan goes awry and Nagraj becomes a superhero instead.

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