BABA YAGA BABA YAGA
Real Name: Baba Yaga
Identity/Class: Russian Goddess
Occupation: Goddess of Witchcraft and Misfortune, former goddess of earth
Group Membership: Dievas (Gods of Russia);
formerly Koschei (Russian mob family)
Affiliations: Daughters of Baba Yaga, imps;
formerly Elektra (Elektra Natchios)
Enemies: Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), Elektra, Hercules (Heracles), Meggan, Perun, Yarilo (Bielbog), Zeus
Known Relatives: Rod (father), Gaea (mother, alias Erce), Vij, Vodhi (sons), Chert (grandson, alias Chernbog); Kashchej (grandson, alias Koshchei The Undying), Autrimpas, Praamzius (brothers), Varunna, Sweigsdunka (sisters); Svaros, Pikuolis, Patrimpas (nephews), Lada, Kupala (nieces)
Aliases: Frau Holle (German Name), Jehzi Baba (Polish Name)
Base of Operations: Baba Yaga's hut;
formerly a house by Bald
Mountain near Kiev in the Soviet Union
First Appearance: Captain Britain II#11 (November, 1985)
Powers/Abilities: Baba Yaga still possess some of the powers of the Russian Gods. She has considerable powers rooted in black magic such as reanimating the dead and manipulating earth and wood. Despite her great age and wizened appearance, she has great strength (Class 10 possibly) and resistance to injury but none of the vitality and vigor from her prime. She was also credited with creating the practice of flying on brooms.
History: (Russian Myth) - Baba Yaga was the ancient Slavic goddess of earth before the Russian Gods came into power, but she seemed to abuse her powers by inflicting mortals with drought and famine. She unwittingly degenerated into a goddess of the underworld who built her hut out of bones on earth near the location of a cave leading to the underworld and often flew through the air on a mortar rowed by a pestle. The model for the fairy tale witch, she subsisted on anyone who wandered near her and soon inspired the story of "Hansel And Gretel." She was also known as the grandmother of Chert (Chernobog), the Russian devil, and Koshchei, the god of misfortune, whom became foes of Bielbog (Yarilo), the god of spring, and Perun, the god of thunder.
(Captain Britain II#11) - In the present, Captain
Britain and Meggan came across Baba Yaga's home while traveling
through Western Russia. She captured the hero and attempted to
subvert Meggan to her side. Meggan being both an empath and
having ties to the energy of the Earth was especially susceptible
to Baba Yaga's influence. Because of Meggan's nature, Baba Yaga
believed her to be one of her "daughters", and that
Brian Braddock was Meggan's offering to her. Meggan was in a daze
as Baba Yaga used her control of the surrounding woods to capture
Captain Britain, and then prepared to kill him. However, Meggan
managed to resist her: Summoning an ancient, perhaps racial,
memory, Meggan spoke the words:
"Witch of Wood and Witch of Water--Fire will save us
from the Slaughter.
Fire to Scorch you...Fire to Torch you...Fire to Send you
Screaming Back to Hell!"
She unleashed a blast of flame that incinerated Baba Yaga (or at
least her earthly form), her daughters, and her house.
(Herc#10 (fb) ) - Two months earlier the Russian mob family Koschei summoned Baba Yaga in a bloody ritual to aid them against the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk). They hoped they could control her, but instead she slew several of the Koschei and took control over the family.
(Herc#10 (fb) - BTS) - Because she was not fully manifested in reality yet Baba Yaga hired Elektra Natchios to acquire several mystically powerful objects, which she could use to bring her back to full strength.
(Herc#8 - BTS) - Elektra Natchios stole Arachne's Tapestry from the god Anansi, who had just stolen it from Arachne's apartment while Arachne was distracted by battle with Hercules.
(Herc#9 - BTS) - Elektra attempted to steal another item for Baba Yaga from the Brooklyn Art Museum. After a battle alongside Hercules against a group of Hand ninjas she kicked Hercules in the face and stole the package she came for (which included, as revealed in #10, the last remains of Merlin's cloak). She was then picked up by Baba Yaga's magic hut. Herc's student associates informed him afterward who the magic hut belonged to. Kingpin then approached Hercules to talk with him about dealing with the Russian mob's witch goddess.
(Herc#10 - BTS) - Baba Yaga's imps abducted children for her because she needed believers and their wonder and terror enabled her magic. The hut then returned to Floyd Bennett Field in Rockaway.
(Herc#10) - Inside the hut Elektra handed over the package with the cloth, learning from Baba Yaga that the cloth was the last remain of Merlin's cloak. Baba Yaga awakened the mystic energies within it and absorbed them. When asked by Elektra why she needed the children Baba Yaga assured her that she just needed them as true believers and that she would release them as soon as she had regained her full powers. Baba Yaga then sent Elektra after Hercules, who had formed an allianace against Baba Yaga with the Kingpin.
(Herc#10 - BTS) - At Prospect Park Elektra fought Hercules and Zeus. Hercules asked Elektra to reveal Baba Yaga's whereabouts, but Elektra didn't trust him because he was working with the Kingpin. After taking the Helm of Hades from Zeus, who had attacked her from behind (the helm turns its wearer invisible) Elektra used the helm to beat up Hercules and steal his mystic weapons (Shield of Perseus and Sword of Peleus) for Baba Yaga. A homing device on the shield led Hercules and Zeus directly to Baba Yaga's hideout at Floyd Bennett Field.
(Herc#10) - Baba Yaga used the mystic energies from the shield and sword to return herself to full power (returning her youth alongside her mystic might). Elektra only wanted to know when they were finally going to attack the Kingpin and his stronghold Shadowland, but Baba Yaga had other things on her mind first: A nice meal made of fattened children and Zeus. Hercules arrived in time to shot her with a machine gun, but Baba Yaga's fully empowered form absorbed the bullets. She blasted Hercules with mystic bolts, but seconds later Elektra turned on her and stabbed Baba Yaga from behind with a sai. Injured, but not finished yet, Baba Yaga blasted Elektra with mystic bolts as well and crawled towards the Sword of Peleus and Shield of Perseus to regain her strength, but Hercules got hold of the sword first. After he was hit with a few more mystical blasts Hercules decapitated Baba Yaga with the Sword of Peleus, ending her threat. Her body dissolved into mystic, green flames. Afterward Elektra and Hercules released the children and Zeus from their cages. Hercules led Zeus to the mystic energies that had been stolen by Baba Yaga. Zeus absorbed the energies to empower himself once again.
Comments: Adapted by Jamie Delano and
Alan Davis.
I always sing the praises of Alan Moore, but this combination
did an excellent Captain Britain (second series). If you can't
get the originals, there is a Trade Paperback (IN COLOR). Highly
recommended!--Snood.
All in all, Marvel has created a fair depiction
of the witch-goddess, but it may be added that nowhere in her
myth is she described as having a headful of snakes.
--Easy solutions: She's either a metamorph or an illusion
caster (not such a stretch for a witch), or she's done the
"demon degeneration thang" we've seen with other gods
gone bad.--Snood.
Baba Yaga has actually appeared in a movie called "Jack Frost."
NOTE: In Uncanny X-Men I#231, a demon from Otherplace, Sym's dimension, plucked the image of Baba Yaga out of Magik's memories of fairytales and impersonated the witch as it kidnapped the New Mutants. She also transformed the X-Mansion into a version of Baba Yaga's house. Magik summoned up the image of her brother Colossus who was believed to be dead to battle the witch and save them, but this impostor Baba Yaga exploded from contact with the iron in his body. This Baba Yaga was not the mythological witch-goddess but a demon impersonating her fairytale image.
Profile by: William Uchtman , caliban, and Snood. Herc update by Markus Raymond.
Clarifications:
Baba Yaga should not be confused with:
The aforementioned Baba Yaga imposter, @ Uncanny X-Men I#231
A group of women who apparently were buried
alive with their dead husbands. They were revived or at least
reanimated by Baby Yaga and enjoyed the feasts she captured for
them.
--Captain Britain II#11
(Herc#9) - Baba Yaga's chicken-legged hut picked up Elektra at the Brooklyn Art Museum.
(Herc#10) - The hut walked to Prospect Park, Brooklyn where it aided the imps in abducting children for Baba Yaga. After the deed the hut returned the Floyd Bennett Field in Rockaway. Inside the hut Baba Yaga used the cloth (last remains of Merlin's cloak) Elektra had delivered to increase her mystic might. The children resided inside the hut, fed by the imps with sweets, and turned into Baba Yaga's believers.
After losing his weapons in combat to Elektra Hercules followed a homing device hidden on his shield to Baba Yaga's hiding place. Hercules and Zeus broke into the hut and going through the hut's fireplace landed in a vast maze. Inside the maze Baba Yaga's imps abducted Zeus, but Hercules escaped them and soon found the maze's heart where Baba Yaga resided. At this point the children and Zeus had been put into cages and Baba Yaga had used Hercules' weapons to regain her full strength and vigor. Elektra turned on Baba Yaga when she realized that Baba Yaga was going to eat the children. After Hercules decapitated Baba Yaga, he, Elektra and Zeus liberated the children from the hut.
--Herc#9 (Herc#9-10
(Herc#10) - A group of imps lived in Baba Yaga's magic hut. They served her by abducting children they fed with sweets to gain their admiration and turn them into believers of Baba Yaga.
They later battled Hercules and a depowered Zeus when they broke into Baba Yaga's hut and abducted the latter, bringing him to the encaged children (seemed like the children and Zeus were going to become a snack for Baba Yaga).
They weren't seen again after Baba Yaga's destruction at Hercules' hands.
--Herc#10
images:
Herc#10, p8, pan2 (summoned and ugly)
Herc#10, p19, pan3 (fully powered and beautiful)
Herc#9, p18 (Baba Yaga's hut)
Herc#10, p16, pan3 (maze inside the hut)
Herc#10, p17, pan1 (imps)
Appearances:
Captain Britain II#11 (November, 1985) - Jamie Delano (writer), Alan Davis (pencils/inks), Noel Davis (inks), Ian Rimmer (editor)
Herc#8 (November, 2011) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), June Brigman (pencils), Roy Richardson (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Herc#9 (December, 2011) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Letne (writers), David Hahn (pencils), Roy Richardson (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Herc#10 (January, 2012) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), David Hahn (pencils), Roy Richardson & Rebecca Buchman (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Last updated: 01/02/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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Daughters of Baba
Yaga
Baba Yaga's hut
Baba Yaga's imps