LEIR
Real Name: Leir
Identity/Class: Celtic god
Occupation: God of lightning and the spear
Group Membership: Tuatha Da Danaan (Celtic Gods)
Affiliations: Balder, Black Knight (Dane Whitman), Caber, The Dagda, Earth Force, Hercules, Sif, Thor, Tyr
Enemies: Bodb Derg, the Fomorians, Seth, Surtur, Ymir
Known Relatives: Gaea (mother, alias Danu)
Aliases: possibly Lir
Base of Operations: Avalon
First Appearance: Thor I#386 (December, 1987)
Powers/Abilities: Leir possesses the conventional attributes of the Celtic Gods such as superhuman strength (Class 100). Like all members of his race; Leir is extremely long-lived (although not immortal like the Olympian Gods) and immune to all terrestrial diseases. (The flesh and bone of the Celtic gods is about three times denser than similar human tissue contributing to the Celtic Gods superhuman strength and weight). Leir is also extremely resistant to injury by conventional means and his godly metabolism gives him superhuman endurance in all physical activities.
In addition, Leir can generate electrical energy in the form of a lightning-like spear from his hands. He can hurl such spears as weapons. Thrown with his superhuman strength, the spears can shatter virtually any substance. Leir also carries a shield made of an unknown substance.
Leir is a highly proficient hand-to-hand combatant, good swordsman, and expert spear-thrower.
Height: 7'2" Weight: 655 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Reddish brown
History: (Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89#4) - Leir is one of the leaders of the race of Celtic gods who were once worshipped by the Celts of the British Isles from the 9th Century BC to 6th Century AD and who now reside in the other-dimensional realm of Avalon. For ages enmity existed between the Celtic Gods and the Asgardian Gods since the Viking and Germanic tribes invaded the lands of the Celts and the Gauls.
(Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica) - After the Dagda became the Tuatha de Danaan's ruler, Bodb Derg became consumed with greed, believing himself a more capable leader. He soon ran afoul of the storm god Leir who felt his own battle prowess entitled him to succeed the Dagda as ruler. When Bodb Derg attempted to assume control of the Tuatha de Danaan by force, he was defeated and banished to Annwn.
(Thor I#386) - In recent years, Seth, the Heliopolitian god of the dead, dispatched beasts resembling black winged lions (griffins) to ravage the countryside of Avalon. One of these beasts was also sent to Asgard where it slew a defenseless family. Before dying, the last member of the family asked Thor to avenge their deaths. Thor pursued the beast into an inter-dimensional portal into Avalon. There a number of the members of the Celtic Gods accused Thor of responsibility for the killing of a family of farmers when in actuality the beast was responsible for those deaths. Leir arrived and battled Thor. Thor’s ally Hogun the Grim followed Thor through the inter-dimensional portal to offer his help. Leir and Thor then saw the winged beast and Leir then realized it was the beast that had done the killings, not Thor. Together, Leir, Thor and Hogun battled the creature and the creature fled mortally wounded through the portal. Leir remained in Avalon while Thor and Hogun returned to Asgard. Back in Asgard, they discovered that Fandral and Volstagg had slain the beast as it returned.
(Thor I#398) - Leir believed that he owed Thor a debt for helping the Celtic Gods against the winged monster. Later, he led an army of the greatest warriors among the Celtic Gods to Asgard to help the Asgardians against the invading armies of the god Seth. Claiming he was responding to the distress cry of the Enchantress over the death of Heimdall, Leir heard from Balder that Thor might have fallen in battle against Seth’s armies which all the more provoked him to battle the minions of Seth.
(Thor I#399) - Leir marveled at the feat of Balder powered by the Odin-power hurling a boulder at Seth’s minion. Striking it with a javelin of electric force, he then shattered it and rained its fragments on Seth’s armies. Wanting to give chase to the enemy, Leir was turned down by Tyr the war-god suspecting a trap if they followed. As Leir and Tyr nearly came to blows, Balder stepped in reminded them they were both on the same side now and that their petty life-long rivalry was momentarily a thing of the past. Seth then called for a battle of single combat against Balder to settle the outcome of the war and then presented the Enchantress as his hostage to influence his choice. Leir, however, realized that Seth had disgraced the warrior’s code by luring Balder into a place where his own minions could strike him down. As Seth tried to kill Balder, the goddess Lorelei took his place and Balder was inexplicably spirited away as Leir watched.
(West Coast Avengers II#41) - Realizing that Seth’s minions would over-run his homeland as well, Leir fought side by side with Sif against Seth's armies.
(Thor I#400) - As Seth’s minions ravaged Asgard, Leir and Tyr fought to hold Asgard as Tyr considered retreat. Leir refused to consider the concept until The Dagda considered it a sound choice. Meanwhile, Karnilla who had spirited off Balder to heal him rallied every Norn, Troll and Frost Giant against Seth and his armies. Rallied behind Odin, Leir once more entered the battle incensed by the return of the griffins, which had killed his kinsmen. Before him, Odin drew upon Asgard to confront Seth who had transformed into a giant serpent and met him directly in battle as Hogun the Grim tossed the Black Knight, now transformed into a living extension of his ebony sword, into Seth. As Leir watched, Seth’s mystical energies were scattered and Seth himself dwindled into nothing until he was seen no more.
With Seth defeated and debt fulfilled, Leir, Caber and the Celtic Gods returned to Avalon.
(Marvel Comics Presents#30/4) - After thwarting an attack on Avalon by a creature sent by the Fomorians, Leir’s temper got the best of him and he stormed off to their village for revenge. Unbeknownst to him, The Dagda sent Caber to tag along. When he reached the village, Leir discovered Caber and they got into an argument, but the villagers quickly surrounded them. The Dagda and several others of Avalon’s warriors watched the battle until Leir and Caber started to get a little worked up. Not wanting casualties, Dagda sent a large swarm of bees onto the battlefield. Luckily for Caber and Leir, they were fast enough to outrun the swarm and returned to Avalon. Later that evening, The Dagda explained his interruption in the battle saying that none of his people were killed so there was no point for any of the Fomorians to die.
(Thor I#417) - Leir requested that The Dagda locate Asgard as it drifted into the Negative Zone. He then instructed him to open a portal to Asgard that he may abduct Sif as a bride. Once he realized why Leir wanted him to locate Asgard, The Dagda started to close his portal, but Leir jumped through it. Fearing war, Caber rushed after him. Leir appeared in Sif’s bedchambers as she heard him plight his love to her. Caber, meanwhile, eavesdropped as long as he could until he was confronted by the Warriors Three and forced to defend himself. Knocked to the floor by Volstagg’s girth, Caber looked up as Sif appeared with Leir and reported that she had accepted his proposal of marriage.
(Thor I#418) - Leir, Caber and Sif learned from Odin’s Vizier that a mystical barrier was surrounding Asgard that blocked them from returning to Earth. As Leir promised to take Sif to Earth to search for Thor, the Vizier confronted Odin over the news. Possessed by a then-unknown entity, Odin imprisoned the Vizier to keep him from alerting others and then ordered Heimdall to capture Sif, Leir and Caber and prevent them from heading to Earth. Leir and Heimdall battled as Sif stopped them. Challenging her brother to strike her down, Sif, Leir and Caber headed to Earth to search for Thor.
(Thor I#423) - As he, Caber and Sif arrived on Earth, Leir assaulted a taxi cab, believing it to be a menacing creature. Sif had them adopt mortal disguises while they were on Earth, and they visited Eric Masterson's apartment, looking for Thor's mortal identity.
(Thor I#425) - The trio next teleported to the Black Galaxy, where they found Thor and Hercules, and told them of the danger to Asgard posed by Ymir and Surtur. Leir joined Hercules in attacking Ymir and Surtur, but they were unable to harm them. Ultimately, Thor defeated both creatures.
(Thor I#426) - With the danger having passed, Leir engaged Thor in battle to claim Sif as his bride, but Sif separated them and attacked Leir herself, having chosen herself to serve as her own champion. Sif humiliated Leir in battle, causing Caber to remark: "She will surely make a fitting bride for a true warrior-born! A pity that she is not for you!" Leir returned to Avalon with Caber.
Comments: Adapted by Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenzi and Brett Breeding.
Since Gaea admitted to have been all the Mother Earths for all the other pantheons, such as the Norse Jord, Egyptian Neith and Sumerian Ninhursag, it is most likely she was also the Celtic Danu. However, in the OHOTMU Update as well as the OHOTMU Master, Danu has been twice mistaken as a male deity so it remains to be seen just what gender Danu will be if and when he/she appears.
It is not known what, if any
connection, exists with
Lir (or Llyr), God of the Sea,
like his son, Manawydan (Manannan). He was represented in medieval
Royal pedigrees as Llyr Marini (of the Sea), though completely
misplaced in time. Perhaps they are connected, via the repeating cycles
of gods, as caused by...ah, but that would be telling.
The Hyborian Era god Lir was a sea god passed down to the
Cimmerians by the Atlanteans per narration in CTB I#74 (as was Manaan). He had a
son named Manaan (Conan shouted Manaan Mac Lir; Mac means son.) This Lir was
said to have green whiskers. I think Sigurd of Vanaheim said that he had a fish
tail once in the Savage Sword adaptation of Conan the Buccaneer. Watch that
Sigurd, he takes gods' names in vain.
--Per Degaton
by Will U and Prime Eternal
CLARIFICATIONS:
Leir has no KNOWN connection to:
Images taken from:
Main- OHOTHU Update #4, page 34, Leir entry
Action- Thor I #386, page 13, top left
Close Up- Thor I #386, page 19, bottom right panel
First Posted: 08/11/2004
Last updated: 01/17/2005
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and ©
1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this
stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!