Affiliations: Other races of Gods

Aliases: Aztec Gods

First Appearance: Thor I#300 (October, 1980)

Powers/Abilities/Traits: The Tēteoh all possess certain superhuman physical attributes. They are true immortals who cease to age upon reaching adulthood, and they cannot die by conventional means. The Tēteoh are immune to all terrestrial diseases and are resistant to conventional injury. If a Teotl is wounded, his or her godly life force will enable him or her to recover at a superhuman rate. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it incinerates a Teotl or disperses a major portion of his or her bodily molecules to cause him or her to die. Even then, it may be possible for a god of greater or equal power, or several gods acting together, to revive the deceased god before the god's life essence is beyond resurrection. Tēteoh flesh and bone are about three times denser than similar human tissue, contributing to the gods' superhuman strength and weight. An average male god can lift about 25 tons; an average goddess can lift about 20 tons. The gods' metabolism gives them superhuman endurance in all physical activities. Many Tēteoh also possess additional superhuman powers. For instance, the flower goddess Xochiquetzal is able to control vegetation and calm aggressive tempers with her mere presence. Tlazolteotl, the goddess of sin & witchcraft, leads the Cihuateteo - a tribe of vampire-like female spirits who died during childbirth.

History: (Thor & Hercules: Encyclopedia Mythologica) - The Tēteoh (also known as the Aztec gods) are a race of superhumanly powerful humanoid beings who have been worshipped by the Aztec ethnic groups and other Nahuatlspeaking people of central Mexico from approximately the 6th century to the 16th century AD, although the gods Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca may have been worshipped as early as 10,000 BC. Most of the Tēteoh dwell in Topán, the Floating World, a small pocket dimension adjacent to Earth; an interdimensional nexus between Topán and Earth exists somewhere near Teotihuacan (The City of the Gods, in the modern-day municipality of San Juan Teotihuacan, Mexico). Very little is known about Topán other than it appears to be built upon a small planetary object. The Tēteoh were called different names by their human worshippers; for example, the water goddess was known as Chalchiuhtlique to the Aztecs and as Matlalcueitl to the Tlaxcalans. Worship of the Tēteoh was largely supplanted by Christianity in the 1500s, although elements of the indigenous population still actively invoke their traditional gods today.

The Tēteoh's precise origin, like that of all Earth's pantheons, is shrouded in legend. According to ancient myths, the primeval god and goddess Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl (also known as Tonacatecuhtli and Tonacacihuatl, and collectively as the androgynous Ometeotl) are the progenitors of the principal Tēteoh. However, it is unclear whether the Tēteoh race originated on Earth, Topán, or in another dimension linked to Topán.

The god of war Tezcatlipoca was chosen by his parents Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl to rule the Tēteoh pantheon under the First Sun. Tezcatlipoca chose to populate his world with a race of powerful yet primitive and warlike giants, until his brother and rival Quetzalcóatl, the benevolent sky god, ended his reign by sending jaguars to kill the giants. Quetzalcóatl was chosen to rule the pantheon under the Second Sun; however, his rule was ended when all civilization was blown away by great winds caused by the vengeful Tezcatlipoca. Tlaloc, the god of the storm, was chosen by Ometecuhtli and Omecihuatl to rule the world of the Third Sun; but his time as leader of the Tēteoh ended when the continued fighting between his brothers Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcóatl caused fire to rain down upon the world and destroy it. The water goddess Chalchiuhtlique was chosen to serve as ruler under the Fourth Sun; but Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcóatl again brought an end to the world when their continued feuding resulted in a cataclysmic flood.

After their sibling rivalry destroyed the previous four worlds, Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca descended once again from Topán. However, all they found was the endless primordial ocean that remained after the flood that had destroyed the previous world. The ocean was now inhabited by an enormous crocodilian monster named Cipactli, who ate anything that approached her gaping fanged jaws. Realizing that a new world could not exist so long as Cipactli devoured all life, Quetzalcóatl and Tezcatlipoca agreed to put their rivalry aside and join forces to battle the beast. Transforming into a feathered serpent, Quetzalcóatl held Cipactli in place while Tezcatlipoca, whose left foot was lost in the battle, delivered the killing blow. Together, the brothers used Cipactli's remains to create the world of the Fifth Sun, which they agreed to rule jointly.

Quetzalcóatl and his brother Xolotl, god of lightning, then traveled to the death god Mictlantecuhtli's netherworld realm of Mictlan and stole the bones left behind by the inhabitants of the previous four worlds. Returning to the Earth realm, Quetzalcóatl collaborated with the primordial Earth Mother Gaea (known to the Tēteoh as "Coatlique" and "Cihuacoatl") and created a new race of mortals from the bones of the previous races. Gaea later gave birth to the sun god Huitzilopochtli.

Comments:

Both Itzamna and Tezcatlipoca are seen in the meeting of the Godheads, @ Thor I#300, indicating that there is still some division between the two branches of gods. They may rule their own branches, and periodically supercede each other. In addition, Quetzalcóatl has also vied with Tezcatlipoca for leadership of the Aztec Gods.

The sun and war god Huitzilopochi was once impersonated by the mutant Apocalypse.

The main image in this profile is by Kevin Sharpe.

images:
Thor & Hercules: Encyclopedia Mythologica, p47

Appearances:
Thor I#301 (November, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), Keith Pollard (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Thor Annual#10 (1982) - Mark Gruenwald & Alan Zelenetz (writers), Bob Hall (pencils), Rick Bryant, Andy Myshynsky, Al Gordon & Kevin Dzuban (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Infinity Gauntlet#2 (August, 1991) - Jim Starlin (writer), George Perez (pencils), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Thor I#398 (December, 1988) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Don Heck (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Marvel Universe: The End#5 (July, 2005) - Jim Starlin (writer/pencils), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Last Defenders#1-2 (May-June, 2008) - Joe Casey (writer), Jim Muniz (penciler), Cam Smith (inker), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Incredible Hercules#116-117 (June-July, 2008) - Greg Pak & Fred van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciler), Paul Neary (inker), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Thor & Hercules: Encyclopedia Mythologica (2009) - Anthony Flamini, Greg Pak, Fred Van Lante & Paul Cornell (writers), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

Last updated: 09/18/03

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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