Known Relatives: Manitou (father), Nowutset (mother), Pawa (sister), Susstinnako (maternal grandmother), Utset (maternal aunt), Idlirvirissong (cousin), Bitsitsi, Watsusii, Kowwituma (sons),
Chibiabos, Wabasso, Coyote (uncles),
Onatah (step-mother), Heno, Maasewe, Sosondowa (half-brothers),
Omamama (half-sister), Gitche Manitou (great grandfather),
Gaea (great grandmother, alias Nokomis)

Aliases: Shakuru (Pawnee name), Angpetu (Dakota name), Menahka (Mandan name), Sequinek (Inuit name), Pautiwal (Hopi name)

Base of Operations: Shipolo (Realm of Mist and Clouds)

First Appearance: Thor Annual#10 (1981)

Powers/Abilities: Tawa possesses the conventional powers of the Native American gods. He has superhuman strength (Class 35) and stamina and can conjure and manipulate ambient solar energies, ride on beams of light and shoot arrows of fire which he can wield with great efficiency.

History: (Native American Myth) - Tawa is the son of the sky-god Manitou (Manabozho)and Nowutset, daughter of the spider-goddess Susstinnako. According to myth, he and his sister, Pawa (Pah) were instructed by Tirawa (Gitche Manitou) to sire Aste Hastin, the first man who married Aste Estan, the daughter of Evening and Morning. Tawa's cousin, Idlirvirissong, however, began to create misfortunes for the first Native Americans by drying up their fields and driving off their cattle to become the first buffalos. Pursuing their cows according to myth caused these first men to father the numerous tribes of the Native Americans. Idlirvirissong, however, promised only to stop terrorizing mortal man if Tawa surrendered his sister, Pawa, to him as a bride. Tawa refused and his cousin remained bitter enemies to this day.

(Thor Annual#10) - Odin summons Manitou to send his greatest warrior to assist Thor in the battle against Demogorge the God-Eater. Tawa responds the call to arms by commanding the purifying effects of the sun against the entity; the attempt only frustrates Demogorge who absorbs him and the other gods sent to stop him one by one. Thor, the last immortal standing, however, decides to beat Demogorge from within by appealing to the creature's true intellect, the sun god Atum. The effect causes a shift in the creature's palate and Tawa, Thor, the other gods and the death-gods who raised Demogorge are safely freed.

COMMENTS: Created by Alan Zelenetz and Bob Hall

Tawa's amalgamated history comes from similar tales from the Inuit, Pueblo, Pawnee, Navaho, Algonquin and Cherokee tribes. Anasazi is an ancient Navaho word meaning "The Ancient Ones."

In Native American myth, the Anaye (similar to the Wamageswaki of the Penobscot Indians) were a race of cannibal demons that infested earth before mortals. It was up to Tawa and his brothers to exterminate them and protect mortals from them.

In Thor I#301, Gaia admitted to being the Mother Earth of all the gods. She was the Norse Jord, Hindu Aditi, Hawaiian Rangi, Mexican Coatlique, German Nertha among others. Presumedly, she was the Native American Nokomis as well.

Thor I Annual 10 is one of the best Thor stories in the direction of what Thor should be more often. The varied choice of thunder and sun gods to defeat Demogorge may be indicative of what one force can't do, another may succeed. A whole force of thunder-gods might be an interesting collection, but potentially a clash of egos considering the personalites of Hercules, Indra (replaced by the wiser Shiva) and Hino. However, the cabal of death gods omits the Chinese Yen-Lo Wang, Japanese Emma-O, Incan Vichama, Celtic
Arawn, Russian Pikuolis, Finnish Tuonetar, Native American Chibiabos, Oceanic Hina and the African Damballah. While some of these are not as bloodthirsty as say Hades or Seth, I'd say the rest were enjoying
retirement, or offended by present company (Damballah and Seth might not be on good terms, neither would Yen-Lo and Emma-O with Yama or Pikuolis and Tuonetar with Hela.). Chibabos, Hina and Damballah would still have worshippers today.

Profile by William Uchtman.

CLARIFICATIONS: None

images: (without ads)

Appearances:
Thor Annual#10 (1982) - Mark Gruenwald & Alan Zelenetz (writers), Bob Hall (pencils), Rick Bryant, Andy Myshynsky, Al Gordon & Kevin Dzuban (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 07/16/04

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