YU HUANG

Real Name: Yu Huang Shang-Ti

Identity/Class: Chinese God

Occupation: God of Heaven, Former Emperor of China

Affiliations: The Xian (Gods of China),
The Council Elite / Council of Godheads

Enemies: Gong Gung, Chi-Yu

Known Relatives: Yuang-Shi (father), Fu Pao (mother), Yu Qiang, Chen Yuang (brothers), Sien Tsan Mu (sister), Xi Wang Mu (wife), Ba Niang, Qi Gu Niang, Song Zi Niang, Wang Mu Niang, Meng Po Niang, Chih Nu Niang (daughters), Chen Kuei (son), Er Lang (nephew), Ching-Te (foster father, deceased), Pao-Yueh (foster mother, deceased), Yen Ti (foster brother, deceased)

Aliases: The Yellow Emperor, Yu-Ti, Huang Ti, Jade Emperor, The August Emperor In Jade

Base of Operations: Ta-Lo, formerly K'un-L'un Mountain

First Appearance: Thor I#301 (November, 1980)

Powers: Yu Huang possesses greater powers than most of the Chinese Gods. He is virtually long-lived and has superhuman strength (Class 50 perhaps), stamina and resistance to injury. He also has extra-ordinary power to tap into and manipulate magical and cosmic energies on the level of Zeus or Odin.

History: (Chinese Myth)- There is very little known of how Yu Huang became ruler of the Chinese Gods as many of the stories about him are fragmentary and often conflict each other. He was the son of Yuang Shi Tian Long, but was raised by mortal parents named Ching Te and Pao Yueh possibly to protect him from the battle between Gong Gung, the water god, and Zhu Rong, the fire god, for control of China and the ruling gods of China. Gong Gung shattered Mount Buzhou and caused successive rains to cover the world in a vast flood. Yu Huang, however, became a cupbearer to Yuang-Shi possibly unaware the old god was his father. When the reign of the old god came to an end, he named Yu Huang as his successor as Emperor of China. Yu Huang turned down the role believing he was not worthy and made his mortal brother, Yen Ti, Emperor of China, as he himself disappeared into the wilderness to attain physical perfection. He later returned years later as Huang Ti to succeed his brother as Emperor. When Chi Yu, the war-god, stormed heaven to lead the gods, Yu Huang defeated him and passed on the leadership of mortals to a mortal emperor named Chuan Hsing. Yu Huang's great-grandson, Gun (also named Kun) finally eliminated the floods created by Gong Gung by using a spell from heaven to create dams.

(Thor I#300 (fb))- Sometime around 1OOO AD, Yu Huang met with the ruling gods of Earth's pantheons to dicuss the threat of the Third Host Of Celestials. With Zeus and Odin, they met the Celestials who threatened to sever the dimensional passages of their realms to Earth unless they promised not to interfere with their plans to judge humanity's worthiness. (see comments)

(Thor I#301)- In the wake of Ragnarok among the Norse Gods, Thor came to Yu Huang seeking a portion of the life energies to restore the Asgardians. Believing Thor to have defeated a threat to all gods, Yu Huang graciously granted the needed energies.

(Thor I#398)- Yu Huang heard the Enchantress's scream over the death of her then-lover, Heimdall.

(Thor II#61) - Thor was called before the Council Elite to be tested for worthiness to join them, as a replacement for Odin. Yu-Hang was present at this meeting, in which Thor was judged as having failed the test.

(Heroic Age: Prince of Power#1) - The Council met to discuss who would be the greatest hero of the heroic age. Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor were proposed by some, and Athena told them with certainty that it was Amadeus Cho.

(Heroic Age: Prince of Power#2) - When Vali Halfling of the Pantheon extinguished the Promethean Flame that granted Olympians their immortality, Athena screamed in pain. She was comforted by Izanagi. Threatened by Vali's threat to attain everything he needed to gain full omniscience all Council members returrned to their respective realms.

(Chaos War#1) - The Council of Godheads summoned Hercules and Amadeus Cho before them to judge them on Hercules' recent empowerment and actions in preparation for the arrival of the Chaos King (Amatsu-Mikaboshi). Overwhelmed by his new power and outraged that the Godheads didn't use their power to do anything, Hercules attacked them, battering them about until Thor arrived and convinced Hercules to get himself under control.

Comments: Adapted by Mark Gruenwald, Ralph Macchio and Keith Pollard.

The character pictured in the Council of Godheads in Thor#300 is not identified. He does look significantly different from Yu Haung as pictured and identified in Thor#301 (and What If II#38). However, the flashback in Thor#300 takes place over 1000 years ago. In addition, it may well be that some of the characters have different forms, such as a battle form and a form for ruling and/or diplomacy (or perhaps different forms for inside and outside their own realms). The characters in Thor#300 are identified as "Sky-Fathers All", which would make Yu Huang the appropriate character.
Alternatively, he could have sent another representative in his stead.
If that's the case then Yu Huang would be behind the scenes in that issue--Snood.

In What If II#38, Yu Huang's name was erroneosly spelled as Hu-Yuang.

In Chinese Mythology, Ta-Lo was located or accessed at the top of Mount K'un-L'un in Western China. In the Marvel Universe, K'un-L'un is the home of a colony of aliens, the native race of Iron Fist. Many of their names have been borrowed from Chinese Myth: Lei Kung (god of thunder), Fu Hsi (god of earth), Shu Hu (god of lightning and Shou Lao (god of immoratality). Possibly they represented the Chinese Gods on Earth just as the Eternals posed as the Olympians on Earth.

by Will Uchtman

Clarifications: Yu Huang should not be confused with:
Yü-Ti, of K'un L'un, uncle of Iron Fist, aka the August Personage in Jade, @ Marvel Premiere#15

(What If II#38) In an alternate reality, the counterpart of Yu Huang met with that world's Zeus, Buluku, Izanagi, Quetzalcoatl, Osiris and the demon Mephisto to discuss Seth's threat to their prospective realms.

Appearances:
Thor I#300-301 (October, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), Keith Pollard (pencils), Gene Day (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Thor I#301 (November, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), Keith Pollard (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Thor I#398 (December, 1988) - Tom DeFalco (writer), Ron Frenz (pencils), Don Heck (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Thor II#61 (May, 2003) - Dan Jurgens (writer), Ben & Ray Lai (artists), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Heroic Age: Prince of Power#1 (July, 2010) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writrers), Reilly Brown (pencils), Terry Pallot with Jason Paz (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Heroic Age: Prince of Power#2 (August, 2010) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writrers), Reilly Brown (pencils), Terry Pallot (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Chaos War#1 (December, 2010) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (senior editor)

Last updated: 06/13/16