ALTAR of NEPTUNE's WRATH

Classification: Magic item

Creator: Neptune

User/Possessors: Neptune

First Appearance:
(Mentioned) Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5 (1989)
(Fully seen) Avengers West Coast Annual#4 (1989)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Located on the ocean floor four hundred miles off the coastline of New England, the Altar itself had little demonstrated power, but it housed the Golden Serpent's globe, which contained a fragment of the essence of Set. It was guarded by an immense sea creature, but due to its past history it was shunned and feared by even the boldest of the Atlanteans.

 

History:

 

 

(Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5) - Neptune struck down a cult of Set-worshipping Atlanteans, destroying the magical Golden Serpent with which they had attempted to summon Set to Earth; a fragment of Set's life-force was trapped within the Golden Serpent's globe. Neptune erected a huge dome about the sphere and placed an immense monster to guard it. While Atlantis' ruler, Ossem was spared, Balaal and the other Set-worshippers had suffered horrible deaths, while the rest of the Atlanteans had fled in fear of Neptune's anger. Atlanteans would thereafter shun the place, calling it the Altar of Neptune's Wrath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Avengers West Coast Annual#4) - Having failed to manipulate Earth's heroes into slaughtering the Atlanteans (which was intended to serve as a sacrifice to resurrect Set), Ghaur decided to instead sacrifice the seven Brides of Set -- Andromeda, Dagger, Invisible Woman, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Storm -- to amplify the Set-fragment, enabling Set to return to Earth. Ghaur sent She-Hulk and Andromeda to the Altar of Neptune's Wrath to recover the sphere containing a fragment of Set's life-force. She-Hulk and Andromeda were attacked by the sphere's immense monster guardian, which She-Hulk fought while Andromeda escaped with the sphere. The West Coast contingent of the Avengers helped overcome the monster, while Andromeda escaped with the sphere and returned it to Ghaur, who used it to restore Set to Earth.

 

  

 

Comments: Created by Peter Sanderson, Mark Bagley, and Keith Williams; fully shown by John Byrne.

    The guardian monster was called a leviathan and behemoth, but those are really just descriptive terms.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Altar of Neptune's Wrath should be distinguished:

Guardian of the Altar

 

    This immense, incalculably strong cephalopod was placed to guard the Set-sphere by Neptune. It apparently slept, dormant, until anyone entered the Altar.

 

    It awakened as She-Hulk swam down to the Set-sphere, and it attacked as she removed it. She-Hulk was powerless against the immense monstrosity, which also assaulted a large fishing ship. The ship's crew sent an SOS, which was answered by the Avengers. Iron Man's repulsors proved useless against the monster, as did Wonder Man's strength. Sersi feared that attempting to transmute so large a creature might prove fatal even to an Eternal, and ultimately the Vision passed immaterially through the creature's body, then partially rematerialized in its heart, and the creature rolled over, unconscious.

 

--(Mentioned) Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5; (seen) Avengers West Coast Annual#4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

images: (without ads)
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5, p4, panel 4 (Globe)
Avengers West Coast Annual#4, p8, panel 5 (Altar)
    p9, panel 3-5 tunnel (and Guardian's eye)
    p14, panel 1 (guardian and ship)
        panel 3 (guardian and Iron Man)

Appearances:
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5 (1989) - by Peter Sanderson (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Keith Williams (inker), Jim Salicrup (editor).
Avengers West Coast Annual#4 (1989) - by John Byrne (writer, penciler), Terry Austin (inker), Howard Mackie (editor)

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Last Updated: 07/29/07

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