GOLDEN SERPENT

Classification: Magic item

Creator: Balaal and his followers via the guidance of Set

User/Possessors: Balaal and his followers;
    the energy sphere was later used by Ghaur and the Brides of Set

First Appearance: Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5 (1989)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Composed of solid gold, the immense, seven-headed structure magnified the psychic powers of Set's worshippers. Further, the seven heads supported a sphere which served as a conduit to Set's realm and could house a portion of Set's life-force.

 

 

 

 

 

 

History:
(Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89: Set) <roughly 0 AD> - Set established a new cult of worshippers in undersea Atlantis (composed of those who sought vengeance on the barbarians of Skarka for their attacks on Atlantis), and the cult created the Golden Serpent, an immense power object made of gold that magnified Set's worshippers' psychic powers. Via these enhancements, worship of Set spread throughout Atlantis, eventually claiming fully half of its population. Using the Golden Serpent, the cult began to bring Set physically into Earth's dimension, and they succeeded in causing a part of his life-force to fill the great globe resting atop the Golden Serpent's heads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5) - Balaal, leader of the Atlantean set-worshippers, arranged the ambush and capture of Ossem, ruler of Atlantis and his own father. They brought him to an altar outside the city on which the Golden Serpent rested, and Balaal told Ossem that they needed to sacrifice a life to enable Set to fully emerge onto Earth, and that Set had demanded that it be Ossem. Intending to thus usurp his father's rule, Balaal raised the dagger as Set writhed eagerly in his own dimension, glimpsing the event through the great sphere; but Neptune (forewarned of the Set-worshippers by the loyal Ossem) then struck, using his trident to shatter the Golden Serpent beyond repair. Set cried out in agony as a portion of his own life-force had become trapped within the sphere and was torn from him. The sphere shrank and changed color, and Neptune erected a huge dome about the sphere and placed an immense monster to guard it. Set vowed to take vengeance on Neptune by someday destroying the Atlanteans. With both the Golden Serpent and the Cobra Crown destroyed, Set decided to return his efforts towards the Serpent Crown, first in power and importance of his talismans.
    While 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. Annoyed that he had lost one of the seven Brides, Ghaur nonetheless resolved that he would have to get by with sacrificing only six Brides.
    Marvel Girl and the Invisible Woman stole the Lens of Power for Ghaur from Chicago's Museum of Cultural Antiquities, and Dagger focused her light into the Lens of Power, which projected a beam into the Set-sphere to invigorate and renew the fragment of Set. The Avengers arrived to oppose Ghaur's plot, and the other Brides opposed them, but ultimately Wonder Man got through and shattered the Lens. Though the sphere lacked the power needed to restore Set to Earth, Ghaur then had the Scarlet Witch focus her mutant power to warp the probabilities to make the energy sufficient to the task, and Set began to emerge on Earth.   

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Peter Sanderson, Mark Bagley, and Keith Williams.

    Set was subsequently torn apart by Thor, possessing the power of the Demogorge.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Golden Serpent and it's Set-sphere should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#9/5, p3, panel 1 (Golden Serpent)
            panel 4 (Set's essence within globe)
        p4, panel 1 (Neptune destroying Golden Serpent)
Avengers West Coast Annual#4, p27, panel 3 (Globe)

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: 11/11/11

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.!

Back to Items