AMMUTAMMUT
Real Name: Ammut
Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Heliopolis-associated) magical/mythological creature
Occupation: Agent of Oshtur (in her aspect of Ma'at), guardian of the Throne of Bone and the Halls of Ma'at, devourer of the unworthy dead
Group Membership: Associated with the Heliopolitan/Egyptian gods (aka Ennead)
Affiliations: Ashake, Magik (Illyana Rasputin), Ian McNee, Osiris, Oshtur (in her aspect as Ma'at), Thoth
Enemies: Restrained serpent guardians without harming them
Known Relatives: Oshtur (creator)
Aliases: Ahemait, Ammit, Devourer of the Dead, Eater of Hearts
Base of Operations: The Halls of Ma'at on the psychic plane (presumably in association with Duat and/or Heliopolis);
the Throne of Bone (at least formerly contained within Egypt's Valley of Kings)
First Appearance: Mystic Arcana#1 (Magik) (August, 2007)
Powers/Abilities:
Ammut is an immense, chimeric creature that possessed body parts and
traits of a leopard (forelimbs), crocodile (head), lion (neck and
chest), and hippopotamus (lower back and hind limbs). She is extremely
strong and powerful; she possesses sharp claws and teeth, but she can
also use these to harmlessly restrain beings.
Magical in nature, Ammut can
resist, absorb, and/or consume many magical assaults. She can restrain
powerful magical creatures. She can also consume physical beings or
spirits. She usually consumes the heart of the dead, from which she
takes their spirit, preventing them from passing on to the afterlife;
however, she can also consume minds and absorb knowledge from her
victim.
Ammut can take human form; she has
appeared as a human female, but it is unrevealed if she can take other
human or nonhuman forms.
Ammut can transport herself and others to and from Earth, the Halls of Ma'at, and the Throne of Bones.
Each of Ammut's leopard spots is an eye through which she sees different aspects/levels.
Ammut is intelligent and
knowledgeable, and she prefers to challenge others via riddles. She
also has a level of pride that prevents her from providing assistance
without such a challenge.
She also apparently enjoys plays
on words, as she referred to this as her lion's pride (with a pride
being the correct term to refer to a group/pack of lions).
She credits her hippopotamus nature for causing her to lack certain social graces (see comments).
She speaks harshly and directly,
which McNee noted as speaking with the cold-blooded tongue of the
crocodile.
Height: Unrevealed, approximately 20' at the
shoulder and 60' from tip of nose to end of tail; likely variable
(human form) unrevealed, approximately 5'8"
Weight: Unrevealed, approximately 48 tons (likely variable); (human form) unrevealed, approximately 130 lbs. (she looked quite slender)
Eyes: Solid and glowing (blue, white, yellow seen); there is
often a glowing pattern mimicking the eyeliner-ish markings on her
human form's face); (human form) green? or maybe brown
Hair: Brown mane, and light brown spotted fur on forelimbs; (human form) dark brown or black
Other distinguishing features:
Ammut had a more glowing, ethereal appearance within the Throne of
Bones and a more corporeal appearance in the Hall of Ma'at; this
may be due to the locations, the two appearances taking place over 3000
years apart, artistic license, or some other factor(s).
History:
(Mystic Arcana#1/3 (fb) - BTS)
- Ammut was made from Acacia petals, mixed with Nile water, black sand,
and desert heat, transformed by Ma'at (an aspect of Oshtur)'s magics.
(Mystic Arcana#1 (fb) - BTS) - Ammut was tasked to guard Halls of Ma'at (and possibly the Throne of Bones, or perhaps that came later).
(Myth history/Mystic Arcana#1/3 (fb) - BTS) - Ammut was considered the personification of divine retribution. She dwelled in the Hall of Ma'at, awaiting the judgment of the deceased as they passed through there. Osiris served as judge, and Thoth served as prosecutor. The deceased confessed their sins (and argued against the things they had never done), and then their hearts (the seat of the soul, according to the ancient Egyptians) were weighed against the feather of Ma'at. If the sins and impurities did not balance with the feather, Ammut would devour their hearts (or their physical form). By some sources, this resulted in the "second death," meaning their spirits never reached the afterlife and instead roamed restlessly for eternity.
(Mystic Arcana#1/3 (fb) - BTS) - "Eons ago," the Halls of Ma'at was deemed to be too vulnerable on the physical plane, so it was relocated to the psychic plane (presumably associated with the dimension Heliopolis).
(Mystic Arcana#1/2 - BTS) - <11th century BC> - Heka-Nut captured rival sorceress Ashake and the time-traveling mutant sorceress Magik (Illyana)
and coerced them to recover for him the Sword of Bones, one of the four magic items known as the Cornerstones of Creation.
(Mystic Arcana#1/2) - Magically transporting into the crypt holding the last possessor of the Sword of Bones (Throne of Bones)?, Ashake and Magik were beset by a pair of serpent guardians. With their powers useless against the guardians, Ashake called upon Ma'at for aid, and Ma'at sent her servant the "Sphinx" Ammut to aid them. Ammut swiftly caught one of the serpent's heads under one of its forepaws and then grabbed the other serpent's head in its jaws. Thanking Ammut, Ashake led Magik to the skeleton grasping the inert rib that became the Sword of Bones after Ashake retrieved it.
(Mystic Arcana#1/2 - BTS) - The two sorceresses then returned to Heka-Nut, whom Magik caught unaware when the Sword reverted to a rib in his unworthy hands, allowing her to disrupt his power and mind with her Soulsword; Ashake stored Heka-Nut's power in an urn sent by Ma'at.
(Mystic Arcana#1/2) - Ashake and Magik then returned
to the crypt and replaced the Sword of Bone into the skeleton's hands.
Ashake then asked Ammut to release the serpent guardians and then to
remain there and watch and wait: "A time will come, great Ammut, when
your insight will once again be tested, and your wisdom called to guard
the balance. But that is for another day..." And then Ashake and Magik
departed.
(Mystic Arcana#1 (fb) - BTS) - Posing as Oshtur, Chthon instructed young sorcerer Ian McNee to gather the Cornerstones of Creation to restore the ancient sorcerer Heka-Nut in order to save the Mystic Realms, which had been badly damaged by the War of the Seven Spheres.
(Mystic
Arcana#1-4 - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z:
Vishanti) - With Strange succumbing to more serious corruption, the
Vishanti used Ian McNee as a champion, aiding him -- with Oshtur acting
more directly -- in his quest to acquire the Cornerstones of Creation
and preparing to use the Cornerstones to help heal the apparently
damaged foundations of magic itself.
(Mystic Arcana#1/3) - Via Oshtur/Ma'at's guidance, Ammut took human form and entered the same car of the train bound for the Theban necropolis in which Ian McNee traveled. Sensing the smell of acacia, Ian suspected who/what she was, and, after Ammut revealed her identity, Ian offered her a perfect ostrich feather in exchange for safe passage to the Halls of Ma'at. Accepting this offering, Ammut transported him there, during which time they discussed the mission.
Ian suggested Ammut simply give
him the Sword of Bones, but Ammut insisted that there must be a
challenge. Accepting this, Ian mystically summoned lightning to strike
Ammut, who opened her mouth and swallowed the electricity before
revealing that the challenge would be riddles. When Ian asked if Ammut
would devour his heart if he failed, Ammut acknowledged that was what
usually happened, but as magicians' hearts were dry and stunted, Ammut
would eat his mind instead.
Ammut's riddle was:
We walk the green and grassy lands and stalk the stark and scorching sands
We climb across the craggy peaks and crouch beneath the stagnant creeks.
At home in all, but none are home.
Abide we 'tween abodes,
We know, we dare, we will, shall in silence cross all roads.
Who are we?
Ian swiftly recognized that the
realms discussed were homes to hippos, lions, leopards, and crocodiles,
the four aspects of Ammut, whom he named as the answer to the riddle.
However, Ammut reminded Ian that he had asked, "Who are WE?" and that
since he had given half the answer, Ammut would perhaps only feast on
half of his mind. However, Ian realized that he himself was the other
person in the riddle, and Ammut congratulated him and considered that
perhaps Ian was not as egocentric as most wizards, since he hadn't
guessed himself first. Ammut then granted Ian the Sword of Bones, the
first of the Cornerstones. As Ian expressed his gratitude, Ammut
returned him back to the train, leaving behind the human form's
backpack, which contained a book about a Sphinx, which advised Ian to
next seek out the Ebon Rose from Morgan Le Fay.
Comments: Created by unrevealed parties as part of Egyptian mythology;
adapted to the Marvel Universe by David Sexton and Eric Nguyen.
Ammut referred to her hippopotamus
nature as causing her to be somewhat graceless. She said this after she
loudly belched. Hopefully she doesn't have other habits like hippos,
such as spinning their tail vigorously while defecating, flinging feces
several feet. Google it if you want...plenty of videos.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Ammut should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Mystic Arcana#1/2, pg. 15, panel 2 (profile);
panel 5 (holding snake guardians);
#1/3, pg. 2, panel 6 (human form, face);
pg. 3-4 (human form, full);
pg. 6, panel 1 (full, colored);
pg. 9, panel 1 (face)
Appearances:
Mystic Arcana#1 (Magik) (August, 2007) - first and third story (McNee) - David Sexton (writer), Eric Nguyen (artist), Nathan Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
second story (Magik) - Louise
Simonson (writer), Steve Scott (penciler), Kris Justice (inker), Nathan
Cosby (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Mystic Arcana: Sister Grimm#1 (January, 2008) - third story (McNee) - David Sexton (writer), Eric Nguyen (artist), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
First posted: 10/04/2019
Last updated: 10/04/2019
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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