CHA'SA'DRA
Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Demon (Class 3) magic user
Occupation: Warrior, religious leader
Group Membership: Demons from Otherplace
Affiliations: Lava Men (Ajaxis, Akor, Basallo, Boraku, Danka, Jinku, Kelak, Kratar, Krotok, Maggam, Metoxo, Molto, Ormin, Styrak, Volkon, many others), N'astirh
Enemies: Avengers (Captain/Steve Rogers, Gilgamesh, Invisible Woman/Susan Richards, Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thor/Odinson)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Otherplace
First Appearance: (Mentioned; unidentified) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11 (November, 1983); (retconned) Avengers I#300 (February, 1989); (actual) Avengers I#306 (August, 1989)
Powers/Abilities: The demon possessed vast magic powers that allowed him to transform other beings and grant immortality. His wings enabled him to fly at an unknown speed. Despite his limitless lifespan he was not invulnerable and could be killed.
Height: 6' (by approximation)
Weight: 230 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Solid orange
Hair: None
History:
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11 - Subterraneans/Avengers I#306 (fb) ) - Eons ago a minority of the subterranean Gortokians formed a religious cult worshipping the great god Cha'sa'dra. One day the prayers of his followers were answered by Cha'sa'dra (or rather a demon from Otherplace posing as their deity; see comments). He appeared in front of the statue built in Cha'sa'dra's image, which terrified the Gortokians at first, but the demon calmed them down with the promise of immortality in exchange for their unswerving devotion. They didn't resist his offer and hundreds of them were transformed into the first Lava Men with a wave from the demon's taloned hand.
Cha'sa'dra stayed with the Lava Men, whose once proud civilization sank into primitive barbarism, while staying faithful to their living god.
(Avengers I#307 (fb) - BTS) - The Lava Men were corrupted by Cha'sa'dra's evil magic.
(Avengers I#306 (fb) - BTS) - Cha'sa'dra taught his magic to Jinku for many years.
(Avengers I#306 (fb) ) - One day Cha'sa'dra left the Lava Men without an explanation.
(Avengers I#300 - BTS) - Cha'sa'dra was one of the many demons from Otherplace joining N'astirh's forces in an attack on Manhattan. He was slain in battle with the Avengers.
(Avengers I#306 (fb) ) - Upon Cha'sa'dra's death the lava forms of most Lava Men vanished immediately and with them their immortality. Hundreds of former Lava Men crumbled to dust in front of Jinku and his acolytes. Jinku was shocked when his acolytes' bodies hardened, leaving them immobile, and sought revenge on the Avengers.
His scheme ended when his acolytes broke free from their stone forms and free of Cha'sa'dra's evil influence had transformed into golden humanoids. They revealed to Jinku that he had transformed as well under his hard shell.
Comments: Created by John Byrne, Paul Ryan & Tom Palmer.
The demon worshipped by some Gortorkians was first mentioned in the Subterraneans profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11 (November, 1983) and again in the Lava Men entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#7 (June, 1985), but not identified by name until Avengers I#306 (August, 1989).
While most of the original Lava Men died after Cha'sa'dra's death their descendants were unaffected. There were still Lava Men around after the demon's death and even Jinku (and presumably his acolytes as well) soon regained their molten forms as their golden forms were only a temporary mutation according to X-Force I#81 (September, 1998).
It is unknown if the demon from Otherplace was actually the being worshipped by the Lava Men or if he was just posing as their god. He at least looked like their god, but it is not beyond most demons' abilities to shapeshift.
This character retroactively died during the events of the Inferno crossover in 1989.
As part of his scheme against the Avengers Jinku created the Avatar of Cha'sa'dra. The gigantic monstrosity is not directly connected to the demon though.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Cha'sa'dra should not be confused with:
images (without ads)
Avengers I#306, p18, pan1 (main)
Avengers I#306, p19, pan4 (death)
Avengers I#306, p17, pan4 (Cha'sa'dra statue)
Appearances:
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#11 (November, 1983) - Mark Gruenwald (writer)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#7 (June, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald & Peter Sanderson (writers)
Avengers I#300 (February, 1989) - Walter Simonson (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Avengers I#306-307 (August-September, 1989) - John Byrne (writer), Paul Ryan (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)
First Posted: 09/01/2020
Last updated: 09/04/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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