Agamotto

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caption=Agamotto as part of the Vishanti
Art by Geof Isherwood
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Agamotto
real_name=
species=
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Strange Tales" #115
creators=
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Vishanti
aliases=Agamotto the All-Seeing, The Light of Truth
powers=cross-dimensional awareness
supernatural powers|

Agamotto is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is known mainly as the source of the Eye of Agamotto—a tool of magical clairvoyance used by superhero sorcerer Doctor Strange.

Publication history

In a preface to the Dr. Strange story in "The Origin of Marvel Comics", co-creator Stan Lee explained that while many people assumed such names to be distorted allusions to real-world spiritual terminology, he "just made 'em up." In the modern Greek language, Agamotto's name is transliterated using slightly different vowels in order to avoid an unfortunate resemblance to a vulgar phrase.

The character appears in "Marvel Premiere" #5 (November 1972), #8 (May 1973), "Doctor Strange" #1 (June 1974), #5 (December 1974), "Marvel Team-Up" #77 (January 1979), "Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme" #6-7 (August-September 1989), #32 (August 1991), #43 (July 1992), #48-50 (December 1992-February 1993), #54 (June 1993), #72 (December 1994), and "Secret Defenders" #25 (March 1995).

Agamotto appeared as part of the "Vishanti" entry in the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89" #8.

Fictional character biography

Together with Oshtur and Hoggoth, Agamotto is the one of the three eternal Vishanti and one of the most powerful mystical entities in the Marvel Universe. The Vishanti bestow mystical knowledge and power upon sorcerers who invoke their names in spells, and are the main backers of the current Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth's dimension, Doctor Strange. Little more is known about Agamotto than his fellow Vishanti members. He is known to have existed before the creation of the Earth and to have power enough, at least when in his realm, to battle Galactus directly.

By some accounts Agamotto was the first Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth's dimension. This likely means that Agamotto helped to protect the Earth from evil before a native Sorcerer Supreme could be established. It is likely due to this that Agamotto chose to donate many articles of his power to the Marvel universe's Sorcerer Supreme, as he felt a special connection to that reality. Among these items are at least two versions of the Eye of Agamotto, the Orb of Agamotto and the Book of the Vishanti.

Agamotto himself is called "the All-Seeing," and has apparently spent his long life observing events throughout the multiverse from the dimension in which he resides. He has been known to express partial apathy at any one universes' destruction as each is just one of the many universes that he likes to follow. Often this type of behaviour is part of an act he puts on: he has pretended to be indifferent or even hostile to Strange before just to teach or motivate him. The Vishanti feel responsible for the safety of every universe, but on at least one occasion the other Vishanti interfered, because they felt that Agamotto was being selfish. At other times, Agamotto chose to warn Strange, even though the other Vishanti felt that he had betrayed them.

Agamotto is a non-corporeal entity, that was born from Oshtur sometime millions of years ago, that can take on any form. Often while appearing on Earth he takes the form of the head of a cat-like being. On one of these occasions Agamotto resembled a lion, while on another he appeared as a tiger. When Doctor Stephen Strange has visited Agamotto's own dimension, Agamotto has appeared to him as a gigantic caterpillar. Agamotto explained to Strange that that he had made himself an image from Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" that he had seen in Strange's mind. When appearing as the caterpillar, Agamotto usually acts informal, even glib to others, while as part of the Vishanti he takes on a more serious and formal persona.

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Agamotto Agamotto bio on Marvel Entertainment character bio wiki]