MESOAMERICAN GODS

BIOGRAPHY

TEAM DATA

Aliases: Mayan Gods; Aztec Gods; Olmec Gods; Toltec Gods
Status: Active
Current Members: Azure, Balum, Coatlicue, Mixcoatl, Quetzalcoatl/Kukulkan, Tezcatlipoca I, Tezcatlipoca II, Tlaloc/Talaoc, Xolotl, Mictlantecuhtli,

OVERVIEW

The many Indian cultures that blossomed in Latin America before the advent of the Europeans – Maya, Toltec, Olmec, Aztec and others – worshipped gods under many different names. The domination of Christianity left many of these gods weak and dormant, but in recent times many of them have been awakened. And mere mortals have tried to pass themselves off as these divine beings and to usurp their powers.

MEMBERSHIP

Member	First Appearance	Joined	Status	Note
Ah Puch	Action Comics Weekly #613		Deceased?	Mayan god of death
Azure	Hawk and Dove Vol. 3 #2		Active	Would-be Aztec goddess of war; a mortal who usurped Huitzilopocthli's powers
Balum	Wonder Woman Annual Vol. 2 #4		Inactive	Olmec/Mayan jaguar god
Coatlicue	Secrets of Haunted House #4/2		Active	Aztec earth goddess
Feathered Serpent/Kukulkan	All-Star Squadron #5		Deceased	Would-be Olmec/Toltec/Mayan/Aztec god of fertility; Nazi agent who wore the vestments of Kukulkan
Huitzilopochtli	Hawk and Dove Vol. 3 #28		Deceased?	Aztec god of war; robbed of his powers by the mortal Azure
Mixcoatl	Superman: The Man of Steel #126		Active	Aztec god of war and hunting
Quetzalcoatl/Kukulkan	Secrets of Haunted House #4/2		Active	Olmec/Toltec/Mayan/Aztec god of fertility
Teotihuacan Spider Goddess	Supergirl Vol. 4 #71		Deceased	Totihuacan goddess of darkness
Tezcatlipoca I	Mythos: The Final Tour #1		Active	Toltec/Aztec god of darkness
Tezcatlipoca II	Green Arrow Vol. 2 #102		Active	Supervillain
Tlaloc/Talaoc	Secrets of Haunted House #4/2		Active	Mayan/Toltec/Aztec god of war, fire, agriculture
Xolotl	52 #21		Active	Toltec/Aztec god of fire and lightning; guardian of the sun and the underworld
Mictlantecuhtli	John Constantine: Hellblazer: All His Engines		Active	The supreme Aztec god of death; ruler of the underworld

HISTORY

Most of the ancient gods who were once worshipped in what today is known as Latin America, are today forgotten and powerless, the lack of worship forcing them into dormancy. The Mesoamerican peoples often adopted the cultures and the religions of their neighbors, making any division into distinctive tribes, cultures and pantheons difficult and unclear. Quetzalcoatl, for example, was worshipped by Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans and Aztecs alike, while gods like Ah Puch were worshipped strictly by the Mayans.

The Olmecs were the first culturally advanced Indian tribe on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), and had their golden age from 1,200 BC to 400 BC. Among the more prominent gods was the Feathered Serpent, whose cult would become wide-spread and very popular among all Indian cultures. The Olmecs also worshipped a hybrid between a jaguar and a man. Their religion included human sacrifice, an ugly habit which was passed on to other Indian tribes. The final fate of the Olmecs is unknown, but they were most likely absorbed by the growing Maya population, which mirrors much of Olmec culture and religion. In modern times, Wonder Woman's friend Professor Julia Kapatelis took part in the excavation of the ancient Maya city Tzichilan, which suggested that the Mayans had adopted the Olmec jaguar god and the feathered serpent as early as 500 BC, calling them Balum and Kukulkan, respectively.

At its peak (250-950 AD), the Mayan empire covered most of present-day southern Mexico as well as parts of Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador. Around 900 AD, the Maya empire started to crumble for unknown reasons, and many of the big cities were abandoned. The land was divided between the few remaining city states, but the Maya culture would remain a power to be reckoned with until the advent of Cortez in 1519, when the Mayan lack of unified defenses ultimately led to the downfall of all ancient Indian cultures.

The weakened state of the Mayan empire back in the 10th century made the people open for influences from other tribes, this time from the Toltecs, a militant culture which had its peak 900-1200 AD. One of the Mayan cities the Toltecs took by force was Chichen Itza, where Ah Puch – ruler of the Mayan underworld – was worshipped. The Toltec influence resulted in a religion which put greater emphasis on human sacrifices to fertility gods such as the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl/Kukulkan and death gods such as Ah Puch. For a while, Quetzalcoatl took human form and lived with the Toltecs after having defeated the human vessel of his brother Tezcatlipoca.

Quetzalcoatl was also worshipped by the Aztecs, founders of the greatest of the Mesoamerican empires. They also worshipped the war god Huitzilopocthli, the dark god Tezcatlipoca and the fire god Xolotl – the savage brothers of Quetzalcoatl. Originally a northern tribe who labored for and served other Indian empires, the Aztecs absorbed knowledge and wealth until they overthrew their masters and took power. From 1300 to 1521, the militant Aztec civilization flourished and expanded under emperors such as Moctezuma I and II.

The worship of Quetzalcoatl would eventually prove to be the undoing of all peoples who subscribed to the faith that the Feathered Serpent would one day return to his children from across the sea in the form of a blond, bearded man. When the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortez landed on the shores of the Yucatan in 1519, he met with very little resistance. In fact, he was revered as Quetzalcoatl reincarnated. Taking advantage of their beliefs, Cortez conquered and enslaved the Aztecs and the Mayans in less than three years.

Not sensing Cortez’ treacherous nature until it was too late, Moctezuma II hid the sacred vestments of Quetzalcoatl/Kukulkan in an abandoned Mayan pyramid in the jungle. This armor made its wearer practically a demi-god; bestowing upon him superhuman strength, flight and the ability to speak all Indian languages – powers which might have come in handy for conquering other tribes. The armor would rest undisturbed for centuries, until World War II, when it was donned by the Nazi agent Kukulkan, the Feathered Serpent. Earlier, the mysterious Q-Society had taken care of Quetzalcoatl’s helmet, grooming human vessels for the god's return (see Aztek).

In modern times, several of the Mesoamerican gods have reawakened. Wonder Woman has confronted Balum, while the Phantom Stranger put a revived Ah Puch to rest. Azure has usurped Huitzilopocthli's role as Aztec god of war, while Tezcatlipoca returned to end the world... but changed his mind! Coatlicue sought to end her pains by partaking in the same scheme as Tezcatlipoca. Quetzalcoatl has also awakened to face both Superman and Supergirl. Quetzalcoatl's father Mixcoatl recently banded together with the Zoroastrian god Ahriman to form a faux version of the Interfaith Deity Council of Active Polytheistics (I.D.C.A.P.).

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Mesoamerican Gods in chronological order click here