Religion and Characters in
Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982):
“A Gathering of Heroes!”
by Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo, Steven Grant, John Romita Jr., Pablo Marcos

131 characters in this story:

Character (Click links for info about character and his/her religious practice, affiliation, etc.)	Religious Affiliation	Team(s) [Notes]	Pub.	# app.
The Unknown (lead character)	cosmic entity	[embodies death/mortality]		587
The Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast) (lead character)	quasi-cosmic entity w/ personal obsession	Elders of the Universe		71
Spider-Man (Peter Parker)	Protestant	Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends; Secret Defenders  Avengers; New Avengers; Weapon X (Exiles)		9,358
Captain America (Steve Rogers)	Protestant	Weapon Plus; Invaders  Avengers; Secret Defenders; Redeemers; Ultimates; New Avengers		5,992
The Hulk (Bruce Banner)	Catholic (lapsed)	Avengers; Defenders  Hulkbusters; Pantheon; The Order; Ultimates; Secret Defenders; X-Saviours; Warbound; Weapon X (Exiles)		4,551
Iron Man (Tony Stark)	futurist; technophile; mostly secular; sometimes prays; Alcoholics Anonymous	Avengers; West Coast Avengers  Force Works; Illuminati; Ultimates; New Avengers; Mighty Avengers; Weapon X (Exiles)		5,673
Thor (Donald Blake)	Norse/Teutonic deity	Avengers; Thor Corps  Ultimates; Cosmic Avengers [Norway]		4,362
Daredevil (Matt Murdock)	Catholic	Marvel Knights; Weapon X (Exiles)		1,801
The Sub-Mariner (Namor)	Atlantean Greco-Roman classical religion	Invaders; All-Winners Squad  Defenders; Avengers; The Order; Illuminati; Dark X-Men; X-Men [Atlantis]		1,864
Doctor Strange (Dr. Stephen Strange)	occult	Defenders; Midnight Sons  The Order; Illuminati; Secret Defenders; New Avengers		1,687
Yellowjacket (Hank Pym)	atheist	Avengers; Defenders  West Coast Avengers; Secret Defenders; Commission on Superhuman Activities; Liberators; Mighty Avengers		1,543
The Thing (Ben Grimm)	Jewish	U.S. Air Force; Yancy Street Gang  West Coast Avengers; Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation; Fantastic Five		5,017
Human Torch (Johnny Storm)	Episcopalian	Fantastic Force; Fantastic Five		4,393
Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)	humanist; believes in God	Avengers; Illuminati  Fantastic Five		4,661
Invisible Girl (Susan Storm Richards)	Episcopalian	Avengers; Lady Liberators		4,069
Cyclops (Scott Summers)	Protestant; mutant supremacist	X-Men; X-Factor  Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; The Twelve (mutants); Summers Rebellion		2,604
The Beast (Hank McCoy)	Episcopalian	X-Men; Brotherhood of Mutants  Defenders; Avengers; X-Factor; Academy of Tomorrow; X-Club		5,233
Iceman (Bobby Drake)	Jewish Catholic	X-Men; Champions (of Los Angeles)  Defenders; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends; X-Factor; The Twelve (mutants); Secret Defenders		1,752
Angel (Warren Worthington III)	Episcopalian	X-Men; Defenders  Champions (of Los Angeles); X-Factor; Horsemen of Apocalypse; Secret Defenders; X-Saviours; Academy of Tomorrow; Renegades; X-Force; X-Club		1,741
Professor X (Charles Xavier)	religious	X-Men (founder); Brotherhood of Mutants  The Twelve (mutants); Genoshan Excalibur (founder); Illuminati		4,318
Wolverine (James Howlett / Logan)	raised Protestant; sometimes atheist; has practiced Buddhism; skeptical seeker	First Flight; Weapon Plus  Weapon X; Team X; Alpha Flight; X-Men; Secret Defenders; X-Treme Sanctions Executive; New Avengers; Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; X-Force [Canada]		8,823
Storm (Ororo Munroe)	Goddess worship	X-Men; Morlocks  The Twelve (mutants); X-Saviours; X-Treme Sanctions Executive; Lady Liberators; Weapon X (Exiles)		5,068
Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)	Catholic (raised Gypsy/Roma)	X-Men; Excalibur  X-Treme Sanctions Executive; Neyaphem [Germany]		3,788
Colossus (Peter Rasputin)	Communist atheist (former)	X-Men; Acolytes  Excalibur; Weapon X (Exiles) [Russia; USSR]		4,122
Sprite (Kitty Pryde)	Jewish	X-Men; Excalibur  S.H.I.E.L.D.; Exiles		3,128
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)	Gypsy/Roma; ethnic half Jewish; sorceress	Brotherhood of Mutants; Avengers  West Coast Avengers; Force Works; Secret Defenders; Avengers (MC2); Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; Ultimates		1,624
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)	Gypsy/Roma; ethnic half Jewish; sometimes mutant supremacist	Brotherhood of Mutants; Avengers  X-Factor; West Coast Avengers; Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy; Ultimates; Mighty Avengers [Transia]		944
The Wasp (Janet van Dyne)	Dutch Reformed (nominal); atheist	Avengers; Lady Liberators  West Coast Avengers; Ultimates; Mighty Avengers		1,339
Hawkeye (Clint Barton)	Christian (denomination unknown)	Avengers; West Coast Avengers  Great Lakes Avengers; Thunderbolts; Ultimates; New Avengers		1,515
Black Panther (T'Challa)	African primal-indigenous religion; Black Panther Cult (leader)	Avengers; Fantastic Force		786
Wonder Man (Simon Williams)	religious	Avengers; West Coast Avengers  Force Works; Guardians of the Galaxy; Galactic Guardians; Mighty Avengers; Thunder Guard		788
Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)	Russian Orthodox Communist (lapsed)	Champions (of Los Angeles); Avengers  Marvel Knights; Ultimates; Lady Liberators; Mighty Avengers [Russia]		1,789
Falcon (Sam Wilson)	Baptist (lapsed)	Avengers; SHIELD Super-Agents		531
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)	Christian (medieval)	Avengers; Excalibur  Heroes for Hire		430
Vision	Catholic (temporary); synthezoid	Avengers; West Coast Avengers  Young Avengers; Avengers (MC2); Mighty Avengers; Weapon X (Exiles)		1,393
She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)	Christian (denomination unknown) - nominal	Avengers; Heroes for Hire  Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway; Hulkbusters (S.H.I.E.L.D.); Lady Liberators (leader); Weapon X (Exiles)		952
Tigra (Greer Grant)	mystically empowered	Avengers; West Coast Avengers  Lady Liberators; Counter Force		310
Moon Knight (Marc Spector)	Egyptian classical religion (raised Jewish)	U.S. Marines; CIA  West Coast Avengers; Marvel Knights		423
Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)	Anglican (nominal); mystical	Excalibur [England]		365
Ant-Man (Scott Lang)	repentant	Heroes for Hire; Avengers  Avengers (MC2); Thunder Guard		120
Luke Cage	Christian (denomination unknown)	Heroes for Hire; Defenders  Marvel Knights; New Avengers [formerly owned a bar and theater]		951
Iron Fist (Danny Rand)	Tibetan (K'un L'un) Buddhism	Heroes for Hire; Secret Defenders  New Avengers		672
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)	Zenn-La religion	Heralds of Galactus; Defenders  The Order; Star Masters; Secret Defenders		826
Havok (Alex Summers)	Catholic (lapsed)	X-Men; X-Factor  Magistrates; Dark Descendants; Brotherhood of Mutants; Academy of Tomorrow; Starjammers [studied geophysics in college]		592
Arabian Knight (Abdul Qamar)	Sunni Muslim (Bedouin)	The Pantheon; Desert Sword [Saudi Arabia]		30
Hercules	Greco-Roman classical religion	Avengers; Champions (of Los Angeles)  Heroes for Hire; Renegades; Mighty Avengers [Greece]		1,029
Doc Samson (Dr. Leonard Samson)	Jewish	Initiative		304
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)	Wundagorian Transhumanism (raised); HYDRA (former)	HYDRA; S.H.I.E.L.D.  Avengers; Heroes for Hire; Secret Defenders; New Avengers; Lady Liberators [England]		353
Mockingbird (Bobbi Morse)		S.H.I.E.L.D.; West Coast Avengers  Great Lakes Avengers; New Avengers [Hawkeye's wife]		293
Dazzler (Alison Blaire)	singing	X-Men; Excalibur  Academy of Tomorrow		447
Guardian (James MacDonald Hudson)		Alpha Flight [Canada]		131
Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen)	Native American shamanism (Sarcee)	Alpha Flight		187
Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)	Catholic; LGBT; Quebecois separatist terrorist (former)	Alpha Flight; Secret Defenders  X-Men; Academy of Tomorrow [Canada. skier]		284
Aurora (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier)	Catholic nun	Alpha Flight; Weapon X  X-Men [Canada]		211
Sasquatch (Dr. Walter Langkowski)	Jewish	Alpha Flight; Omega Flight [Canada]		327
Snowbird (Narya)	Inuit demi-goddess	First Flight; Alpha Flight [Canada]		115
Gypsy Moth (Sybil Dvorak)	Hedonist cult (leader); Gypsy/Roma (raised)	Femizons; Night Shift  Masters of Evil; Thunderbolts; Initiative: Women Warriors [Romania]		35
Paladin		Heroes for Hire; Wild Pack  Intruders; Outlaws; Thunderbolts		136
Namorita (Nita Prentiss)	Atlantean Greco-Roman classical religion	Defenders; New Warriors  Secret Defenders		305
Machine Man (Aaron Stack)	N.A.	Avengers; Heavy Metal  Midnight Wreckers; West Coast Avengers; Nextwave; Operation: Lightning Storm		174
Multiple Man (Jamie Madrox)	Episcopalian; Buddhist	Fallen Angels; X-Factor  X-Corporation; X-Corps; X-Factor Investigations; Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy		257
Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm)	Vodoun houngan	Heroes for Hire; Howling Commandos [Haiti]		110
Polaris (Lorna Dane)	Jewish Catholic	X-Men; X-Factor  Acolytes; The Twelve (mutants); Horsemen of Apocalypse; Academy of Tomorrow; Starjammers [studied geophysics in college]		464
Son of Satan (Daimon Hellstrom)	Catholic (former priest)	Defenders; Howling Commandos		207
Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)	Norse/Teutonic paganism (Asgardian)	Defenders; Lady Liberators [former Chooser of the Slain]		325
Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond)		Squadron Sinister; Squadron Supreme  Defenders; Thunderbolts; Redeemers; Secret Avengers; Redeemers (Earth-712)		361
Hellcat (Patsy Walker)		Defenders; Avengers  Legion of Unliving; Lady Liberators		639
Devil-Slayer (Eric Simon Payne)	Cult of the Harvester of Eyes (former)	Defenders		44
Moondragon (Heather Douglas)	Titanian priestess	Defenders; Avengers  Infinity Watch [raised by Shao-Lom monks on Titan]		335
Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)	Buddhist (disciple of Vishnu Dass); occult	Defenders		125
Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon)	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans  Illuminati [Attilan]		505
Medusa (Medusalith Boltagon)	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans  Frightful Four; Lady Liberators [Attilan]		416
Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin Maximoff)	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans  Avengers [Attilan]		531
Gorgon	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans [Attilan]		317
Karnak	Inhuman religion (priest)	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans [Attilan]		299
Triton	Inhuman religion	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans [Attilan]		278
Lockjaw	N.A.	Inhuman Royal Family; Inhumans  Pet Avengers [Attilan. teleporting dog; escort to Inhumans Royal Family]		257
Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder)		[England; Savage Land]		315
Shanna the She-Devil (Shanna O'Hara Plunder)		[Zaire; Savage Land]		158
Zabu	N.A.	Pet Avengers [Savage Land. sabretooth tiger]		163
Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida)	Shinto	X-Men; Big Hero 6  Horsemen of Apocalypse; The Twelve (mutants); C-Corps; X-Corporation; Marauders; Pacific Overlords [Japan]		259
Sabra (Ruth Bat-Seraph)	Jewish	X-Corporation [Israel]		59
Doctor Druid (Anthony Ludgate)	Druidism (plus Tibetan Buddhism)	Monster Hunters; Avengers  Shock Troop (leader); Secret Defenders (leader) [England]		151
Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)	atheist	S.H.I.E.L.D.; SHIELD Super-Agents  Avengers; Protectors of the Universe; Star Masters		317
Jocasta	N.A.	Avengers; Initiative: Mavericks  Mighty Avengers		142
Stingray (Walter Newell)		Avengers; Defenders  Initiative; Initiative: Point Men (leader)		124
Firebird (Bonita Juarez)	Catholic	Rangers; West Coast Avengers		84
Hero	Eternals religion	Eternals; Avengers		51
Jack of Hearts (Jonathan Hart)		Defenders; Avengers		144
Captain Universe	cosmic entity	[manifestation of Uni-Power, a portion of the Enigma Force]		77
Werewolf By Night (Jack Russell)		Night Shift; Howling Commandos [Romania; USA]		273
The Living Mummy (N'Kantu)	African primal-indigenous religion (Swarili)	Shock Troop; Howling Commandos [Africa]		40
Shroud (Maxillian Quincy Coleridge)	Hindu (Cult of Kali)	Night Shift		70
ROM		Spaceknights		98
3-D Man (Chuck and Hal Chandler)		Avengers (1950s) [test pilot]		19
Torpedo (Brock Jones)		[Stivak's successor]		33
Guardsman (Michael O'Brien)		Project: Pegasus; Vault Guardsmen  Avengers (staff)		65
Whizzer (Bob Frank)		Liberty Legion; Invaders  All-Winners Squad; Avengers; V-Battalion; Penance Council		108
Captain Ultra (Griffin Gogol)		Defenders; Initiative: Nebraska team		30
Ikaris	Eternals religion	Eternals; New Breed  Star Masters; Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation [USSR]		103
Sersi	Eternals religion; Hedonist	Eternals; Avengers [Greece]		229
Ajak	Eternals religion; worshipped by Aztecs and Incans	Eternals [servant of Celestials]		31
Makkari	Eternals religion	Eternals; First Line  Monster Hunters		111
Thena (Azura)	Eternals religion	Eternals; Heroes for Hire  The New Breed [Greece]		87
Karkas	Deviant religion; Eternals religion	Eternals [Lemuria]		9
Night Rider (Carter Slade)		[1st app: Ghost Rider #1 (Feb. 1967)]		22
Texas Twister (Drew Daniels)		Rangers; SHIELD Super-Agents  Thunderbolts Army		38
Red Wolf (Will Talltrees)	Native American spirituality (Cherokee)	Rangers		34
Titanis	Eternals religion	Eternals [Greece]		3
Ransak the Reject (Ransak)	Deviant religion (raised); Eternals religion	Eternals (ally); New Breed  Delta Force [Lemuria]		17
Collective Man (Han, Chang, Lin, Sun and Ho Tao-Yu)	Maoist Communist	3-Peace; 198  The People's Defense Force [China]		26
Le Peregrine (Alaine Racine)		[France]		19
American Eagle (Jason Strongbow)	Navajo traditional religion (tribal leader)			27
Shamrock (Molly Fitzgerald)	Catholic	[ 1st app: Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982) ]		13
Blitzkrieg (Franz Mittelstaedt)		Schutz Heiligruppe [Germany]		11
Talisman	Australian Aboriginal religion	[Australia]		7
Defensor (Gabriel Sepulveda)		[Argentina]		5
El Aguila (Alejandro Montoya)	Catholic	[Spain]		16
Red Ghost (Ivan Kragoff)	Marxist Communist	Super-Apes (leader); Frightful Four [Russia]		95
Aquarian (Wundarr)	Water Children (leader, prophet)	[Wundarr's origin is a parody of Superman's origin.]		30
Blue Shield (Joe Cartelli)		Project: PEGASUS		21
Razorback (Buford Hollis)		NASA [from Arkansas; based at Starstop]		23
Tamara Rahn	alien	[1st app: Sub-Mariner (vol. 1) #58]		10
Vanguard (Nikolai Krylenko)	Communist	Soviet Super-Soldiers; People's Protectorate  Winter Guard; Siberforce; Exiles (Russian) [USSR; Belarus]		56
Ursa Major (Mikhail Uriokovitch Ursus)	Communist (former)	Winter Guard; People's Protectorate  Soviet Super-Soldiers; Siberforce; Exiles (Russian) [USSR; Russia]		45
Crimson Dynamo (Dimitri Bukharin)	Communist	KGB; Soviet Super-Soldiers  People's Protectorate [Russia]		36
Darkstar (Laynia Petrovna)	Communist Party member; Christian (denomination unknown)	Soviet Super-Soldiers; Exiles (Russian)  Champions (of Los Angeles); People's Protectorate; Siberforce; Winter Guard; X-Corporation; Republican Guard [USSR; Belarus]		116
Stan Lee (cameo)	Jewish	[principal Marvel Comics creator]		258
The Collector (Taneleer Tivan) (cameo)	quasi-cosmic entity w/ personal obsession	Elders of the Universe		80
Korvac (Michael Korvac) (cameo)		Prime Mover's minions; Intimidators (leader) [born 2977 A.D.; would-be universal conqueror]		17
Xaphan (1-panel cameo)  Not officially named, but referred to by later archivist as "Xaphan."	demon/fallen angel			1

This story was indexed from secondary sources only. The character list above is not necessarily comprehensive. Webpage for Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982) created 8 December 2009. Last modified 25 April 2013.
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