Shuma-Gorath

Shuma-Gorath is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard, best known for its later interpretations as a demonic enemy of Doctor Strange in Marvel Comics publications. It is also well-known for being an unconventional playable character in the Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom video games.

The name "Shuma Gorath" is first used in a "Kull" short story "The Curse of the Golden Skull," which was unpublished until 1967, years after the author's death. In it, a dying magician named Rotath invokes the "iron-bound books of Shuma Gorath" in a curse against humanity.

Its first comic-book appearance was as an adversary for Doctor Strange in the pages of Marvel Premiere #3-9 (July 1972-July 1973) This re-imagining of the character resembled a giant purple eye with tentacles. In most subsequent appearances the color of the creature was changed from purple to green. Like Cthulhu, it was a giant tentacled creature which evoked terrible dread and was worshipped in time immemorial and long ago locked away from our plane of existence.

The character subsequently appears in Marvel Premiere #14 (March 1974), Doctor Strange #81 (February 1987), Strange Tales Vol. 2 #4-15 (April 1987-April 1988), Fantastic Four #314 (May 1988), Conan the Barbarian #252 (January 1992), #258-260 (July-September 1992), Fantastic Four Annual #27, Avengers #29 (June 1990), and Marvel Knights #26-27 (March-April 2006).