| THE BULL OF HEAVEN | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Tony DeZuniga |
PERSONAL DATA
Identity: The general public believes the Bull of Heaven to be a figment of myth
Occupation: Personification of famine
Status: Deceased
Base of Operation: Currently unknown; formerly Dilmun
Group Affiliation(s): The Mesopotamian Gods
Gender: Male
Height: Unknown, but bigger than the average bull
Weight: Unknown
Eyes: Red
Hair: Reddish brown
First Appearance: Arak, Son of Thunder #42 (March 1985)
Creators: Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Tony DeZuniga
OVERVIEW
The Bull of Heaven was the personification of famine set loose in ancient Uruk by the spurned goddess Ishtar as a way to get back at Gilgamesh. When Gilgamesh killed the bull, Ishtar retaliated by killing his companion Enkidu. Centuries later, a resurrected Bull of Heaven was killed by Arak Red-Hand.
HISTORY
When Gilgamesh spurned the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, she persuaded Anu to set loose the Bull of Heaven, the personification of famine, upon the land of Gilgamesh’s unsuspecting subjects. The Bull of Heaven wreaked havoc upon Uruk, leaving famine and drought in its wake. When Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu killed the bull, Ishtar retaliated by having Enkidu killed.
In the 9th century, Arak Red-Hand, adventurer and shaman, encountered the resurrected Bull of Heaven on a remote island ruled by the sorceress Angelica. Upon seeing his beloved Valda served up as a sacrifice for the bull in a giant arena, Arak leapt into action and killed the bull with the help of his satyr companion Satyricus – a suiting parallel to Gilgamesh and Enkidu thousands of years earlier. As a result, the earth opened up and swallowed Arak’s friends, sending him on a quest to the Babylonian underworld, not unlike the one Gilgamesh had undertaken before him.
POWERS AND WEAPONS
Somehow, the Bull of Heaven was able to leave drought and famine in his wake.
The Bull of Heaven was bigger and stronger than any ordinary bull. He was also relatively impervious to bodily harm, but not unstoppable. His intelligence was limited, probably on par with, or slightly above, that of the average bull.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of The Bull of Heaven in chronological order click here