I’ve discussed this topic elsewhere and with my firend and fellow Comicviner HrdwrkngXsoldier quite a bit, but I thought maybe I’d revisit the topic here in this blog and see what kind of a response it gets.

In Incredible Hercules 138, during the Assault on New Olympus story arc, something US Agent said caught my eye. At first it just made me chuckle and give a little fist pump but after reading it over again later it really got my mind rolling on the subject.
The exact quote was:

“I don’t see how you (Hercules), the chick in the breast plate (Athena), or the kid in the cape (Zeus) are different than any other super human.

“I don’t believe you’re Gods any more than I believe Pym is the god of shrinking or Spidey is the god of wisecracks.

“Maybe Greeks did worship you in old-timey times, but that was a tragic mistake. There’s only one God, and he ain’t any of you – or Hera and her band of jokers for that matter.”

Pretty deep stuff coming from US Agent.

It was actually Athena’s response to him that really got the ball rolling for me and how I looked at Marvel Super Humans:

“Many in fact contend you “Marvels” have usurped the primary function of Myth… The latest manifestations of Eternal Cycles of Belief.”

Athena goes on to compare current heroes to gods of other Pantheons. She compares Spider-Woman to the Hindu God Kali, a hunter of shape shifting demons, alluding to her quest to find and kill the Skrull infiltrators for what they did to her prior to the events of Secret Invasion. She compares Spider-Man to the African/Carribean God Anansi, a trickster story teller spider god, alluding to Spidey’s connection to Anansi via the Totem storyline, which was unmade by One More Day, but is still considered canon. Finally she compares Wolverine to Cernunnos, a feral three clawed Celtic God, although Wolverine is decidedly lacking in antlers which Cernunnos posessed.

As my mind began to start down the path those two pages laid out I started to consider the nature of Gods, both in the MU and in Myth.

In myth Gods normally have a substance they consume or an object which grants them their powers and immortality. Routinely a mortal is able to kill a god or a god is tricked into giving up their immortality or powers. For example, in both myth and the MU Thor’s powers are gained from mythological items, his power over lightning and flight from Mjollnir and his immortality from the Golden Apples of the Tree of Life, the latter he must consume periodicly to maintain his immortality as do all of the gods of the Norse Pantheon. Although the myths differ from the MU version of Thor in that his immense strength comes from an enchanted belt, which does show up in the MU but differs in that in the myths Thor must wear it and a pair of Iron Gloves to even be capable of weilding Mjollnir where as MU Thor already posesses the great strength that makes it possible and does not require gloves, only that the wielder must be found worthy of the feat.

The same idea pops up in Greek and Roman Mythology, the Gods must routinely consume Ambrosia to maintain their immortality and mythological objects grant the gods their extra ordinary powers, i.e. Hermes’ winged sandles granting him his flight and incredible speed.

So, keeping that in mind, how does that make them different than allot of modern Marvels?

Is it their immortality? Mr. Immortal is evolved beyond death and has been shown alive at the end of time. Deadpool was cursed by Thanos to never die. That's a bit more than the Gods can claim as we've seen a whole heck of allot of recently. Selene and Apocolypse are both immortal mutants, who if left unchecked would live forever.

The latter two have in fact been worshiped as gods throughout history even though they’re both considered merely mutants in current continuity.  So why consider Gods Gods?  Why wouldn't we consider them merely Super Beings?

Is it their great powers? Take away MU Thor’s hammer and does he not just revert into a man, well he used to, we don't know if that weakness still applies in his new incarnation? How about Sentry. He was a junkie that was looking for a fix and stumbled upon the solution that granted him his “God Like Powers”. When faced with a “God”, in the form of Ares, he shreded him like he was made of paper mache. Wouldn’t Sentry qualify as a “God” if power was a prerequisite?
Another example of a being with God like powers manipulating the gods of the MU would be the Beyonder. He was able to snag Thor and Enchantress and manipulate them to his own ends and displayed power far beyond what they posess.

The more I thought about the subject the more I started to grasp what Pak and Van Lente were hinting at. US Agent was right. The “Gods” in the Marvel Universe are merely extremely long lived Super Beings, what made them Gods was the power of belief. Their followers both in history and in current continuity are all that makes them gods. Yes they posess vast powers, yes they’re immortal after a fasion, but they do not control the Universe. They may have infact helped create the world as the myths say, but the Universe/Existance is entirely another matter.

For all we know the Gods of the MU could be the result of tinkering by the Celestials who just did it out of profound boredome and wanted to see what the human reaction/evolution would be to beings of such immense power.

No, it was the belief by their followers that elevated them to that level. Humanity once believed that the beings I’m discussing in this blog were real. They worshiped and did what they thought was these gods’ will. They slaughtered other cultures in the Gods names. They sacrificed their loved ones in order to gain their favor. It was that belief that made them Gods. Whether they were real or not, it was that conviction that gave them power over their followers. The only difference is that in the Marvel Universe those beings were and continue to be real. And they continue to call themselves gods despite being worshiped by very few followers in the current MU. If you take away their followers in the MU they continue to exist as very powerful beings, but the lack of belief that they are gods eliminates that title like it did to Apocolypse?

A prime example of the power of belief in the Marvel Universe is Adam Warlock/the Magus and his relationship with the Universal Church of Truth.  All the followers have to do is believe that Adam Warlock is their Messiah and they feed the Church nearly limitless power to manipulate the Universe.  Even their mightiest warriors have only to believe that their cause is just and right in the name of the Church and they become beings of incredible power.

As far as the actual one god of the MU that US Agent is refering to only one being fits the traditional description of God, all seeing, all knowing, all powerful. That would be One-Above-All. I’ve heard people that make arguments towards Eternity, but he was shown suseptible to the powers of the Infinity Gauntlet when wielded by Thanos. The Living Tribunal while immune to the Gauntlet’s power and demonstating power beyond it is self-admittedly only an agent of One-Above-All.  The only real issue with One-Above-All being God is that very few individuals are actually aware of his presence.

By most accounts a different One Above All, the mightiest of the Celestials, is in fact what most monotheaistic religions consider God due to his direct hand in the history of man kind.

So Comicvine, what do you think about the question I've laid before you?  Is Divinity really Divine?  Or is it merely that the residents of the Marvel Universe give those beings power over them merely by believing that they are what they claim to be?

By what I've seen in the last couple of years the question of the nature of gods is very much up in the air.

It seems quite reasonalbe that  the gods of the MU are not in fact divine but rather separate races of super-beings whose natural abilities and lifespans are far superior to 
common mortals, but is now matched and even surpassed by many mortals.  Amongst the gods there are many traits all seem to share, many have a special or more than one  
special talent/ability/power not shared or far beyond the other gods.  This seems to set them apart (above) the common gods, much like superhumans are apart (above)

normal humans.  The gods do in general seem like races of superhumans far superior to mankind while the mightiest and most gifted amongst them have occupy a status 
above the common gods parallel the role of super-beings above normal people in the earthly realm.   
 
So, essentially, I agree with you.  But I tend to think that even the average/common god (Fandral, Hogan, etc.)  is generally on a level equal to a mid-power level super-being , and the top level gods far above nearly all super-beings (Hercules, Thor)  with some even matching or surpassing cosmic beings (Zeus, Odin).   
 
Thor #300 proved how the Earth-born gods stack up to the Celestials power-wise.  Odin animated the Destroyer armor with his lifeforce and proceeded to absorb the power and life- 
forces of all the other Asgardians except Thor (who was in exile).  He then took Asgards most fearsome weapon - the Oversword of Asgard - and challenged the entire fourth Celestial 
Host (9 Celestials total).  The Odinforce, the  cumulative power of all the Asgardians, the indestructible/irresistable Destroyer armor and the Oversword all combined to no avail. 
The Celestials effortlessly defeated Odin and disintegrated the Destroyer and the Oversword, humbling the Earthly gods without exertion.  The Celestials proved to be as far above 
Asgardians as the Asgardians wer above mortals.  I guess the old maxim that states " It doesn't matter how good you are, there's always someone better."  

@Fresh03:
I understand what you're saying.  I think that the gods of the MU may be called gods and regarded as gods by the people of the MU, but they're  
not actually deities thus not actually gods.  For that matter I would'nt categoerize anybody in the MU as an actual god (including Living Tribunal,  
Eternity, Etc.) becausethey owe their existence and power to yet another higher power(s) whom would presumably be far beyond these beings 
in power.

 
To my way of thinking, the worship of a being/beings is not enough to qualify for deification and though relevant as to whether someone is 
perceived as a god, it's irrelevant as to whether someone actually is a god.

 
I guess there may be just one God.  Maybe.

There's also the fact that many of Marvel's pantheons are related to Gaia (who is an Elder God; I just don't know if ALL or just a couple from each pantheon are desceded from her), so maybe Marvel's "godhood" is a genetic trait more than anything else.

@~The Wanderer~:  Precisely my point.  In stead of Gods perhaps they're merely a different race that's genetic trait lends to them being insanely powerful.  The Celestials messed with pretty much all life on Earth during their previous Hosts, who's to say that they didn't create that Species from early life like they did all of the variety of Inhumans, Mutants, and Superbeings that have shown up thus far.  I stand by my point that it's merely the fact that people look at these beings and saw something they couldn't explain and assumed that they were the divine as a way to rationalize what they were seeing.

@PowerHerc:
Exactly.  That's where One-Above-All comes in.  One-Above-All is generally considered and shown to be the creator of the characters and thus the one God that actually birthed them and controls all aspects of them. 
 

I'm trapped in the deepness of this thread.

"@~The Wanderer~:  Precisely my point.  In stead of Gods perhaps they're merely a different race that's genetic trait lends to them being insanely powerful.  The Celestials messed with pretty much all life on Earth during their previous Hosts, who's to say that they didn't create that Species from early life like they did all of the variety of Inhumans, Mutants, and Superbeings that have shown up thus far.  I stand by my point that it's merely the fact that people look at these beings and saw something they couldn't explain and assumed that they were the divine as a way to rationalize what they were seeing."

" i think its great they are trying to take the gods off their high horse "

@DEGRAAF said:

" i think its great they are trying to take the gods off their high horse "

I both agree and disagree. I think it's fine if they portray gods of dead religions as weaker than the original mythologies might indicate, but then I think they should officially explain them as being simply "super beings", "aliens", etc. Currently, Asgardians and Olympians are repeatedly referred to as "gods", which is a bit annoying when they have very little recent feats to back up their claim to divinity more than any other Marvel super being. "

They are Gods Because People Calls Them Gods.
Call Them tomatoes and they will be tomatoes
They are Just old Super Humans created by Celestials

" @DEGRAAF: Hmm, I hadn't exactly thought about that...but that's also possible. "

@D3athstroke:  
I agree, although not precisely on the Celestials thing.  As I've said that's what my suspicions have led me to believe is the case but it's never been said outright that the Celestials created the Gods. 

@~The Wanderer~:  
Yep, the Celestials did creat the Eternals and the Deviants, I believe during the First Host. 

@DEGRAAF:
Interesting.  That falls in line with the laws of conserving engergy.  Energy cannot be created or destroyed only transfered or transformed.  That would also explain why Dr. Strange was able to fix Mjolnnir using the Odin Force.  Hmmm....  That just got the ball rolling on a couple of more ideas.

"

@D3athstroke:  
I agree, although not precisely on the Celestials thing.  As I've said that's what my suspicions have led me to believe is the case but it's never been said outright that the Celestials created the Gods. 

@~The Wanderer~:  
Yep, the Celestials did creat the Eternals and the Deviants, I believe during the First Host. 

@DEGRAAF:
Interesting.  That falls in line with the laws of conserving engergy.  Energy cannot be created or destroyed only transfered or transformed.  That would also explain why Dr. Strange was able to fix Mjolnnir using the Odin Force.  Hmmm....  That just got the ball rolling on a couple of more ideas.

"

interesting.............I wouldn't be surprised if someone from Marvel saw this and made a story from it. I mean I've wondered myself why they are considered so high up on the chain when normal beings (or none God-like beings can challenge them). Above all of that when you factor in the higher beings on a galactic level they look even worse off. I honestly feel like if the heroes banded together they could take down the Gods, now why they would do it, I don't know but that would be one epic ass battle with Thor, Herc, and Ares on the front lines for the Gods against a united front of the most powerful beings.

Finally someone!!! I thik they are all just superhuman.

I kinda hate how they depower non abrahamic Gods in comics , sometimes its just downright sad on this view.

Well these beings existed for thousands of years, in most popular displays of ancient times humans are very fragile and easy to impress.  What I mean by this is if you could start fire from your hand in a time nobody else new about you could be considered a god in legend.  So these "beings" living on or near earths dimension being so powerful  thousands of years ago, are probably going to be considered gods.  I could see this being the reason for that God Reference in the MU, and the gods themselves just got big heads over it as there power grew.  After all the gods of myth were said to be arrogant, and somewhat petty....

They probably are aliens like earth X

How about this: what if the Gods are beings that the Celestials never touched?  Maybe contrary to all of our thinking, the Celestials first weakened humans so that they could not truly rise up against them but then planted the  "mutant seed" so that the humans would be useful enough, ignoring the fact that many mutants and super-humans might gain greater power than expected (sentry, molecule man, phoenix).  Following this logic, maybe the Olympians and the Asgardians were originally two groups that the Celestials missed and evolved on their own.

I think they might be aliens touch by the Celestials.

If I catch the jest of your arguement it is the gods are really just superpowered beings from another dimension who stumbled upon power sources that made them immortal.
 
I can see your reasoning with that and under other circumstances I would agree.  But I think writers at Marvel or at least some of them have drawn a difference between gods and other superpowered beings though not ever writer follows it:
 
1.  Roy Thomas created an origin for the gods unique from the Celestials or science.  The Elder gods were born from Earth's spiritual biosphere and after Atum killed most of them his released the cleaned godstuff into the sky.  Early humans' dreams and wonderings gave this godstuff shape into the gods of today.  Not ever writer strictly follows this and some stories contradict this, but it is the generally accepted origin.  In theory, anything made or empowered from this godstuff would be a god.
 
2.  The link between gods and their worshippers.  
If a superhuman like Captain America dies no matter how much people may belief or wish for his return barring outside circumstances that is not going to happen.  If a god dies and there is sufficent belief or knowledge of them that god can return.  In Thomas's story Gaea stated Asgard could have returned through this means, but belief had waned to a point where it was not possible.  JMS alluded to this enabling Thor's return in the relaunch.  Ajak the Eternal stated the link between the Skrull gods and their worshippers.  When Kly'bn died at about the same time Reed Richards became free.  I think that was Pak and Lente's way of trying to make a difference.  The Universal Truth found a way to scientifically harness the energy follows devote toward faith and have it affect reality, but I do not think this is the same thing.  The link is not there.
 
3.  Desak the Godhunter
Desak hunted gods by following a special energy unique to both alien and Earth gods.  He ignored other superpowered beings.  This implies there is something sets the gods apart from other superpowered beings.
 
4.  Various other comments.
Every once in a while you get a writer who is creative enough to give the gods that bit of difference.  Fraction had Tony recently notice Thor can talk in space without a radio or telepathic means and can't figure out how.  Paul Cornell had Nate Grey stated Ares was not just a super-strong being, but an embodiment of all war past, present and future.  There battle was shown to echo across time. 
 
5. Magic vs. Science
 The Eternals are creatures of science.  They have never called themselves gods even though they have at times been worshipped as gods.  As far as I know they have never disputed the claims of the Olympians or Asgardians to being gods.  To me this means they draw a difference between creations of science and magic.  Whatever the Olympians and Asgardians are they are of the classification of beings called "gods."  Kly'ben too drew a difference between his status as an Eternal and as a god. 
 
 
It is true most writers treat the gods as just super-powered beings.  It is true the fact they were once the most powerful guys around is often portrayed as where the "god" title comes from.  It is true that what determines a god largely comes down to a matter of personal belief and how one chooses to define a god.  The Korbonites regarded the Asgardians as aliens.  The Skrulls regarded them as gods.   It is true the title is something thrown out by a writer or character to try and increase how awesome they come across as.  I think that writers over time have drawn enough of a difference between gods and other superpowered beings.  In fantasy settings gods are not always the most powerful beings, highest powers, or creators of the universe.  In some "god" just refers to a specific classification of being. A classification the Asgardians and Olympians meet that other superpowered beings do not.

"4.  ...there very well may be a "God of War" who has every war that ever will be in his blood, but does that necessarily make them a god?  "

1 .  As I said before, Elder Gods are completely different beast, whether they are the creators of Earth or not is open to debate, even when the Celestials first host hit Earth is open to debate, the records are murky at best and the definitive book on them is merely semi-in canon at best.  Alternate futures are a bitch to figure out.
 
2.  Cap's body was dead, no ifs ands or buts about it, it was confirmed so many times it was ridiculous.  The Science Red Skull and Zola issued brought him back.
 
I actually don't disagree with the majority what you're saying, what I do disagree with is if the Gods are classified as such because their "Traits", that goes along with what I've been saying, what's to separate them from Mutants and Inhumans, those are separate species, possibly related to humans who are far beyond a baseline human.
 
The thing is though, what if Storm got her hands on a Golden Apple?  Would she be the Goddess of Weather because of that and her abilities?  Tribes in Africa still worship her as a goddess.  If that's all that separates them then all of the MU is capable of becoming a god of something, whether they were born to it or not.