#ComicBytes: Five Marvel superheroes of Indian origin
If there is one thing we share across the world, it is our love for superheroes. They represent the best in us and we take pride in them. We take pride in our origins too and to see our identity represented in superheroes is incredible. While the comic world is filled with superheroes, they are mostly white. However, here are Marvel's five Indian superheroes.
Dinesh Deol already had every Indian's favorite job as an engineer. However, when affected by the Terrigen Mist Cloud from Terrigen Bomb, he gained the powers of seeing and psionically controlling the electromagnetic spectrum, thanks to his Inhuman heritage. With a superhero name of Grid, this Mumbai boy can also interact with computers and act as an energy conduit and emit electromagnetic blasts.
The comic series ran for four issues and started in India before going global. It imagines Spider-Man in an Indian setting. Pavitr Prabhakar is the desi Peter Parker, a poor village boy who moves to Mumbai to study on a half scholarship. The comics explore how a yogi gave him powers of a spider and Pavitr's Spider-Man reappears in the mainstream Spider-Verse comics.
Raz Malhotra was born to Indian parents in Denver, Colorado. His work on Artificial Intelligence drew the attention of Ant-Man villain, Egghead who wanted his knowledge to make villainous AI copies of the Avengers. Scott Lang and Hank Pym saved Raz from this encounter and Lang gave Raz a Giant-Man suit, thus starting his career as a superhero, who later worked with the Ultimates.
Indians really are smart people going by these comic characters. Shakti Haddad or Cerebra fled India after disagreeing with her father's malevolent genetic experiments. She helped set up the new version of the X-Men. The gifted mutant can detect and sense mutants if they are nearby through telepathy. Her control over minds allows her to manipulate nervous systems as well, paralyzing or stunning people.
Born to wealthy parents in Panchajana, outside Mumbai, Paras Gavaskar was taught Jain Dharma and to not harm living beings. Once his mutant powers manifested, he joined the Xavier Institute under the codename Indra. Initially, his power included an extremely durable exoskeleton, but once he lost them temporarily, he developed psionic powers. He gained Hindu styled levitating weapons and armor like knives, swords, axes.
