Shaman (Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a member of Alpha Flight.
Publication history
Shaman was created by John Byrne and first appeared in Uncanny X-Men in the 120th issue of the comic in April 1979.
Fictional character biography
Michael Twoyoungmen is from Calgary, Alberta and is a member of Canada's First Nations (specifically the Tsuu T'ina).
His grandfather, elderly and near death, asks him to become his mystical apprentice. Twoyoungmen, not believing in magic, refuses. At around the same time, his wife Kathryn Twoyoungmen becomes terminally ill. Twoyoungmen desperately seeks a cure but, despite promising his daughter Elizabeth he would find one, Kathryn dies; his grandfather passes away on the very same day.
Grief-stricken, Twoyoungmen secludes himself in a cabin in Banff National Park, leaving Elizabeth to be raised by family friends the McNeils (whose daughter Heather will one day become Alpha Flight leader Vindicator). Twoyoungmen's failure to save Kathryn kindles a deep-seated resentment and anger in Elizabeth. In his cabin, Twoyoungmen receives the skull of his grandfather and experiences a vision of the man. Twoyoungmen studies Sarcee magic, eventually becoming strong enough in his beliefs to draw mystical items from his enchanted medicine bag at will. He adopts the title and regalia of a shaman.
Several years later, Shaman assists in the birth of Snowbird, the product of a mystical union between a human and the Inuit goddess Nelvanna. Shaman casts spells to bind Snowbird to the Earthly realm. He raises her and she ages rapidly, stabilizing several weeks later at an apparent physical age of someone in their 20s. Seeking superhuman agents to join Alpha Flight, Heather and her husband James Hudson (aka Alpha Flight founder Guardian) visit Shaman and recruit both him and Snowbird.
A few years after Shaman joins Alpha Flight, his daughter Elizabeth discovers a skull at an archeological site and experiences a vision of Ranaq the Devourer, one of the Great Beasts. She summons her father— who she knows is Shaman despite his use of spells to conceal his identity—to examine the skull. The two then meet Lucas Strang and his great-granddaughter Emily. Emily is possessed by Ranaq and attempts to destroy Elizabeth, but instead activates her latent mystical powers, allowing Elizabeth to defeat the possessed woman. Shaman has Elizabeth reach into his medicine bag and withdraw the Coronet of Enchantment, a mystical circlet which she dons to become Talisman, a prophesied person of great mystical power. Shaman does not tell Talisman that the Coronet, once donned, cannot be removed without causing her intense agony. Shortly thereafter, Talisman is trapped in the pocket dimension contained within Shaman's medicine bag despite his promise that he will save her. Although she is later rescued by the Beyonder, this newest failed promise turns her resentment of Shaman into hatred.
Shaman's failure to save his daughter leads to a crisis of faith and Shaman is unable to draw mystical items from his medicine bag. Shaman embarks on a vision quest and learns anew the secrets of mysticism from the spirit of his grandfather. Shaman gains the power to beseech nature spirits for aid, although he can not command them as Elizabeth does. He also receives a staff and an eagle helm, which can transform into a familiar spirit.