Tibet

Ancient History[]

The Himalayas became home to an early hominid which would later be known as the Yeti. They survived in this region for millions of years.^{[2][citation needed]} Humans began settling in the region thousands of years ago.

Hyborian Age: Meru[]

During the Hyborian Age, Meru was a little-known kingdom set south of the Talakma Mountains and north of the Himelians. The kingdom was ruled by a god-king, or rimpoche. On the shores of the lake Sumeru Tso stood the Seven Sacred Cities, and the capital was Shamballah.

A legend stated that if the people defied the rule of the shamans, the land would rise to the height of mountains and become a cold wasteland. It is considered evident that an event of the sort actually happened, giving rise to the modern-day Tibet.^[1]

Kamar-Taj[]

One group of humans founded Kamar-Taj, an isolated community in the Himalayas near what is now Tibet. Kamar-Taj has long been home to sorcerers and mystics. It is the main home of the Ancient One and the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth.^[3] and the fabled Shangri-La.^[4] According to Lemi Tell, the 20th Century ruler of Shangri-La, the Vision once was ruler of their realm for centuries;^[4] however, this is in direct contradiction to the fact that the Vision did not first appear on Earth until 1940.^[5]

The Himalayas is also a nexus for a couple of dimensions such as the mystic portal which connects to K'un-Lun,^[6] and the portal to the realm of Kalahia.^[7]

Early 20th Century[]

1939[]

In 1939, the Smithsonian Institution sent Jane Framan to seek out the Temple of Alano, found during an earlier expedition led by Dr. Larkin.^[8]

1940[]

In 1940, Tibet was visited by explorer Robert Harrison. He was injected with a formula by his guide Singa that transformed him into a werewolf, before bringing him back to the United States.^[9]

Tibet was also visited by Bill Waring who came learn chemistry as part of his training that saw him become the costumed hero known as the Challenger.^[10] In 1943, Imperial Japanese forces located the hidden city of Shangri-La in the Himalayas Mountains. There they attempted to steal the Pillow of Life and Death from the ruler of Shangri-La, Lemi Tell. This attempt was thwarted by the Vision.^[4]

1950[]

By December 1950, a sect of pacifist monks led by the Great Llama were worshiped by a great number of the population of Tibet. As the Cold War progressed, the Chinese government sent an agent to assassinate and pose as the Great Llama in order to convince the Tibetan people to go to war against western countries, and the United States in particular. Unaware of this plot, the Secret Service sent their agent Kent Blake to investigate the Llama's sudden change in policy. Blake, exposed and eliminated the impostor, leaving the real Llama's brother to take his place and restore peace to the region.^[11]

Modern Age[]

Wendell Rand found K'un-Lun and was adopted by Lord Tuan. Wendell was driven from K'un-Lun by his brother, Nu-An, who not only wanted to rule K'un-Lun himself, but who was Wendell's rival for the love of a woman named Shakirah.^[12]

In the Tibetan Himalayas, the alien Lucifer first came to Earth as the vanguard of an alien invasion, which was foiled by the young Charles Xavier (later Professor X, leader of the X-Men). In retaliation, Lucifer dropped an enormous stone block on Xavier, leaving his legs crippled so that he would need a wheelchair.^[13]

With humanity's technological advancement, the Inhumans began to worry their city of Attilan may be found. After scouting reports by Triton, Black Bolt decided to move the city to a more remote location.^[14] With the assistance of Ikaris and the Eternals, Black Bolt located a spot in the Himalayas range where Attilan could rest undiscovered.^[15]

Wendell Rand sought to return to K'un-Lun, which ordinarily was only accessible from Earth through an interdimensional nexus that opened once every ten years. When Danny Rand was nine, his father traveled to Tibet along with Heather and his business partner Harold Meachum in search of the nexus to K'un-Lun. Toppling off a treacherous mountain passage, Daniel dragged his mother and father over the ice shelf with him. While he and his mother landed on a ledge below, his father dangled over the sheer drop of the mountainside and called to his partner for help. Hoping to take over Rand's share of the business, Meachum instead caused him to lose his grip and plunge to his death. Though Meachum offered to help Heather Rand and her son, they spurned him. Attempting to make it back to camp on their own, Heather and her son spied a long suspension bridge as a pack of wolves attacked. Heather tried to hold them off long enough for her son to get to safety and was killed in the effort.^[6] Soon thereafter, denizens of K'un-Lun found the boy and took him to their city. There Daniel was brought before Yu-Ti, who had secretly plotted the murder of both Wendell and Heather. Yu-Ti apprenticed Daniel to the martial arts master Lei-Kung the Thunderer.^[16]

After a young America surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange, was injured in a accident that ended his career tried to find a cure. He heard rumors of the mystical Ancient One, Strange pawned his last possessions for a ticket to the East. Strange found "Kamar-Taj" but the aged sorcerer refused to cure him, instead offering to teach him in mysticism. Strange refused, but couldn't leave immediately due to a sudden blizzard. While staying for the duration of the storm, Strange witnessed the Ancient One's apprentice, Baron Mordo, secretly attack the teacher with mystically summoned skeletons, which the old man easily dispelled. Strange, his skepticism eroding, confronted Mordo about the treachery but Mordo responded with restraining spells that kept Strange from warning the Ancient One or attacking Mordo physically. Amazed by these displays of magic, Strange underwent a change of heart. Deciding that the only way to stop Mordo was to learn magic himself in order to challenge Mordo on his terms, Strange accepted the Ancient One's offer. Pleased by Strange's acceptance for unselfish reasons, the Ancient One removed the mystic restraints, explaining that he was well aware of Mordo's treachery but preferred to keep Mordo close by in order to control and possibly change him.^[3]

Calizuma and his warrior wizards found a valley in the Himalayas and altered their appearance to seem as man-apes, to attract there the Silver Surfer. While he thought to be teaching them, they were subtly penetrating and controlling his mind, in order for him to serve the Undying Ones. Calizuma was eventually defeated by the Defenders.^[17]

During a quest in Tibet, Shang-Chi was defeated by the Lama of Rach Churan, who mind-controlled him to ascend the Minya Konka Mountain and throw himself off. Shang-Chi was saved by a Yeti.^[18]

As the Silver Surfer traveled the Earth, he was attacked by Yetis. He escaped, not wanting to harm the creatures, for they did it only because they distrusted man, not understanding them. The Silver Surfer saw that the humans, too, were like the Yeti, distrusting that they did not understand.^[19]

When Black Panther and Mister Little were travelling over the Himalayas, their plane was hit by a beam. Surviving, they were attacked by a Yeti, and Black Panther managed to knock it out using a rudimentary lever system that launched a heavy rock that smashed the creature in the face.^[20]

At another point, Elaine Simpson and Man-Thing were buried in an avalanche and were rescued by a group of Yetis who took them to the Norwegian explorer Hiram Swenson. He had discovered the tribe and decided to protect their culture from the outside world, by insuring its secrecy. Deciding that the Man-Thing and Elaine were a threat to the civilization, he had them taken prisoner. One of the elders of the tribe believed that the Man-Thing was their mammoth god and worshiped it. This belief did not remove them from their intended fate: to be burned at the stake. The Man-Thing managed to get free, and Roger Grafton arrived with an expedition team, shooting at the tribespeople and killing Swenson.^[21]

On the top of Mount Everest, Loki came to Apocalypse to offer him a major part in his conspiracy against the Avengers in particular, and super-heroes around the world in general. Apocalypse refused to join him, having other ideas in mind for humanity. The two briefly clashed, Apocalypse helped by the newly enhanced Caliban, and Loki understood that his attempt was vain and fled. He tried to kill them in the way, in vain as well.^[22]

Shatterstar traveled to a temple on Mount Xixabangma on the Nepal/Tibet border to find solace. He trained with the Tibetan monks there, until Cabl came and recruited him back into X-Force.^[23]

Sister Mary traveled to Mount Everest on the Nepal/Tibet border to locate Cameron Hodge and bring him back to join the Human Council.^[24]

The Weird Hideout In the Snow-Peaked Everest Region is the headquarters of the terrorist organization known as W.H.I.S.P.E.R..^[25] It is located near Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Tibet.^[26]

Alternate Realities[]

Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)[]

Bruce Banner relocated to the Himalayas to find peace. He found it for a time, but it was foiled by Wolverine, sent to by Nick Fury assassinate him. Wolverine enraged the Hulk, who ended up tearing him in half. She-Hulk (Betty Ross) intervened as Hulk was about to eat Wolverine's legs, and a nuke was then dropped upon them three, though they all survived. Wolverine tracked Banner down, determined to kill the Hulk, but both him and Fury decided against it.^[27]

Hulk returned to the Himalayas, but was persuaded by S.H.I.E.L.D. to become involved in the war with the Children of Tomorrow.^[28]

Earth-80179[]

...^[29]

Earth-97161 (Home to the Pet Avengers)[]

Searching for his place in the world, Throg was sent by Thor to the Himalayas to search for a Yeti. Throg made contact with the creature, but the pair were pulled into the Dream Realm shortly after. There, they encountered a monstrous beast threatening the land.^[30] Upon meeting the Pet Avengers, Ms. Lion asked what the Yeti's name was, a name too difficult for him to pronounce, so Ms. Lion decided to call him "Hairball".^[31] With help from the other Pet Avengers and the unicorn Damiella, they were able to save the Dream Realm. After the battle, Hairball 2 decided to stay in that Realm with his true love, Damiella.^[32]

Locations in Tibet includes:

• Mount Everest - Tibetan and Nepal Region
• Kalahia - Portal located in the Tibetan Region
• Kamar-Taj - Tibetan Region
• K'un-Lun - Portal located in the Tibetan Region
• Lhasa - Tibetan Region
• Shamballa - Tibetan Region
• Shangri-La - Tibetan Region

Attilan was formerly set in Tibet.

During the Hyborian Age, the Seven Sacred Cities of Meru were seven ports around Sumeru Tso,^[33] a brackish lake.^[1] The seven cities were in order (presumed clockwise) Shamballah (the capital), Shondakor, Thogara, Auzakia, Issedon, Paliana, and Throana.^[33]

• Ancient One
• Hamir the Hermit

• Meru was mentioned in "The City of Skulls" (1967), "Conan of the Isles" (1968), and "Conan the Buccaneer" (1971),^[1] written by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter.
  • The name is possibly inspired by Meru Peak (a mountain in the Indian Himalayas), and/or by Mount Meru (a mountain in Hindu, Jain ,and Buddhist mythology).