The Ancient Spirits of Evil are major antagonists in the 1985 ThunderCats series.

The being Mumm-Ra is their bound servant, and he is dependent upon them for his power and immortality. Mumm'Ra would call upon these spirits to transform himself from his mummified form into a much more powerful version of himself called Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living.

Biography[]

1985[]

In the original series, the four Ancient Spirits of Evil never revealed themselves. The spirits were represented by and possessed four anthropomorphic statues of a boar, crocodile, vulture, and ox. As such, they represented oversized versions of Egyptian canopic jars that were often used in burials. The spirits were voiced by Earl Hyman, who had also voiced Panthro and Russle Huxtable on the Cosby Show.

Originally, if Mumm-Ra was in the pyramid when calling upon their power, the eyes of the statues would light up as the spirits infused Mumm-Ra with the power necessary to transform into his more powerful form. Damage to the statues themselves did not affect the spirits, as a statue beheaded during a battle within the pyramid still channeled its spirit's energy. Later in the series, the statues would move from their pedestals at the corners of the burial chamber and would envelop Mumm-Ra with their power as he transformed. Mumm-Ra did not have to be in his pyramid, he could call upon the spirits anywhere to be transformed.

The spirits were able to speak through the cauldron in the pyramid. Their main goal was to destroy the ThunderCats.

For an unknown reason - quite possibly to troll Mumm-Ra - the Ancient Spirits of Evil once infused a captured Snarf with their power, creating a powerful being called Snarf-Ra. Snarf-Ra quickly flew off to the Cats Lair, where he quickly defeated Mumm-Ra, who flew off promising to seek revenge against the "ThunderCat Creature." Afterwards, Lion-O used the Sword of Omens to return Snarf to his natural state.

As the series progressed the spirits became disappointed on Mumm-Ra's repeated failures, so they threatened to remove the Mutants and the Lunataks out of Third Earth. They punished Mumm-Ra's failures as well as his attempted rebellion against them.

Comics[]

In Wildstorm’s comic Thundercats Origins: Heroes and Villains an ancient Egyptian man named Wahankh - one of the reigning Pharaoh's most trusted advisers - decided to betray the Pharaoh and overthrow him in a coup. Wahankh used four magic runes which represented each of the spirits to summon them for the first time. When they appeared Wahankh requested they grant him some of their power in order to overthrow the Pharaoh and in exchange he would rule Egypt as their humble servant.

The spirits granted Wahankh's request. They infused Wahankh with their evil power, creating a powerful sorcerer. Wahankh's body mutated into a cadaverous grey form, and he became known as Mumm-Ra.

Mumm-Ra confronted the Pharaoh and demanded he bow down in front of him. However, the Pharaoh's son soon defeated him in battle. Due to his years of loyal service the Pharaoh - unaware that his former adviser was now immortal - decided to grant Wahankh a noble death, being entombed alive as a mummified being in a pyramid. The Pharaoh's son, who was fully aware of Mumm-Ra's immortality took great joy in seeing Mumm-Ra entombed.

Following his entombment, Mumm-Ra begged the Ancient Spirits to help him. However, the spirits were not having any of that due to Mumm-Ra's incompetence in facing the Pharaoh. They ordered their servant to build the four giant statues seen in his pyramid, a task that would take over 600 years to finish. Once he completed his task they gave him the ability to become Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living - a being of great power with the capability to defeat any Pharaoh.

2011[]

Main article: Ancient Spirits of Evil (2011)

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Villains

Mumm-Ra (2011, He-Man/ThunderCats) | Ancient Spirits of Evil (2011) | Grune the Destroyer (2011) | Slithe (2011) | Jackalman/Kaynar | Monkian/Addicus | Vultureman/Vultaire | Lunataks | Doberlord | Leo | Tygus | Skeletor