Red Skull's Tesseract Monster Explained: Marvel Comics History & MCU Future

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for What If...? episode 1.

Thanks to Red Skull, Marvel's What If...? episode 1 introduces what appears to be a Multiversal monster from another dimension - Shuma-Gorath. The Multiverse has become a part of the MCU's reality, and in What If...? Marvel Studios has begun to explore the branching timelines that have been created. In one timeline, Peggy Carter made the decision to remain in the chamber of Project: Rebirth rather than watch from the booth, and as a result she became the Allies' first and only super-soldier. She became Captain Carter.

The divergence between this timeline and the main MCU one increased, because in Captain Carter's timeline the SSR initially denied the Red Skull access to the Tesseract, radically changing his plans. When he did ultimately regain the Space Stone, the Red Skull took a different approach, using it to open a portal that he believed would unleash Hydra's true champion. He opened a portal through interdimensional space, unleashing a monstrous creature that threatened to engulf the entire planet.

Although there's no direct match for the tentacled creature, it most visibly resembles Shuma-Gorath - a Multiversal predator who is rumored to be the villain of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Here's everything you need to know about Shuma-Gorath, one of the most dangerous entities in the Multiverse.

Shuma-Gorath's Comics Origin & History

Shuma-Gorath's origin, amusingly enough, does not lie in the comics themselves but rather in the Conan the Barbarian novels written by Robert Ervin Howard, and it was briefly mentioned in his short story "The Curse of the Golden Skull." Marvel Comics took inspiration from Howard's book, and in Marvel Premiere #3-10 they introduced Shuma-Gorath, one of a race of Elder Gods who ruled the Earth long before humanity ever evolved, and who was banished from this dimension. This malevolent being now exists on another plane of existence, eager to sate its appetite by consuming Earths. It has returned countless times, served by cultists who attempted to open gateways to its dimension, and its magic is contained in three enchanted tomes known as the Iron-Bound Books of Shuma-Gorath.

Shuma-Gorath is one of the most powerful predators in the Multiverse, frequently clashing with Doctor Strange; in fact, Strange's heroism in his first encounter with Shuma-Gorath saw Strange officially become Sorcerer Supreme. Just as in Marvel's What If...?, there have been ties between Shuma-Gorath and some of Hydra's leaders, with Arnim Zola in particular using his magic to gain control of the minds of men and women in the vicinity around a portal he had opened. Marvel Comics has recently confirmed Shuma-Gorath is one of the six most dangerous Marvel villains, considered an extinction-level threat akin to Galactus, Mephisto, and Thanos.

Shuma-Gorath Comics Powers

Shuma-Gorath opens its giant eye as Captain America and other heroes fight it in Marvel Comics.

The Elder Gods were naturally powerful entities, and the magic they manipulated could affect creation itself. Some of their number discovered they could amplify their own powers, however, by consuming their kin - leading to a war between these ancient beings prior to their being banished from Earth. Shuma-Gorath is believed to have become the most powerful of the Elder Gods, its powers outstripping even those of Chthon, creator of the Darkhold. Shuma-Gorath's mere presence in a dimension risks its destruction; the full force of its magic has seen him destroy entire worlds in an attempt to kill Doctor Strange, while those who invoke its name become powerful sorcerers bound to its will. The Iron-Bound Books of Shuma-Gorath contain dark spells that Shuma-Gorath left behind on Earth, and it is likely that - as with Chthon's Darkhold - the use of this magic weakens the very fabric of reality, making it easier for Shuma-Gorath to tear through and consume the planet.

According to Shuma-Gorath, its tentacled form is just a shell; its essence is power itself, and the tentacles that are part of his being are merely extensions of this power. This is a smart explanation for its different appearances in Marvel Comics, because while Shuma-Gorath is traditionally shown as a tentacled creature there have been comics where it manifests pincers and claws as well.

How The MCU Just Changed Shuma-Gorath

Shuma-Gorath is not named in Marvel's What If...? episode 1, but visually the design of the monster confronted by Captain Carter largely corresponds with its traditional comic book portrayal. The animated series does lack the distinctive central eye, a recurring part of Shuma-Gorath's design; its absence may simply be because the Red Skull had opened the Tesseract to allow just a fragment of Shuma-Gorath's essence entry to his dimension, and it is possible the eye would have manifested later. Assuming this is indeed Shuma-Gorath, then in Marvel's What If...? episode 1 it seems to overwhelm a world by finding a crack between the dimensions and pouring its tentacles - symbolic of its power - through them. Howard Stark feared the entire Earth could have been overwhelmed by the monster, but it is likely the stakes were far higher, for having taken the Earth it is probable Shuma-Gorath would have continued to expand across that entire branched universe.

There is one other striking difference between the creature seen in Marvel's What If...? and the comics: there is no evidence the monster confronted by Captain Carter was sentient. In the comics, Shuma-Gorath is noted for its proud boasts, and it has a habit of declaring its name as it enters a reality. Again, perhaps the Red Skull had just tapped into the very outer limits of Shuma-Gorath's infinitude, and such a declaration would have come later.

The interesting question is whether the glimpse of Shuma-Gorath in Marvel's What If...? episode 1 serves as setup for a greater role going forward. The creation of the MCU's Multiverse now means there are countless universes that Shuma-Gorath could expand into, and there will always be men like the Red Skull who are willing to grant it entry. There have been reports Shuma-Gorath is the villain of Doctor Strange 2, an appropriately Lovecraftian monster for director Sam Raimi, meaning this being could well be coming to the main MCU timeline in short order as well. But where Marvel's What If...? showed a mere incursion, Doctor Strange 2 would presumably be a full-scale invasion, much more difficult to drive back.

More: MCU Villains Who Could Be More Powerful Than Thanos In Phase 4 (& Beyond)

Marvel's What If...? releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.