Raj Comics published several characters in its ongoing journey, with its main focus on Superhero content many Indian Superheroes were created. Nagraj, Dhruva, and Doga being the most loved superhero characters followed by Bhediya, Bhokal, Parmanu, Tiranga, Inspector Steel, Shakti, Anthony, and Super Indian. So let us explore our own heroes.
“While fighting crime is important, we must also remember, that bringing awareness of crimes is equally important.” This is the significant message our superhero conveys.
NAGRAJ:
“With the effect of venom from Snake Lord Kaaljayi a child was on the verge of his death, but the same venom gave him a new life and infinite snake powers, with help of those powers he became the terrorism fighter NAGRAJ.”
VENOM IS HIS BIGGEST STRENGTH.
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought that this is the last day of your life? Consider yourself in a hospital and suddenly you hear gunshots. You realized that some intruders have entered. After seeing their activities you realized that they are terrorists. They come to you and held you as a hostage. You are so terrified that you start panicking. One of the terrorists is pissed so he points a gun at you. You think that this is the end of your life. He is going to pull the trigger but you suddenly see that a string of snakes coming towards you. You are shocked and terrified after seeing that wonder but the pointed gun is taken away by that string of snakes. You finally gain your consciousness and you saw that those snakes were coming from the hand of a green-skinned man. You felt relieved that your life is saved. So, thanks to that man because he is the GREEN DEATH, enemy of world terrorism.
He is on a mission to eliminate terrorism from all over the world. He has the most powerful venom in the world running through his veins. He is a skilled fighter and martial artist. He has microscopic snakes residing in his body which at times comes from his wrist as a form of strings. He uses it to attack, defend and capture. He is a snake man but he is more of a human than a snake, he is venomous yet heartily. He is the terrorism fighter, NAGRAJ.
Creators: Concept of Nagraj was thought by Sanjay Gupta in the late ‘80s and Parshuram Sharma was appointed for writing the first 5 issues of it with illustrations and penciling by Late Pratap Mullick.
First Comics: Issue #0014 ‘Nagraj’ in the year 1986.
Alter Ego: Presently as ‘Nagraj Shah’, head of Snake Eyes Securities and formerly as ‘Raj; a news reporter in Bharti Communications.
Working City: In the fictional city of Mahanagar.
Parents: King TakshakRaj and Queen Lalita Devi of the ancient city of Takshaknagar.
Love Interests: a) Visarpi – Queen of Nagdweep island.
b) Bharti – Head of Bharti Communications.
Villains: Nagpasha – Nagraj arch-nemesis. He is Nagraj’s uncle. Other important villains include Professor Nagmani, Nagdant, Nagina, Thodanga, Tuten Khaman.
Allies: Naagu, Sheetnag, and Saudangi, formerly they used to reside in Nagraj’s body but after the foundation of Snake Eyes Securities they are separated from his body but work along with him.
Mentor: Baba Gorakhnath and Guru Vedacharya.
Origin:
King Takshakraj and Queen LalitaDevi were the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Takshaknagar. The people of the Kingdom worshipped snake deity Lord Kaaljayi.
Takshaknagar was a prosperous kingdom with enormous precious treasure. Lord kaaljayi was the defender of that treasure. But King Takshakraj and Queen Lalita Devi had no child. This was the major reason for their sorrow but Nagpasha, the younger brother of Takshakraj was happy as his elder brother has no child, he will be the heir to the kingdom and the owner of the treasure. But Lalita Devi was a supreme devotee of Lord Kaaljayi and by seeing her devotion for a long time Lord Kaaljayi blessed her with a child and she became pregnant soon. This news made Nagpasha angry and failed all his dreams of ruling the kingdom. So he played a very evil trick. Lalita Devi, as usual, was going to the temple with a worshipping plate for Lord Kaaljayi. But when she presented the plate in front of lord Kaaljayi, the plate does not have the worshipping materials as usual but was replaced with a dead mongoose.
This made lord Kaaljayi angry and in his rage, he rattled his dangerous poison onto her and she collapsed there. This news spread all over the kingdom and Nagpasha was filled with joy because it was he who planted the dead mongoose there. King Takshakraj pleads in front of lord Kaaljayi that she was unaware of the dead mongoose on the plate so Kaaljayi gave him an option that he will transfer the venom to the child in her fetus so that Lalita Devi could live. Her life is saved but she gave birth to a dead child which was turned blue due to the effect of the venom. As per the rule of Takshaknagar if a child is born dead they have to flow him in the river so the dead child is flown in the river. Nagpasha goes to Kaaljayi for treasure stating that heir to the treasure is gone so he declared himself the rightful owner but
Kaaljayi tells him that the real heir is still alive and refuses to give him the treasure. This makes Nagpasha angry and he tries to attack Kaaljayi but Kaaljayi throws him away and his face falls into two bowls; one containing poison and the other containing nectar. Nagpasha’s face is damaged due to falling on poison but also makes him immortal as he gulps out nectar from the other bowl. When Takshakraj comes to know about Nagpasha he again pleads for his life in front of lord Kaaljayi but he tells him that it was Nagpasha who planted the mongoose on the plate of his wife and also tells him that his there is hope for the resurrection of his child.
Meanwhile, the child was stuck somewhere in bushes near a hidden island between the Indian Ocean. The island was ruled by a childless King Maniraj where shapeshifter snakes used to live. The island was hidden to protect it from highly advanced technology from the common man. The venom of lord Kaaljayi was keeping that child alive. Dev Kaaljayi tells Maniraj in his dream that a child has stuck in bushes and Maniraj resurrects the child and treats him. The treatment resulted in a change of color child’s from blue to green. They finally decided to adopt him. But an evil occultist who wants the throne of that island so one night he abducted that child and takes him away from that island and hide him in a forest.
The child was kept by a priest of a nearby temple after hearing his crying.
Prior to this event, one-day Professor Nagmani who was a research analyst; researching snakes went to the forest in search of snakes where he heard the crying of a child in a temple. He goes near that child and finds that a snake was protecting that child, by observing that snakes he finds out that it was a shape-shifting snake and suddenly he turns into his human form and he gave Nagmani the responsibility of taking care of that child. He tells him to give him a little dose of venom daily for twenty years and asks him to come to the same place after twenty years where his dead body will lie there. He further tells him to take the venom pouch from his neck and rub it along the remaining of his body in the child’s body and by doing so snake powers will be generated in his body, by gaining this power he will use it for the betterment of the mankind. Nagmani on researching more on that child finds out that the child has microscopic snakes in his blood in place of white blood cells.
Nagmani was a good researcher but his intention was not good so he plants a chip on his brain to take control over him by doing so Nagraj became the slave of Nagmani. He then arranges a meeting of world-class villains to hire Nagraj for their mission. So a kingpin; Bulldog hires him from the auction and gives Nagraj a mission to steal a precious idol from an old temple in Assam. But during his attempt, he is failed by the sage Gorakhnath who recognizes the powers of Nagraj and removes his chip and tells him how Nagmani was using him as a tool for his evil plan.
After realizing his reality Nagraj takes the oath to finish crime and end terrorism from this world.
Later on his further conquest, he finds out his royal priest Guru Vedacharya in the city of Mahanagar, and under his influence, he takes the job of a reporter in a news company run by Vedacharya granddaughter Bharti and decides to help the people of Mahanagar.
Powers and Abilities:
Venom –
Nagraj has superhuman strength and his main source of power is his venom. He can rattle venom on his enemies which makes them faint at the moment. He has the world’s most dangerous and powerful venom. If someone bites him then that person will melt due to the effect of his venom.
His snake allies –
Nagraj has millions of microscopic snakes residing inside his body which gives him superhuman strength and by using which he can swing from places to place. He has several types of snakes in his body such as Nagfani, Naagu and Sheetnag, and Saudangi who are his main allies.
Icchadhari Power –
Nagraj has Ichchadahri(Shapeshifting) powers by which he can transform his body into minute particles for three seconds so he can cross his body if stuck somewhere.
Telepathy and Hypnosis –
He has hypnosis, telepathy, and the power of healing. He can communicate with his snakes using telepathy and can use them as a spy. He also knows a very different type of fighting style called a snake style.
Essential Reads:
Nagayan, Khajana Series, Trifana Series, Agraj Series, Nagraj in Germany Series, Ksahtipoorti Series(Ongoing series).