| “ | You're not fit to be king, it's my turn now! | „ |
| ~ Set to Horus before ripping his eyes out. |
| “ | Gods bow before me... or die! Mortals, worship me or be enslaved. | „ |
| ~ Set to the gods of Egypt and the crowd of civilians |
Set is the main antagonist of the 2016 live action fantasy film, Gods of Egypt. He's the god of desert, storms, disorder and violence. He takes over the throne of the Egyptian Empire after murdering his brother Osiris and defeating his nephew Horus in a battle. He then gouged out Horus's eyes and forced him into exile.
He is portrayed by Gerard Butler in his second villain role, which he played Clyde Shelton in Law Abiding Citizen.
Gods of Egypt
Becoming king
Brother to Osiris, Set ruled Egypt with him. Set ruled the barren desert of Egypt, finding strength but also bitterness in his isolation while his brother ruled the bountiful lands near the Nile. Eventually Osiris crowned his son Horus as his successor, a decision that did not go well with Set. During the ceremony, Set arrived just as Horus was about to be crowned. Apologizing for his lateness, claiming that he needed three days to pass the desert and one more just to pass through the crowd of Horus's and Osiris's admirers, Set was embraced by his brother who told Set that there was always a place for him in the city. Set then embraces Horus before gifting him with a special hunting horn which Horus immediately tested.
However, the horn acted as as sign for Set's soldiers who stormed the palace and placed themselves in front of the gathered crowd. When Osiris asked what the meaning of this gathering of soldiers was, Set presented him with the spear their father Ra gave Set, claiming that it kept him alive during his time in the desert. He then challenged Osiris to fight him, claiming that Osiris had accomplished nothing during his thousand years of reign. Osiris refused to fight Set as he loved his brother and tried to embrace him but was fatally stabbed by Set. While Horus and his mother rushed to the aid of the dying Osiris, Set addressed the masses and told them that he was king of all of Egypt, using Osiris's fate as an example for what would happen to those who would stand in his way. He told both gods of Egypt and the mortals in the crowd that those who would not bow to him would be enslaved or killed. He also informed the mortals that while his brother thought that everyone would be to the afterlife, they now would have to by their way in with riches.
He then addressed Horus, telling him that Osiris's spear was now rightfully his. Horus grabbed the spear and attacked Set and the two battled in front of the crowd. Set provoked Horus, who was said to never miss, prompting him to throw the spear at Set. Set evaded the spear however, sarcastically remarking that he thought Horus's sight was perfect. Although Horus managed to get back the spear and shatter his uncle's shield he was ultimately defeated by Set after a brutal fistfight in their true forms that destroyed much of the temple and the nearby plaza. Set's men used their shields to reflect the sun and blend Horus, allowing Set to get the upper hand. While approaching his fallen nephew, Set claimed that he was doing Egypt a favor as Horus was not fit to be king. He then gouged out Horus's eyes and was about to impale his nephew but was stopped by Hathor, Horus's love who begged for Horus's life.
Reign
In the year after Set's power-taking, many gods of Egypt stood against him but were all defeated and paid for their rebellion with their lives. Most mortals were enslaved and, denied even a penny for their work, prevented from buying their way into afterlife. Blinded and defeated, Horus went into exile. Set also butchered Osiris's body into fourteen pieces, the heart was never found.This drove Horus's mother Isis into suicide. Bek, a mortal thief, devised a plan to break into Set's vault to steal Horus's eyes which Set was rumored to keep there.
After returning victorious from war against the rebel gods, Set met with Hathor who had become his mistress and queen of Egypt. However, Hathor saw herself more prisoner then queen and told Set so. They were then disturbed by chief architect Urshu, who had built the gargantuan tribute to Set's father Ra on Set's orders during Set's absence from the capitol. However, upon seeing the monument Set seemed to be disappointed and asked whether it could be made taller but when Urshu began to stammer that that would be difficult Set revealed that he was merely joking. Set then asked Urshu why Urshu's father decided that he would follow into his footsteps as master architect and not one of his brothers. Urshu replied that his father must have seen that Urshu was the best, causing Set to absently state that he too will prove this to his father when the latter saw the monument. Urshu replied that Set's satisfaction was worth more than gold but was nonetheless glad when Set stated that Urshu would have tons of gold for the afterlife. Both Set and Urshu then drank to Set's legacy.
After breaking into Set's vault and stealing the eye of Horus stored there, Bek returned to Urshu's mansion where Bek's girlfriend, one of Urshu's slaves, was waiting. However, once arrived he was cornered by Urshu who had found out about the heist and was awaiting Bek. Bek managed to escape but his girlfriend was killed. With the eye, Bek returned to Horus and convinced him to fight Set.
After having being told that his vault was breached, Set had Urshu brought before him who had designed the traps and security measures of the vault. After being told by Urshu that it was a mortal who stole the eye and finding the body of Bek's girlfriend, Set told Urshu that it seemed that not Urshu but the thief was the cleverest mortal.
Having sent his lieutenant to find Bek, Set resumed his war against the rebel gods. With his legions of the desert he attacked the last rebel stronghold, the fortress of his former wife Nephthys. Riding a chariot drawn by scarabs, Set flew over the battlefield, entering the fortress after slaying some of the guards. After a short conversation in which the woman revealed that Ra made sure that Set would never have a child, she tried to fly off but Set grabbed her by the wing, dragged her back inside the room and killed her, also cutting off her wings for himself. Back at his camp, Set was surprised to see that his lieutenant had returned empty-handed. The hunter revealed that all his men were slaughtered by Horus, to whom Bek had returned the eye. The hunter also revealed that he overheard the deal of Horus and Bek in which Horus promised to return his girlfriend. Set then beheaded the hunter for his failure and sent his two mistresses, Astarte and Anat, to take down Horus. He revealed to Hathor that he intended to conquer the realm of death as to finally rule all kingdoms. At night, Hathor used her powers to find out where Horus was but Set followed her. After finding out that Horus's was located near Osiris's first temple he intended to kill Hathor but she escaped him with her powers and arrived near Horus's location just in time to save both from Set's mistresses.
Becoming more powerful
When Horus, Bek, Hathor and Thoth traveled to the Pyramid of Sand, Seth's source of power, they were unaware that Set was expecting them. After defeating the Sphinx, Horus and Hathor approached Set's shrine of eternal fire but were trapped in a cage. Set then appeared, approaching Thoth and ripping out the god's brain. He thanked Horus for bringing Thoth to him. Bek tried to destroy the shrine but was stopped when Set showed him the bracelet of Bek's girlfriend. Set revealed to Bek that Horus lied to him and was in fact unable to resurrect the dead. While Bek was distracted Set took the phiol of divine water from Bek and poured it on the ground. Stating that it was fitting that both Bek and Horus died in his house Set left the pyramid which started crumbling moments later. Hathor and Bek were only saved by Horus, who managed to escape his cage.
Set calling Apophsis
After returning to the capitol, Set absorbed the powers he stole from the rebel gods to strengthen himself, including the heart of Osiris, brain of Thoth, Eye of Horus and wings of Nephthys. He then visited his father Ra on the latter's divine vessel above the Earth's sky. Ra stated that he saw Set's impressive monument. Set claimed that he built it for Ra but Ra merely answered that, had Set built it any higher, it would be in his way. Set demanded of Ra that Ra honored him but Ra answered that if honor was what Set wanted he should not have killed his brother Osiris. Set asked whether Ra cared and Ra admitted that he cared more that Set would expect. Set then accused his father, asking why he was forced to walk the desert alone, unable to have a son while Osiris had everything handed to him. Ra claimed that this was Set's test but Set responded that Ra did not test Osiris. Ra told Set that Osiris test was ruling Egypt without clinging to his power. Ra also stated that he prevented Set from casting heirs so that Set would not miss them when he took Ra's place, revealing that he intended for Set to become his successor.
However, Set refused, claiming that he wanted immortality, living forever in his kingdom instead of fighting Apophis night after night. Ra was shocked, claiming that the only way to become immortal was to absorb the afterlife itself. Set revealed that exactly that was his plan. A battle between Ra and Set ensued which resulted in Set's victory, able to withstand Ra's force with the powers of all the gods he defeated. He then took Ra's spear and blasted him off the divine vessel. Ra's fall unleashed Apophis whom Set called to the Nile, intending for the beast to drink the river which was the source of all creation.
Battling Horus
To stop Set Horus and Bek kidnapped Urshu and forced him to bring them to the top of the obelisk monument, where Set watched the chaos he created. Horus climbed the obelisk, where he faced Set. The two battled, with Set easily overpowering Horus. Despite Horus's attempts to save creation, Set once again defeated him and attempted to impale him with Ra's spear. However, when Set proclaimed that Horus was no match for him after all, Horus revealed that he was only bait. At that moment Bek attacked Set from behind and managed to pry Horus's eye out of Set, who had taken his true form to defend himself. Although Horus failed to catch the eye when Bek threw it he was able to take his true form again and lunged into the air to fight Set. Set pursued Horus and attempted to blast him out of the air with energy bolts shot from Ra's spear but Horus evaded the blasts and managed to rip off Set's wings, causing him to fall to the ground beyond him. Although severely wounded Set survived and was found by Horus in the ruins of his monument. When Horus was about to impale Set with Ra's spear, Set remembered him that Set spared Horus's life and showed him mercy when he could have killed Horus. However, Horus only claimed that he wouldn't make that mistake and stabbed Set, causing his body to violently explode.
Gallery
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