King Tut (Batman)

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character_name = King Tut
publisher = DC Comics
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alter_ego = Professor William Omaha McElroy
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King Tut is a fictional character, a villain created for the 1966-68 "Batman" television series. Played by Victor Buono, King Tut was the main villain five times on the show, more often than any other villain created specifically for the show that did not previously appear in the comics, and also more often than any villain who did not also appear in the 1966 "Batman" movie.Fact|date=November 2007

While King Tut has not appeared outside of the 1960s television series, there were plans by Ty Templeton to include him to appear in "Batman: Gotham Adventures", a comic based on "The New Batman Adventures".Fact|date=October 2007.

Fictional character biography

King Tut began as Professor William Omaha McElroy, an Egyptologist at Yale University. After a blow to the head during a student riot, the Professor developed amnesia and thereafter believed he was a reincarnation of King Tut. He sought to take over Gotham City and defeat Batman and Robin. He was defeated by another blow to the head, returning him to his normal state.

The pattern would follow for subsequent appearances – he would suffer a blow to the head, believe himself to be King Tut, fight Batman and Robin for control of Gotham City, only to suffer another blow to the head, which would return him to his real self. As such, he would be the only villain not to be jailed for his actions (the insanity defense would apply here). Completely cognizant of what happens during his states of amnesia, Professor McElroy tried to prevent the personality switching by wearing a reinforced hat to prevent unwanted blows, but without success.

King Tut attempted to release a handful of ancient scarab beetles on Gotham City in the second season of the series. With the beetles in his possession, Tut would have the ability to create a terrible ancient potion called "abu raubu simbu tu", which can be used to subdue the human will. Tut planned on concocting 95,000 gallons of the drug, more than enough to put all of Gotham under his power. His first victim was the head of the Gotham City Police, Chief O'Hara, who Tut commanded to perform acrobatics on the ledge of a building. King Tut nearly succeeded in his sinister plot, having tricked Batman into taking the drug as well. However, Batman protected himself from the drug's hypnotic power by coating his stomach with buttermilk. While trying to escape, Tut accidentally swallowed the drug himself and became Batman's slave, which allowed Batman and Robin to safely take King Tut to Commissioner Gordon's office where he reverted to his normal self.

In his final appearance in the series, King Tut bought a plot of land adjacent to Wayne Manor, as part of a plan to obtain a rare mineral. The villain tunneled beneath the manor and accidentally discovered the subterranean Batcave. He realized that Batman and Bruce Wayne were the same person. Batman and Robin then battled Tut and his henchmen in the Batcave. The Dynamic Duo administered a drug spray to the henchmen that would erase their recent memory. Tut, however, fled to the surface via the tunnel after all the spray ran out from the can. Once at the top of the tunnel, Tut was about to reveal his discovery of the Batcave - and Batman's true identity of Bruce Wayne - to Commissioner Gordon, when Batman provoked Tut to raise his voice, thereby causing a rock to fall on his head, knocking him out. When Tut regained consciousness, he was once again Prof. McElroy, with no memories of Batman's secret identity.

Tut's hideouts sometimes included an "apothecary", the only one in Gotham, in the "Pyramid" building.

External links

* [http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/sections/backstage/unused/batman/tut.php King Tut Animated] Sketch and info available.
* [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/7537/tut.htm The 1966 Batman TV Villains - Victor Buono]