- Ibis the Invincible
Superherobox|
caption=Danny Khalifa as Ibis, artistPhil Winslade
publisher=DC Comics
debut= (Amentep)
"Whiz Comics " #2, (February1940 )
(Khalifa)
"" #1, (January2007 )
creators=(Amentep)
Bill Parker (writer)Bob Kingett (artist)
(Khalifa)
Tad Williams (writer)
Phil Winslade (artist)
character_name=Ibis the Invincible
real_name= - Prince Amentep
- Danny Khalifa
species =Homo Magi
homeworld =
alliances= (Amentep)
Freedom of Power Treaty All-Star Squadron Shazam's Squadron of Justice
aliases=
supports=
powers=Accomplished wizard. |Ibis the Invincible is a
fictional character , acomic book superhero originally published byFawcett Comics in the 1940s and then byDC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in theGolden Age of Comics , Ibis owes much to the popular comic strip characterMandrake the Magician . A second Ibis, successor of the first, was introduced in 2007.Publication history
The original Ibis first appeared in "
Whiz Comics " #2 (February1940 ), and was created byBill Parker andBob Kingett . When superheroes declined in popularity in the early 1950s, Ibis and the other Fawcett characters ceased publication. They were later licensed and eventually bought outright byDC Comics in the 1970s. The second Ibis first appeared in "" #1 (January2007 ), and was created byTad Williams andPhil Winslade .Fictional character biography
Prince Amentep
Ibis began his life as Amentep, a prince of
ancient Egypt who was in love with the beautiful Princess Taia of Thebes. As a young man, Amentep had been given the Ibis-stick, a talisman of incredible power, by the Egyptian godThoth , who empowers the talisman. Amentep's throne was eventually usurped by a cruel magician known as the Black Pharaoh, who shot Taia with a poisoned arrow. Using his Ibis-stick, Amentep placed his beloved in suspended animation to allow her to heal. He soon cast a similar spell upon himself, hoping to be present when Taia revived.Centuries later, the mummy of Amentep returned to life in an American
museum in 1940 (this was later revealed to be the work of the wizard Shazam). Now called "Ibis," Amentep set out in search of his beloved, eventually finding her at another museum. [Cite comic | Writer = | Artist = | Story = | Title = Whiz Comics | Volume = 1 | Issue = 2 | Date = March, 1940 | Publisher =Fawcett Comics | Page = 14-20 | Panel = | ID = ] Seeking to adjust to this new world, Ibis used his vast powers to become a crimefighter, operating primarily in Fawcett City.Ibis could do almost anything with the power of the Ibis-stick: build force-fields around cities, transport himself and others, and even make objects appear out of thin air. Without the wand however, he was powerless and this weakness was frequently exploited by his enemies.
Ibis and Taia next appeared in a
Justice League /Justice Society crossovers as members of a team referred to as Shazam's Squadron of Justice. These heroes live in a parallel universe on a world called Earth-S.After the "
Crisis on Infinite Earths " consolidated the multiple Earths, Ibis and Taia wereretconned as part of the Golden Age era of theDC Universe with Ibis serving alongside other war-time heroes in theAll-Star Squadron . As noted in Starman #40 (March 1998), Ibis tended to operate out ofFawcett City alongside other heroes, includingBulletman , Minute Man,Spy Smasher and the duo of Mr. Scarlet and Pinky.Ibis was reintroduced in the modern
DC Universe in "The Power of Shazam!" #11, in which he is resurrected byMary Marvel and "Uncle" Dudley in order to save the wizard Shazam from being held captive inHell by the demoness Blaze. Recently, it was revealed inZatanna #1, part of the "Seven Soldiers " miniseries, that Ibis and Taia presumably perished along withDoctor Thirteen andSwamp Thing supporting character Timothy Ravenwind at the hands of the shapeless creature known as Gwydion during a seance conducted by Zatanna.In an odd post-death appearance, Ibis had a cameo in "
Infinite Crisis ", after winding up back on Earth-S with the other Fawcett superheroes. Also, a modernised version of Ibis recently appeared in "52" #10 as theEgypt ian representative inBlack Adam 's coalition. It has not been shown whether this Ibis is the same character as the previous one.Danny Khalifa
A new Ibis has been introduced in "The Helmet of Fate: Ibis the Invincible" #1 (Jan, 2007). He is an Egyptian-American kid named Danny Khalifa. Danny is given the nickname "Osama" at school due to the events of
9/11 and becomes the brunt of prejudice and bullying. However, due to being part of an ancient bloodline, Danny is chosen by Amentep (who is clinging to his last shred of spiritual life after his body was killed in Secret Soldiers: Zatanna #1) to be his successor. He inherits the Ibis-stick and is thrust into a conflict between ancient Egyptian gods. As Ibis, Danny prevents the helmet ofDoctor Fate from falling into the hands of the dark god Set.External links
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/chronology.php?name=ibis Ibis the Invincible chronology at DCU Guide]
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/i/ibis.htm Ibis Biography at International Superheroes]
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/ibis.htm Ibis Biography at Toonopedia]Footnotes
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