Ibis the Invincible
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| Ibis the Invincible | |
|---|---|
 Cover to Ibis the Invincible #3. Art by Bob Kingett. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fawcett Comics (1942 - 1953) DC Comics (1976 - present) |
| First appearance | (Amentep) Whiz Comics #2, (February 1940) (Khalifa) Helmet of Fate: Ibis the Invincible #1, (January 2007) |
| Created by | (Amentep) Bill Parker (writer) Bob Kingett (artist) (Khalifa) Tad Williams (writer) Phil Winslade (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | - Prince Amentep - Danny Khalifa |
| Species | Homo Magi |
| Team affiliations | All-Star Squadron Squadron of Justice |
| Abilities | Accomplished wizard. |
Ibis the Invincible is a fictional character, a comic book superhero originally published by Fawcett Comics in the 1940s and then by DC Comics beginning in the 1970s. Like many magician superheroes introduced in the Golden Age of Comics, Ibis owes much to the popular comic strip character Mandrake the Magician. A second Ibis, successor of the first, was introduced in 2007.
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[edit] Publication history
The original Ibis first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940), and was created by Bill Parker and Bob 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 by DC Comics in the 1970s. The second Ibis first appeared in Helmet of Fate: Ibis the Invincible #1 (January 2007), and was created by Tad Williams and Phil Winslade.
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] 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 god Thoth, 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.[1] 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 were retconned as part of the Golden Age era of the DC Universe with Ibis serving alongside other war-time heroes in the All-Star Squadron. As noted in Starman #40 (March 1998), Ibis tended to operate out of Fawcett City alongside other heroes, including Bulletman, 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 by Mary Marvel and "Uncle" Dudley in order to save the wizard Shazam from being held captive in Hell by the demoness Blaze. Recently, it was revealed in Zatanna #1, part of the Seven Soldiers miniseries, that Ibis and Taia presumably perished along with Doctor Thirteen and Swamp 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 the Egyptian representative in Black Adam's coalition. It has not been shown whether this Ibis is the same character as the previous one.
[edit] 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 of Doctor Fate from falling into the hands of the dark god Set. Danny is assisted by the deity Thoth, who gives advice, tutoring, hints and then at the end of the story, frightens off the bullies.
[edit] Reign in Hell
Ibis returns to seek his new apprentice's services during the Reign in Hell crisis, a huge civil unrest between the major demons and the hell-empowered heroes and villains for the control of the Hell dimension. Danny accepts the summon, with the apparent help of Black Alice, who shows at his doorstep fully aware of his secret identity providing Ibis with her guide and excuses for his leave of absence. However, while in Hell, Black Alice backstabs him in exchange for her safety, leaving him prey to Neron's forces.
[edit] External links
- Ibis the Invincible chronology at DCU Guide
- Ibis Biography at International Superheroes
- Ibis Biography at Toonopedia
- Earth-S Ibis Index
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Whiz Comics 1 (2): 14-20 (March, 1940), Fawcett Comics
