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Isis (DC Comics)

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For other uses of "Isis" in comics, see Isis (comics).

Isis
Artwork for the cover of 52 Week Twelve, the debut of the Adrianna Tomaz character as Isis within the main DC Comics continuity. Art by J. G. Jones.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceThe Secrets of Isis:
"The Lights of Mystery Mountain" (September 6, 1975)
First comic appearanceShazam! #25 (October 1976)
Created byMarc Richards
In-story information
Alter egoAndrea Thomas
Andrianna Tomaz
Hatshepsut
SpeciesMetahuman
Place of origin
Team affiliationsBlack Marvel Family
Supporting character ofBlack Adam
Captain Marvel / Shazam
AbilitiesAll version of Isis are granted magical powers through a magical amulet that includes elemental control, flight, and superhuman attributes (strength, speed, etc.) derived from the Egyptian goddess, Isis.

Isis is the name of several female characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The name is asssociated with the DC Universe's iteration of the ancient Egyptian goddess of the same name and others who have adopted the name.

The earlier rendition of the character, Andrea Thomas, portrays her as a high school teacher who possesses powers linked to ancient Egyptian mythology. In this iteration, she shares a connection with Captain Marvel/Shazam as both characters draw their powers from divine sources. Andrea's abilities are specifically tied to the Egyptian goddess Isis, who grants her the ability to assume the role of a superhero using her name. In addition to starring as the main character in The Secrets of Isis, a live-action television program starring Joanna Cameron that served as the second half of The Shazam!/Isis Hour, the character also appeared in several late 1970s DC Comics publications.

In more recent DC Comic book publications, the name primarily refers to Adrianna Tomaz (Arabic:أدريانا توماز), a character first introduced in 52 #16 (July 2006). Adrianna, a superhero of Egyptian and Kahndaqi heritage, holds a prominent role as Black Adam's love interest. She is also the older sister of Amon Tomaz, who becomes the protege Osiris under Black Adam's guidance. Initially enslaved by the criminal organization Intergang, Adrianna is offered to Black Adam in an attempt to secure an alliance. However, he frees her and she proves herself as both a capable advisor and earns his affection. They marry, with Adrianna becoming Black Adam's Queen and a champion of the Wizard Shazam through a magical amulet containing the power of the goddess Isis. Together, along with Amon, they form the Black Marvel Family, working to improve conditions in Kahndaq. Although Adrianna and Amon face tragic deaths, they are later resurrected. However, during the DC Rebirth era, the characters are once again depicted as deceased.

The television series Smallville depicted Isis as a supervillain form taken on by Lois Lane (played by Erica Durance) when possessed by the Amulet of Isis, while Adrianna Tomaz appeared later in the episode, played by Erica Cerra. The Arrowverse television series Legends of Tomorrow introduced a new incarnation of the character, named Zari Tomaz, played by Tala Ashe. This version was portrayed as a wise-cracking hacker from the future with wind powers derived from an amulet and no superhero code name. After the fourth season, another version of the character after an in-universe timeline change named Zari Tarazi was introduced as a social media influencer with the same actress portraying her. The Adrianna Tomaz version of the character appeared in the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam (2022), played by Sarah Shahi.

Appearances

Joanna Cameron as Isis in The Secrets of Isis

Shazam!/Isis Hour

Like the main character of the first half of the program, Captain Marvel, Isis had roots in ancient Egyptian mythology. The television series The Secrets of Isis starred Joanna Cameron as Andrea Thomas, a high school science teacher who gains the ability to call upon the powers of the goddess Isis after finding an Egyptian amulet during an archeological dig in Egypt, as revealed during the show's opening title sequence. Fifteen episodes of The Secrets of Isis were produced for The Shazam! Isis Hour, and the character also appeared in three episodes of the Shazam! portion of the show. The Secrets of Isis was given its own timeslot in 1977, for which seven new episodes were broadcast alongside reruns from the first two seasons.

Freedom Force & other animated appearances

Isis later appeared in animated form on Filmation's Tarzan and the Super 7 show in 1980, as part of a segment called The Freedom Force. She later guest starred on The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!'s "Hero High" segment, though Cameron did not voice the character.[citation needed]

Publication history in DC Comics

Isis' first appearance in comics was in Shazam! #25 (September – October 1976). She was later given her own TV tie-in book the following month, titled The Mighty Isis, which ran for two years, out-surviving the TV series. The eight-issue run by DC Comics began in October 1976 and ended in January 1978; early issues featured a special "DC TV" logo. All stories starred the Andrea Thomas character from the television series; the book was edited by Denny O'Neil, written by Jack C. Harris and most issues illustrated by Mike Vosburg (the first issue was illustrated by Ric Estrada and Wallace Wood). Although early issues stayed within the format of the TV series, later issues covered storylines beyond the scope of the show, such as a story arc involving Andrea abandoning her "human" alter ego and cutting ties with her friends and family, resulting in Rick Mason revealing his love for her. Like other DC characters who have been reimagined, this version of Isis, though not mentioned or appearing in Crisis on Infinite Earths, can be assumed to have been retconned out of existence following the 1985 DC miniseries.

The superhero Isis was re-introduced in the DC Universe in the weekly comic book 52, in issue #3 (May 2006).[1]

Fictional character biography

Hatshepsut

In the 52 series, which orignally introduced the character Adrianna Tomaz as Isis, it is unveiled that the historical figure Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut, a fictional version of the historical figure of the same name, was once a champion of the Wizard Shazam in the DC Comics universe. During her time as a champion, she wielded the Amulet of Isis as the source of her power and used her abilities to safeguard her kingdom. Following her demise, the amulet was returned to the Wizard with the hope of finding a worthy successor and champion in the future.[2]

Adrianna Tomaz

52 series

Main article: 52 (comics)
Adrianna Tomaz as the second Isis as seen in 52 #12 (September 2006). Art by Eddy Barrows.

Adrianna Tomaz, an Egyptian refugee, was enslaved and presented to Black Adam as a gift from Intergang, along with a significant amount of gold. However, upon being freed by Black Adam and witnessing his potential for positive change, Adrianna fearlessly expressed her belief in his ability to transform their country for the better. After engaging in weeks of discussions with Adrianna, Black Adam underwent a significant shift in his worldview. As a result, he retrieved the mystical Amulet of Isis, which had once belonged to the ancient Egyptian champion Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Adam sought the assistance of Captain Marvel, who had become the Keeper of the Rock of Eternity, to bestow the amulet's power upon Adrianna. The amulet had a history of bringing peace to Queen Hatshepsut's kingdom but had remained dormant following her passing.[2]

By holding the amulet and uttering the phrase "I am Isis," Adrianna was transformed, imbued with the powers of the goddess Isis. Together, Adrianna, now known as Isis, and Black Adam embarked on a mission to travel through the Middle East, liberating enslaved children and searching for Adrianna's abducted brother. Their journey led them to significant milestones, including their wedding ceremony officiated by Captain Marvel, which saw the attendance of various Shazam! characters and the interference of Intergang's failed attempt to disrupt the event through a suicide bomber. Isis's powers paralleled those of Black Adam, granting her the ability to heal wounds of varying severity. Additionally, her control over nature was intricately linked to her emotional state, such that rain would fall indoors when she was sad, and flowers would bloom when she experienced joy. While her initial transformation was triggered by the phrase "I am Isis," subsequent transformations utilized the phrase "Oh Mighty Isis."[2]

During their endeavors, Isis successfully located her brother Amon, who had suffered torment and physical impairment due to his resistance against Intergang's criminal religious cult and numerous escape attempts. Isis intervened, preventing Black Adam from seeking vengeance against the members of Intergang. However, due to the complexity and severity of Amon's injuries, Isis could not fully heal him. In a pivotal moment, Black Adam encouraged Amon to utter his name, resulting in Amon being struck by Shazam's lightning bolt and transforming into Osiris. Reunited with her brother, Isis resolved to initiate global change, starting with China. Osiris persuaded her to reveal the identities of the Black Marvel Family and publicly declare their intentions for a brighter future. The Black Marvels' popularity increased further when they thwarted the demon Sabbac's attempt to sacrifice children to Neron during Halloween. Additionally, during a charity dinner, Osiris formed a bond with Sobek, a humanoid crocodile that had escaped from the lab of Mrs. Sivana.

However, Amanda Waller, skeptical of the Black Marvels' intentions, formed a new Suicide Squad and dispatched the Persuader to attack Isis with a radioactive ax. In an attempt to assist Isis, Osiris inadvertently caused the Persuader's demise, leading to a tragic turn of events that turned public opinion against the Black Marvel Family. Osiris began to question the morality of his powers and held Black Adam responsible for the unintentional death. Intergang orchestrated a series of calculated events that ultimately resulted in Osiris' death at the hands of Sobek. The Black Marvels found themselves engaged in a battle against the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, physical manifestations controlled by Intergang and Doctor Sivana. Isis valiantly sacrificed herself defending Black Adam against the Horseman Pestilence, succumbing to diseases inflicted upon her during the encounter. In her final moments, Isis acknowledged her mistake in her attempt to change Black Adam and pleaded with him to avenge her and Osiris' deaths. Black Adam's ensuing path of vengeance sparked World War III. Several weeks later, an unidentified individual seized Isis' amulet, leaving Adrianna seemingly trapped within its confines.

Black Adam: The Dark Age

In Black Adam: The Dark Age, Adam (now under his civilian title of "Teth-Adam") gets into Khandaq under a false name, and takes her remains despite a shootout in which nearly all his men are killed. In the mountains, he is forced to eat his servant Hassan who offers himself to Black Adam. He fails to notice that he has dropped one of her fingers and her ring at the tomb. He resurrects Isis using the Lazarus Pit. Her resurrection is short lived, as Adam is forced to kill Isis again upon seeing her new body rotting away as soon as she has come back to life. Her bones are then transferred to Doctor Fate's tower, where, with the assistance of Felix Faust, Adam turns them into a magical conduit to imbue himself with god-like powers taken from Isis' corpse itself. Apparently, Isis still could be revived, but every time Adam takes power from her, her bones become more brittle, jeopardizing a new attempt at resurrection. Faust reveals that it is Isis' amulet that can revive her, and that Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. broke it into four parts and scattered it across the globe. It is later revealed that the missing fragments of her body, the reason the Lazarus Pit failed, were being held by Atom-Smasher who found it when the Justice Society investigated the tomb. He meets Black Adam and gives them to him.

Finally, Black Adam manages to find the pieces of the amulet and reunites it with the now-complete skeleton. The spell apparently backfires, resulting in a shambling, rotting corpse. A séance takes place in which Isis' spirit swears eternal hate for her husband, before returning to death. Black Adam flees, laden with guilt, emptiness, and rage; then Faust begins the real rite, having shown Black Adam the skeleton of Ralph Dibny as a way to hide the real Isis from him and blame "her" rotten condition on Black Adam's abuse of their now-shared powers. So Isis is able to be fully restored to life, even if bound by powerful spells to drain her will and bind her to mindless obedience. Now a mere puppet in Faust's hands, Isis' magic is used to free him from his imprisonment in Fate's tower by creating a magical doorway through the tower wall. Felix Faust then drags her away to a hideout, where it is strongly implied that he sexually assaults the paralyzed Isis.[3]

Later, Black Adam, still mourning for her, finds a bloodied flower sprouting in their family shrine. He takes it as a sign that Isis is trying to communicate with him, which becomes apparent when he finds a larger collection of flowers in the shape of the Shazam lightning bolt symbol, pointing in the direction Adam must go to find her.[4] Eventually, Black Adam finds Isis and Felix Faust, and Adam forces Faust to release Isis from his control. Reunited, Isis and Adam travel to the Rock of Eternity, where they banish Captain Marvel back to Earth as a powerless Billy Batson (Isis has turned him back using magic lightning from saying Shazam from a spell book) and begin setting a plan in motion to "cleanse the Earth" of evil their way, even recruiting Mary Marvel to their crusade.[5] The Justice Society come to the Rock of Eternity, seeking to help Billy, only for Isis to brutally attack them, even throwing Jay Garrick into the mists covering the Rock, from which there is no escape.[6] During the course of the fight, the combatants end up in Kahndaq, where the people praise Black Adam's return. Isis then kills several of the followers, claiming that they are tainted by this new Earth. Black Adam attempts to protect his people, only to be attacked by Mary and Billy, who had been tainted by Mary's power. At that point, Jay Garrick appears with the spirit of Billy's father, and Shazam, whom the former had helped Jay recover from the Rock of Finality. Adam is convinced to return his power to Shazam so that the wizard's spirit can save Isis from her corruption. Shazam is released from his stone form. In turn, Shazam takes the power from Isis, Billy, and Mary, and transforms Teth-Adam and Adrianna into statues. Some time later, a shadowy figure appears to the statues in a bolt of lightning, wanting them to be his "champions."[7]

Brightest Day

After the events of the Blackest Night storyline, Osiris is resurrected by the White Lantern Entity and returns to Khandaq, vowing to restore the kingdom to its former prosperity. Osiris takes the petrified bodies of Adam and Isis and flies off to an unknown destination.[8] Despite his best efforts, Osiris is unable to return Adam and Adrianna to their living states. He ultimately aligns himself with Deathstroke and his new team of Titans after being told that the mercenary can help him return his family to life.[9] Both Adrianna and Teth-Adam are currently stored in Deathstroke's base of operations, the Labyrinth.[10]

It is ultimately revealed by the White Lantern Entity that Osiris was resurrected with the express purpose of saving Adrianna from her fate.[11] During a battle with a drug kingpin named Elijah, Osiris experiences a vision of Isis after falling asleep due to the villain Pisces. He is told that he is guilty for his hand in the murder of Ryan Choi, and that in order to free her, he will have to kill more people. Osiris accidentally electrocutes Elijah after waking from his vision after yelling 'Isis,' and returns home to find that more cracks have appeared on Isis' statue. He then surmises that it was Elijah's death which caused the cracks, and states that he will indeed have to kill more people to free Isis from her prison.[12] He then kills a guard at Arkham Asylum using his lightning channeled by saying 'Isis' again, although he seems to not enjoy this action, saying 'Great Ra forgive me.'[13] After killing two bank robbers, Osiris is confronted by Freddy Freeman. Somehow, Osiris manages to steal Freddy's power and give it to Isis. However, Isis' first words upon being reunited with her brother are "What have you done to me?"[14] It is soon revealed that the killings Osiris did in her name have corrupted her soul, causing her to haphazardly shift between her kind, caring personality and a callous, cruel one. When Osiris' back is turned, Isis breaks out of the Labyrinth.[15] She goes on a rampage, unable to stop herself from using nature to try to destroy the world. In desperation, she attempts to commit suicide by lightning, but Osiris shields her with his own body. When they awake, Isis discovers that the corruption has left her, but she still feels it inside Osiris, and it worries her.[16]

It was later revealed by the Entity that Isis was brought back to life because she's the one who will aid the Swamp Thing.[17]

Later, Isis aids her brother Osiris in stopping the Quraci soldiers who are attacking Kahndaq. Isis learns that Osiris has become more violent, killing the soldiers. When the Justice League attacks Deathstroke's Titans, they are stopped by Isis, who forces them to leave Kahndaq at once. She declares her rulership of Kahndaq, and withdraws the country from the United Nations, stating that they will outlaw outsiders and recognize no power but their own, and that any intrusion will incite World War III. The Justice League's only option is to leave, and Deathstroke's Titans leave as well. Isis then tells Osiris that he is not welcome in Kahndaq, because of his bloodlust.[18]

The New 52

In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Adrianna Tomaz is a young woman who, by fighting specifically against Khandaq's evil rule, is opposed to her brother Amon entering The Sons of Adam terrorist group. However, after he is killed by Khandaq's forces and she is forced to resurrect Black Adam, Adrianna decides to follow a path of violence, with an unknown voice saying that she will be chosen to wield power.[19]

DC Rebirth

During the 2016 "Shazam! and the Seven Magiclands" stoyline, it is revealed that Isis and Osiris's (Adrianna and Amon)'s prior history as the super-powered Black Marvel Family was restored although they died under unknown circumstances years prior. Mister Mind and Doctor Sivanna would later attempt to recruit Black Adam into his Monster Society of Evil by tempting him with the power of the Darklands, which Mind claimed could ressurect those who've he tried to in the past, including his wife and brother-in-law.[20]

Powers and abilities

Andrea Thomas's abilities

Isis demonstrated numerous powers that manifested when the need arose. These included flight, super speed, super strength (to a level comparable to Superman and Wonder Woman), telekinesis (the ability to move and levitate objects), geokinesis (the ability to control elements such as fire, earth, wind, and water), the ability to change the molecules of inanimate objects to allow people to pass through them, the ability to act as a human lightning rod, remote viewing, and (at her power's maximum) the ability to stop and reverse time. To activate these powers, Isis usually is shown reciting a rhyming chant (the most frequent being "Oh zephyr winds that blow on high, lift me now so I can fly!"). The medallion Andrea Thomas uses to change into Isis also gives her apparent limited powers even when in her non-Isis form, as she is shown communicating telepathically with her pet crow Tut and engaging in minor mind control even without changing. She also received superior hand-to-hand and weapons combat skills from the goddess.

Adrianna Tomaz's abilities

Adrianna possesses supernatural powers and abilities that were initially granted by the Amulet of Isis, a magical artifact. By uttering the phrase "I am Isis!" while wearing the amulet, she could tap into the magical energies associated with the ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis. Over time, as noted by Felix Faust, Adrianna's body absorbed the magical energies of the amulet, resulting in a natural connection to the power it bestowed upon her.[21] Following her resurrection, Adrianna's link to her abilities became inherent, no longer relying solely on the amulet for their manifestation.[22]

As the superhero Isis, Black Adam believed that the powers bestowed by the Amulet of Isis are even more potent than his own abilities. As a result, the character is regarded as the most powerful member of the Black Marvel Family and possesses enhanced physical abilities that surpass normal human limits.[2] She exhibits superhuman strength, speed, and durability, comparable to her brother Osiris, whose powers are often likened to those of a Kryptonian. In addition to her heightened physical attributes, Adrianna gains a range of magical powers. These include the ability to fly, heal herself and others, manipulate various elements, and control natural phenomena such as storms. Her agility is also notable, making her skilled and nimble in combat situations.[23]

Other versions

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Isis is mentioned by her brother, Osiris, believing that she has been killed by the Atlanteans/Amazons war.[24] It is revealed that Isis was held captive by the Outsider for Black Adam into selling the Outsider his home country, Khandaq. The Outsider then shot Black Adam and threw him off of his train, joining Isis as his trophy/prisoner.[25]

In other media

Television

  • The superhero Isis appears in The Freedom Force, voiced by Diane Pershing. This version is a member of the titular team.
  • Two variations of Isis appear in a self-titled episode of Smallville. The first is Lois Lane (portrayed by Erica Durance) after she is possessed by the Amulet of Isis. Additionally, Egyptologist and curator of the Metropolis Museum, "Adrianna", appears in the episode, portrayed by Erica Cerra.[26]
  • The goddess Isis appeared in the second season of Young Justice. The superhero version appeared in the fourth season.
  • A variation of Adrianna Tomaz named Zari Tomaz appears in Legends of Tomorrow, portrayed by Tala Ashe.[27] This version is a Muslim-American hacker from the year 2042 who possesses aerokinesis via the Air Totem. In one Halloween-themed episode, Zari dons a costume based upon the one worn by Joanna Cameron's Isis. In the course of the series, a version of Zari from an alternate timeline (named Zari Tarazi and still played by Ashe) begins sharing Tomaz's existence and totem. The totem and its powers are also shared with Tarazi's brother from the altered timeline, Behrad Tarazi (played by Shayan Sobhian). The name Isis is never used to refer to Zari, who is never assigned a superhero name in the series.

Film

Adrianna Tomaz appears in Black Adam, portrayed by Sarah Shahi.[28][29] This version is an archaeologist and resistance fighter in Intergang-controlled Kahndaq. Being surrounded by Intergang soldiers, Adrianna reads the inscriptions on the rocks and frees Teth-Adam from his 5000 year imprisonment and allows him to kill Intergang personnel while allowing Adrianna to escape with her brother Karim and the crown, and also to Adam after being injured. In the fight between Adam and Justice Society, she has them join forces to save her son Amon, who was captured by his partner Ishmael Gregor, who turned out to be the militant leader of Intergang. After Adam saved Amon from being killed by Ishmael, she discovers that his death allowed him to be reborn as the demon Sabbac. Adrianna, Amon and Karim rally the people of Khandaq to fight Sabbac's skeleton army while Teth-Adam and the Justice Society defeat Sabbac.

Video games

References

  1. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ a b c d Johns, Geoff; Morrison, Grant; Waid, Mark; Rucka, Greg (2016-06-21). 52 Vol. 1 (New ed.). DC. ISBN 978-1-4012-7026-1.
  3. ^ Black Adam: The Dark Age #6 (March 2008)
  4. ^ Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #16 (July 2008)
  5. ^ Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #23 (March 2009)
  6. ^ Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #24 (April 2009)
  7. ^ Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #25 (May 2009)
  8. ^ Brightest Day #0 (April 2010)
  9. ^ Titans: Villains For Hire Special (July 2010)
  10. ^ Titans (vol. 2) #24 (August 2010)
  11. ^ Brightest Day #6 (September 2010)
  12. ^ Titans (vol. 2) #27 (November 2010)
  13. ^ Titans (vol. 2) #28 (December 2010)
  14. ^ Titans (vol. 2) #32 (April 2011)
  15. ^ Titans (vol. 2) #33 (May 2011)
  16. ^ Titans (vol. 2) #34 (June 2011)
  17. ^ Brightest Day #24 (June 2011)
  18. ^ Titans (vol. 2) Annual 2011 (July 2011)
  19. ^ Justice League of America (vol. 3) #7.4 (November 2013)
  20. ^ Johns, Geoff (2020). Shazam! and the seven magic lands. Dale Eaglesham, Scott Kolins, Marco Santucci, Mayo Naito, Max Raynor, Michael Atiyeh, Rob Leigh. Burbank, CA. ISBN 978-1-77950-459-3. OCLC 1184122596.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  21. ^ Tomasi, Peter J.; Mahnke, Doug; Alamy, Christian (2008). Black Adam: the Dark Age. DC Comics. ISBN 978-1-4012-1786-0.
  22. ^ Wallace, Eric (2011). Titans : villains for hire. Fabrizio Fiorentino. New York: DC Comics. ISBN 978-1-4012-3048-7. OCLC 642843031.
  23. ^ Scott, Melanie; DK (2019-03-12). DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide New Edition. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4654-8639-4.
  24. ^ Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint #1 (June 2011)
  25. ^ Flashpoint: The Outsider #2 (July 2011)
  26. ^ "WordPress.com". Archived from the original on 2010-08-26. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  27. ^ Beedle, Tim (October 24, 2017). "A New Legend Begins: Zari Tomaz Stirs Things Up". DC Comics.
  28. ^ Brail, Nathaniel (November 21, 2019). "Dwayne Johnson's 'Black Adam' Will Feature Doctor Fate & Isis (Exclusive)". Heroic Hollywood. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  29. ^ "Sarah Shahi Joins Dwayne Johnson in New Line and DC Films' 'Black Adam'". 14 October 2020.
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