Ibis the Invincible

Publication history

The first Ibis debuted in Whiz Comics #2 in February 1940, the creation of Bob Kingett. As superheroes faded in the early 1950s, Fawcett’s lineup, including Ibis, stopped publishing. Charlton Comics later reissued one of his stories. DC Comics eventually licensed and, by the 1970s, fully acquired the Fawcett characters. A second Ibis arrived in Helmet of Fate: Ibis the Invincible #1 in January 2007, crafted by Tad Williams and Phil Winslade.

Characterization

Prince Amentep, an Egyptian prince and follower of Thoth who was next in line to become pharaoh, loved Princess Taia of Thebes. When Taia was poisoned in 1940, Amentep traveled forward to that time and placed both of them into suspended animation to heal, a process lasting 4,000 years. In the modern era, he uses his mystical powers to fight evil. He once filled in as guardian of the Rock of Eternity for his friend and ally, the Wizard Shazam. Daniel Kasam "Danny" Khalifa is an Egyptian-American high school student of ordinary abilities who carries the bloodline of the Hekau, ancient magician pharaohs whose powers are suggested to come from the same deity. When chosen as the second Ibis, he wields the Ibistick, a large magical staff that transforms him into an older adult form. As Ibis the Invincible, he defends against evil, especially mystical threats linked to ancient Egypt. A composite of Amentep and Daniel Khalifa, Ibis is a sorcerer and prince with origins in ancient Egypt, known for his white magic, strong ethics, and pride in Egyptian history and culture. He loves Taia, the High Priestess of Anubis, who acts as both his romantic partner and guide. After being reincarnated as Daniel Khalifa, he keeps his moral strength and appreciation for Egyptian heritage. When he discovers his past life, he gives up his youth to restore Taia’s youth and resume his role as a mystic defender, though the consequences of leaving behind his previous life and the impact on his friends and family remain a worry.

Fictional history

Before he was Ibis, he was Amentep, a prince of ancient Egypt deeply in love with Princess Taia of Thebes. As a young man, the god Thoth granted him the Ibistick, a wand of immense power, after Amentep was overthrown. His throne was later stolen by a cruel magician called the Black Pharaoh, who used a demonic army summoned by the evil god Set. When Taia, protected by Osiris, refused to marry the usurper, the Black Pharaoh shot her with a poisoned arrow. Using the Ibistick, Amentep placed her in suspended animation to heal, then cast the same spell on himself so he could be there when she awoke.

Four thousand years later, in 1940, Amentep’s mummy revived in an American museum, a resurrection later credited to the wizard Shazam. Now calling himself Ibis, he searched for his beloved and eventually found her in another museum. To adapt to the modern world, he used his tremendous abilities to fight crime.

The Ibistick grants him nearly limitless power. He can create force-fields around entire cities, teleport himself and others, heal or destroy people, resurrect the dead, summon spirits, grant superhuman abilities, and conjure objects from nothing. Without the wand, he is completely helpless, a weakness his enemies often exploit. The Ibistick vibrates in the presence of evil, once even waking him. Taia has been shown using the wand to call down lightning on Ibis’s foes, and she often wields it. Anyone can use the Ibistick, but it cannot harm Ibis directly; any attempt to do so backfires on the user. It is also ineffective against certain kinds of magic.

According to Jess Nevins’ Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, Ibis battled ordinary criminals, a living Sphinx, the Yellow Peril villain Trug, a spider made human-sized and intelligent by his own wand, the superintelligent and maimed Half-Man, the Dark Spirit (a forgotten god of evil), Ruthven the Warlock, and even Lucifer himself.

Enemies

Ibis the Invincible has a long list of dangerous foes. A student once summoned a demon called Apollyon, who killed a professor; Ibis defeated it with the professor's ghost and his own Ibistick. He fought Black Rufe, a criminal brought back from the dead, and his own wicked uncle, the Black Pharaoh, who tried to marry Taia. A nine-lived cult leader known as The Cat and Charon, the ferryman of the Styx, also challenged him. The thieving sorcerer Dalaghar tried to flee but ended up turned to stone. Ibis used magic spectacles and Perseus' sword to beat the Gorgons. The evil sorcerer Karnok attempted to sacrifice Ibis but was sent to Hades instead, and the Egyptian wizard Ra-Tuth also opposed him. Ancient rivals of humanity, the Moon-men, were revived but destroyed on the Moon. The criminal Murder Malone took over an orphanage but was outsmarted. Trug, who kept trying to steal the Ibistick, and the Vampire Twins, Baron Ornzy and Maryani, were also defeated. In every fight, Ibis relied on the Ibistick and his own magic to shield Taia and keep the world safe from evil.