Sphinx (comics)
Encyclopedia
The Sphinx is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The first version of the Sphinx first appeared in Nova
#6 (Feb. 1977) and was created by Marv Wolfman
and Sal Buscema
. The second version first appears in New Warriors
#4 and was created by Fabian Nicieza
.
in the court of Egyptian
pharaoh
Ramesses II
. Defeated in a duel of magic
by the prophet Moses
, the magician is exiled into the desert for his failure. The title Nova
recounts in flashback
how Anath-Na discovers the alien Ka Stone, which grants him immortality
and a host of other powers. Using the alias the Sphinx, Anath-Na wanders the Earth for thousands of years, and eventually becomes bored with his immortality. After learning the origins of the hero Nova, a human empowered by the aliens
of the planet Xandar
and possessing the subconscious knowledge of Xandar's Living Computer, the Sphinx theorized that the machine may be able to find a way to end his immortal life.
In a Fantastic Four
annual, the Sphinx empowers a pawn called Thraxon to help subdue the Inhumans
, as he plans to use the power of ruler Black Bolt
to amplify a scanning device and read the minds of all mankind for knowledge of how to finally die. Superhero team the Fantastic Four
defeat Thraxon and in a final confrontation Black Bolt blasts the Sphinx into deep space. The character reappears in the title Nova, taking mental control of Nova and with his temporary allies (Comet
; Crimebuster; Diamondhead
; Powerhouse and Doctor Sun
), they travel back to Xandar to join a war against the invading Skrulls.
The story continues in the title Fantastic Four, where this proves to be a ruse, as once on Xandar the Sphinx takes advantage of the war to find and absorb the knowledge of the Living Computer of Xandar. Evolving into a god
, the Sphinx decides to destroy Earth. The Fantastic Four witness this, and knowing that they are outmatched Mister Fantastic
contacts the cosmic entity Galactus
and presents a proposal — if Galactus will defeat the Sphinx, then Mister Fantastic will release him from his vow to never threaten the Earth again. Galactus accepts, and after the Fantastic Four find Galactus a new Herald (Terrax
), the group travel to Earth. Galactus defeats the Sphinx, and after crushing his Ka Stone sends him back in human form to ancient Egypt. The character is trapped in a time loop
, forcing Anath-Na to constantly relive his life to this point.
An issue of the title Marvel Two-In-One
continues the story, as Anath-Na relives his life several times until due to a chronal flaw he is able to meet himself, and so warns the younger Anath-Na as to his future. The two then build a machine to reconstruct the Ka Stone, and after hypnotizing the younger version of Anath-Na so he would not remember, the future version enters suspended animation
. The future version of the Sphinx awakens after Galactus departs, and begins to rebuild the Ka Stone. The hero the Thing
, however, battles the Sphinx to a standstill and destroys the machine, leaving the Sphinx with an incomplete Stone. The Sphinx departs, but on learning that the incomplete Ka Stone is losing all power seeks revenge of the Thing. The villain the Puppet Master
assists the Thing and forces the Sphinx to crush the Ka Stone; as a result Anath-Na immediately ages five thousand years and crumbles to dust.
Meryet Karim is a desert nomad who finds an unconscious Anath-Na Mut soon after he finds the Ka Stone. In nursing him back to health, Karim absorbs residual energies from the Ka Stone which grant her a fraction of its power. Karim found that after death she was being perpetually reincarnated into new bodies and retains the knowledge of her previous lives with each rebirth. In the modern era, Karim finds the remnants of the Ka Stone and reconstructs it to become the new Sphinx. Karim then alters history so that Anath-Na Mut kills Moses, which leads to Egypt eventually conquering the world. Karim is thwarted by the superhero team the New Warriors
, and she resurrects Anath-Na in a bid to reclaim his love. The newly-empowered Anath-na battles the New Warriors, but when forced to face his feelings for Karim decides to merge with her into a composite entity, which goes back in time to live a normal life.
The gestalt entity has a final appearance in the title the New Warriors before reappearing as the male Sphinx in the third volume of the title Nova. The character discovers that Galactus' curse is still in effect and battles Nova once again, intent on having access to Xandarian knowledge. The Sphinx appears in an issue of the fourth volume of the title Nova.
, who has gained additional abilities through use of the Ka Stone, and other sources. The character possesses superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, and virtual immortality. Courtesy of the Ka stone, the Sphinx also possess a range of metaphysical
abilities including energy projection; telepathy
; teleportation
and flight
. The Sphinx also possesses knowledge of ancient Egyptian sorcery.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The first version of the Sphinx first appeared in Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
#6 (Feb. 1977) and was created by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
. The second version first appears in New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
#4 and was created by Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
.
Publication history
Anath-Na Mut is a magicianMagic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
in the court of Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Ramesses II
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
. Defeated in a duel of magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
by the prophet Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, the magician is exiled into the desert for his failure. The title Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
recounts in flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
how Anath-Na discovers the alien Ka Stone, which grants him immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
and a host of other powers. Using the alias the Sphinx, Anath-Na wanders the Earth for thousands of years, and eventually becomes bored with his immortality. After learning the origins of the hero Nova, a human empowered by the aliens
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
of the planet Xandar
Xandar
Xandar is a fictional planet in the Tranta system in the Andromeda galaxy of the Marvel Comics universe. It is best known as the home world of the Nova Corps, an intergalactic police task force. The most prominent member of the Nova Corps is Richard Rider, one-time member of the New Warriors...
and possessing the subconscious knowledge of Xandar's Living Computer, the Sphinx theorized that the machine may be able to find a way to end his immortal life.
In a Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
annual, the Sphinx empowers a pawn called Thraxon to help subdue the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
, as he plans to use the power of ruler Black Bolt
Black Bolt
Black Bolt is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 Black...
to amplify a scanning device and read the minds of all mankind for knowledge of how to finally die. Superhero team the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
defeat Thraxon and in a final confrontation Black Bolt blasts the Sphinx into deep space. The character reappears in the title Nova, taking mental control of Nova and with his temporary allies (Comet
Comet (Marvel Comics)
Comet is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Comet first appeared in Nova #21 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and John Buscema....
; Crimebuster; Diamondhead
Diamondhead (comics)
Diamondhead is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Diamondhead first appeared in Nova vol 1 #3 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and Sal Buscema....
; Powerhouse and Doctor Sun
Doctor Sun
Doctor Sun is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a cyborg who fed on human blood, and has come into conflict with the Fantastic Four.-Publication history:...
), they travel back to Xandar to join a war against the invading Skrulls.
The story continues in the title Fantastic Four, where this proves to be a ruse, as once on Xandar the Sphinx takes advantage of the war to find and absorb the knowledge of the Living Computer of Xandar. Evolving into a god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, the Sphinx decides to destroy Earth. The Fantastic Four witness this, and knowing that they are outmatched Mister Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
contacts the cosmic entity Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
and presents a proposal — if Galactus will defeat the Sphinx, then Mister Fantastic will release him from his vow to never threaten the Earth again. Galactus accepts, and after the Fantastic Four find Galactus a new Herald (Terrax
Terrax
Terrax the Tamer is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #211 and was created by Marv Wolfman and John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:...
), the group travel to Earth. Galactus defeats the Sphinx, and after crushing his Ka Stone sends him back in human form to ancient Egypt. The character is trapped in a time loop
Time loop
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device in science fiction in which time runs normally for a set period but then skips back like a broken record. When the time loop "resets", the memories of most characters are reset...
, forcing Anath-Na to constantly relive his life to this point.
An issue of the title Marvel Two-In-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
continues the story, as Anath-Na relives his life several times until due to a chronal flaw he is able to meet himself, and so warns the younger Anath-Na as to his future. The two then build a machine to reconstruct the Ka Stone, and after hypnotizing the younger version of Anath-Na so he would not remember, the future version enters suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
. The future version of the Sphinx awakens after Galactus departs, and begins to rebuild the Ka Stone. The hero the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, however, battles the Sphinx to a standstill and destroys the machine, leaving the Sphinx with an incomplete Stone. The Sphinx departs, but on learning that the incomplete Ka Stone is losing all power seeks revenge of the Thing. The villain the Puppet Master
Puppet Master (comics)
The Puppet Master, real name Phillip Masters, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Fantastic Four comics. His first appearance was in Fantastic Four volume 1 #8...
assists the Thing and forces the Sphinx to crush the Ka Stone; as a result Anath-Na immediately ages five thousand years and crumbles to dust.
Meryet Karim is a desert nomad who finds an unconscious Anath-Na Mut soon after he finds the Ka Stone. In nursing him back to health, Karim absorbs residual energies from the Ka Stone which grant her a fraction of its power. Karim found that after death she was being perpetually reincarnated into new bodies and retains the knowledge of her previous lives with each rebirth. In the modern era, Karim finds the remnants of the Ka Stone and reconstructs it to become the new Sphinx. Karim then alters history so that Anath-Na Mut kills Moses, which leads to Egypt eventually conquering the world. Karim is thwarted by the superhero team the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, and she resurrects Anath-Na in a bid to reclaim his love. The newly-empowered Anath-na battles the New Warriors, but when forced to face his feelings for Karim decides to merge with her into a composite entity, which goes back in time to live a normal life.
The gestalt entity has a final appearance in the title the New Warriors before reappearing as the male Sphinx in the third volume of the title Nova. The character discovers that Galactus' curse is still in effect and battles Nova once again, intent on having access to Xandarian knowledge. The Sphinx appears in an issue of the fourth volume of the title Nova.
Powers and abilities
The Sphinx is an ancient mutantMutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
, who has gained additional abilities through use of the Ka Stone, and other sources. The character possesses superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes, and virtual immortality. Courtesy of the Ka stone, the Sphinx also possess a range of metaphysical
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
abilities including energy projection; telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
; teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
and flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
. The Sphinx also possesses knowledge of ancient Egyptian sorcery.
External links
- Sphinx at Marvel.com
- Sphinx at MarvelDirectory.com