MagicMaster

Real Name: Shamarah

Identity/Class: Djinn

Occupation: Genie

Affiliations: Jimmy; former teacher to Merlin, Circe and Cagliostro

Enemies: Prince Infernus

Known Relatives: None known

Aliases: The Mighty Sorcerer; Magician of the Gods

Base of Operations: Unknown

First Appearance: Double-Dare Adventures #1 (Harvey Comics, December 1966)

Powers/Abilities: Able to do pretty much anything with his magic - levitation, invisibility, hypnosis, illusions. All his powers are dependent on his possessing the mystic dagger of Dharath.

History: When Jimmy's father, a.k.a. The Incredible Apollo, the world's greatest stage magician, is killed in a car accident, Jimmy suspects foul play after the police discover a turban at the scene of the crime. The turban links to death to Prince Infernus, a rival of his father's, "one of the Black Darwishes who practices the rites of evil magic". The Incredible Apollo had told his son about how the government had sent him to Egypt "to rout the diabolical native magi by outperforming him", and told him that Infernus' magic is merely trickery. His reputation destroyed, Infernus had gone into hiding, returning once to attempt to kill Apollo with a thrown dagger (which instead struck Apollo's image in a mirror).

In his father's study, full of occult memorabilia, Jimmy finds an ancient book, “small, dark, crumbling volume of Egyptian magic”, and mouthing one of the incantations therein, conjures up a gigantic, blue-skinned djinn, Shamarah. The sorcerer proclaims that he has been sent by the Egyptian gods to avenge the death of the Incredible Apollo. Together, the two set out to capture Infernus, flying to the crematorium where Jimmy's father had thought Infernus was hiding. Jimmy uses his knowledge of stage magic to open the locks, and enter the hideout. Battling Infernus' men, Shamarah is knocked out and relieved of his dagger. Both of them are then locked up in the crematorium's furnace. Shamarah is now powerless, but luckily Jimmy has also learned some escapology from his father. Freeing them both from the ropes they have been tied up with, the two escape before they are burned to death. Shamarah recovers his dagger, and when Infernus threatens Jimmy's life, Shamarah frightens him with an illusion, scaring him into running into the furnace.

Deciding there is much evil in the world, Shamarah decides to stay and fight crime, while also teaching Jimmy true magic.

Comments: Created by Jim Steranko - thanks to Mike Murphy for informing me of this.

The police think that Jimmy's father's death was an accident, even though a turban belonging to a rival of his is found nearby. Clearly American cops aren't too bright!

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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