Mathayus (The Mummy)

Mathayus is a male character that features in The Mummy.

Biography

Rise of a Warrior

A young Mathayus as a Black Scorpion.

Mathayus was born in Akkad to Ashur, a member of the elite Black Scorpions who were the best soldiers of the Emperor of Akkad. His exploits made him adored by his son who planned to follow in his fathers footsteps but Ashur told Mathayus not to do so due to the terrible acts committed in war. However, Mathayus chose to ignore him and went to the games where the young boys were recruited into the sacred Black Scorpion ranks. During the games, he encountered his childhood friend Layla who disguised herself in order to fight like a man as women were not allowed in their ranks. As their conversation continued, the commander of the Black Scorpions overheard them and detained Layla. Mathayus attempted to defend her but got detained as well and was almost executed for striking against Sargon but his father came to save him. A fight erupted between Ashur and Sargon which ended only when Emperor Hammurabi stopped it and forgave them. However, in return for this, the Emperor wished for Mathayus to join the Black Scorpions, an act which left Sargon furious. Later that night, the son of Ashur witnesses his father being killed by Sargon's Scoprion Curse but decides to continue on becoming a Black Scorpion so he could get his vengeance.

Mathayus with Layla.

The years pass on by until Mathayus becomes and adult whereupon he participates in the ceremony that initiates him within the Black Scorpions. By this time, he had become a master swordsman and the best in his class. He was greeted in his rise by the new Emperor, Sargon who had slain Emperor Hammurabi in order to seize the throne. After recognizing Mathayus, Sargon invites him to his palace in order to judge him. As a reward, Mathyus was given the night with the Emperor's concubines. The next day, Mathayus was once again brought to the palace and heard that his friend Noa was being arrested on charges for spreading "false rumours" about Emperor Sargon. In order to save his friends life, he frees him and attempts to flee the city. However, Sargon learns of this and enchants a bow which tracks Noa out of the city where he is killed by the weapon as he lied in Mathayus arms. Angered, the son of Ashur swears to kill Sargon and decides to head to Egypt to find the fabled Spear of Osiris which resided in the hands of the lands Pharoah in order to use it to kill Sargon. Along the way, Mathayus was followed to his boat by Layla who wished to leave Akkad as well in order to escape her impending parent arranged marriage to a fat sheep merchant.

Though he attempted to dissuade her from following him, Mathayus relented when they were on the boat and revealed his plan to call upon a favour his father did to the Pharoah to get the Spear. It was there that he encountered the Greek Aristophanes who, along with Layla, told him was an unlikely action as the Pharoah was not going to hand over the Spear and that the Spear only worked against supernatural beings. He instead went through his knowledge and said that the Sword of Damocles was perhaps a suitable weapon he was looking for. Asking the Greek to be his guide, Mathayus was told that he had a hefty price to risk his life for the magical weapon. Reluctantly, he had to turn to Layla for the gold to which she agreed on the condition that she was allowed to go with him as well as acknowledged her as his equal. By the time the ship reached Egypt, Layla was still dictating her terms to him to which he said that she shouldn't push her luck.

Mathayus, Layla and Ari in the labyrinth.

Entering into the palace, Mathayus was forced to fight the guards while Ari worked to find the hidden passage only to be dropped into an underground labyrinth where he learnt the mythical beast known as the Minotaur resided which guarded the entrance to the underworld. After slaying the beast, he encountered a number of soldiers that were also prisoners to the Labyrinth that aided him against the monster. Mathayus learnt that their leader was a veteran warrior who's life was saved by Ashur long ago to which he repayed his debt. Ari later managed to convince the group to help them in their quest to the underworld which they entered when the Greek spoke the words located on the chambers floor leaving them on a pillar high above the sands of the underworld. It was there that Mathayus seemed to hear his fathers voice to trust his faith and with the prodding of Ari, took a step of the pillar only to have a rocky step come before his foot. Emboldened, he attempted to take another step expecting another stair to appear but fell, however, the magic of the underworld meant that the pillar had suddenly shrunk to the ground leaving Mathayus in the sand and not hurt. This was a source of amusement for his comrades but they continued their way through the underworld on their quest.

Entering the underworld.

It was there that they stumbled into the private sanctum of the goddess Astarte who demanded from the group why they had invaded her realm. When she forced his comrades to bow, she turned her attention to him and demanded that he did the same to which he refused. It was then she revealed her identity as Astarte, the goddess of war and love. Rather then provoke such a powerful being, Mathayus apologised for the intrusion but Astarte was no longer concerned with the violation of her sanctum but the physical specimen that was Mathayus. She attempted to seduce him but was interrupted by Layla who aggressively attempted to defend him from the goddesses attentions. It was then and there that Astarte challenged Layla's feminity asking if she were a man or woman as she doubted any man would come to her even if she had gold by her feet. Layla rebuked by saying that she was an old hag and that her status as a goddess was her only gurantee on getting men. Cautiously, Mathayus and his colleagues turned back as the two women battled in physical mortal combat.

Mathayus being fought over by Astarte and Layla.

Though Layla put up a valiant fight, she was defeated when Astarte used her magic to cause her to rise in the air and form a fiery pit beneath her whereupon she threatened to kill her by dropping her into the flames. It was then that Mathayus stepped in and attempted to apologise to her; stating that he was sorry for the intrusion and that if allowed to return he would make temples in her honor in the mortal world. However, she said that she had enough temples in her name which bored her. Instead, she was interested in Mathayus and wanted him as her consort where he would remain forever young to please her. In return, his comrades would be allowed to leave though a defiant Layla stated that Mathayus loved her and urged the Akkadian to resist her temptation which she said that required only a single kiss and he would forever be hers. When Ari and Fong retrieved the Sword of Damocles, Mathayus resisted her and said that he made a vow to kill the murderer of his father and rejected Astarte's advances. Angered and amused, Mathayus and his comrades attempted to make their escape while Astarte said that he would be hers just like his father was.

They managed to reach the pillar platform in the desert of the underworld before the time ran out though the veteran soldier that served with Ashur was too late due to his greed to obtain riches and became stone. With that complete, the group took a boat from Egypt to return to Akkad. Whilst on the journey, Layla stated that she only said that he loved her to keep Astarte distracted though he sensed that she was only covering her feelings for him which he mutually shared with her. When they returned to Akkad, they saw that there was a great deal of unrest and separated with the group taking Ari to challenge Sargon while Layla and Fong helped the people of the city. After disarming a group of guards of their weapons, Mathayus went unchallenged into Emperor Sargon's palace. Once there, he encountered a vision of his father which turned out to be a disguise of Sargon's magic in order to lull Mathayus into a calm state so he could be disarmed of the Sword of Damocles.

The pair fought but eventually Ari was found in possession of the Sword. Mathayus asked his friend to give the weapon to him, however, Sargon asked the same of Ari who gave the sword to Akkad Emperor in return for jewels and riches. Leaving Mathayus defenselss, the young warrior deflected the weapon which shattered revealing it to be a fake. In the commotion, Ari returned with the real sword and gave it to Mathayus. Sargon now scared attempted to call upon the Black Scorpion oath to stop Mathayus but he used the sword to burn the mark from his shoulder. Retreating into the shadows and uttering magical words, Sargon was transformed into a magical inviisble scorpion that rampaged in the city after Mathayus. Unable to see this monster, he made use of oil and threw it at Sargon who was now visible and charged at Mathayus. Raising the sword, he pierced Sargon's skin and killed him which resulted in his transformation into a Human once more as he died. Wounded and exhausted, Mathayus saw the goddess Astarte approach him who took the sword and asked why she should not kill him for spurning her advances. Weakened, Mathayus said that because eventually in time, he would be hers when he died to which she agreed and left him.

Collapsing unconscious, Mathayus was nursed back to health to find that the people of the city were saved. Though angered by Ari's attempted betrayal he was calmed down by Layla who he embraced in a kiss. Now fully recovered, he witnessed the coronation of the new Emperor. Layla said that it should have been him he took the throne but he said it was not his cup of tea. When she said that it would have been nice being his wife in a life of comfort, he asked her about her desire to be a warrior to which she said that it was not the life she envisioned and that it was only being Mathayus that she felt happy. However, while his heart was with Layla, Mathayus's warrior instincts wanted him to continue to battle and to that end, he left Akkad on a camel to continue his adventures that would make him the Scorpion King.

The Mummy Returns

At some point, Mathayus became a ruthless king who led his armies against all his enemies and defeating them. His campaigns eventually took him to Egypt where he attempted to conquer the capital of Thebes only to be defeated with the remnants of his army forced into the desert. As they journeyed back. Mathayus's men died one by one as the desert's heat claimed their lives leaving only Mathayus himself. Slowly dying of dehydration and the heat himself, he fell to the sands and begged the god of the underworld Anubis to spare his life in exchange his soul would be forever the dark gods. Anubis accepted the pact and the land around Mathayus was transformed into a beautiful oasis known as Ahm Shere. Being saved, Mathyus was not in command of the Army of Anubis, an invincible horde that destroyed everything in its path with which he returned to conquer Thebes. However, before the city was destroyed, the Army disappeared along with Mathayus as part of his pact with Anubis. The once Human warrior became transformed into the Scorpion King who was placed within the Golden Pyramid of Ahm Shere where he would guard his title from those who sought to claim the Army of Anubis.

Centuries later, that time came when the Year of the Scorpion arrived and the servants of the undead being Imhotep awoke their master in order for him to claim the Scorpion Kings power. To that end, they journeyed to the golden pyramid where Imhotep was certain of his power to win only to discover that Anubis stripped him of his supernatural abilities in order to fight the transformed Scorpion King. Awoke by the gong banging, the once Human Mathayus was now transformed into a large half Human/half scorpion like creature that attacked both Imhotep and Rick O'Connell. When he was about to kill Imhotep, the Egyptian told the Scorpion King that he came only to serve him and that O'Connell was his enemy. His wrath redirected, the creature attempted to kill the Human while his comrades found the Spear of Osiris which they attempted to give to O'Connell to kill the Scorpion King. However, Imhotep managed to wrest the Spear from them and threw it at the Scorpion King only for it to be intercepted by O'Connell who used it to slay the mighty King. With Mathayus's death, the rule of the Army of Anubis went to O'Connell who commanded them all to go to hell which finally ended the reign of Mathayus, the Scorpion King.

Overview

Personality and attributes

"Live free…die well."

[1]

Mathayus was a man of his word and when he made a vow then nothing deterred him from accomplishing that task.

He greatly respected and looked up to his father.

Appearances

• The Mummy:

External Link

• Rickipedia Entry

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