Orb of Ra (DC)
The Orb of Ra is an artifact that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Orb of Ra was an ancient artifact that was native to the lands of Egypt. It was known that the Orb also possessed a sister-stone known as the Star of Atlantis with them being two of the three great transmutational power-stones of the ancients. (Wednesday Comics v1 #10) Its origins were traced during the reign of Ramses III when an alchemist had found a fallen meteor around 4,000 years ago. He would take the shattered fragment and crafted it into the headpiece of a scepter with it aong with the remaining meteorite taken to the Pharaoh Ahk-Ton. The scepter was named the Orb of Ra whilst constant exposure to the radiation from the meteor transformed Akh-Ton into a metamorphic being making him the world's first Metamorpho. (Metamorpho v2 #1) In the 15th century, Vandar Adg had gained the service of the Metamorph Ahk-Ton and acquired the Orb of Ra allowing the immortal to create an army of homunculi to serve him in attacking Prince Khufu Ma-at Kha-taar. (JSA v1 #43) The heroes were unable to stop the endless hordes Savage was able to create nor the Metamorph Ahk-Ton. Thus, in desperation, Nabu had Teth-Adam and Captain Marvel journey into the Land of the Dead to petition the aid of the god Ra to reclaim his lost power. The two champions of Shazam succeeded in their goal with the Egyptian deity appearing on the battlefield where he took back the power of the Orb of Ra thus turning Ahk-Ton mortal and as punishment Ra had Vandal Savage turned into a new born child. (JSA v1 #44) Around 2,000 years ago, a lost Roman soldier named Algon stumbled upon the abandoned pyramid of Ahk-Ton where he was transformed upon exposure to the Orb of Ra into a Man of Elements. He came to settle in the city of Ma-Phoor and the lover of its ruler Queen Jezeba. However, he came to spurn her love and in anger she acquired the Orb of Ra where she destroyed Algon's power and imprisoned him. (Metamorpho v1 #17)
Famed archaeologist Jillian Conway entered the pyramid of Ahk-Ton where her extended stay there exposed her to the radiation that turned her into a Metamorphae. (Metamorpho v2 #1)
Stagg Enterprises looked to claim resources from an underground reservoir in Northern Sahara at the Transboundary Aquifer System. Simon Stagg wanted an advantage over others trying to claim the area and thus used the Orb of Ra. Whilst in the Sahara, they faced opposition from a witch by the name of Hadya who opposed the corporations after Stagg Enterprises was polluting the underground water reservoir by the Al Sahara Al Beyda. As Halycon, she managed to take the Orb for herself and used it as a weapon against the Stagg employees as well as taking them captive. At the time, Metamorpho and the new Aquaman arrived at the area to stop the growing conflict leading to a battle against Halcyon who was using the Orb of Ra against them. The two of them managed to defeat her where they took possession of the Orb of Ra and learnt the nature of the conflict as Halycon wanted to repair the damage to the reservoir. Metamorpho then decided to destroy the Orb as he felt it was too dangerous and evil to be allowed to exist. Hadya questioned Mason about this decision as she felt that it could still be used for good and possibly even return his humanity as Halcyon could use her magic to achieve the feat. However, Rex refused the offer as he had come to terms with his form and confirmed that the Orb of Ra had to be destroyed despite Simon Stagg's objections. Aquaman and Hadya kept the Stagg soldiers at bay whilst Metamorpho turned it into salt thus destroying it. (Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
The Orb was discovered by A.R.G.U.S. who kept it for safekeeping in the Black Room. However, an unknown party broke into the site and stole it. (Justice League v2 #7)
Doc Dread later acquired the Orb of Ra and gave it to Algon who was the Ancient Elemental Man. Algon managed to acquire the Orb of Ra in an effort to free himself from his role as custodian of the Kingdom of Elements on Element World. To accomplish this, he intended for Metamorpho to take his place and then use the Orb to return to a human existence. Thus, he created a tear into the mortal world whereby an elemental wave was unleashed that transformed various humans into Metamorphaes. This brought chaos to Earth as rogue elements began to transform the human population which attracted the attention of the Terrifics who journeyed into the elemental realm. He was ultimately stopped by the Terrifics with Mr. Terrific using the Orb to close the portal to Element World where in the process he helped turn Rex Mason back into a human. (The Terrifics v1 #6)
Overview
It was also sometimes known as the Eye of Ra. (Wednesday Comics v1 #3)
According to hieroglyphs in the pyramid, the Orb had the means of reversing the transformation into a Metamorphae. This was said to be a failsafe measure developed by the alchemist who first created the relic. Typically, Metamorphae experienced pain from the use of the Orb but this was said to be the first step in the curative process. Under proper conditions, it was expected that the relic was capable of restoring a Metamorphae's humanity. (Metamorpho v2 #1)
Individuals were able to use the Orb to create elementals from the environment and use them against enemies. (Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1 #1)
Users
- Ahk-Ton : an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh whose alchemist discovered the meteor that was reshaped into the Orb of Ra which transformed him seemingly into the world’s first Metamorpho. However, rather than share his great power, he instead decided to rule with an iron fist until the alchemist used the Orb to reverse the transformation whereupon Ahk-Ton was killed with the relic buried with him. (Metamorpho v2 #1)
- Vandar Adg : a male immortal who adopted the guise of the Pharaoh Khafre and sought to conquer Egypt in its 15th Dynasty with him acquiring the Orb of Ra along with the services of the Metamorph Ahk-Ton. (JSA v1 #43)
- Algon : a male Roman soldier who 2,000 years ago wandered into the pyramid of Ahk-Ton to become what he believed was the first Man of Elements where he intended to be all powerful but he spurned the love of Jezeba leading to her using the Orb of Ra to destroy his powers thus imprisoning him for thousands of years until the modern age when he was released and attempted to reclaim his lost power. (Metamorpho v1 #17)
- Rex Mason :
- Urania Blackwell : a woman in the modern age who was a government secret agent that entered the pyramid in the Niles where she was exposed to the Orb of Ra thus becoming Element Woman. (Metamorpho v1 #10)
- Jillian Conway : a blonde haired woman in the modern age who was a noted archaeologist and soldier-of-fortune that was a contemporary of Rex Mason. She went into the pyramid of Ahk-Ton where she was exposed to a more concentrated dose of radiation making her an even more inhuman Metamorpho. (Metamorpho v2 #1)
- Halcyon : an Arab woman who wielded magic and took the Orb from a Stagg Enterprises operation to use it against them. (Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1 #1)
Notes
- The Orb of Ra was created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon where it made its first appearance in Brave and the Bold v1 #57 (January, 1965).
Appearances
- Brave and the Bold v1: (1965)
- Metamorpho v1:
- Metamorpho v2:
- Batman and the Outsiders v1:
- JSA v1:
- Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman v1:
- Wednesday Comics v1:
- Legends of Tomorrow v1:
- The Terrifics v1:
External Link
This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.
