ISBISA

Real Name: Simon Meke

Identity/Class: Human, technology user (Post-World War II)

Occupation: Criminal; formerly professor at Columbia University; formerly an educator of the mentally disabled; formerly a secretary to a museum curator.

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Professor Saba (former boss); Porky, Shut-Eye, James Flore, the Calcium Master, Black Patch (lackeys); students at university

Enemies: Bucky (Fred Davis), Captain America (William Nasland), Hobgoblin (Jason Macendale) Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Louise Mason, Wanda Mason, Miss America, Nuklo, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Sub-Mariner, Toro, Vision (Victor Shade), Whizzer (Robert Frank)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Dr. I.S. Bishoff, Doctor Sanderson

Base of Operations: Currently unknown; formerly Columbia University; General Hospital, upper Manhattan; formerly a museum

First Appearance: All Winners Comics#19 (Fall, 1946)

Powers: Isbisa is a criminal mastermind, and is an expert in chemistry and radioactivity. His first suit protected him from knockout gas and also released it. It was also able to keep him afloat when in water.

His second suit allowed him to drain the radiation of Nuklo and then discharge it as a weapon, without injury to himself. It also may have made his body radioactive. When the Vision used his put intangible arm in the body then solidify trick, his arm melted.

Later, he created a machine that could acesss the fourth dimension, and transport beings through time and space.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 179 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black, later gray, dyed white

History: (All Winners Comics#19 (FB) - BTS)- Meke was once the secretary to Professor Saba, the curator of a museum. However, in 1945, he decided, for whatever reason, to take over the world! (Insert Pinky and the Brain theme music here). He made a new identity, that of Isbisa, from the first letters of the Ice age, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Steel age, and the Atomic Age. In this identity, he planned to steal an Atomic bomb

(All Winners Comics#19 (FB)) -. He realized the newly formed All-Winners Squad would try to stop him. So, one year before he would put his plan into action, he met with five villains: Porky, Shut-Eye, James Flore, the Calcium Master, and Black Patch. He gave each of them a plot to carry out, and told them he only wanted 25% of the loot they would gain. What he wasn't telling them, though, that he planed for the All-Winners Squad to stop them, giving him enough time to steal the bomb.

(All Winners Comics#19) - As planned, one year later, Isbisa struck, vandalizing the museum he worked at, smashing the exhibits of the ages of man, and leaving notes for each member (well, the adult members) that gave them clues to where the villains he met with were going to strike. Also, to cause friction within the team, he left a note that made it seem as if Namor was working with him. As Meke, he was with Saba as the All-Winners Squad arrived to investigate. As planned, Namor was angered by their suspicion when they found the note, and both he and Toro (who sided with Namor in the argument) left in a huff.

While the All-Winners foiled the villains, Meke went into his Isbisa identity and started making a concentrated sleeping gas. When he was done, he went to the Atom Smasher Vacuum Tube, and used it to knock out everyone inside. However, before he could steal the bomb, the All-Winners Squad arrived, having finished sooner than he expected, and so he ran for it.

The Human Torch and Toro's flames caused a chemical reaction, rendering the gas impotent. Cap and Bucky chased him to the top of the Tube, where Miss America knocked him into the river. Isbisa's rubber suit kept him afloat, however, and he quickly got into a boat. Before he even started to use it to escape, though, Namor lifted it, and captured him.

Later, the Squad unmasked him, revealing him as Meke. He then told them how he wanted to conquer the world (and he would have gotten away with if it weren't for those meddling super heroes!)

BTS - In 1949, he either was released or more likely, he escaped from prison, and was obsessed with getting revenge on the All-Winners Squad, now disbanded. He learned that Miss America and the Whizzer were now acting bodyguards for a nuclear project, and he sabotaged it. Though neither were killed, Miss America was pregnant at the time, and her son gave off dangerous amounts of radiation. The government sealed their son up, and he eventually became known as Nuklo.

The incident was thought to be an accident, and no one suspected Isbisa. He then became a therapist under the name of I.S. Bishoff.

BTS - In the Modern Era, he became a therapist for Nuklo, whom scientists were trying to cure both physically and mentally. He then designed a suit that transferred Nuklo's radioactive into him using his new suit, starting to cure him. Most likely was getting ready to make him powerful enough to fight superhumans on their own terms.

(Vision and the Scarlet Witch I#2)- Robert Frank, the Whizzer, came to the hospital where Nuklo was being held, along with the Scarlet Witch (whom he thought was his daughter) and her husband the Vision, to gain custody of him, planning to transfer him to Attilian so that the Inhumans could try to cure him.

Isbisa, as Bishoff, saw his chance to finally get revenge, and asked to talk with him alone, while Wanda and the Vision talked with Dr. Linda Hyams.

The two were at the "nursery", where Nuklo was being kept. Frank started at his son and talked about how his life went down the crapper since the 40's, not noticing Bishoff putting his suit on. When he mentioned the "accident" at the nuclear site, Isbisa started to admit his role.

Isbisa: "A touching, tragic story. Tell me, though, Mr. Frank, did you ever wonder-- -- if perhaps the nuclear accident that caused your misfortune was not an accident at all?"

Whizzer: "Of course it was an accident! What else could it have been?"

Isbisa: "Oh, a plot, perhaps -- a sinister scheme to slay you and your bride! The twisted desire of a madman seeking revenge on two members of the disbanded All-Winners Squad!"

At that moment, Nuklo saw Isbisa about to attack his father, and tried to warn him. However, he was too late, and Isbisa struck. The Vision and the Scarlet Witch, alerted by Nuklo's wailing, arrived to find the nursery ruined and a glowing Isbisa with the Whizzer at his feet.

The Scarlet Witch threw a hex-sphere at Isbisa, rupturing the cables he used to siphon Nuklo's power. However, he had enough power hold his own against the Vision and the Scarlet Witch in battle. During the battle, Frank recovered, and released Nuklo. While he was doing that, the Vision tried to paralyze Isbisa by putting intangible hand in Isbisa, and then solidify it. However, it backfired, and the Vision's hand was melted, paralyzing the synthoid!

When Isbisa knocked out Wanda, the Whizzer was furious, and charged his old foe. However, he was no match, and Isbisa killed the old hero. Nuklo attacked Isbisa, but the villain was once again able to absorb his power.

The Vision then used his eye beam to amputate his melted arm, allowing him to move again. He then joined Nuklo, while a recovered Scarlet Witch used her hex power to cause Isbisa's mask to fall off, allowing the radiation to flow back into Nuklo. Isbisa tried to flee, but the Vision prevented him from doing so. In a last ditch effort, Isbisa released all his radiation to kill his opponents. It fails, but as a side effect, Nuklo's radiation also left him, finally curing him.

Isbisa was arrested, leaving the three heroes to mourn Robert Frank.

(The Sensational She-Hulk#30 (FB) - BTS) -- Soon, he escaped, and using the identity of Doctor Sanderson, got a job as a teacher of physics at Columbia University. Then, he learned of Louise Mason, known in the 1940s as the Blonde Phantom, regained her youth. He then discovered the Fourth Wall, or dimension, and theorized that by using it to pull individuals out of time and space, he could tap into its power, rejuvenating him (See comments). He then had five of his students, who were fans of the She-Hulk, to help him.

(Sensational She-Hulk#29) - With his students, Sanderson spied on the She-Hulk through a computer. She was in court, representing a group who wanted to prove the existence of aliens. He used his machine to transfer Venom from a battle with Spider-Man in the past to the courtroom. Eventually, Venom realized whom he was battling, and Sanderson sent him back. However, because of the battle, the judge threw the case out.

When she was walking out, two of Sanderson's students sent the savage Hulk and 'Joe Fixit' to her location. There was a brief scruffle before they were sent back to their proper times.

Realizing something was up, the She-Hulk went to question Sanderson to try and get his advice as a physic. To delay her, he sent Wolverine to delay her.

Eventually, though, she did arrive, with Louise and her daughter Wanda, who tried to hit on him. His students then sent Spider-Man, who webbed them, save for the She-Hulk. To distract her, they summoned Apocalypse and his fortress.

(Sensational She-Hulk#30) - While the She-Hulk confronted various time-plucked heroes and villains, Louise started to realize who Sanderson really was. To stop her, the students summoned the Hobgoblin, who threw some of his pumpkin-bombs at him. Sanderson then yelled to get him out of here, revealing to Louise and Wanda that he knew something about this.

In order to free him, they summoned Mister Fantastic to dissolve the webbing. This infuriated Sanderson, as Richards could easily deduce his true identity. Just as he was sent away, the She-Hulk arrived. To distract her, they summoned Armadillo, Caliban, Jack O'Lantern, Juggernaut, Master-Mold, Rhino, and Sabretooth. Fortunately, they attacked each other rather than She-Hulk. Sanderson broke free, and rushed back to the lab, where She-Hulk was wrecking his equipment. The villains were sent back to their proper time, and Louise finally realized Sanderson was Isbisa. He then gave the explanation of all these, and escaped.

Comments: Created by Bill Finger, Syd Shores & Al Avison.

Isbisa' first appearance was pretty corny, but Bill Manto (writer of the first Vision and Scarlet Witch miniseries) did a great job of turning him into a real threat. Despite his subsequent appearance in She-Hulk, I think he could still be a great villain, and one of the few villains who made good on his goals. He was inadvertently responsible for the death of Miss America, and killed the Whizzer, just like he wanted to do.

In She-Hulk, he explained that he wanted to make another appearance, as in comic book appearance. As you know, the Sensational She-Hulk was known for breaking the Fourth Wall, i.e. characters acknowledging there fictional and in a comic. The Marvel Appendix's policy seems to be in official continuity, they did not, and they are actually talking their accounts in Marvel Comics of Earth-616.

He would be perfect for the new Invaders series, ready to get his revenge on the rest of the All-Winners Squad.

Isbisa has entries in the Golden Age Handbook and OHOTMU A-Z Hardcover#5.

Profile by Caesar Godzillatron

Clarifications:

Porky should not be confused with:

Shut-Eye should not be confused with

James Flore should not be confused with

The Calcium Master should not be confused with

Any other masters

Black Patch should not be confused with


Porky

 Porky was a gangster who presumably got his nickname as a result of his girth. He accepted Isbisa's plan and he and his gang broke into the Museum of Art. Captain America and Bucky were there to fight him, but they managed to spray a bronze statue, giving it bronze disease. The curator then had the statue moved out so it would not infect the others, but they had hijacked the truck that it was to be transferred to. Having access to the museum, they intended to ransack several expensive paintings, but Captain America and Bucky were there to stop them.

- All Winners Comics#19

















Shut-Eye

Shut-Eye was a gangster who was told by Isbisa of where never-recovered gold was stolen from the Iron Horse train in an old train robbery. At the present (past now), a director Cameron was using the train in a movie based on the robbery. Shut-Eye and two of his gongs then impersonated the actors playing the robbers, and planed to steal the loot themselves. However, the Whizzer arrived, and foiled the plot.

- All Winners Comics#19


















James Flore

James Flore was an architect who was told by Isbisa to build a new building with a secret entrance in the sewer. A group of gangsters used the entrance, but were stopped by the Human Torch and a policewoman, Bobby Lee. The two then questioned Flore, who had the gangsters knock them out. They were placed in a room with a huge fan that would suck them in, but naturally, the two broke free and caught Flore.

- All Winners Comics#19















Calcium Master

The Calcium Master was a sculpture gone made, who was told by Isbisa to create statues of people, kidnap them, and replace them with the statues. It would seem like he had turned them into statues, and then demand payment to change them back, by putting bills in a tube of that a pigeon would carry back to him. Miss America followed the pigeon, but was knocked out by his goons. When she regained consciousness, she was in the Calcium Master's layer, where he explained his plot. She then broke free, and in the resulting struggle, he fell to his death.

- All Winners Comics#19
















Black Patch

Black Patch was a latter-day pirate, who was told by Isbisa to hijack fur from Eskimos (Intuits for you PC folks) and hide out in a whaling ship. The Sub-Mariner and Toro (who went with Namor, angered by his teammates' suspicion) arrived, saved the natives, and headed to his HQ, where Black Patch's men captured them. They threw Toro into the sea, and Namor tricked them into throwing him off board as well. His strength renewed, he saved Toro, and had a whale attack the boat. The two heroes then captured him and his men.

- All Winners Comics#19














Images taken from:
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 3, panel 2
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 7, panel 3
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 15, panel 4
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 23, panel 4
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 28, panel 1
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 36, panel 5
All-Winners Comics#19, Page 41, panel 6
Vision and the Scarlet Witch I#2, page 10, panel 4
Vision and the Scarlet Witch I#2, page 15, panel 4
Sensational She-Hulk#29, page 6, panel 7


Appearances:
All-Winners Comics#19 (Fall 1946) - Bill Finger (writer), Syd Shores (pencils), Al Avison (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Vision and the Scarlet Witch I#2 (December, 1982) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Rick Leoanrdi (pencils), Ian Akin & Brian Garvey (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Sensational She-Hulk#29-30 (July-August, 1991) - Louise Simonson (writer), Tom Morgan (pencils), James Sanders III & Keith Williams (#30) (inks), Renee Witterstaetter (editor)


First Posted: 07/24/2004
Last updated: 07/24/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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