SCARLET SCARAB

Real Name: Professor Abdul Faoul

Identity/Class: Human mutate/magic user; Egyptian citizen

Occupation: Archeologist, former adventurer

Group Membership: Former leader of the Sons of the Scarab;
formerly Super-Axis (Agent Axis, Lady Lotus, Master Man/Willie Lohmer, Teutonic Knight, U-Man, Warrior Woman)

Affiliations: Sons of Scarab

Enemies: British Army, Gigantos, Invaders, Nazi army

Known Relatives: Mehemet Faoul (son, Scarlet Scarab)

Aliases: Herr Skarabaus

Base of Operations: Egypt

First Appearance: Invaders I#23 (December, 1977)

Powers/Abilities: The Ruby Scarab granted Faoul superhuman strength (Class 75) and durability, enabled him to fly (@ 370 mph--his ability to breathe at this speed is augmented by the Scarab) and to project bursts of mystical energy with a concussive force up to 300 pounds per square inch. The Scarab also allowed him to sap the power from others on contact.

    The Scarlet Scarab's main weakness is his dependence on the Ruby Scarab. He must remain in direct contact with it to retain his powers.

History:
(Invaders I#23 (fb) - BTS) - Abdul Faoul directed the Sons of the Scarab on several strikes against the British. At some point he learned the location of the legendary Ruby Scarab.

(Invaders I#23) - The Invaders were called to Egypt to assist the British army against the attacks from the Sons of the Scarab so that they would not be too weakened to fight off the armies of the Nazi General Rommel, aka the Desert Fox. After easily fighting off a direct attack from the Sons of the Scarab, the British liaison to the Invaders, Major Harrison, introduced them to Dr. Faoul, who was to lead them to the secret lair of the Sons of the Scarab. However, Faoul instead had Namor and the Human Torch force their way into a certain pyramid, which held the tomb of Garret, one of the creators of the Ruby Scarab.
    Unexpectedly, Faoul grabbed the Ruby Scarab, transforming into the Scarlet Scarab, and attacked the Invaders, wishing to drive them out of his country with the British.

(Invaders I#25) - The Scarlet Scarab fought the assembled might of the Invaders--Captain America, the android Human Torch, Namor, Spitfire, and Union Jack, holding his own against them long enough for him to make it across the approaching Nazi line. He introduced himself to the Nazi commander, offering his services to the Nazi army, and then returned to the fight. The Scarab had overpowered the dehydrated Namor and was preparing to slay him when he saw some Nazis threaten to kill some Egyptian civilians who got in their way. Realizing that the Nazis did not have Egypt's interests in mind, the Scarab joined with the Invaders in fighting off the Nazi army.
    After the struggle, Union Jack (Brian Falsworth) promised to help keep the Nazis out of Egypt, but the Scarab cursed him, wanting the British there no less than the Nazis. He vowed to eradicate all foreigners from Egypt as he left.

(All-New Invaders#4 (fb) - BTS) - <July, 1944> Scarlet Scarab joined the Nazis' Super-Axis (Agent Axis, Lady Lotus, Master Man/Wilhelm Lohmer, Warrior Woman/Julia, U-Man/Meranno) and helped them defeat the Invaders at the coast of Crete. They watched Namor flee.

(All-New Invaders#4 (fb) ) - The Super-Axis had the Invaders at their feet and were going to kill them, but Namor returned with an army of sea monsters, including Gigantos to defeat them.

(Thor I#326/Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe I#9: Scarlet Scarab (fb)) - Faoul continued to serve as the Scarlet Scarab, protecting Egypt from invaders or any others that might steal from his nation or harm his people. Then, one day in the 1950s, the Ruby Scarab vanished mysteriously. Unaware of the spell that drew the Ruby Scarab back to Garret's tomb after depleting its power stores, Faoul spent the rest of his life fruitlessly searching for the Ruby Scarab.

    Finally, on his deathbed, Abdul Faoul passed his quest on to his son, Mehemet, who eventually located the Ruby Scarab and succeeded him as the Scarlet Scarab.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Frank Robbins, and Frank Springer.

Presumably due to the ol' deadline doom, Invaders I#24 reprinted Marvel Mystery Comics#17, and the Scarlet Scarab story skipped straight to Invaders#25.

Scarlet Scarab joining the Super-Axis is very uncharacteristic, but he was there fighting with them fighting the Invaders on Crete.
--Markus Raymond

In Uncanny Tales#41 (March, 1956)'s first story a character resembling the Scarlet Scarab appears on the last page in a story set in ancient Egypt.
--Gammatotem
   We might be looking at an ancient history previous incumbent Scarlet Scarab.
--Loki

Scarlet Scarab also has an entry in OHotMU I#9.

CLARIFICATIONS:
He should not be confused with: