Dr. ALEXI SKARAB

Real Name: Dr. Alexei Skarab

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Anthropologist; Egyptian?

Affiliations: Asp, Janice Carr, Living Mummy (N'Kantu), Ron McAllister, Miles Olddan, Zephyr

Enemies: Elementals (Hellfire, Hydron, Magnum), Hecate, Living Pharaoh (Abdol)

Known Relatives: Dann, Nephrus (alleged ancestors)

Aliases: Dr. Alexei Skarab (maybe?)

Base of Operations: currently unknown;
    formerly Cairo, Egypt and Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Supernatural Thrillers#5 (August, 1973)

 

 

Powers/Abilities: None. Dr. Skarab is a skilled anthropologist and has extensive knowledge of the history, pre-history, and culture of Egypt. He did possess a mental rapport with the Living Mummy.

    He was briefly able to access the great energies of the Ruby Scarab, learning its true nature, and even teleporting the entire city of Cairo into an interzone at a dimensional Aleph (nexus of sorts).

History: Dr. Skarab is the descendent of the ancient Egyptians Dann and Nephrus.

(Supernatural Thrillers#5) - Skarab brought his students, Janice Carr and Ron McAllister, to Cairo to aid him in researching past information on parts of Egyptian and other African history. He uncovered information on both areas on the same scroll, which revealed the origins of Nephrus and N'Kantu, @ 1000 BC.

    Shortly thereafter, N'Kantu  revived, in the form of the Living Mummy. Sensing the lifeline of his enemy Nephrus, N'Kantu trailed Skarab, but collapsed from exhaustion in his apartment. Realizing the danger inherent in the Mummy, Skarab tried to put him out of his misery with a gun, but succeeded only in reviving him. Not aware of the 3000 years that had passed since he was mummified, N'Kantu believed Skarab to actually be Nephrus, and chased after him, until N'Kantu was electrocuted and seemingly killed.

(Supernatural Thrillers#7) - Skarab had the Mummy's body brought to a New York museum, where it revived, broke free, and went on a rampage until being teleported away by the Elementals. Skarab related the Mummy's origins to the authorities.

(Supernatural Thrillers#8) - Skarab sensed as the Elementals sent N'Kantu back to Egypt. He booked a flight for himself, Ron, and Janice to go there, as well.

(Supernatural Thrillers#9) - Still sensing the link between he and N'Kantu, Skarab, with Ron and Janice, flew to Cairo

(Supernatural Thrillers#11) - Dr. Skarab purchased the Ruby (or Scarlet) Scarab from the Asp and Miles Olddan. The Asp had planned to steal back the Scarab and resell it to make more profit anyway, but he ended up being forced to steal it under duress from the Mummy (under the guidance of the Elementals)). The Mummy accompanied him and awoke Skarab, who awoke, pulled a gun, and winged the Asp in the arm. Panicking at the site of the Mummy, Skarab shot him, too, to no avail. N'Kantu, still thinking him to be Nephrus assaulted him, until Skarab convinced him that he was not Nephrus after all.

    Skarab then told the Asp how the Elementals planned to use the Ruby Scarab to take over the world. He, the Asp, and N'Kantu headed back to join forces with Zephyr against the other Elementals, but found her and Olddan their prisoners. The Elementals threatened to kill their prisoners if they were not given the Ruby Scarab.

(Supernatural Thrillers#12) - The Asp attacked and was subsequently captured by the Elementals. Skarab tried to use the Ruby Scarab against the Elementals, but when he couldn't utilize it he led N'Kantu, Ron, and Janice to flee.

(Supernatural Thrillers#13) - Skarab and his three allies hid out from the Elementals in a hotel for a week, trying to discover the secret of the Ruby Scarab. They watched on television as the Elementals threatened to conquer all of Egypt. While Ron and N'Kantu went out and freed the rest of their allies, Skarab and Janice took the Ruby Scarab to a Cairo Hospital for a new tactic.

(Supernatural Thrillers#14) - Dr. Skarab subjected the Ruby scarab to several forms of radiation in an effort to stimulate it. He met with no luck until suddenly, when he grasped it, he was confronted by an image of his the embodiment of his ancestors. This manifestation taught him the portents of the Scarab. At the conclusion, Skarab dropped to the ground, convulsing and speaking in ancient Arabic. No sooner had Skarab recovered and prepared to lead an assault against the Elementals, when the Elementals located and confronted them instead.

(Supernatural Thrillers#15) - The Elementals attacked Skarab and his allies, even managing to knock the Ruby Scarab from his grasp and take it for themselves. However, when they threatened the Earth, Skarab managed to re-establish the link with the Ruby Scarab and used it to teleport the city of Cairo and the ten combatants into a dimensional Aleph. He then found that neither he, nor anyone else could access any more energy from the Scarab. It was actually N'Kantu who figured out that the energies had saturated the atmosphere of Cairo, and they could be accessed as such by all present.

    Dr. Skarab directed Ron, Janice, the Asp, and Olddan to concentrate their mutual mental energies, and then channel them through himself, Zephyr, and the Mummy, and to direct them against the other three Elementals, casting them out into the vortex at the heart of the aleph. With that, Cairo, Skarab, and the others returned to Earth, and Dr. Skarab placed the seemingly powerless Ruby Scarab in his treasure chest. After the Asp, Olddan, and Zephyr left, Skarab was unpleasantly surprised to learn that they had stolen the Ruby Scarab.

Comments: Created by Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler

CLARIFICATIONS:
Dr. Skarab should be distinguished from:

Janice Carr has no known connection to:

 

RON McALLISTER

Ron met Janice in College. They quickly grew close, and together enjoyed the teachings of Professor Skarab while in college. They joined him on a trip to Cairo to learn more about the ancient Swarili tribe of Africa, which brought them into a series of adventures with the Living Mummy.
    He risked his own life and badly burnt his hands saving N'Kantu where he was attacked by a blowtorch wielding agent of the Elementals. He was also forced to take up weapons and fight--though he was against violence of any kind--in order to prevent the followers of the Elementals from overwhelming them. He and N'Kantu later confronted Hydron, managing to wound him with a gunshot through the shoulder, breaking his concentration enough to cause the bonds holding Zephyr, Olddan, and the Asp to evaporate, and allow them to escape.

 

--Supernatural Thrillers#5 (14(fb), 5, 8, 9, 11-15

 

 

JANICE CARR

 

Janice grew up a loner, until she met Ron. They quickly grew close, and together enjoyed the teachings of Professor Skarab while in college. They joined him on a trip to Cairo to learn more about the ancient Swarili tribe of Africa, which brought them into a series of adventures with the Living Mummy.

 

--Supernatural Thrillers#5 (14(fb), 5, 8, 9, 11-15

 

 

images: (without ads)
Supernatural Thrillers#5, p16, pan2 (Dr. Alexi Skarab body shot)
Supernatural Thrillers#5, p11, pan6 (Dr. Alexi Skarab head shot)
Supernatural Thrillers#14, p11, pan1 (Dann's spirit talks to Dr. Alexi Skarab)
Supernatural Thrillers#13, p13, pan4 (Ron McAllister)
Supernatural Thrillers#5, p18, pan6 (Janice Carr)

Appearances:
Supernatural Thrillers#5 (August, 1973) - Steve Gerber (writer), Rich Buckler (pencils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#7 (June, 1974) - Steve Gerber (writer), Val Mayerik (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#8 (August, 1974) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#9 (October, 1974) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#10 (December, 1974) - Tony Isabella, Val Mayerik & Len Wein (writers), Val Mayerik (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#11-12 (February-April, 1975) - Tony Isabella (writer), Val Mayerik (pencils), Val Mayerik (#11) & Klaus Janson (#12) (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#13 (June, 1975) - Tony Isabella & Val Mayerik (writers), Val Mayerik (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#14 (August, 1975) - Val Mayerik & John Warner (writers), Val Mayerik (pencils), Al McWilliams (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#15 (October, 1975) - John Warner (writer), Tom Sutton (artist), Len Wein (editor)
Supernatural Thrillers#11-15 (February-October, 1975)

Last updated: 12/05/13

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