KARL KING
Real Name: Karl King
Identity/Class: Normal human
Occupation: Jewel trader
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Tibo
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: King of gems (self-proclaimed)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed
First Appearance: Strange Tales I#112/2 (September, 1963)
Powers/Abilities: He was a conman and a lousy thief with connections to criminals.
History:
(Strange Tales I#112/2) - Karl King was in the jewel and diamond trade business. He was obsessed with extraordinary jewels and precious stones and used every means to get them. He paid burglars to steal jewels and blackmailed a competitor to obtain a cheap price for his gems then sold false jewels to keep the originals.
One day he heard about an enormous blood-red ruby lying in a temple in Tibet. His greed was too strong and he couldn't help himself from going to see the jewel.
King travelled to the temple and found that
neither the priests nor anyone else guarded the wonderful ruby. It simply lied in the
hands of a giant idol. For King it was an unbelievable chance. He pulled out his
handgun and took the ruby.
Nobody stopped him when he rode his jeep down the street until between the
mountains a giant rock fell on the street, blocking the pass. King watched
in astonishment while the giant idol walked toward him. It came to take the ruby
back and King had nowhere to run.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee (writer), Steve Ditko (pencils and inks), Ray Holloway (lettering).
Tibo was an unspecified deity worshipped by some monks in Tibet. "Tibo", the Tibet, an idol and a ruby, how many ideas were later developed...
Profile by Spidermay.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Karl King has no known connections to
Idol of Tibo has no known connections to
The Idol of Tibo was not a simple statue
depicting Tibo, it was the guardian of the blood-red ruby. The idol was about 20
65' tall and was enchanted. He was strong, at least Class 10.
The idol had the ruby in his hands and it stood in a
temple in Tibet. Some priests lived in the temple, but did not worry about the
ruby because the idol was its guardian.
When Karl King stole the ruby, the Idol came alive and pursued him. The idol took a big rock and launched it at King, the rock blocked a pass, filling the street, preventing King from escaping. It then approached the thief...
--Strange Tales I#112/2
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales I#112/2, p4, pan3 (Karl King, full image)
Strange Tales I#112/2, p2, pan4 (King, head shot)
Strange Tales I#112/2, p3, pan5 (a priest, the Idol of Tibo and the ruby)
Appearances:
Strange Tales I#112 (September, 1963) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist)
Last updated: 02/13/11
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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