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KARL KING

Real Name: Karl King

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Jewel trader

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

EnemiesTibo

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


Idol of Tibo

    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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