(Daring Mystery Comics#6) - Khufor ruled ancient Egypt in the 30th century BC. During his reign, his kingdom was invaded by Ribur of the Gurban, a race of 10' tall people from the upper Nile valley who utilized boulder-launching cannon-like weapons and controlled a menagerie including crocodiles, serpents, lions and even dinosaurs and other monstrous creatures. The adventurer Dynaman (Lagaro) came to the Pharaoh's defense, singlehandedly defeating Ribur's forces and eventually Ribur himself in combat. Khufor and his subjects paid tribute to Dynaman for his victory before the hero continued on his adventures.
(Rise of Apocalypse#2 (fb) - BTS) - With his unidentified wife Khufor sired two children: a son, Ozymandias, who would later become Apocalypse's servant, and a daughter, Nephri.
(Fantastic Four I#19 - BTS/Avengers I#129 - BTS) - Shamaz was formerly the court wizard to Pharaoh Amenhotep.
(Rise of Apocalypse#2 (fb)/Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1 (fb) - BTS) - Amenhotep (Khufor) was deposed by Nathaniel Richards from Earth-6311, who utilized his advanced 31st century technology to do so. Amenhotep's children Ozymandias and his younger sister Nephri became subjects of the new pharao.
(Rise of Apocalypse#2 (fb) - BTS/Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1 (fb) - BTS) - Rama-Tut faked Amenhotep's death.
(Avengers I#129 (fb) - BTS) - Rama-tut trapped Amenhotep within the Pyramid of Rama-Tut.
(Avengers I#129 (fb) - BTS /Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 6: Kang) - Rama-Tut forced Amenhotep to drink the nectar of the undead, transforming him into a vampire.
(Avengers I#129) - Around 5000 years later in the modern era, it attacked the original Swordsman when he entered Kang's pyramid. The Swordsman skewered it through the neck, but it kept coming and knocked him down and prepared to feast on him. However, a squadron of Egyptian soldiers entered the pyramid at that time, and they became Amenhotep's prey instead. The Swordsman took advantage of the distraction to flee, and Amenhotep made short work of the soldiers, until it unwittingly flew outside of the pyramid, into the sunlight, and disintegrated.
Comments: Created by (Khufor) Steve Dahlman (artist); (Amenhotep) Steve Englehart (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils) & Joe Staton (inks).
Amenhotep was a vampire, which somehow survived without blood for over 5000 years, in Kang/Rama-Tut's former period (time warp...magic...clean living...take your pick).
Amenhotep may have been closer to "vampires" from ancient Egypt as to true Varnaean vampires. These ancient creatures allegedly shunned Osiris and were devoted to Set. They rose from their tombs instead of passing to the afterlife and roamed the night, spreading their plague (vampirism). However, these legend could've just been an explanation for Varnaean vampires by the people of Egypt.
It is not clear wether the Court Wizard seen in Fantastic Four I#19 was Shamaz or somebody else, but it can be presumed that it was Shamaz.
In Blade III#12 a prophecy was fulfilled that brought back all vampires that ever died. This most likely included Amenhotep as well. We'll have to wait if he resurfaces.
--Markus Raymond
Thanks to Loki for the improved main image.
Profile by Markus Raymond & Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Amenhotep (Khufor) has no known connection to:
- Amenhotep IV aka. Akhenaten, temporary ruler of the Marvel Universe @ Incredible Hulk II#457
- any other Amenhotep
Amenhotep (fascimile)
(Avengers I#353-354) - Grim Reaper transformed one of the victims of an airliner crash into a fascimile of Amenhotep. The fascimile served in Reaper's Legion of the Unliving. It presumably had standard vampire powers, which were likely increased by the Reaper. When the Vision forced the Reaper to realize that he had not been killed by the Avengers, but had committed suicide, the Reaper lost control of the Legion's souls, and the dead villains, including Amenhotep, stalked back towards him for vengeance. Before they could harm the Reaper, though, Lloigoroth burst through the wall of the Reaper's castle and apparently consumed him. Amenhotep and the rest of the Legion were then apparently drawn into the departing Lliogoroth's dimensional vortex.
--Avengers I#353 (Avengers I#353-354
images: (without ads)
Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1, p1, main image (Amenhotep)
Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1, p1, inset (Khufor)
Avengers I#129, p12, pan7 (Amenhotep)
Vampires: The Marvel Undead#1, p1, pan1 (original version Avengers I#353, p14, fascimile)
Appearances:
Daring Mystery Comics#6 (September, 1940) - Steve Dahlman (artist), Joe Simon (editor)
Fantastic Four I#19 (October, 1963) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks)
Avengers I#129 (November, 1974) - Steve Englehart (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Joe Staton (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Avengers I#353-354 (September-October, 1992) - Len Kaminski (writer), M.C. Wyman (pencils), Ariane & Alexandrov (#354) (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Rise of Apocalypse#2 (November, 1996) - Terry Kavanagh & James Felder (writers), Adam Pollina (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Last updated: 09/08/13
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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