Sabbac

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Sabbac is the name of two comic book supervillains appearing in Fawcett Comics and/or DC Comics. The original Sabbac was created by Otto Binder and Al Carreno in 1943 as an enemy of Captain Marvel, Jr., while the modern version was created by Judd Winick and Tom Raney in 2004 as a nemesis for both Junior and the Outsiders superhero team.

[edit] History

[edit] Timothy Karnes

The original Sabbac was the alter ego of Timothy Karnes (some comics give his last name as Barnes), and an enemy of Captain Marvel, Jr.. Sabbac appeared in two issues of the Golden Age Captain Marvel Jr. comic book (issues 4 and 6, both from 1943), and in two issues each of World's Finest Comics and Adventure Comics during the early 1980s.

Sabbac is depicted as a "dark opposite" to the Marvels, similar to Captain Marvel's foe Ibac. The dark forces of Hell gave the human Karnes the power to become a being with power to rival Captain Marvel. To access this power, all Karnes has to do is say the magic word "Sabbac", and magic black lightning strikes up from the underword and transforms him into a muscle-bound demon with super-strength, super-speed, and the abilities to fly, breath fire, and emit fiery blasts from the palms of his hands. Like Captain Marvel's magic word "Shazam", is an acronym for the six beings who empower Sabbac: the demons Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Createis.

In 2004, Judd Winick reintroduced Sabbac in the third incarnation of the Outsiders comic book series, in which Timothy Karnes was established as the former foster brother of Freddy Freeman, Captain Marvel Jr.'s human alter-ego. Freddy's parents, David and Rebecca Freeman, had taken Timothy in, but the boy was sent to live with another family when the couple were killed in a car accident. Timothy would find himself shuffled from one abusive foster home to another, and grew to hate and resent Freddy Freeman, who lived a successful and relatively peaceful life with his grandfather.

Sabbac's origin is depicted in Winick and Joshua Middleton's 2005/2006 Superman/Shazam! First Thunder miniseries. Dr. Sivana, hoping to find a way to kill Captain Marvel, has the high priest of the Temple of Bagdan kidnap Timothy, whom they learn is a descendant of the Bagdan line and the heir to the demonic powers of Sabbac. During a satanic ritual, Timothy is transformed for the first time into the demon Sabbac, and challenges Superman and Captain Marvel. Marvel defeats Sabbac after tricking him into saying his name (and thus causing him to turn back into Timothy).

Sabbac II battles Nightwing (left) and Black Lightning, on the cover of Outsiders (third series) #9 (2004) Art by Tom Raney and Scott Hanna.

[edit] Ishamel Gregor

In Outsiders #8 - 10, Captain Marvel, Jr. and the Outsiders team face a new, more feral version of Sabbac. This version of Sabbac, possessing amplified demonic powers, and has the appearance of a hairy beast-like demon with horns instead of the more humanoid original form, is the alter ego of Ishamel Gregor, a Russian immigrant who had become a New York mob boss. Gregor lusted after the power of Sabbac, and had his men find Timothy Karnes, who had been incarcerated and had his voice box removed to prevent him from speaking. Gregor kills Karnes during a satanic ritual, and absorbs his powers.

This new version of Sabbac opens a portal which brings a host of demons into the world, but when challenged by the Outsiders and Captain Marvel Jr, ends up retreating. Sabbac later allies himself with both the Secret Society of Super Villains and the Fearsome Five, and, now also possessing the powers of the Seven Deadly Sins, again attacks the Outsiders. Katana, Captain Marvel Jr, and Donna Troy use Katana's magic Soultaker sword to imprison the demon. From inside the Soultaker, Sabbac admits that the Society had enlisted him to kidnap Captain Marvel Jr. and bring him to Lex Luthor.

[edit] One Year Later

When the Outsiders were out of options, Katana summoned forth Ishamel from the Soultaker to destroy Dr. Sivana's base.

[edit] 52

In 52, Captain Marvel, on the brink of sanity, mentioned that Sabbac had tried an assult on the Rock of Eternity.

Later in the series, Sabbac attacked Boston on Hallowe'en, with the intention of kidnapping children and sacrificing their souls to the demon Neron. Sabbac is now several stories tall, and is only stopped through the efforts of the both the Marvel Family and the Black Marvel Family.

This Sabbac is not any Sabbac we have seen before as he was still inside the Soultaker.

[edit] External links

• Sabbac I's "Who's Who" file at The Marvel Family Web
• Sabbac II's "Who's Who" file at The Marvel Family Web