King Chimera
Encyclopedia
King Chimera is a fictional superhero
in the DC Comics
Universe
, a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America
. King Chimera first appeared in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #24 (April 2009), and was created by Matthew Sturges
and Fernando Pasarin
.
King has kept a mysterious identity since his debut, as very little is known about his past, so much that his real name has currently not been revealed. The only things that have currently been revealed about King is that is he Turkish
, he claims to be the son of "King" Standish
, and his former lover, Namita, his mother and others he knew are deceased.
#1.
He then appeared in JSA All-Stars #1, becoming a regular character in the series. Early in the JSA All-Stars run, Justice Society of America Annual
#2 was released and King made an appearance in it. Towards the end of 2010, King appeared in the nineteenth issue of the second volume of Power Girl. Currently, King appears in the JSA All-Stars series, appearing in every issue to date.
held an interview with Matthew Sturges, the writer of JSA All-Stars, to discuss the series. Sturges briefly talked about King Chimera and how he wanted to re-invent him off of "King" Standish. Regarding Standish, Sturges said, "You only saw him in disguise. And so, with this new King Chimera, it's a bit more metaphorical than that. I'll just leave it at that." He also mentioned that King Chimera was meant to specifically be with the All-Stars, although he did not reveal why.
In another interview with Newsarama, Sturges said, "King Chimera is a new character that kind of exemplifies the attitude, although he's an extreme case." Sturges also said that King wants to be "the most effective hero he can be and will do anything to achieve that goal." He also mentioned how King doesn't care what people think of him and he is not with the team to make friends and wants "to be trained as well as possible, and to take that training and use it effectively against the bad guys."
, in which he said he knew his father and that he had arrived to talk to him about the Justice Society of America. King replied, "Well, it's about time." King later appeared as Billy Armstrong
's new roommate when they joined the JSA. King demonstrated his power of casting illusions to Billy and Mr. America
explaining that his father, "King" Standish, was a master of disguise. Wanting to perfect the art of illusion, Standish met with a member of a secret order on a distant island. The adepts of the order possessed the power to bend light and sound in order to cast illusions. King mentioned that his mother was able to have this power as well.
While the JSA was in battle, King, Billy and Mr. Terrific
stayed at the Brownstone. Billy then went to Mr. Terrific and stabbed him in the back. The JSA interrogated Billy, who didn't remember anything and swore he didn't do it. Later, Flash spoke with King about his mean attitude and why he was with the team, with King saying he wanted to learn from the veterans of the team. Flash stated that he should be more cooperative with everyone, but King disagreed. King was then accused of making Billy attack Mr. Terrific with presumed mind control powers after the JSA watched their security tape which showed Billy resisting. However, it was revealed that King was innocent and that Billy was actually a sociopath named Jeremy Karne and infiltrated the JSA to kidnap Obsidian
. He stabbed Mr. Terrific so he wouldn't figure out who he really was.
He played a helpful role when the All-Stars were faced against Johnny Sorrow
and the rest of the Injustice Society
, who had resurrected the King of Tears, a monstrous beast. Johnny severely injured King by showing him his face, but King was saved from death by Anna Fortune
. When the team went to the Subtle Realms to rescue Stargirl from Johnny, who was transforming into a human, King showed Johnny an illusion of his face, which severely injured him. The team soon escaped back to their base after rescuing Stargirl and destroying the King of Tears.
King then helped Judomaster, who was grieving over the death of Damage
, by creating an illusion of Damage's farewell message to her before his death, which she had never finished hearing earlier. This caused Judomaster to not go with her plan to murder her father's killer, Tiger, but instead subdued him and had him taken in by the police.
was severely injured, Anna transported her and King to a hospital of King's choice, which was one located at Ankara
, Turkey
. While Cyclone rested, it was revealed by Namita, an illusion King created of his deceased former lover, that she had died at the same hospital and that it was King's fault. It was also revealed by Namita that King's mother, villagers and monks, were all dead due to King, as well. Cyclone then woke up, realizing that she felt better and that her wounds had already healed.
King and Cyclone were then seen helping the rest of the team in Los Angeles
to fight the Paradoran gods. Brainwave, who was helping the All-Stars, then told the team that each one had to let something go from their past in order to weaken the power of the gods. King was forced to let go of Namita, saying he could no longer love a ghost. The All-Stars won the battle and King later made amends with Cyclone, as he had previously rejected their attraction toward each other before the mission at Parador. Later, after finishing a dangerous mission in space, King had confirmed his feelings for Cyclone by kissing her.
Although Namita stated it was due to King's "brashness and conceit", it is currently unknown what he did that caused the deaths of Namita, his mother and the villagers and monks.
" during his run in Justice Society of America. King was impatient and quick to get angry with others. He did not take it well when he found out he was going to have a roommate and when he was left out of a battle. King was witty and quick to make a comeback
, even if he was not being insulted in the first place. He found himself to be near perfection and thought of himself to be above everyone else. When Flash stated that he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder
, King replied, "I find that very intelligent people who do nothing to hide their brilliance are often perceived that way." Due to his attitude, King was not well perceived by his teammates, particularly Cyclone, Power Girl
and Liberty Belle
. However, King did not seem to care, as he stated that he was not with the Justice Society to make friends.
Only a few months later, still early in his publication history, King's attitude began to slowly change in the JSA All-Stars series, beginning right after his near-death experience with Johnny Sorrow. He started to transition from his harsh attitude to a respected teammate. He also started to show more respect towards his teammates by helping them out more with their problems, specifically with Judomaster while she was dealing with the grief of Damage's death. Although King previously stated he was not with the team to make friends, Cyclone became his first and closest friend on the team. Although King's attitude has changed, he still shows signs of cockiness, but only toward his enemies.
, with a double-breasted
jacket. He wears a black necktie
, white gloves, and usually wears black leather shoes, although he once wore black and white patent
shoes. He used to wear a golden handkerchief
with a Three-point Fold, but in the JSA All-Stars series, a golden medallion took its place. When Hourman once asked him why he wore a suit, King made an illusion of himself in a spandex costume, saying, "See how ridiculous I'd look?". King also said that he was willing to sacrifice comfort for style.
. King explained to Sand
that his power is to conjure anything he has seen or heard into a chimera; his power is to misdirect his enemies so they defeat themselves. King can also manipulate x-rays
, which was shown when he made an illusion of himself being invisible and Power Girl could not see him, even if she used her x-ray vision
. King possesses a genius intellect
, has an eidetic memory
, has highly trained senses
and perfect recall
. He is also skilled at hand-to-hand combat, however the only move he uses on his enemies, when he's not using his illusions, is to flip them. Once, Sand asked why he didn't hit anyone. King replied, "I have my reasons."
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. King Chimera first appeared in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #24 (April 2009), and was created by Matthew Sturges
Matthew Sturges
Matthew Sturges is an American writer of comics and fantasy novels.-Biography:Sturges is best known for the Eisner-award nominated Jack of Fables from DC/Vertigo...
and Fernando Pasarin
Fernando Pasarin
-Biography:Pasarin got his start in the Franco-Belgian comics market. He pencilled such series as Strangers and Phenix for Semic Comics, as well as Les Fils de la Louve for Le Lombard...
.
King has kept a mysterious identity since his debut, as very little is known about his past, so much that his real name has currently not been revealed. The only things that have currently been revealed about King is that is he Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
, he claims to be the son of "King" Standish
King Standish
King Standish is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. King Standish first appeared in Flash Comics #3 , and was created by Gardner Fox and William Smith.-Fictional character biography:...
, and his former lover, Namita, his mother and others he knew are deceased.
Publication history
King Chimera's first, very brief, appearance was in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #24 in early 2009, created by Matthew Sturges and Fernando Pasarin. He did not appear again until issue #29, when he became an important character to the series. He only appeared in four more issues before switching to the JSA All-Stars series. During this switch, King made a very brief appearance in the Justice Society of America 80-Page Giant80-Page Giant
80-Page Giant was the name used for a series of comic books published by DC Comics beginning in 1964. The series was named for its unusually high page count. . The cover price was typically 25 cents, while other comics of the day were rarely above 12 cents...
#1.
He then appeared in JSA All-Stars #1, becoming a regular character in the series. Early in the JSA All-Stars run, Justice Society of America Annual
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
#2 was released and King made an appearance in it. Towards the end of 2010, King appeared in the nineteenth issue of the second volume of Power Girl. Currently, King appears in the JSA All-Stars series, appearing in every issue to date.
Creation and concept
NewsaramaNewsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
held an interview with Matthew Sturges, the writer of JSA All-Stars, to discuss the series. Sturges briefly talked about King Chimera and how he wanted to re-invent him off of "King" Standish. Regarding Standish, Sturges said, "You only saw him in disguise. And so, with this new King Chimera, it's a bit more metaphorical than that. I'll just leave it at that." He also mentioned that King Chimera was meant to specifically be with the All-Stars, although he did not reveal why.
In another interview with Newsarama, Sturges said, "King Chimera is a new character that kind of exemplifies the attitude, although he's an extreme case." Sturges also said that King wants to be "the most effective hero he can be and will do anything to achieve that goal." He also mentioned how King doesn't care what people think of him and he is not with the team to make friends and wants "to be trained as well as possible, and to take that training and use it effectively against the bad guys."
Fictional character biography
In an Origins and Omens back-up story, Flash visited King Chimera in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, in which he said he knew his father and that he had arrived to talk to him about the Justice Society of America. King replied, "Well, it's about time." King later appeared as Billy Armstrong
Jeremy Karne
Jeremy Karne, better known as Kid Karnevil, or simply Karnevil, is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe, a member of different supervillain teams such as The Pentacle and the Nazi organization called The Fourth Reich...
's new roommate when they joined the JSA. King demonstrated his power of casting illusions to Billy and Mr. America
Mister America (Jeffrey Graves)
Mister America is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe, the official third and current character to take up the Mr. America mantle and a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America. Mr. America made his first full appearance as Jeffrey Graves in Justice Society of...
explaining that his father, "King" Standish, was a master of disguise. Wanting to perfect the art of illusion, Standish met with a member of a secret order on a distant island. The adepts of the order possessed the power to bend light and sound in order to cast illusions. King mentioned that his mother was able to have this power as well.
While the JSA was in battle, King, Billy and Mr. Terrific
Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)
Michael Holt is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics. First appearing in Spectre #54 , he is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle....
stayed at the Brownstone. Billy then went to Mr. Terrific and stabbed him in the back. The JSA interrogated Billy, who didn't remember anything and swore he didn't do it. Later, Flash spoke with King about his mean attitude and why he was with the team, with King saying he wanted to learn from the veterans of the team. Flash stated that he should be more cooperative with everyone, but King disagreed. King was then accused of making Billy attack Mr. Terrific with presumed mind control powers after the JSA watched their security tape which showed Billy resisting. However, it was revealed that King was innocent and that Billy was actually a sociopath named Jeremy Karne and infiltrated the JSA to kidnap Obsidian
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
. He stabbed Mr. Terrific so he wouldn't figure out who he really was.
JSA All-Stars
King ended up with the JSA All-Stars team when the Justice Society decided to split up in two teams after Jeremy's infiltration. His switch to the team quickly showed changes in his personality and later revealed some of his past, which was never revealed in his first appearances in Justice Society of America.He played a helpful role when the All-Stars were faced against Johnny Sorrow
Johnny Sorrow
Johnny Sorrow is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1 Johnny Sorrow is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in...
and the rest of the Injustice Society
Injustice Society
The Injustice Society is a group of fictional supervillains in the . They are the main antagonists of the Justice Society of America.-Original team:...
, who had resurrected the King of Tears, a monstrous beast. Johnny severely injured King by showing him his face, but King was saved from death by Anna Fortune
Anna Fortune
Anna Fortune is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, a member of the superhero team the Justice Society of America. Anna Fortune first appeared in JSA All-Stars #5 , and was created by Matthew Sturges and Freddie Williams II....
. When the team went to the Subtle Realms to rescue Stargirl from Johnny, who was transforming into a human, King showed Johnny an illusion of his face, which severely injured him. The team soon escaped back to their base after rescuing Stargirl and destroying the King of Tears.
King then helped Judomaster, who was grieving over the death of Damage
Damage (comics)
Damage is a DC Comics superhero who first appeared in a comic book of the same name during the Zero Hour crisis. He is the son of the original Atom Al Pratt. He has been a member of the Titans, the Freedom Fighters, and Justice Society of America....
, by creating an illusion of Damage's farewell message to her before his death, which she had never finished hearing earlier. This caused Judomaster to not go with her plan to murder her father's killer, Tiger, but instead subdued him and had him taken in by the police.
Past revealed
Although King's full past and origin are still a mystery, bits of information were revealed about his past. During a mission at Parador, when CycloneCyclone (DC Comics)
Cyclone is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. She is the granddaughter of the original Red Tornado and a member of the Justice Society of America...
was severely injured, Anna transported her and King to a hospital of King's choice, which was one located at Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. While Cyclone rested, it was revealed by Namita, an illusion King created of his deceased former lover, that she had died at the same hospital and that it was King's fault. It was also revealed by Namita that King's mother, villagers and monks, were all dead due to King, as well. Cyclone then woke up, realizing that she felt better and that her wounds had already healed.
King and Cyclone were then seen helping the rest of the team in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to fight the Paradoran gods. Brainwave, who was helping the All-Stars, then told the team that each one had to let something go from their past in order to weaken the power of the gods. King was forced to let go of Namita, saying he could no longer love a ghost. The All-Stars won the battle and King later made amends with Cyclone, as he had previously rejected their attraction toward each other before the mission at Parador. Later, after finishing a dangerous mission in space, King had confirmed his feelings for Cyclone by kissing her.
Although Namita stated it was due to King's "brashness and conceit", it is currently unknown what he did that caused the deaths of Namita, his mother and the villagers and monks.
Characterization
King Chimera was first portrayed as an arrogant, egotistical, classy "know-it-allKnow-it-all
A know-it-all or know-all is a person who believes that he/she has an accurate comprehension of a topic and/or situation when in reality, his/her comprehension is inaccurate and limited. This belief may or may not be outwardly expressed. The German word Besserwisser is also used in some languages,...
" during his run in Justice Society of America. King was impatient and quick to get angry with others. He did not take it well when he found out he was going to have a roommate and when he was left out of a battle. King was witty and quick to make a comeback
Wit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
, even if he was not being insulted in the first place. He found himself to be near perfection and thought of himself to be above everyone else. When Flash stated that he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder
Egotism
Egotism is "characterized by an exaggerated estimate of one's intellect, ability, importance, appearance, wit, or other valued personal characteristics" – the drive to maintain and enhance favorable views of oneself....
, King replied, "I find that very intelligent people who do nothing to hide their brilliance are often perceived that way." Due to his attitude, King was not well perceived by his teammates, particularly Cyclone, Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
and Liberty Belle
Jesse Chambers
Jesse Chambers is a fictional comic book character in the . Chambers, who first used the superhero name Jesse Quick and later Liberty Belle, is the daughter of Golden Age heroes Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle...
. However, King did not seem to care, as he stated that he was not with the Justice Society to make friends.
Only a few months later, still early in his publication history, King's attitude began to slowly change in the JSA All-Stars series, beginning right after his near-death experience with Johnny Sorrow. He started to transition from his harsh attitude to a respected teammate. He also started to show more respect towards his teammates by helping them out more with their problems, specifically with Judomaster while she was dealing with the grief of Damage's death. Although King previously stated he was not with the team to make friends, Cyclone became his first and closest friend on the team. Although King's attitude has changed, he still shows signs of cockiness, but only toward his enemies.
Depiction
Throughout all of his appearances, King has sported a black suitSuit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
, with a double-breasted
Double-breasted
In clothing, the term double-breasted refers to a coat or jacket with wide, overlapping front flaps and two parallel columns of buttons or snaps; by contrast, a single-breasted coat has a narrow overlap and only one column of buttons. In most modern double-breasted coats, one column of buttons is...
jacket. He wears a black necktie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
, white gloves, and usually wears black leather shoes, although he once wore black and white patent
Patent leather
Patent leather is a type of japanned leather that has been given a high gloss, shiny finish. The process was brought to the United States and improved by Newark-based inventor Seth Boyden in 1818, with commercial manufacture beginning September 20, 1819. Boyden's process, which he never patented,...
shoes. He used to wear a golden handkerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
with a Three-point Fold, but in the JSA All-Stars series, a golden medallion took its place. When Hourman once asked him why he wore a suit, King made an illusion of himself in a spandex costume, saying, "See how ridiculous I'd look?". King also said that he was willing to sacrifice comfort for style.
Powers and abilities
King Chimera was taught by his mother and/or father to bend light and sound in order to cast illusionsIllusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
. King explained to Sand
Sandy Hawkins
Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins, formerly known as Sandy, the Golden Boy, Sands, Sand, and currently as Sandman, is a fictional character, superhero in the DC Comics universe created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. He first appeared in Adventure Comics #69.-Golden Age:The Character of Sandy the Golden...
that his power is to conjure anything he has seen or heard into a chimera; his power is to misdirect his enemies so they defeat themselves. King can also manipulate x-rays
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
, which was shown when he made an illusion of himself being invisible and Power Girl could not see him, even if she used her x-ray vision
X-Ray Vision
In science fiction stories or superhero comics, X-ray vision is the ability to see through physical objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower. The most famous possessor of this ability is DC Comics' iconic superhero character, Superman....
. King possesses a genius intellect
Intellect
Intellect is a term used in studies of the human mind, and refers to the ability of the mind to come to correct conclusions about what is true or real, and about how to solve problems...
, has an eidetic memory
Eidetic memory
Eidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
, has highly trained senses
Sense
Senses are physiological capacities of organisms that provide inputs for perception. The senses and their operation, classification, and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields, most notably neuroscience, cognitive psychology , and philosophy of perception...
and perfect recall
Recall (memory)
Recall in memory refers to the retrieval of events or information from the past. Along with encoding and storage, it is one of the three core processes of memory. There are three main types of recall: free recall, cued recall and serial recall...
. He is also skilled at hand-to-hand combat, however the only move he uses on his enemies, when he's not using his illusions, is to flip them. Once, Sand asked why he didn't hit anyone. King replied, "I have my reasons."