| Mr. Mystic | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Ken |
|
First Appearance |
The Spirit Section (1940) |
|
Original Publisher |
Register and Tribune Syndicate |
|
Created by |
Will Eisner and Bob Powell |
Origin[]
Ken was an American who worked as an attache to the premier of a small Middle European country. As Germany invaded, Ken tried to escape in a plane, but a wind blew him off course to Tibet. He was rescued by a group of lamas who branded a mystical tattoo on his forehead in accordance with an ancient prophecy. He awoke and found himself clothed in a stage magician's tuxedo-and-turban outfit, and a voice from the sky told him: "You will be known as Mr. Mystic, endowed with unlimited powers to combat the forces of evil plaguing the Earth... go and do your work!" After using his powers to battle the Axis in Europe, he returned to the States to fight crime.
Over the course of his adventures, he battled enemies ranging from mundane gangsters to rival evil magicians to aliens from the future. Among his more notable foes was the ghost of Don Juan and the demonic tempter Mr. Sin. The sorcerous femme fatale Elena, who became his fiancee, and the enigmatic personification of Death known as the Shadowman were both his allies and enemies at different times. After Elena's death, he became involved with Penny Douglas. He was also assisted by his pet bulldog Butch.
Powers and Abilities[]
- His powers were numerous and included animal transformation, growing, and shrinking. He could, and frequently did, travel through the fourth dimension into both the past and future.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- The Spirit Section (June 2, 1940 - May 14, 1944)
Notes[]
- Mr. Mystic apparently started out as a character inspired by Yarko the Great (from the same creator).
- In spite of having gained his powers from Tibetan Buddhist mystics, he was portrayed in the February 16, 1941 Spirit Section as a devout Christian who attended Church.
Mr. Mystic