WANTED: Earth-Two's Most Dangerous Super-Villains
Osira
Personal information
Real Name: Osira, original name may be unknown
Residence: Earth
Occupation: Alien Conqueror
First Appearance (Golden Age): Wonder Woman #231 (June 1944)
Character History
The true name, race and world/dimension of origin of Osira are unknown. By her own testament, she is part of an alien race from a dimension in the multiverse different than that of Earth-Two that left their home-world in a fleet of star-ships in ~7000 B.C. for unknown reasons. They traveled the space-ways until they encountered an flurry of rogue meteors a little over 3000 years ago that scattered their fleet. Their leader- a being known as Aten - was flung into the dimension of Earth-S when a meteor struck his vessel (Isis #5). Another meteor struck the ship bearing Osira and her mate, Hefnakhti, pushing them into the dimension of Earth-Two.
The pair landed in Egypt and captured part of the populace distant from the Nile, being revered as gods. Their time frame was similar to that of Khfu (later Hawkman) and Nabu (later Dr. Fate) but whether they encountered them us unknown. They established immigration as a practice and build pyramids as temples to themselves. While their rule was benevolent, it was absolute, eventually inspiring the resentment of factions in the populations. One factions - led by a priest named Anankh - captured Osira and Hefnakhti in their own pyramid. When they expended their powers to escape, they found themselves depleted from the effort and at the mercy of Anankh and his followers who mummified them alive and left them in the depths of the pyramid, seemingly forever.
In 1942, the North African campaign blazed across Egypt. In the area of Osira's former kingdom, a sole Allied tank encountered an German panzer near the pyramid where Osira and Hefnakhti rested. A stray shell from the panzer ruptured the outer wall of the pyramid, unleashing alien energies and atomizing both tanks. Over the intervening months, air seeped into the depths, awakening Osira. Hefnakhti, over the centuries, had died or at least lost corporeal cohesion. Enraged, Osira destroyed their pyramid and set out to dominate this new world.
Her first foray let her into conflict with the Justice Society of America, who she ultimately defeated and captured in glass pyramids, sending half to the moon and the other half to a new pyramid she had constructed in Egypt. She then deployed her power, manifest in the form of energy pyramids to sites around the globe, including the US Capitol. Within, leaders of U.S. Senate are under Osira's sway, advocating for the end of the war, withdrawing from European and Asian theatres and seeking a negotiated peace with Axis powers. Arriving on the scene, Wonder Woman destroyed the pyramid, restoring American leaders to the natural patterns of thought. From Steve Trevor, she learns that all world leaders are under similar mind-control and vowing to end the War. Seeking the origins of this threat, Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor took flight to Egypt. Arriving they are immediately beset by the Allied and Axis pilots under Osira's control. After a mid-air dogfight, Wonder Woman forces the pilots to the ground. Under the influence of her magic lasso, they reveal themselves as servants of Osira, leading them to another remote pyramind where Osira near Giza wherein Osira was ensconced. Wonder Woman stumbles upon Osira and the two engage in a pitched battle, eventually resulting in Wonder Woman's capture in one of Osira's energy pyramids. Outside, freed from Wonder Woman's influence, Osira's minions subdue Steve Trevor, dragging him into the throne room. Wonder Woman declares that Osira will be eventually defeated, by the Justice Society if not she herself. A gesture from Osira moves a wall, revealing five JSA members - Sandman, Starman, the Atom, Mr. Terrific and Johnny Thunder. Moreover, she reveals that the physical form of Steve Trevor is an exact duplicate of Hefnakhti and that she will summon his spirit into Trevor's body to rule by her side.
As the possession of Trevor takes place, Wonder Woman's pyramid is transported to the depth beneath and she is left unattended, her neglectful captors leaving her with magic lasso. Finding no easy escape, she wraps herself in the lasso with an end tied to the bars of her window, spinning and super-speed to drill a hole in the floor. Emerging through the stone floor nearby, she is free of the pyramid and makes straight for Osira. She finds Hefnahkti in full control of Trevor and Osira bent on her demise. Lacking the energy and with Wonder Woman using Trevor as a shield, she instead frees the Justice Society, enslaving their minds in the process. Dropping the roof on her pursuers, Wonder Woman makes an escape ultimately reaching Giza. She is no sooner arrive than the JSA arrives in hot pursuit, attacking in unison. She subdues Mr. Terrific and the Atom and smashes Sandman's gas-gun but Starman proves more powerful. The Astral Avenger lives the entire Sphinx to smash the Amazon but she snares it her lasso, wresting control. In response, Starman destroys the ancient artifact. On the sidelines, Johnny Thunder argues with his Thunderbolt to intervene but the genie is reluctant to attack Wonder Woman, who he rightly perceives is acting rightly. Though unable to disobey his master, he takes Johnny's instruction to "lend a hand" literally, slamming a giant fist into Starman and disarming him.
In the aftermath, Osira arrives, now fully empowered in the interim. Explaining to Osira that her brain-washing is not true peace, Wonder Woman quietly seizes Starman's cosmic rod and while Osira's defenses are lulled, blasts her with in. Defeated, Osira bemoans her dreams, that she really did the love the people of Earth and wanted peace even at her command. As Wonder Woman says this is not true peace, Hefnahkti in Trevor's body agrees and invites Osira to join him in the otherworld to which his spirit had flown. The two disappear and the Justice Society recovers and leaves to retrieve their colleagues from the moon while Starman restores the pyramid.
Whether Osira and Hefnahkti ever returned is not recorded.
Powers and Abilities
The full range of Osira's abilities are not clear. It is unknown where the humanoid female form she presents in her actual appearance (their leader Aten's appearance was much more alien) or something she adopted to be acceptable to the ancient Egyptians. Her energy powers appear to derive from an alien technology derived from her pyramids, as she is often encased in one and retreats to one when her powers ebb. Examples of applications of her powers including force shields, blasts of disruptive force, mind control and contact with netherworldly realms to summon the dead. The duration and range of these effects are unknown. Osira appears extremely long-lived but was not evidently immortal.
Weaknesses and Limitations
While powerful, Osira and Hefnahkti's abilities had clear limits. Their energies could be expended leaving them vulnerable to defeat by ordinary humans. There was evidently some dependence on pyramidal forms to recoup their forces, but the nature between these structures and their powers is unclear. Finally, if their energies could be sufficiently expended, both aliens were capable of death or at least the appearance of same.
Multiversity
A version of Osira exists in modern times in the Post-Crisis timeline but nothing of her origins or history has been revealed (Wonder Woman Vol 3 #2).
Appearances
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Issue |
Comment |
Reprinted in |
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Wonder Woman #231-232 |
1st appearance and origin, vs. Wonder Woman and the Justice Society |
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