Wizard (DC Comics)
| Wizard | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | All Star Comics #34 (April, 1947) |
| Created by |
Gardner Fox Irwin Hasen |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | William A. Zard |
| Team affiliations |
Injustice Society Secret Society of Super Villains |
| Notable aliases | Frederick P. Garth |
| Abilities | Skilled magic user Illusion casting Astral projection Hypnosis Teleportation and dimensional transportation via Key to the Ghost Zone |
The Wizard is a fictional DC Comics Golden Age supervillain.
The Wizard first appeared in All Star Comics #34 (April–May 1947) in the story titled The Wiles of The Wizard written by his creators Gardner Fox with art by Irwin Hasen.
Born approximately 1913, William Asmodeus Zard grew up living a life of crime. As a gun man for various crime bosses, he ultimately ended up in jail. With the passage of time, he formulated a strategy to become a specialized kingpin. In order to accomplish this task, he moved to Tibet and trained under a proficient lama in the mystic arts of illusion and deception. Upon completion of his training, he proceeded to slay his master. Returning to the United States, he embarked on a career as a criminal magician.
Believing that the Justice Society of America was merely a cover for a criminal organization, he first offered a reward of $1,000,000 to them in the paper under the alias W. I. Zard, later asking to join them. To prove to himself that they were not really criminals, the Wizard attempted several criminal acts which were thwarted one by one by members of the Society. Realizing his misconception, he tried to destroy them with his illusions, but was stopped by Mid-Nite's blackout bomb.
The Wizard helped to form the Injustice Society with Per Degaton, Vandal Savage, Thinker, Gambler, and Brainwave, which engineered five jailbreaks. Each member proceeded to steal some key item from the U.S. government while leading an army of prison escapees, taking control of a portion of the American midwest, and collectively they captured their heroic counterparts, with the Wizard capturing Wonder Woman and Johny Thunder, however Green Lantern was able to outwit Brainwave who believed him to be dead after he fell into a ravine, though his power ring saved him at the last moment, and free the rest by impersonating the Thinker who he had captured, who was acting as a Judge in the 'trial' of the JSA, where the Wizard was acting as Prosecutor. The Wizard's escape was circumvented by some junior fans of the J.S.A.
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