Egg Fu is a fictional character appearing in
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
publications and related media, commonly as an adversary of the superhero
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
. Most frequently represented as an enormous sentient egg (and often, inexplicably, of Chinese descent), he was created by
Robert Kanigher and
Ross Andru
Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21.
In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan (comics), T ...
in 1965's ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' #157. Over the years, multiple versions of the character have appeared with varying backstories and alternative names (including Egg Fu the Fifth, Chang Tzu, and Dr. Yes) to battle not only Wonder Woman, but also the
Metal Men
The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
,
Checkmate
Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.
In chess, the king is ...
and
Harley Quinn.
In early appearances, the character was a
Yellow Peril
The Yellow Peril (also the Yellow Terror and the Yellow Specter) is a racist, racial color terminology for race, color metaphor that depicts the peoples of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia as an existential danger to the Western world. As a ...
ethnic stereotype, complete with caricatured Asian facial features and dialogue written in a phoneticized Chinese accent. Certain 21st century updates, such as changing his name to ''Chang Tzu'' and affiliating him with DC Comics' Chinese superhero team the
Great Ten, maintain his Asian ethnicity while striving to de-emphasize his historically racialized characterization. Appearances in ''Harley Quinn'' in 2014 and ''Harley Quinn and Power Girl'' in 2015, though restoring the name Egg Fu, have expunged overt associations with Chinese culture and language.
Publication history
Egg Fu was created by
Robert Kanigher and
Ross Andru
Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21.
In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan (comics), T ...
.
He debuts 1965's ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' #157, and dies in the same issue. One year later, Egg Fu the Fifth, a relative of the original Egg Fu, debuts in ''Wonder Woman'' #166 (November 1966). Soon after, Dr. Yes (a reference to
Dr. No), Egg Fu's robot twin, appears in ''
Metal Men
The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
'' #20 (June/July 1966).
Fictional character biography
Pre-crisis history
Original Egg Fu
Egg Fu is a Chinese Communist agent, perplexingly shaped like an egg the size of a house, with a
Charlie Chan-like speech pattern, who uses his mustaches as whips against his enemies. In Egg Fu's first appearance,
Steve Trevor is captured by the Chinese mastermind and turned into a human bomb. Egg Fu then launches Steve and a doomsday missile at the American fleet. Wonder Woman intercepts Steve, who has become a deadly menace. Unable to save him, she redirects his path into the enemy missile. The explosion destroys the missile, Steve, and Wonder Woman herself, but the fleet is saved. Informed of her daughter's demise,
Queen Hippolyta
In Classical Greek mythology, Hippolyta, or Hippolyte (; grc-gre, Ἱππολύτη ''Hippolytē'') was a daughter of Ares and Otrera, queen of the Amazons, and a sister of Antiope and Melanippe. She wore her father Ares' ''zoster'', the Gre ...
gathers the remains of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor and returns them to a laboratory on
Paradise Island
Paradise Island is an island in The Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island, with an area of (2.8 km2/1.1 sq mi), is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of ...
. Using an atomic structure reassembly beam, she restores Steve and her daughter. However, Steve's body is still infused with explosive energy. Wonder Woman finds that her own body has also become explosive, making them both a danger to the world. They leave Paradise Island. Wonder Woman plans to use the explosive power against Egg Fu. He sends his troops against her, but they fail in their task to overcome her. A piece of anti-matter removes the explosive matter from Steve and her, then the Amazon defeats Egg Fu.
Egg Fu the Fifth
Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor investigate the disappearance of an American submarine. While flying over the ocean where it disappeared, Wonder Woman's plane is fired upon by an enemy freighter. Steve boards the ship, then disappears too.
Wonder Woman's plane is drawn underwater into a giant seashell.
Frogmen attack her and take her prisoner. She is brought to a secret base controlled by Egg Fu the Fifth, a relative of the original Egg Fu. Held prisoner by
her own magic lasso, Wonder Woman offers to dance for Egg Fu. She then performs a bracelet-clashing dance which cracks Egg Fu and allows her to escape and rescue the stolen submarine.
Dr. Yes
Dr. Yes, Egg Fu's robot twin, uses a giant robot to capture
Will Magnus, leader of the Metal Men. The team travel to Dr. Yes' base, where he brainwashes them, believing that "when the Ameicans see how these great heroes of theirs have turned traitors-- they will doubt ''anyone's'' strength to resist us!"
ic
The giant robot takes the Metal Men to a football stadium that is celebrating "
I am an American Day". Fighting the urge to say "Down with America!" in front of everyone, the Metal Men self-destruct instead. An angry Dr. Yes tries having the giant robot destroy the crowd instead, but the various pieces of the Metal Men attack and destroy the robot, freeing Magnus who had been trapped inside. Afterwards, Magnus rebuilds the superhero team. Dr. Yes is still at large at the story's end.
Post-crisis history
Post-crisis Egg Fu
Following the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths'', a new version of Egg Fu is introduced in ''Wonder Woman'' (vol. 2) #128 (December 1997). This Egg Fu is a nineteenth-century super-computer, recently rediscovered and turned into one of many carnival attractions along
Gateway City
This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics.
Sites
* the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy.
* Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
's Oceanside boardwalk, despite public protests that the attraction is racially insensitive.
Egg Fu is actually a product of
Apokoliptian technology created from a device
Scott Free accidentally left behind on a visit to Earth. Once activated, it begins dominating people's minds and preparing them for transport to Apokolips. Egg Fu is defeated by Hippolyta (at the time acting as Diana's successor as Wonder Woman),
Donna Troy,
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
and
Wonder Girl. An associate of Mister Miracle,
Metron, removes it.
Chang Tzu
Following the events of ''
Infinite Crisis'', a new version of Egg Fu appears, calling himself Chang Tzu (likely a reference to
Chuang Tzu, or possibly
Sun Tzu), an agent of
Apokolips
Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...
.
Chang Tzu (Chung Zhu) is the mastermind, along with
Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim
Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim is a supervillain appearing American comic books published by DC Comics. He is an Intergang crime boss who is the son of Moxie Mannheim and one of Superman's enemies.
Publication history
The character first appeared in ' ...
, behind the kidnappings of many mad scientists in the comic book series ''52''. They are forcibly recruited into Chang's "
Science Squad
''52'' is a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the ''Infinite Crisis'' miniseries. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and ...
" based on
Oolong Island
Oolong (, ; (''wūlóngchá'', "dark dragon" tea)) is a traditional semi-oxidized Chinese tea (''Camellia sinensis)'' produced through a process including withering the plant under strong sun and Enzymatic oxidation, oxidation before curling ...
. Chang has a large, egg-shaped body with facial features and cracked skin, mounted in a spider-legged chair for mobility. He is equipped with small prosthetic hands that allow him to manipulate items and equipment; he is also armed with hidden weaponry.
Shortly after
Black Adam escapes confinement on Oolong Island, Chang Tzu is shot apart by one of his kidnapped scientists, Dr.
Will Magnus.
Magnus claims to be acting irrationally due to a lack of medication. A new, smouldering egg was seen hidden in Chang's shattered remains. When he later reappears and is asked about his seeming destruction, he explains: "My third incubation ended four months ago".
Chang Tzu later re-appears as the main villain in 2007's "Checkout" storyline that crossed over between the
Outsiders
Outsider(s) may refer to:
Film
* Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film
* Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film
* Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
and
Checkmate
Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.
In chess, the king is ...
series. The UN-sponsored clandestine agency devoted to meta-human special operations capture the then-wanted super-hero team led by
Nightwing
Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin.
Although ...
and coerce them into helping invade Oolong Island. A team of operatives from both groups reaches the island, but
Sasha Bordeaux
Sasha Bordeaux is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was at first primarily associated with superhero Batman, and she has subsequently evolved an association with Checkmate in two of its i ...
and
Captain Boomerang are taken captive by Chang Tzu, who subjects them both to excruciatingly torturous studies in order to examine their own respective meta-abilities. Their teammates eventually free them and the group retreats, their mission a failure, with Chang Tzu still remaining at large. While studying her unique physiology consisting of human tissue and artificially intelligent nanotechnology, Chang Tzu takes a morbid interest in Bordeaux, remarking:
:"Never in my wildest dreams... did I imagine I would meet a creature I pitied more than myself".
As revealed to
Alan Scott by
Thundermind
The Great Ten (Shi Hao Xia) or (十豪侠) are a team of Chinese people, Chinese comic book superheroes in the DC Comics Universe, who are sponsored by the government of the China, People's Republic of China. Appearing in comics published by DC C ...
, Chang Tzu and his Science Squad are members of the
Great Ten that provide, among other things, the funds to operate the organization and the technology they use.
His name is unclear as it has been inconsistently presented; he is introduced as Chang Tzu, but is subsequently referred to as both Chung Zhu
[''52'' Week 29] and Chung Tzu. It may be possible that he has multiple names; Chang himself explains that "Egg Fu" is one of his "Nine thousand and nine unmentionable names", and immediately kills a guard who laughs at his mention of it.
Chang Tzu reappeared in a short story published in ''Wonder Woman'' #600, where he is defeated by Wonder Woman,
Power Girl, and
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
.
In the New 52, Egg Fu appears in ''Harley Quinn'' (vol. 2) Annual #1. In the comic, he is Edgar Fullerton Yeung, a giant egg scientist who is secretly experimenting on Poison Ivy at Arkham Asylum. However, he ends up reforming with the help of Harley Quinn and gets himself a job.
Egg Fu appears throughout the
DC Rebirth iteration of the ''Harley Quinn'' series.
[''Harley Quinn'' (vol. 3) #1-8, 12-14, 17, 18]
In other media
Video games
* Chang Tzu appears in ''
DC Universe Online
''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
''. He appears in the Oolong Island group combat alert where he is the final
boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, a ...
. Chang Tzu also appears in the new House of Legends location as a pet vendor.
* Chang Tzu appears as a playable character in ''
Lego DC Super Villains
''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the '' Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Univers ...
''.
Miscellaneous
* Egg Fu appears in issue #16 of the ''
Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' comic book. In this continuity, he is a demonic entity known as Y'ggphu-Soggoth, and is summoned by
Egghead
In the U.S. English slang, egghead is an epithet used to refer to intellectuals or people considered out-of-touch with ordinary people and lacking in realism, common sense, sexual interests, etc. on account of their intellectual interests. It wa ...
to cause havoc only to end up fighting Batman and Wonder Woman.
See also
*
List of Wonder Woman enemies
References
External links
The Unofficial Egg Fu (the first) BiographyJust When You Least Expect Him, It's...Egg Fu?
''Dial B for Blog'' Egg Fu/Doctor Yes feature (pre-Crisis versions only)
{{Wonder Woman
Characters created by Robert Kanigher
Characters created by Ross Andru
Fictional secret agents and spies
DC Comics aliens
Fictional computers
DC Comics characters who can teleport
Comics characters introduced in 1965
Fictional mass murderers
Fictional Chinese people
DC Comics scientists
DC Comics supervillains
DC Comics male supervillains
Eggs in culture
Wonder Woman characters
Video game bosses