Sargon the Sorcerer is the name of several fictional characters, the first incarnation of the character appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...

s published by

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 ...

during the

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

. The original incarnation of the is John Sargent, son of archaeologist Richard Biddle Sargent who gained magical powers after reciting an incantation while possessing the artifact on hand, having been gifted to his mother and then himself. Fearing the perception he may receive from having genuine magical powers, the character opted to form a

stage magician Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...

persona to disguise his genuine magic as stage magic. Over time, he became a crime-fighter and was notably a peer of other magic users such as

Zatara Giovanni "John" Zatara is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He debuted as a superhero, starring in his own stories in '' Action Comics'' during the Golden Age of Comics. He first appeared in the fi ...

and

Baron Winters Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher th ...

. The character is notably killed during a ritual meant to help the

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...

and

Deadman Deadman or Deadman's may refer to: * "Deadman" or "dead man", are alternative terms for a dead man's switch * "Deadman's foot" is another name for a Salamander in metallurgy * "Deadman anchor" is a buried object (log, concrete, block, etc.) used ...

battle the Great Darkness. The second Sargon, David Sarget, first appears in '' Helmet of Fate: Sargon'' #1 (April 2007) and was created by

Steve Niles Steve Niles (born June 21, 1965) is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as ''30 Days of Night'', '' Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery'', ''Simon Dark'', ''Mystery Society'', and '' Batman: Gotham County Line''. ...

and

Scott Hampton Scott Hampton (born April 10, 1959) is an American comic book artist known for his painted artwork. He is the brother of fellow comics-creator Bo Hampton. Andelman, Bob"Scott Hampton & Bo Hampton Interview,"''A Spirited Life'' (July 17, 2006). E ...

. David is the grandson of John Sarget whom gained a shard of the Ruby of Life after demons attempted to bargain away John's estate due to being unable to explore the mansions from protection spells to David, unaware of his grandfather's magical history. Upon being bestowed the shard to his chest, he succeeds his grandfather and establishes himself as a mystic superhero. The character's tenure is short-lived, as he is seemingly killed off while at the mercy of Lobo in hell after sacrificing his own energies to transport heroes to the world of the living. After the

New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series ...

reboot, the character's history changed; while John's lifetime mirrors the Golden Age storylines, the character is instead succeeded his daughter, Jaimini Sargent. Unlike prior depictions of Sargon, Jaimni is portrayed primarily as a villain. The character appears of East Indian descent and is an adversary of

John Constantine John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John ...

, having usurped her father's name as Sargon the Sorceress and his position within the Cult of the Cold Flame. Sargon appeared in

live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...

in the

Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. ...

crossover ''

Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...

'', portrayed by Raúl Herrera.

Publication history

John Sargent, the original Sargon, first appeared in ''

All-American Comics ''All-American Comics'' was a comics anthology and the flagship title of comic book publisher All-American Publications, one of the forerunners of DC Comics. It ran for 102 issues from 1939 to 1948. Characters created for the title, including Green ...

'' #26 (May 1941), and was created by John B. Wentworth and

Howard Purcell Howard Purcell (November 10, 1918 – April 24, 1981)Howard Purcell
at the

. The character continued in ''All-American Comics'' until issue #50 (June 1943), and then moved to ''

Comic Cavalcade ''Comic Cavalcade'' was an anthology comic book published by DC Comics from 1942 to 1954. Most American comic book publishers in the 1930s and 1940s Golden Age of comic books published anthology titles that showcased a variety of characters, usua ...

'' (1943-1946) and ''

Sensation Comics ''Sensation Comics'' is the title of an American comic book anthology series published by DC Comics that ran for 109 issues between 1942 and 1952. For most of its run, the lead feature was Wonder Woman, a character which had been introduced in ''Al ...

'' (1946-1948).

Fictional character biography

John Sargent

Sargon debuted in ''

'' #26, with a publication date of May 1941. He was a stage magician, dressed like a

swami Swami ( ; sometimes abbreviated sw.) in Hinduism is an honorific title given to a male or female ascetic who has chosen the path of renunciation (''sanyāsa''), or has been initiated into a religious monastic order of Vaishnavas. It is used eith ...

complete with

turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...

, to disguise the fact that he wielded true mystical powers, passing off such feats as

illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may o ...

s. As a child, he came into possession of the mystic Ruby of Life which allowed him to control anything he touches (touching the ground lets him erect a wall, for instance). Taking his professional name from the ancient king of the same name, Sargon has had a checkered career, acting mostly as a hero during the

aided first by his lady assistant Flora Styles, and later by his cartoonish fat little

comic relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

/ manager Maximillian O'Leary as he battled crooks, spies and his azure-skinned archenemy the Blue Lama, the Queen of

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

. He re-emerges in the Silver Age – as a villain, at least at first. It was later explained that his villainous activities were the result of certain side effects of possessing the Ruby of Life. He was brought back for occasional guest appearances in the Silver Age and was awarded with an honorary membership in the

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...

in ''Justice League of America'' #99 in 1972. Sargon later explained that he moved from his home of

Earth-Two Earth-Two (also Earth Two or Earth 2) is a setting for stories (a "fictional universe") appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''The Flash'' #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between ...

to take up residence on

Earth-One Earth-One (also Earth-1) is a name given to two fictional universes (The Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of the same universe) that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. The first Earth-One was given its name in ...

in 1950. Sargon maintained contacts with several other mages in the DC Universe, notably

(a fellow ''faux'' stage magician), and the younger mage

. Sargon answered the summons of Constantine to participate in a ritual at the mansion of Winters to help deal with the effects of the ''

'', using the

as their portal into the war being fought in

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

. Locking hands in a circle of power, and using the psychic powers of Constantine's drunken acquaintance

Mento Mento is a style of Music of Jamaica, Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It is a fusion of African rhythmic elements and European elements, which reached peak popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. ...

, the group of sorcerers (which also included Zatara's daughter

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in '' Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a stage magician with a ...

) observed the events unfolding, and attempted in turn to channel their magical powers into several other mystical characters present in Hell, including

Etrigan Etrigan the Demon is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Etrigan is a demon from Hell who, despite his violent tendencies, usually finds himself allied with the forces of good, mainly be ...

, the original

Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...

, and the

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...

. Their enemy, a primal form of evil (called the Great Evil Beast) that was surging upwards to obliterate everything in its path, sensed their interference and lashed out several times; its power raced around the circle, finding a weak link and incinerating it. The first to fall was Sargon. At first panicking and crying out for the others to help him, and almost pulling his hands away from the circle, Sargon was rebuked by Zatara to maintain his composure and die like a sorcerer. In a final act of will, Sargon apologized for his outburst, calmly sat in place and was burned alive without a whimper, never letting go of his colleagues' hands the entire time. This ritual also kills Zatara and drives Mento completely insane. Sargon would later return in ''

'', "borrowing" the body of an elderly German man named Koestler and planning to lead the souls trapped in Hell in an assault on Heaven. He sacrificed this form to save his niece, Gracie Brody. During the ''

Books of Magic ''The Books of Magic'' is the title of a four-issue English-language comic book mini-series written by Neil Gaiman, published by DC Comics, and later an ongoing series under the imprint Vertigo. Since its original publication, the mini-series has ...

'' series, the

Phantom Stranger The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...

and young

Timothy Hunter Timothy Hunter is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''The Books of Magic'' #1 (January 1990), and was created by Neil Gaiman and John Bolton. Publication history Tim Hunter was created by ...

had a brief encounter with what was apparently Sargon's soul, who attempted to warn the boy of the dangers and costs of pursuing magical power. He then disintegrated right before their eyes, leaving behind his Ruby of Life. Sargon appears in the ''

Day of Judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

'' series as a gray soul in the realm of Purgatory. He presumably joins in the fight against the guardians of Purgatory when a team of living heroes arrives to bring back the soul of Hal Jordan. In 2011, DC Comics rebooted the DC universe in "

The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...

". Sargon appears briefly in ''Justice League Dark'', where he is mentioned as one of the great magicians of the past age, among peers such as Zatara and Dr. Occult. In ''Constantine'' #1, Sargon is revealed to have been one of four powerful magicians who became corrupted by their power and formed the villainous cult known as the Cold Flame.

David John Sargent

The '' Helmet of Fate'' miniseries featured a ''Sargon the Sorcerer'' one-shot, starring his successor David John Sargent. After dropping out of college, having at least seven relationships, and a brief stint as the lead singer in a band, David spent the rest of his life as a drifter on the side of the road. One day two men who claimed to represent the estate of his grandfather, the original Sargon, found David and told him that he was his heir. Actually, these men were demons trying to find Sargon's Ruby of Life, but could not do so because of the protection spells he had placed on his house. David was tricked into signing away his grandfather's estate over to the two men, who then prepared to force him to find the Ruby when the Helmet of Fate suddenly appeared. David escaped the two and was led into his grandfather's secret attic by Sargon's ghost. Searching around, he found his grandfather's old props, his suit and turban, which contained some pieces of the Ruby. Those pieces then went into David's chest; through them Sargon was able to project himself in front of his grandson. He explained to David that he needed a successor to his name to find the remaining pieces of the Ruby, which had somehow shattered, and he was the only member of his bloodline still alive. He also explained that he pulled the Helmet off its course in order to provide a distraction long enough to grant David the Ruby's power. David accepted the role of Sargon the Sorcerer, and armed with new mystical abilities, went to drive the two men from his home. At the time, the two used a piece of the Ruby they acquired to turn themselves into demons, and managed to weaken the Helmet. David then quickly disposed of the two, and sent the Helmet back on its course after placing a piece of himself into it. David went on to play a part in ''

Reign in Hell ''Reign in Hell'' is a 2008-2009 comic book Limited series (comics), miniseries written by Keith Giffen, pencilled by Thomas Derenick, inked by Bill Sienkiewicz and published by DC Comics. The title is a reference to a line spoken by Lucifer in Joh ...

'', assisting

and Blue Devil, and ultimately sacrificing himself to Lobo's mercy to allow many heroes and anti-heroes out of Hell; this event left Zatanna and Blue Devil traumatized, as they were the ones who went to Sargon for help in the first place.

Jaimini Sargent

In the ''Constantine'': ''The Spark and the Flame'', Jamini is revealed to have taken the powers of her father (whom has since became corrupted) and his role in the group, calling herself "Sargon the Sorceress" and sets her sights on Constantine as both sought to reconstruct a mystical item known as the "Croyden Compass", a magical artifact that can seek out magical power sources within intent on increasing her already formidable sorcery. After learning Constantine was also after the artifact and already had gained its dial. As Constantine sought the lens, he is ensnared into a trap by Sargon, who attempts to force the location of the lens out of him, as she and Tannark were unable to find the lens within the shop of Agnus Croyden's son, Phillip. Constantine reveals that his son's eyes are the lens they sought but frees the Riddling Butcher, an enemy of Jaimini's father in the past and leaves her to fight the demon despite predicting she would emerge victorious.

In other media

Sargon the Sorcerer makes a cameo appearance in the

crossover event ''

'', portrayed by Raúl Herrera. He attempts to rob a bank while using an illusion of a giant Beebo toy as a diversion. When

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

, the

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

Sara Lance Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in ''Legends of Tomorrow''. The c ...

, the

Atom Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons. Every solid, liquid, gas, and ...

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

, and

Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Batwoman, Kathy Ka ...

fight it, they discover it is not real. Lance and Flash later track down Sargon and knock him out, causing his illusion to melt.

References

External links

Sargon the Sorcerer
at

Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on February 15, 2017. {{GoldenAge All-American Publications characters Comics characters introduced in 1941 DC Comics superheroes DC Comics supervillains DC Comics fantasy characters DC Comics characters who use magic Fictional stage magicians DC Comics undead characters Golden Age superheroes Mythology in DC Comics