Character Spotlight: Golden Pharaoh

This is another one I've been hoping to feature for a while now, but I never really expected I'd get the chance to. (Which is silly; if maintaining this blog has taught me anything, it's becoming a canon immigrant is more of a when than an if, no matter how obscure the detail is.)

Golden Pharaoh was created as a toy for the Kenner Super Powers line in 1986, and unlike every other figure save one, he was created by Kenner and not DC. I don't know why they felt the need to create their own characters when DC had so many to choose from; maybe it was a royalties thing. Either way, his packaging established his real name and his powers.

Later, DC decided to make a tie-in miniseries to the third series of the toyline, so Golden Pharaoh appeared in all four issues. Super Powers #1 (June 1986) established his career, country of origin, and the origin of his powers.

His action figure showed up in Green Lantern #89 (June 1997), which I guess technically counts as his first time as a canon immigrant, but it's not good enough.

(For completion's sake, I'll also include that he got another action figure in the "DC Universe Classics" line in 2010. He has so few appearances that I might as well include them all.)

Finally, in Doomsday Clock #5 (May 2018), they have a feature on international hero teams that have been popping up recently. The UK team, Knights Inc., lists Golden Pharaoh as one of its members.

He's only a name at the moment, but it's a name I never thought I'd see!