Egg Fu
Encyclopedia
Chang Tzu is a fictional supervillain
published by DC Comics
. Originally a Silver Age
creation named Egg Fu who battled Wonder Woman
, his character was revamped for the weekly 52
series. He first appeared in Wonder Woman
#157 (October 1965), and was created by Robert Kanigher
and Ross Andru
.
-like speech pattern, who used his mustaches as whip
s 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. She is unable to save him, but 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
gathers the remains of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor and returns them to a laboratory on Paradise Island
. 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. The Chinese leader 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 Wonder Woman, then the Amazon defeats Egg Fu. (Wonder Woman #157-158)
Egg Fu the Fifth, a relative of the original Egg Fu, debuted in Wonder Woman #166 (November 1966).
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. 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.
#20 (June/July 1966). In the story, he uses a giant robot to capture Will Magnus
, thereby luring the Metal Men to his base where he brainwashes them, believing that "when the Amelicans see how these gleat heroes of theirs have turned tlaitors-- they will doubt anyone's stlength to lesist us!"
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.
, a new version of Egg Fu was 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'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
and Wonder Girl. An associate of Mister Miracle, Metron
, removes it.
, a new version of Egg Fu appears, calling himself Chang Tzu (likely a reference to Chuang Tzu
).
Chang Tzu (Chung Zhu) is the mastermind, along with Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim, behind the kidnappings of many mad scientists in the comic book series 52. They are forcibly recruited into Chang's "Science Squad" based on Oolong Island. 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 manipuate 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
and Checkmate
series. The UN-sponsored clandestine agency devoted to meta-human special operations capture the then-wanted super-hero team led by Nightwing and coerce them into helping invade Oolang Island. A team of operatives from both groups reaches the island, but Sasha Bordeaux
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, 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 presently unclear as it has been inconsistently presented; he is introduced as Chang Tzu, but is subsequently referred to as both Chung Zhu 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.
An unidentified and villainous Egg-Fu appeared in a short story published in Wonder Woman #600, where he was defeated by Wonder Woman, Power Girl
, and Batgirl
.
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Originally a Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
creation named Egg Fu who battled Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, his character was revamped for the weekly 52
52 (comics)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
series. He first appeared in Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#157 (October 1965), and was created by Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
and Ross Andru
Ross Andru
Ross Andru was an American comic book artist and editor. He is best known for his work on Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Flash and Metal Men....
.
Original Egg Fu
Egg Fu first debuted in Wonder Woman #157 (October 1965). He was a Chinese Communist agent, inexplicably shaped like an egg the size of a house, with a Charlie ChanCharlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
-like speech pattern, who used his mustaches as whip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
s against his enemies.
In Egg Fu's first appearance, Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:...
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.
Informed of her daughter's demise, Queen Hippolyta
Queen Hippolyta (comics)
Queen Hippolyta is a fictional character and DC Comics superhero, based on Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology. She is also the mother of Wonder Woman and Donna Troy.-Golden and Silver Age versions:...
gathers the remains of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor and returns them to a laboratory on Paradise Island
Paradise Island
Paradise Island is an island in the Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of New Providence. It is best known for the sprawling 'Vegas-by-the-sea resort' Atlantis.Paradise...
. 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. The Chinese leader 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 Wonder Woman, then the Amazon defeats Egg Fu. (Wonder Woman #157-158)
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
Frogman
A frogman is someone who is trained to scuba diving or swim underwater in a military capacity which can include combat. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver or combatant diver or combat swimmer....
attack her and take her prisoner. She is brought to a secret base controlled by Egg Fu the Fifth. 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 (a reference to Dr. No), Egg Fu's robot twin, appears in Metal MenMetal Men
The Metal Men are fictional characters that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. The characters first appeared in Showcase #37 and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciller Ross Andru...
#20 (June/July 1966). In the story, he uses a giant robot to capture Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
, thereby luring the Metal Men to his base where he brainwashes them, believing that "when the Amelicans see how these gleat heroes of theirs have turned tlaitors-- they will doubt anyone's stlength to lesist us!"
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 Egg Fu
Following the Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, a new version of Egg Fu was 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's Oceanside boardwalk, despite public protests that the attraction is racially insensitive.
Egg Fu is actually a product of Apokoliptian
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
technology created from a device Scott Free
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
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
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
, Artemis
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall
Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is...
and Wonder Girl. An associate of Mister Miracle, Metron
Metron (comics)
Metron is a character created by Jack Kirby for his Fourth World series in DC Comics. He was "based on Leonard Nimoy as Spock", and designed as a character who "would frequently change sides [between New Genesis and Apokolips]"...
, removes it.
Chang Tzu
Following the events of Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, a new version of Egg Fu appears, calling himself Chang Tzu (likely a reference to Chuang Tzu
Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought, and is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name,...
).
Chang Tzu (Chung Zhu) is the mastermind, along with Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim, behind the kidnappings of many mad scientists in the comic book series 52. They are forcibly recruited into Chang's "Science Squad" based on Oolong Island. 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 manipuate items and equipment; he is also armed with hidden weaponry.
Shortly after Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
escapes confinement on Oolong Island, Chang Tzu is shot apart by one of his kidnapped scientists, Dr. Will Magnus
Will Magnus
Doctor Will Magnus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #37 alongside his creations, the Metal Men; he was created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.-Fictional character biography:...
. 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
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
and Checkmate
Checkmate (comics)
Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
series. The UN-sponsored clandestine agency devoted to meta-human special operations capture the then-wanted super-hero team led by Nightwing and coerce them into helping invade Oolang Island. A team of operatives from both groups reaches the island, but Sasha Bordeaux
Sasha Bordeaux
Sasha Bordeaux is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She was at first primarily associated with Batman, and has subsequently evolved an association with Checkmate in two of its incarnations...
and Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang is a fictional character in the . A supervillain traditionally portrayed as an enemy of the Flash...
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
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
by Thundermind, Chang Tzu and his science squad are members of the Great Ten
Great Ten
The Great Ten, ' or ' are a team of fictional Chinese comic book superheroes in the DC Comics Universe, who are sponsored by the government of the People's Republic of China. Appearing in comics published by DC Comics, they were introduced in 52 #6 ., and were created by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones,...
that provide, among other things, the funds to operate the organization and the technology they use.
His name is presently unclear as it has been inconsistently presented; he is introduced as Chang Tzu, but is subsequently referred to as both Chung Zhu 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.
An unidentified and villainous Egg-Fu appeared in a short story published in Wonder Woman #600, where he was defeated by Wonder Woman, Power Girl
Power Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
, and Batgirl
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
.
Video games
- Chang Tzu appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
. He appears in the Oolong Island group combat alert.
Miscellaneous
- Egg-Fu appears in issue 16 of the Batman: The Brave and the BoldBatman: The Brave and the Bold (comics)Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American comic book series published by DC Comics. It is based on the TV series of the same name.-UK Title:The UK version is published by Titan Magazines and the first issue was released on 11 March 2010...
comics. In this continuity, he is a demonic entity known as Y'ggphu-Soggoth, and is summoned by Egghead to cause havoc only to end up fighting Batman and Wonder Woman.