John Sargent was Sargon the Sorcerer, a sorcerer whose power comes from the Ruby of Life. He was a member of the All-Star Squadron during World War II.
History
Over seven thousand years ago, Nommo, the immortal ruler of a destroyed civilization, grew lonely. He created several artifacts of power, one of which was called the Ruby of Life. Nommo hoped that through the generations, the owners of these gems might evolve into beings capable of interbreeding with a species of homo sapiens that used magic and would then be his new subjects. Over the millennia, the Ruby of Life was broken into several smaller pieces, one of which was discovered by an archaeologist in Egypt. Giving it to his wife, she wore it as a pendant. It was the first thing that their newborn child, John, saw and touched. Bonding with the ruby in that manner allowed John to tap into the mystical energies it controlled.
At a young age, John was given the Ruby by his mother and began developing a flair for the stage and performing magical illusions. Using the Ruby as part of his stage costume ( as the centerpiece for a turban he wore ), Sargent began touring the vaudeville circuit as Sargon the Sorcerer, Master of Illusions. He soon found out that the Ruby of Life allowed him to completely control inanimate objects, even defying the laws of nature in his requests. He maintained the illusion of only creating sleight-of-hand, as John believed people would fear him if they knew his magical powers were real, but he used his magical abilities to fight crime during the 1940s. He joined the wartime gathering of heroes known as the All-Star Squadron, where he met several other magicians, such as Zatara, Tor, and Merlin along with other mystical characters such as Doctor Fate and The Spectre which opened up his eyes to his potential.
After the war, Sargon acquired a sidekick named Maximillian O'Leary.
As the 1940's drew to a close, and vaudeville entertainment died, Sargon delved into the mysteries of the Ruby of Life, discovering that it had been fragmented, and spent the next several decades searching out the pieces. Finding several of them, he found that they were tainted with the previous owners' souls, some of which were evil. Using one of the evil tainted stones, he fought Flash. Aiding the Justice League of America several years ago against the galactic vampire called Starslayer, he had the League track down several more Ruby of Life fragments.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Sargon fought alongside other mystical heroes in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and then again when the great Shadow Creature threatened heaven itself. Sargon died heroically as the creature's power incinerated his body. The Ruby of Life then went missing.
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Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Magic: Various powers through the Ruby of Life.
Abilities
- Prestidigitation: Stage magician talents including sleight of hand.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Ruby of Life: The power of the ruby allows the bearer to control whatever he touches, among other feats.
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.
- In pre-Crisis continuity, Sargon migrated from Earth-Two to Earth-One in 1950 for unknown reasons (date given in Justice League of America #220). In post-Crisis continuity, this migration did not happen.
Trivia
- John has red streaks in his brown hair.
Related
- 129 Appearances of John Sargent (New Earth)
- 14 Images featuring John Sargent (New Earth)
- 6 Quotations by or about John Sargent (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: John Sargent (New Earth)
Footnotes
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Sargon the Sorcerer (New Earth) |
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All-Star Squadron member This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category. |