William McElroy (Batman 1966 TV Series)

King Tut
Batman '66‎
Gallery
Real Name	William Omaha McElroy
Main Alias	King Tut
Other Aliases	King of the Nile
Base Of Operations	Gotham City
Status
Alignment	Bad
Identity	Secret Identity
Citizenship	American
Occupation	Egyptologist
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Eyes	Blue
Hair	Blond
Origin
Universe	Batman (1966 TV Series)
Creators	Robert C. Dennis · Earl Barret
First Appearance	"The Curse of Tut" (April 13, 1966)
Last Appearance	Batman vs. Two-Face (October 10, 2017)

King Tut was a deluded enemy of Batman who believed he was a pharaoh.

History

William Omaha McElroy was a professor of Egyptology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Professor McElroy fell victim to amnesia and the delusion of being the historical King Tut in the midst of a student riot at the university where he taught, in whose course he was struck on the head.

During his periods of amnesiac delusional thinking, McElroy, as Tut, mistook Gotham City for the city of Thebes, the ancient capital of Egypt; his plots involved taking it over and "reinstating" himself as its tyrannical ruler. Among his plans to do so was a scheme he formed to spike the city's water supply with Abu raubu simbu tu. This ancient will-paralyzing drug had to be synthesized from a species of scarab beetle, once thought to be extinct, of which Tut succeeded in reviving the few remaining specimens. The only known defense against intoxication with Abu raubu simbu tu, as Batman discovered, was the ingestion of buttermilk. For as it proved, buttermilk, drunk before any attempted intoxication with Abu raubu simbu tu, stimulated the stomach lining into the secretion of a heavier coating of protective mucus than usual, and thus prevented the drug's absorption into the bloodstream.

McElroy, as Tut, was one of at least two Bat-Enemies (Egghead being another) who learned the secret of Batman's civilian identity of Bruce Wayne but was prevented from revealing it. In his case, he learned it while he was amnesiac and delusional, but was prevented from revealing it by having his normal personality restored.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

• Genius Level Intellect
• Egyptology
• Driving
• Deception
  • Disguise
• Pedagogy

Other Characteristics

• Amnesia
• Multiple Personality Disorder: When concussed, usually by being struck on the head, his personality switches out with King Tut's.
• Delusion: McElroy's alternate personality is a delusional one.
  

Paraphernalia

Transportation

• Royal Barque
• Batmobile (Briefly)

Notes

• Victor Buono (1938-1982) played William McElroy, alias King Tut. As Adam West explained to Jeff Rovin in Back To The Batcave, King Tut was the only villain specifically created for the 1960s Batman series who really caught on with viewers.
• Buono said, on a late-night talk show, "Being on Batman allowed me to do what we actors are taught never to do, overact."

Related

• 25 Appearances of William McElroy (Batman 1966 TV Series)
• 4 Images featuring William McElroy (Batman 1966 TV Series)
• 1 Quotations by or about William McElroy (Batman 1966 TV Series)
• Character Gallery: William McElroy (Batman 1966 TV Series)

Footnotes

Batman Villain(s) This character, team or organization, has been primarily an enemy of the Batman, or the Batman Family as a whole. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Batman Villains."

Batman Villain(s) from the 1966 series This character, team or organization, was primarily an enemy of the Batman in either the 1966-1968 television show, related 1966 film, tie-in comic book series or the animated movies. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Batman (1966 TV Series) Villains category."