Yarko the Great

Real Name: Unrevealed; part of name may really be Yarko

Identity/Class: Human magic user

Occupation: Stage Magician, adventurer

Group Membership: (original run) None;
   (Femforce) The Century Club (Black Fury, Green Mask, Lady Fairplay, Lightning, Man O'Metal, Music Master, Samson, Twilight, Twister)

Affiliations: Li Wan

Enemies: Lailani, Shaddiba, Vladim, Death, Fu Chu, Hans Feuer

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Master of Magic

Base of Operations: Mobile worldwide

First Appearance: Wonder Comics #2 (Fox Features, June 1939)

Powers/Abilities: Yarko was capable to a vast array of magical feats including teleportation, walking through walls, transforming into animals, casting illusions, telekinesis, and hypnosis, sometime using the gem on his turban as a focal point for the subject to look at. Perhaps enhanced by his magic, he is extremely agile, and is a skilled tightrope walker.

Height: Unrevealed; appeared to be somewhat taller than the average
Weight: Unrevealed; toned build, neither slender nor overly muscular
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black

Summary: A world renowned stage magician, the American-born Yarko had studied the "magic of the East" to become a true sorcerer who would lend his skills to law enforcement or anyone else in need.

History:

Comments: Created by Will Eisner.

   Though he normally casts his spells via thought and simple gestures, in Samson#4 he performs some magic by speaking backwards, a schtick more commonly associated with National Allied Publication (DC)'s sorcerer Zatara, who had debuted a year prior to Yarko. Given that this wasn't a normal thing for Yarko, I wonder if the writer had originally intended to sell the story in question to DC, and then changed it to a Yarko tale instead.

Appearance checklist (not including reprints): Wonder Comics#2; Wonderland Comics #3-33; Samson#4-5; Femforce#126-127

Contributors to this page: Jake Oster (additional enemies)

CLARIFICATIONS:
Yarko should not be confused with:

First Posted: Circa 20/06/2011
Last updated: 15/11/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to US Independents Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.