Osiris (DC Comics)

Amon Tomaz (امون توماز: Arabic), known as Osiris, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Making his full debut in 52 #23, the character serves as analogue to Captain Marvel Jr. / Shazam Jr, sharing a significant connections to the character Black Adam, who is depicted as both a villain and anti-hero.

The character is initially depicted as an Egyptian teenager enslaved by Intergang, an organized crime syndicate with ties to the New Gods of Apokolips. His sister, Isis, and Black Adam strive to free him, but he suffers severe injuries. Unable to heal him, Black Adam grants him power, transforming him into Osiris and joining the Black Marvel Family as Adam's protege. They face conflicts with the Teen Titans, Suicide Squad, and Amanda Waller due to their reputation and involvement in Kahndaq's affairs. Ultimately, Amon and Adrianna are killed by the Four Horsemen of Apokolips while discredited in the eyes of the public due to Waller's manipulations. In Brightest Day, Osiris is revived and seeks to resurrect his sister and Black Adam. Guided by the Life Entity in the White Lantern Corps, he joins Deathstroke's Titans, but his corruption and willingness to kill others are gradually revealed.

In the New 52 reboot, Amon's character takes on a different portrayal as a non-superpowered, Kahndaqi-native teenager. He assumes the role of a freedom fighter and acts as a translator for the Sons of Adam, a group of revolutionaries dedicated to resurrecting Black Adam. During DC Rebirth, the character's original history as Osiris is restored although his resurrection alongside Isis's own is reverted back to having been killed by the Four Horsemen of Apokolips.

In the Arrowverse television series Legends of Tomorrow, a different iteration of the character named Behrad Tarazi was introduced and played by Shayan Sobhian. Additionally, Amon Tomaz made his live-action debut in the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam (2022), portrayed by Bodhi Sabongui. Within the movie's version, the character is expressed as Adrianna's son rather than younger brother. In the movie, her brother was named Karim and was portrayed by Mohammed Amer.

Publication history
Osiris was first depicted in Teen Titans #38 (September 2006), making his full appearance in 52 #23 (December 2006), created by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, and Drew Johnson. He appeared extensively in the 2006-2007 weekly series 52.

Fictional character biography
Osiris first appears in a picture of teen superheroes and was a part of the Teen Titans between the events of the Infinite Crisis and One Year Later. Week 23 of the series 52 reveals that Osiris is Amon Tomaz, brother of the hero Isis. He is also the brother-in-law of Black Adam.

Amon has been repeatedly beaten and tortured by members of the criminal cult Intergang who are trying to brainwash him into joining the cult. He refuses to join them time and again and tries to run away, resulting in the beatings getting worse, as Intergang tries to make sure he will never walk again. He is discovered by the Question and Renee Montoya who alert Isis and Black Adam to his location. The super-powered couple arrive to free him, and Isis discovers that her powers over nature are not enough to heal his wounds as they are too deep, and that Amon will never walk again. Black Adam shares the powers of his gods with the boy, and Amon calls down the mystical lightning by saying his benefactor's name, "Black Adam". He gains the same powers as the rest of the Marvel Family. Amon's paraplegia, empowerment, and age all vaguely resemble Captain Marvel, Jr.'s.

During Week 26, he along with Black Adam and his sister, Isis, fly to Nanda Parbat, carrying Renee Montoya and the Question, leaving them there.

Later he feels that he wants friends. He and the other Black Marvels help the other Marvels defeat Sabbac on Halloween using their magic lightning when he tries to sacrifice children to Neron. After doing acts of good and helping people throughout the world, he travels to America to join the Teen Titans, along with his "friend" Sobek, a bioengineered talking crocodile taken from Sivana's labs after being found during a charity dinner with Venus Sivana, who he named. Captain Marvel Jr. was at first skeptical because of Amon's connection to Black Adam, but is emotionally moved by Osiris' eagerness and promises to vouch for him. Junior's only condition is that Osiris must "convince the rest of the world" of his pure intentions. Osiris, filled with hope, accepts. However, shortly afterwards, the Persuader began torturing Isis during a conflict between the Black Adam family and the Suicide Squad with his atomic axe, cutting open her cheek. Angered, Osiris uses too much force and tears Persuader in half, turning public opinion against the Black Marvel family (it's later observed that doctored footage of the attack was broadcast to give the impression Osiris enjoyed the kill by splicing in footage taken from his time with the Teen Titans). Sobek brings him apples and tries to comfort him.

Feeling despair over his killing of the Persuader, Osiris travels to the Rock of Eternity to ask Captain Marvel to remove his powers, as he feels they are a curse and are destroying Khandaq. Black Adam and Isis attempt to assure him that his abilities are not evil in nature and he can still do good. Marvel states that Osiris is not a bad person as the Sins (demons imprisoned in Marvel's lair) did not want him. Osiris attacks Black Adam, but stops his anger when he accidentally hits Isis. Osiris relents and returns home with his sister and brother-in-law. Days later, Osiris, still not convinced, plans to leave Khandaq forever with Sobek, who persuades the teenager to reject the powers of Black Adam and revert to Amon to rid himself of his 'curse'. Osiris decides that being unable to walk must be his penance. Osiris does so and is devoured alive by Sobek, who reveals himself as Famine, Horseman of Apokolips.

Despite his short time as a Titan, a memorial statue of Osiris has been erected in Titans Tower.

Blackest Night
Osiris was later reanimated as a Black Lantern. As part of DC's January campaign of bringing back 'dead comic ru-ns', the Black Lantern Osiris featured in the one-shot The Power of Shazam! revival. However, because Black Adam had magically restored Amon's body to its empowered form before its entombment, Osiris was able to resist the ring's control and ultimately severed his own connection, along with that of the Black Lantern Sobek by using his lightning which struck both him and Sobek, finally dying a hero.

Brightest Day
Along with several other heroes and villains Osiris was brought back to life at the end of Blackest Night. Due to being dead during Osiris's tenure with the Titans, Superboy humorously asks Kid Flash who Osiris is, referring to him as "Black Adam Jr.". Osiris ignores his fellow Titans, simply stating that he wishes to return home.

Following this, Osiris returns to Khandaq, vowing to restore the kingdom to its former prosperity. Osiris takes the petrified bodies of Black Adam and Isis and flies off to an unknown destination. During a flashback, it is revealed that Osiris attempted to return to the Teen Titans, only to leave in anger after being told by Wonder Girl to turn himself over to the authorities for killing Persuader.

Angered when he discovers that he does not possess the power to restore his loved ones, Osiris enlists in Deathstroke's new team of Titans hoping that the mercenary will be able to help him in his goal. During his first mission with the team, Osiris assists in the murder of Ryan Choi, the fourth Atom. During his confrontation with Choi, Osiris tells the hero that he is sorry that he has to kill him. After the mission, Osiris becomes angered at Deathstroke's choice to name the team after the Teen Titans, claiming that they do not deserve it.

After the Titans' second mission, Osiris returns to his quarters, in which the statues of Adam and Adrianna are. He notices that Adrianna's statue has changed slightly, developing a crack in her cheek. Osiris sits and meditates, willing that Adrianna shows him the way. The White Lantern symbol appears above him as he does so.

Osiris is soon after contacted by the Entity, who tells him to free Isis. Just prior to being contacted by the Entity, Osiris enters into a verbal altercation with two of his teammates, Cinder and Tattooed Man, and ends up being cut across the face by the latter. Shocked after seeing that Tattooed Man was somehow able to make him bleed, a confused Osiris flies off into the sky, where he is eventually approached by the Entity. After learning that he must free his sister, Osiris muses that he may be able to rescue Black Adam as well, and claims that once his sister and Adam are freed, he will make the Titans regret mistreating him.

During a battle with a drug kingpin named Elijah, Osiris again experiences a vision of Isis after Pisces knocks him out. She tells her brother that he is guilty for his hand in the murder of Ryan Choi, and that to free her, he will have to kill more people, making many more sacrifices. Osiris accidentally electrocutes Elijah after waking from his vision when he yells about Isis, and returns home to find that more cracks have appeared on Isis' statue. He then surmises that it was Elijah's death which caused the cracks, and states that he will indeed have to kill more people to free Isis from her prison.

During a breakout at Arkham Asylum, Osiris is confronted by Killer Croc whom Osiris believes to be his old friend Sobek, who killed him, and brutally attacks him. Osiris kills a guard with lightning, although by doing so he releases all of the prisons' inmates. While they battle, the new Batman arrives and see Osiris, realising that he has been working with Deathstroke's team. Batman tries to get Osiris to explain his actions, but Osiris eventually escapes from Arkham Asylum and departs with Deathstroke's team. Osiris travels to Philadelphia where he brutally kills several armed criminals until Freddy Freeman, the new Shazam, arrives. Osiris and Freddy fight, with Freddy trying to convince Osiris to stop killing. Osiris tricks Freddy into thinking he has been convinced, then uses the magic lightning to steal Freddy's powers and gives them to Isis, restoring her. The Entity then speaks to Osiris telling him that his mission has been accomplished and his life has been restored. However, Isis' first words to Osiris when he returns to her are "What have you done to me?" Osiris discovers that the deaths he caused have corrupted Isis' soul, causing her to fluctuate between her normal personality and a cruel callous one. While watching over her, he sees a news report on Khandaq being attacked by Qurac, and returns to find she has escaped. Isis attempts to commit suicide by lightning to free herself from her corrupted soul, but Osiris shields her with his own body. When they awake, Isis discovers that the corruption has left her, but she still feels it inside Osiris, and it worries her.

Later, Osiris attacks the Qurac soldiers alongside Isis; she learns that Osiris became more violent to killing soldiers. Osiris then join Deathstroke's Titans to attacks Justice League, where they were stopped by Isis and forced them to leave Khandaq. She further uses her rulership to withdraw from the United Nations, and says they will outlaw and recognize no power but their own or risk the starting of World War III. When they leave, Osiris is stunned when his sister, Isis tells him that he is no longer welcome in Khandaq because of his bloodlust.

Upon returning to the labyrinth, Deathstroke reveals to them that his proceeding items were used to create a healing machine called "Methuselah" for his dying son Jericho. After healing Jericho, Deathstroke claims the machine can also resurrect the dead and can bring Black Adam as well. Osiris initially accepts, but after Cinder declares the Device a curse, he joins him and Tattooed Man in fighting the other Titans to destroy the device. After Cinder sacrifices herself to destroy the device, Osiris leaves with Doctor Sivana in tow. He demands that Doctor Sivana create a new Methuselah Device to restore Black Adam, but Sivana asks in return that he helps him kill the wizard Shazam.

The New 52
In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC Universe. Amon Tomas is a young human recruited by the Sons of Adam, a terrorist group working on freeing Khandaq from Ibac's dictatorship. Due to his translating abilities he is tasked in reading an ancient spell to resurrect Black Adam. But before completing it, the military attacks them. Mortally injured, Amon makes his sister Adrianna complete the spell which revives Black Adam.

DC Rebirth
During the 2016 "Shazam! and the Seven Magiclands" storyline, it is revealed that Isis and Osiris's (Adrianna and Amon)'s prior history as the super-powered Black Marvel Family was restored although they died under unknown circumstances years prior. Mister Mind and Doctor Sivanna would later attempt to recruit Black Adam into his Monster Society of Evil by tempting him with the power of the Darklands, which Mind claimed could resurrect those who he tried to in the past, including Amon and Adrianna.

Characterization
The character is characterized as having a kind-hearted and trusting nature, sometimes to the extent of being naive. He exhibits unwavering loyalty towards his brother-in-law Black Adam, older sister Isis, and his homeland of Kahndaq. Following their revival, the character undergoes a notable change in attitude, displaying a more cynical outlook. They engage in morally questionable actions, including aligning with villains and taking lives, driven by their determination to resurrect their sister. Despite once being highly regarded, they adopt a progressively tyrannical leadership style. The character's jaded nature is attributed to corruption, potentially influenced by Blaze and the trauma of their initial death.

Powers and abilities
As an ordinary human, Amon demonstrated remarkable strength of will that allowed him to resist the brainwashing attempts of Whisper A'Daire, a member of the Religion of Crime and a former member of the League of Assassins. Despite facing repeated physical beatings, Amon's strong willpower enabled him to resist the manipulation and nearly escaped the Religion of Crime's imprisonment on multiple occasions. Amon was also a bass guitar player and in the New 52, the character possessed a profound knowledge of Egyptian and Kahndaqi history, which provided him with a deep understanding of the legends surrounding the Wizard Shazam and his champion, Black Adam. Additionally, his extensive knowledge of magic allowed him to tap into his own magical potential. Notably, he successfully prepared a resurrection spell from the Book of the Dead, enabling him to resurrect Black Adam.

Powers of Shazam
Similar to his mentor and brother-in-law, Amon possesses the capability to switch between his human form and a super-powered form. This transformation grants him access to a portion of Black Adam's powers, which are derived from Egyptian deities. Unlike the pantheon involved within the Marvel Family, those grated by the Egyptian deities are depicted to being of greater magnitude. As a member of the Black Marvel Family, Amon and the other members share a collective reservoir of power. The strength of Amon's abilities is contingent upon the number of individuals within the Black Marvel Family who have also undergone their respective transformations. Osiris's powers were enhanced after his resurrection, surpassing their previous limits.

Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Osiris is a prince of Kahndaq and member of the H.I.V.E. council. He voted for using nuclear weapons to end the war in Western Europe between Aquaman and Wonder Woman, believing the death of his sister, Isis was caused by them. When Traci Thirteen battles the council, she is able to defeat him by casting spells ending in her saying 'Shazam!' causing Osiris to turn back.

Agent of the Overmaster
Osiris appeared in Justice League International vol. II #42 (March 1994) and was created by Gerard Jones and Charles Wojtkiewicz. He appeared monthly in that title and its companions, Justice League America and Justice League Task Force until August 1994. Osiris is an Egyptian hero who wears a high-tech suit of golden armor and believes he is the god Osiris re-incarnate. He first appeared as an agent of the Overmaster and a member of the Cadre of the Immortal. After the Immortal's death, Osiris finally perceived the true threat of the Overmaster, he, Seneca and Mohammed Ibn Bornu allied themselves with the Justice League to stop the Overmaster.

God of death
This Osiris appeared in the one-shot Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad #1 (March 2002) and was created by Bill Willingham and Shawn McManus. Osiris is the Egyptian god of death, fertility, and resurrection. He is also the lord of the Egyptian underworld and was appointed to be one of three judges of the deceased, alongside Thoth and Anubis. In modern times, Osiris and the death gods Hel, Morrigan and Pluto conspired to steal the life force of a young girl named Thessaly, because of her status as the last Thessalian witch. Their scheme failed and the young witch dismembered the Ibis-headed immortal and scattered his body parts across time and space.

In other media

 * A character inspired by Amon Tomaz named Behrad Tarazi appears in Legends of Tomorrow, portrayed by Shayan Sobhian as an adult and by Bodhi Sabongui in flashbacks. He originally hails from a possible dystopian future in 2042, in which he possessed aerokinesis via the Air Totem before he was killed by A.R.G.U.S. After the Legends erase the dystopian future, a revived and altered Behrad joins them.
 * Amon Tomaz appears in Black Adam, portrayed by Bodhi Sabongui. This version is Adrianna Tomaz's teenage son who is a fan of superheroes and keeps Teth-Adam in his room, following him after his escape. Later, he finds out that Ishmael Gregor, his mother's partner, is actually the militant leader of Intergang, and escapes with Crown of Sabbac, but is captured. Upon being saved by Adam from being killed by Ishmael, he discovers that Ishmael's death allowed him to be reborn as the demon Sabbac. Amon, Adrianna and Karim rally the people of Khandaq to fight Sabbac's skeleton army while Teth-Adam and the Justice Society defeat Sabbac.

Collected editions

 * Blackest Night: Rise of the Black Lanterns (collects The Power of Shazam! #48)
 * Titans: Villains for Hire (collects Titans 24-27 and Titans: Villains for Hire Special #1)