Caligro The Great

CALIGRO THE GREAT

Real Name: Unrevealed

Class: Human magic-user

Occupation: Stage magician supervillain

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Metropolis

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #18 (February, 1980)

Powers: Caligro had access to the magical energies of another dimension, enabling him to teleport, materialize objects, transform the shape of others, summon killer birds and control weather.

History: (DC Comics Presents #18) - For years Caligro studied magic and famous magicians such as Houdini and Blackstone, but he flopped as a stage magician, and was soon doing birthday parties for children to support himself. He had a persecution complex and illusions of grandeur, so he blamed people with real superpowers and magical abilities for making his talents passé. He had a drink in a bar and desperately offered to tip the bartender with a magic trick, but was ridiculed. At that moment Zatanna had accidentally breached the dimension from which Homo Magus drew their abilities, and magical energy flooded Earth. Caligro found his dream of being a sorcerer fulfilled, so he terrorized the bar that mocked him before summoning Zatanna and Superman to his side, promising to destroy them for never letting his illusionist career take off the ground. Zatanna had lost her magical abilities, but Superman now possessed magical energy, so she guided him through defeating the rank amateur Caligro. Superman and Zatanna sealed the rift to the magical dimension, returning all the magical energies to their proper place. Caligro was devastated that his dreams had all come true, but only for an ephemeral moment.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway, Dick Dillin & Frank Chiaramonte.