Supernatural Thrillers #5

History

Supernatural Thrillers launched in December 1972 as one of four horror-anthology titles conceived by Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, who wanted a more cohesive line of adaptations drawn from classic genre literature — predecessors like Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows had presented original stories, but this new wave would adapt established works by H. G. Wells, Robert Louis Stevenson, and others. The series had run four consecutive adaptation-based issues before issue #5 broke the pattern entirely: it was, as the Marvel Database notes, the first issue of the series not based on a previously written body of work. Steve Gerber scripted the original story while Rich Buckler handled pencils, with inks by Frank Chiaramonte, colors by Petra Goldberg (Scotese), and lettering by Jean Izzo; the cover received modifications by John Romita, with George Tuska also credited on cover art by some sources. Roy Thomas served as editor.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First full appearance and complete origin of N'Kantu, the Living Mummy (Earth-616), published August 1973 by Marvel Comics.
• Created by writer Steve Gerber and penciler Rich Buckler; inked by Frank Chiaramonte, colored by Petra Goldberg, lettered by Jean Izzo, edited by Roy Thomas.
• This is the first issue of the Supernatural Thrillers series to feature an entirely original story — all four prior issues had adapted pre-existing prose works.
• The issue also introduces supporting characters Dr. Alexi Skarab (a descendant of the villain Nephrus), Janice Carr, and Ron McAllister, who factor into N'Kantu's early storyline.
• N'Kantu's origin frames him as a sub-Saharan African tribal chieftain enslaved by the Pharaoh Aram-Set circa 1000 BCE; after leading a slave revolt and slaying the pharaoh, he is paralyzed and mummified alive by the high priest Nephrus, who injects him with an immortality serum — a backstory emphasizing colonial oppression rather than the generic curse trope.
• The debut story ends with N'Kantu apparently destroyed by electrical current in Cairo, setting up his transfer to a New York City museum and the ongoing series structure that followed from issue #7.
• N'Kantu's popularity caused the series to permanently rebrand: beginning with issue #7, the cover logo read 'Supernatural Thrillers featuring The Living Mummy,' and the character headlined the book through its final issue, #15 (October 1975).
• N'Kantu has appeared across Marvel animation — voiced by Oded Fehr in Ultimate Spider-Man and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. — and made a cameo in the video game Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.

Full credits

Key issues in Supernatural Thrillers

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#8 1st appearance — Magnum