Who the Clix? is a series of articles featuring information on comic book characters that have been made into figures for the popular tabletop game Heroclix. These articles are meant to help Heroclix players learn more about the characters behind their favorite pieces.
He may not be as rich or handsome as Lex Luthor, but he’s way more evil: Dr. Sivana
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Appearances in Heroclix: Justice League Trinity War, Crisis
First Appearance: Whiz Comics #2 (February 1940)
Team Affiliations: Legion of Doom; Injustice League; Fearsome Five; Secret Society of Super Villains; Monster Society of Evil
Powers/Abilities: Genius-level intellect; Skilled manipulator and strategist
Created by: Bill Parker – C. C. Beck
Pre-Crisis
Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is born in 1892. After years of schooling, Sivana establishes himself as one of Europe’s best scientific minds with the best of intentions. Pushing for several ways to revolutionize industry, Sivana is repeatedly rejected and ridiculed. Frustrated with the planet, Sivana builds a spaceship and takes his family to the planet Venus. He remains there raising his children until they are of age, in hopes that Earth will evolve its thinking while he is gone.
The time away makes him bitter, however. And before long, his mind turns to plotting his revenge for his eventual homecoming. His first plot involves holding the world ransom or he would disable all radio communications permanently. Captain Marvel is able to best Sivana and the Doctor uses a failed murder attempt against the hero to fake his own death.
Sivana returns with a new plan. Having discovered the Big Red Cheese’s true identity of Billy Batson, Sivana sends a letter to Batson to lure him to Venus. Sivana is able to wipe Batson’s memory. The hero regains his memory when he stumbles into the cave of Shazam and reads the word Shazam. Angered, Sivana’s hencheman rebel and destroy the “Memory Mangler,” leaving Sivana and his daughter to die. Captain Marvel returns and save the pair.
Sivana’s grudge knows no bounds. Captain Marvel finds and reveals Sivana’s benevolent inventions from his youth, which gains the Doctor a Nobel Peace Prize. However, so embittered, Sivana scoffs at the price and says he will settle for nothing else than being crowned Ruler of the Universe.
Sivana and his four children, Beautia, Magnificus, Georgia and Thaddeus, Jr, all try to destroy the Marvel family, even going so far as to travel through time. Traveling to Atlantis at various points in the time stream, they attempt to steal technology that they can use to defeat the Marvel Family. This, of course, fails.
Post-Crisis
On the new Earth, Sivana was previously a wealthy tycoon. He sponsors an archaeological expedition to Egypt which leads to the creation of Captain Marvel and the loss of Sivana’s riches. His ex-sife Venus is still alive as are all four of his children.
Sivana finds Mister Mind and blasts the small alien with “suspendium,” which allows Mind to eventually mutate into a cosmic moth capable of eating universes. After Mind escapes, Sivana is abducted to Oolong Island by Intergang, joining the other “mad scientists” assembled there to create the Four Horseman of Apokolips. They eventually manage to turn the world against a reformed Black Adam and then draw him to the island where he is captured and tortured by Sivana.
Sivana goes on to join the Injustice League and is placed in its inner circle by Libra. After watching one of his daughters succumb to Anti-Life, Sivana betrays Libra and frees Lex Luthor, allowing Luthor to attack Libra.
New 52
On the New 52 Prime Earth, Sivana is a respected scientist that is desperate to save his family. Science having failed him, he turns to magic and obsesses over finding the tomb of Black Adam. While trying to open the tomb, Sivana is half-blinded by a strike of magical lightning that allows him to “see” magic.
The alliance with Black Adam fails, leading to Sivana traveling to the Rock of Eternity to seek help. There he finds Mister Mind in a bottle, offering the scientist assistance.
Sivana attends the Riddler’s meeting about the Superman Theory. Sivana refuses to relocate to Kahndaq.
Sivana and Mind eventually begin to enact their plan of freeing the Monster Society of Evil from the Monsterlands. Mister Mind tells Sivana the history of the Monsterlands, previously known as the Gods’ Realm until Black Adam’s betrayal led to it being sealed off by the Wizards. Sivana stabs a dagger into his magical eye which destroys the cell doors that free the Monster Society of Evil. Mister Mind possesses C. C. Batson, Billy’s father, and uses him to attempt to unite the Monsterlands under his rule. Sivana is used to summon the Book of Champions from the Rock of Eternity. In the ensuing chaos, Sivana is knocked out by the Marvel Family and imprisoned, along with the Monster Society of Evil, in Rock Falls Penitentiary.
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