Ibis the Invincible, in “Whiz Comics” 11 (Dec 1940) p 55
by Peter (Pete) Anthony Constanza (1913-1984)
16.5 x 21.25 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

First page from the story “The Walking Sphinx,” written and colored by Bill Parker, who also wrote and colored the early Captain Marvel stories.

Constanza is best known for his work on Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family during the World War II era and served as one of Captain Marvel’s longest-tenured artists (inking credits on some stories and covers in Whiz, too).

Costanza began his career at Fawcett in 1939, during writer-artist C. C. Beck’s initial planning and creation of Captain Marvel, later becoming Beck’s chief assistant on that character. In the early Whiz issues, he penciled and inked Ibis (picked up in issue 9), Golden Arrow (picked up from Beck in issue 3), Spy Smasher (also picked up from Beck in issue 3).

He stayed with Fawcett Comics until they folded in 1953 after losing an expensive and long-running lawsuit over Captain Marvel’s alleged infringement of DC Comics’ copyrighted character Superman.

Ibis the Invincible began as a feature in Whiz Comics #2 (Feb 1940) and stayed through its entire run (issue 155 in June 1953)

Ibis begins his life as Amentep, a prince of ancient Egypt who was in love with the beautiful Princess Taia of Thebes. As a young man, Amentep is given the “Ibistick,” a talisman of incredible power, by the Egyptian god Thoth, who empowers the talisman after Ibis was overthrown. 4000 years later, the mummy of Amentep returns to life in an American museum in 1940 (this was later revealed to be the work of the wizard Shazam). Now called “Ibis”, Amentep sets out in search of his beloved, eventually finding her at another museum. Seeking to adjust to this new world, Ibis uses his vast powers to become a crimefighter.