Ishmael Gregor was a militant Intergang leader and the last descendant of the former Kahndaqi tyrant Ahk-Ton. Working for the organization, Gregor initiated plans to get the Crown of Sabbac created by Ahk-Ton, tricking Adrianna Tomaz into forging a false alliance, with the goal of getting it and ruling Kahndaq. After Teth-Adam's release, Gregor faked his death and began to persecute Tomaz's family, kidnapping her son Amon Tomaz and taking him hostage.
Gregor was eventually found by Adam and the Justice Society, trading with them to obtain the Crown, but ultimately being killed by Adam when Gregor betrayed them, traveling to the Rock of Finality according to his plan, where he revived as the demon Sabbac, taking on the Justice Society and murdering Doctor Fate along the way. Sabbac proclaimed himself the king of Kahndaq until Adam and Hawkman joined forces to kill him, where Sabbac was split in half.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Ishmael Gregor was born in Kahndaq. Throughout his life, he learned through his family and ancestral history that he was a descendant of Ahk-Ton, a tyrant who enslaved and ruled Kahndaq in ancient times to forge the Crown of Sabbac until he was killed by Teth-Adam. Seeking to retrieve the crown and claim his ancestral birthright, Gregor joined an international criminal organization known as Intergang, acting as a double agent by joining former university professor turned resistance fighter Adrianna Tomaz and her family in their quest to find the crown, keeping his true intentions hidden from them.[1]
Uprising of Kahndaq[]
Release of Teth-Adam[]

Gregor is held by Intergang.
- "If he was such a hero, why'd they bury him down here?"
- ―Ishmael Gregor to Adrianna Tomaz[src]
Uniting with Adrianna Tomaz's team, also made up of Karim and Samir, they all set out in search of the Crown of Sabbac in an ancient cave in the desert, being transported by Karim. As they left Shiruta, Gregor and the team were questioned by the Intergang authorities, Gregor tried to use his pistol to kill them, but Adrianna's son, Amon Tomaz, distracted them, allowing them to pass after the wait.

Gregor listens to the team discussion.
Gregor then asked Adrianna Tomaz to stay hidden and thanked Amon for the help. During the trip, Gregor tried to rest, but woke up when Adrianna was arguing with Samir about her eternium necklace since Samir said that it could be sold on the black market, but Gregor asked them to calm down, being surprised when Karim said that bald people they were more attractive.

Gregor argues with Adrianna Tomaz.
In the morning, the team arrived at the cave with Adrianna Tomaz assuring that the crown was inside, so Gregor asked her what they would do with it if they found it, to which Tomaz said that they would hide it so that it does not fall into their hands. wrong, thwarting Gregor's plans, Gregor and Tomaz along with Samir, then entered the mountain.

Gregor takes Tomaz by surprise.
Gregor separated from the rest of the team to inform the Intergang soldiers of the exact location of the crown. When Samir discovered him talking to Intergang, Gregor had no choice but to kill him, throwing him off the mountain. Gregor then returned to Adrianna Tomaz taking her by surprise as she read an inscription that translated "turn back", lying to Tomaz that Samir left due to claustrophobia.

Gregor and Tomaz enters the cave.
They then entered the cave, discovering that it was actually the tomb of the champion Teth-Adam, with Gregor criticizing him that if he were a hero, Adam wouldn't be locked away. Gregor then saw Tomaz try to acquire the crown until Intergang forces arrived to hold Gregor in a tricky way, asking Tomaz to flee, but as Karim was taken hostage, Tomaz had to give up the crown, and pretended to be hit by a soldier, getting angry that he didn't look so real.

Gregor checks Tomaz's briefcase in search of the crown.
Tomaz managed to recite the motto of Teth-Adam's tomb, freeing him in full view, and Gregor reacted in surprise, telling a soldier who asked who he was, stating if he told him who Adam was, he would never believe him, Gregor then he watched as Adam chewed up the Intergang soldiers, so in the midst of the conflict, Gregor took the opportunity to take Tomaz's briefcase and steal the crown, realizing that it was not there, being then buried by falling debris from the cave.

Gregor informs the Intergang soldiers about Tomaz.
Somehow, Gregor survived the cave-in, killing one of the surviving soldiers for hitting him. Gregor then communicated with other soldiers to inform them of the death of several of their members at the hands of Adam, claiming not to have the Crown of Sabbac at the moment, but revealing that Adrianna Tomaz did possess it, later being picked up by Intergang, taking him back to Shiruta.[1]
Chase for Amon Tomaz[]

Gregor threatens Karim.
- "You want to be brave, eh?"
"I want you to go to hell."
"That’s the plan, little man. We're gonna go for a ride." - ―Ishmael Gregor and Amon Tomaz[src]
Knowing that Teth-Adam allied with Adrianna Tomaz, Gregor realized that if he took Amon Tomaz hostage and obtained the Crown of Sabbac, he could be killed and sent to the Rock of Finality. Gregor then went to the Tomaz residence where he surprised Karim by threatening him with a gun and pretending nothing was wrong when Amon Tomaz arrived, then threatening both of them by demanding to know where the crown was.

Gregor realizes that Amon Tomaz no longer has the Crown of Sabbac.
Amon showed Gregor that he had the Crown of Sabbac in his backpack, to which Gregor mentioned that in the past Kahndaq had glory for its great king, until Karim ran to attack him, for which Gregor shot him in the stomach while Amon escaped with the backpack to hide the crown. As Amon Tomaz watched Adam fight the Intergang soldiers, Gregor threatened him with his gun to kidnap him, checking his backpack and realizing that Amon no longer had the crown.

Gregor escapes to the Al Hadidiyah Mine.
Gregor then proceeded to take Amon Tomaz hostage, hiding him on an Intergang hovercycle and escaping with the rest of the soldiers while Teth-Adam and the Justice Society pursued them, successfully escaping undetected. Gregor later parked the hovercycle inside a truck to escape to the Al Hadidiyah Mine where Amon let him know the champion was on his way, but Gregor mentioned counting on it.[1]
Attack on the Al Hadidiyah Mine[]

Gregor confronts Teth-Adam.
- "They say when Hurut died, you wept like a baby. I wonder if you'll do the same for them."
- ―Ishmael Gregor to Teth-Adam[src]
Following his plan, Gregor accompanied with Intergang soldiers watched Teth-Adam attack the Al Hadidiyah Mine, protecting himself with an eternium shield which Adam collided with, with Gregor explaining that the shield was indestructible even with his powers. Adam then threatened to kill all the soldiers if Gregor harmed Amon.

Gregor reveals himself to be the last descendant of Ahk-Ton.
Gregor insisted that he only wanted the crown, threatening to kill Amon if they didn't hand over the crown, so Adrianna prepared to hand it over. Gregor received the crown and hypocritically complained about Adam joining with foreigners, despite having foreign invaders at Gregor’s employ, Gregor revealed that he was angry that the Council of Wizards had hidden the crown for years until he could find it, as he sought to honor his ancestors so that Kahndaq would have a king again.

Gregor is killed by Teth-Adam.
However, Adam asked him to let them go, to which Gregor explained that he was a descendant of King Ahk-Ton, provoking Adam's wrath. Gregor continued to anger Adam by mentioning how he had cried over Hurut's death, then preparing to shoot Amon. When Gregor pulled the trigger and the shield was disabled, he was killed by Teth-Adam while he was putting on the crown, fulfilling his goal by being sent to Hell, while Intergang was destroyed.[1]
The demon champion[]
Becoming Sabbac[]

Gregor enters the Rock of Finality.
Upon being killed, Gregor entered the Rock of Finality after having uttered the scroll backwards, where he encountered the group of demons who helped forge the Crown of Sabbac, as he marveled at having accomplished his plan. The demons then chose him as their champion to unleash hell on earth and claim the throne of Kahndaq.

Gregor returns transformed into Sabbac.
Gregor agreed, uttering the word "Sabbac", whereupon he was empowered by the demons, he was sent back to Earth where he was resurrected as the demon champion Sabbac, rising from the water and bearing the Crown of Sabbac as his source of power. Seeking to reclaim the throne of Kahndaq and release the Legions of Hell on earth, Sabbac made his way to Shiruta but was ambushed by the Hawk Cruiser.[1]
Battle of Kahndaq[]
- "Let the fate of Kahndaq be decided by a true battle of champions."
"Let's end this." - ―Sabbac and Teth-Adam[src]

Sabbac is confronted by Hawkman.
Sabbac threw fire at the ship destroying it and causing the Justice Society to have a crash landing, as he continued on his way until he found the Society survived, attacking Doctor Fate until receiving a combined attack by Cyclone and Atom Smasher, with Hawkman engaging him while Sabbac gave him a fight. Cyclone and Atom Smasher attempted to help Hawkman, but Sabbac began to teleport throughout the area, attacking Hawkman by taking him by surprise. Hawkman fought back, turning his mace into an ax to stab him, but Sabbac resisted, throwing Hawkman against a building.

Sabbac kills Doctor Fate.
When he was about to sit on the throne, Sabbac received an attack from Doctor Fate that made him suffer while he presented himself with him, where when Sabbac freed himself he found several clones of Fate who confused him and began to attack him, to which Sabbac defended himself by stating that no one could stop him, leading Fate to astrally release Teth-Adam from his prison. When the clones were destroyed, Sabbac found Fate, mercilessly killing him.

Sabbac releases the Legions of Hell.
Sabbac kicked off the Helmet of Fate and calmly walked towards the throne to become the king of Kahndaq, to which the Society arrived at the moment and saw the act, so full of anger they tried to stop him, however Sabbac managed to sit on the throne, freeing the Legions of Hell in Kahndaq by generating an explosion in the palace which defeated the Society. Seeing that the team survived, Sabbac took Hawkman into the air where he attempted to kill him by retaining his wings.

Sabbac confronts Teth-Adam.
Sabbac shot fire at the statue of Hurut to crush the civilian population, so Adam flew to pick it up to save the citizens and then flew at Sabbac hitting him in the face and knocking him to the ground, so as he descended and saw Hawkman, Adam told Sabbac what he should do, to which Hawkman asked him to destroy him. When Sabbac rose requesting a battle of champions to decide Kahndaq's fate, Adam prepared to face him.

Sabbac fights against Adam.
Sabbac then fired a lightning bolt at Adam which marked wounds on his chest, worrying Adam. When Sabbac was about to hit him, Adam stopped him by grabbing his horns while they both emitted lightning. To try to stop him, Adam began to kick him. However, Sabbac soon hit him into the air. Adam then began to defend himself by throwing lightning at him while trying to stop him, dodging his attacks.

Sabbac is tricked by Hawkman.
Adam then flew to grab him by the horns again, electrocuting him, but Sabbac began pummeling him and shooting waves of fire at him that slowly hurt him. Sabbac beat Adam against the castle as he reprimanded him that the wizards wasted their power on him and that he was not a hero, but Hawkman rammed a pipe into his chest, to which Sabbac tried to kill him, only to realize that it was a illusion made with the Helmet of Fate.

Sabbac is split in two by Adam.
When other clones prepared to hold Sabbac against the throne, Adam then took the opportunity to get behind him and electrocute his horns. Adam tried to control Sabbac under the guidance of Hawkman, so Adam soon flew Sabbac into the sky and prepared to kill him, mentioning his catchphrase before he proceeded to split Sabbac's body in half, killing him and eradicating the Legions of Hell.[1]
Personality[]
- "When we had a powerful king, Kahndaq used to be something much better than free. It used to be great."
- ―Ishmael Gregor to Amon Tomaz[src]
Ishmael was just as power hungry as Ahk-Ton, and a traitor to Kahndaq for leading the foreign invaders oppressing his country. He was cunning enough to fool Adrianna’s family and provoke Teth-Adam’s wrath, and was willing to harm/kill Karim and Amon to get what he wanted.
As a descendant of the tyrannical Ahk-Ton, Ishmael believed himself entitled to the crown of Sabbac and the throne of Kahndaq, deeming the Council of Wizards thieves who impeded on his “birthright”. Ultimately, he was a despicable excuse for a human being in whom even the Justice Society saw no value in his life and had to allow Teth-Adam to destroy Ishmael both times.
When resurrected as Sabbac, he became even more dangerous and arrogant, killing Doctor Fate without remorse, taunting Teth-Adam, and proclaiming himself as Kahndaq’s true champion.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Demonic empowerment: Sabbac draws his powers from the six most powerful demons in Hell, referred to as the six demons of the ancient world. Sabbac is the only one thus far that has proven capable of matching Teth-Adam in battle.
- Superhuman strength: Sabbac, in his demonic empowered form, was strong enough to throw the Hawk Cruiser, made of Nth metal, out of proportions. He knocked out Hawkman by picking him up and throwing him through a building without any signs of fatigue. He was strong enough to plunge a hole through Dr. Fate’s chest with his bare fist and kill him, as well as matching strength with Black Adam himself.
- Nigh-invulnerability: Sabbac could withstand the damage of bullets when in his demonic form. He withstood hits from Hawkman’s Nth metal mace and axe, had a car thrown at him by the winds of Cyclone’s vortexes, and even plunged with a blow of Atom Smasher’s knee in his atomic form. He withstood the multiple clones of Dr. Fate and Hawkman when ambushed and even withstood Dr. Fate’s magic. He also withstood blows from Black Adam while also in the process of using his magical emission and control over powerful lightning. However, he had his limits, as Black Adam was able to rip him in half after channeling his lightning powers into him.
- Superhuman speed: Sabbac could mask speeds up to where he couldn’t be seen coming. He did this with the Justice Society as he attacked them in Kahndaq when Hawkman urged him to show himself.
- Superhuman reflexes: He could react to Black Adam's superfast attacks.
- Superhuman stamina: Sabbac took on the JAS simultaneously.
- Teleportation: Sabbac could teleport from the underworld into the realm of the living.
- Flight: Sabbac could levitate and fly.
- Demon Magic: Sabbac had access to powerful demon magic.
- Energy projection: Sabbac could project powerful beams of magical energy from his hands or muzzle.
- Pyrokinesis: In his demonic empowered form, Sabbac could conjure an unholy hellfire beam from his chest, hands, douse himself in fire, and unleash a powerful explosive wave of fire. This fire has been able to hold back Doctor Fate's shield and injure Black Adam.
Sabbac summons fire.
- Summoning: When in his demonic empowered form of Sabbac, he could use the power to summon the Souls of the Damned from the Rock of Finality, legions of Hell, and have them walk and fight the living.
Abilities[]
- Expert leader: Gregor was the leader of a faction of Intergang soldiers whom he ordered to help him fulfill his plan to reclaim the crown, with Gregor sacrificing his allies if necessary.
- Expert tactician: Gregor was an expert in performing techniques to recover the Crown of Sabbac. Gregor managed to trick Adrianna Tomaz into forging a false alliance, and then was able to devise a plan where he sought to kidnap Amon Tomaz and recover the crown, to unleash the wrath of Teth-Adam and get sent to the Rock of Finality.
- "There's no one that can defeat me."
- ―Sabbac[src]
- Expert combatant: In his Sabbac form, Gregor was an expert combatant thanks to his demonic empowerment, defeating Doctor Fate, and forcing Teth-Adam and Hawkman to join forces in order to stop him.
- Bilingualism: Gregor was a fluent speaker of both English and ancient Kahndaqi.
Equipment[]
- "The crown, crafted by our ancestors, stolen by the wizards and hidden away. But still a source of great power, if only we can wield it."
- ―Ishmael Gregor to Teth-Adam[src]
- Crown of Sabbac: Seeking to honor the legacy of his ancestor Ahk-Ton, Gregor planned a way to recover the crown to be sent to the Rock of Finality, being killed at the exact moment he tried to put it on, Gregor was able to travel to the Rock and receive powers from the demons that forged it. While Gregor was in the Rock, his deceased body was attached to the crown. After his resurrection and transformation into Sabbac, the crown fused to his head.
Weapons[]
Gregor aiming his pistol at Karim.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Behind the Scenes[]
- In the comics, Sabbac is an enemy of Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family, which can access his demonic super-powers of Hell by saying his name, giving him the strength of Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus and Crateis.
- Ishmael Gregor was a Russian crime boss who sought more power by tricking Timothy Karnes (the first Sabbac) into taking part in a ritual that would transfer his magical abilities to Gregor. When the ritual ended, Karnes and a bus full of innocent people were dead, and Gregor was granted the immense power of Sabbac.
- Sabbac was first revealed as part of Black Adam merchandise, appearing in the back of a Hawkman Funko Pop package.[3]
References[]
External Links[]
Sabbac on DC Database
Sabbac on Wikipedia