Egg Fu

Egg Fu
Egg Fu
	Wonder Woman#158 (November 1965), cover art byRoss AndruandMike Esposito.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Wonder Woman#157 (October1965)
Created by	Robert Kanigher(writer); Ross Andru(artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Edgar Fullerton Yeung; Chang Tzu
Species	Anthropomorphicegg
Team affiliations	Intergang; Great Ten; Science Squad
Notable aliases	Chang Tzu, Egg Fu the Fifth, Dr. Yes
Abilities	Teleportation device

Egg Fuis a fictional character appearing inDC Comicspublications and related media, commonly as an adversary of the superheroWonder Woman.^[1]Most frequently represented as an enormous sentient egg (and often, inexplicably, of Chinese descent), he was created byRobert KanigherandRoss Andru^[2]in 1965'sWonder Woman#157, being the first villain in the series to receive a multi-issue arc. Over the years, multiple versions of the character have appeared with varying backstories and alternative names (including Egg Fu the Fifth, Chang Tzu, and Dr. Yes) to battle not only Wonder Woman, but also theMetal Men(as Dr. Yes),Checkmate(as Chang Tzu) andHarley Quinn(as Eggy).^[3]

In early appearances, the character was aYellow Perilethnic stereotype, complete with caricatured Asian facial features and a strong Chinese accent.^[4]^[5]Later appearances of the character have striven to maintain his Asian ethnicity while de-emphasizing his historically racialized characterization and removing overt associations with Chinese culture and language.

Publication history

Egg Fu was created byRobert KanigherandRoss Andru.^[2]He first appeared in 1965'sWonder Woman#157,^[6]and died in the same issue. One year later, Egg Fu the Fifth, a relative of the original Egg Fu, debuts inWonder Woman#166 (November 1966). Soon after, Dr. Yes (a reference toDr. No), Egg Fu's robot twin, appears inMetal Men#20 (June/July 1966).

Fictional character biography

Pre-crisis history

Original Egg Fu

Egg Fu is a Chinese Communist agent, perple xing ly shaped like an egg the size of a house, with aCharlie Chan-like speech pattern, who uses his mustaches as whips against his enemies.^[7]In Egg Fu's first appearance,Steve Trevoris captured by the Chinese mastermind and turned into a human bomb. Egg Fu then launches Steve and a doomsday missile at the American fleet. Wonder Woman intercepts Steve, who has become a deadly menace. Unable to save him, she redirects his path into the enemy missile. The explosion destroys the missile, Steve, and Wonder Woman herself, but the fleet is saved. Informed of her daughter's demise,Hippolytagathers the remains of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor and returns them to a laboratory onParadise Island.Using an atomic structure reassembly beam, she restores Steve and her daughter. However, Steve's body is still infused with explosive energy. Wonder Woman finds that her own body has also become explosive, making them both a danger to the world.^[8]They leave Paradise Island. Wonder Woman plans to use the explosive power against Egg Fu. He sends his troops against her, but they fail in their task to overcome her. A piece of anti-matter removes the explosive matter from Steve and her, then the Amazon defeats Egg Fu.^[9]

Egg Fu the Fifth

Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor investigate the disappearance of an American submarine. While flying over the ocean where it disappeared, Wonder Woman's plane is fired upon by an enemy freighter. Steve boards the ship, then disappears too.

Wonder Woman's plane is drawn underwater into a giant seashell.Frogmenattack her and take her prisoner. She is brought to a secret base controlled by Egg Fu the Fifth, a relative of the original Egg Fu. Held prisoner by her ownmagic lasso,Wonder Woman offers to dance for Egg Fu. She then performs a bracelet-clashing dance which cracks Egg Fu and allows her to escape and rescue the stolen submarine.

Dr. Yes

Dr. Yes, Egg Fu's robot twin, uses a giant robot to captureWill Magnus,leader of the Metal Men. The team travel to Dr. Yes' base, where he brainwashes them, believing that "when the Amelicans see how these gleat heroes of theirs have turned tlaitors -- they will doubtanyone'sstlength to lesist us! "[sic]

The giant robot takes the Metal Men to a football stadium that is celebrating "I am an American Day".Fighting the urge to say" Down with America! "in front of everyone, the Metal Men self-destruct instead. An angry Dr. Yes tries having the giant robot destroy the crowd instead, but the various pieces of the Metal Men attack and destroy the robot, freeing Magnus who had been trapped inside. Afterwards, Magnus rebuilds the superhero team. Dr. Yes is still at large at the story's end.

Post-crisis history

Post-crisis Egg Fu

Following theCrisis on Infinite Earths,a new version of Egg Fu is introduced inWonder Woman(vol. 2) #128 (December 1997). This Egg Fu is an early twentieth-centurysuper computer,recently rediscovered and turned into one of many carnival attractions alongGateway City's Oceanside boardwalk, despite public protests that the attraction is racially insensitive.

Egg Fu is actually a product ofApokoliptiantechnology created from a deviceScott Freeaccidentally left behind on a visit to Earth. Once activated, it begins dominating people's minds and preparing them for transport to Apokolips. Egg Fu is defeated by Hippolyta (at the time acting as Diana's successor as Wonder Woman),Donna Troy,ArtemisandWonder Girl.An associate of Mister Miracle,Metron,removes it.^[2]

Chang Tzu

Following the events ofInfinite Crisis,a new version of Egg Fu appears, calling himself Chang Tzu (likely a reference toChuang Tzu,or possiblySun Tzu), an agent ofApokolips.

Chang Tzu (Chung Zhu) is the mastermind, along withBruno "Ugly" Mannheim,behind the kidnappings of many mad scientists in the comic book series52.They are forcibly recruited into Chang's "Science Squad"based on Oolong Island. Chang has a large, egg-shaped body with facial features and cracked skin, mounted in a spider-legged chair for mobility. He is equipped with small prosthetic hands that allow him to manipulate items and equipment; he is also armed with hidden weaponry.

Shortly afterBlack Adamescapes confinement on Oolong Island, Chang Tzu is shot apart by one of his kidnapped scientists, Dr.Will Magnus.^[2]Magnus claims to be acting irrationally due to a lack of medication. A new, smouldering egg was seen hidden in Chang's shattered remains.^[10]When he later reappears and is asked about his seeming destruction, he explains: "My third incubation ended four months ago".^[11]

Chang Tzu later re-appears as the main villain in 2007's "Checkout" storyline that crossed over between theOutsidersandCheckmateseries. The UN-sponsored clandestine agency devoted to meta-human special operations capture the then-wanted super-hero team led byNightwingand coerce them into helping invade Oolong Island. A team of operatives from both groups reaches the island, butSasha BordeauxandCaptain Boomerangare taken captive by Chang Tzu, who subjects them both to excruciatingly torturous studies in order to examine their own respective meta-abilities. Their teammates eventually free them and the group retreats, their mission a failure, with Chang Tzu still remaining at large. While studying her unique physiology consisting of human tissue and artificially intelligent nanotechnology, Chang Tzu takes a morbid interest in Bordeaux, remarking:

"Never in my wildest dreams... did I imagine I would meet a creature I pitied more than myself".^[12]

As revealed toAlan ScottbyThundermind,Chang Tzu and his Science Squad are members of theGreat Tenthat provide, among other things, the funds to operate the organization and the technology they use.

His name is unclear as it has been inconsistently presented; he is introduced as Chang Tzu,^[13]but is subsequently referred to as both Chung Zhu^[14]and Chung Tzu.^[15]It may be possible that he has multiple names; Chang himself explains that "Egg Fu" is one of his "Nine thousand and nine unmentionable names", and immediately kills a guard who laughs at his mention of it.^[14]

Chang Tzu reappeared in a short story published inWonder Woman#600, where he is defeated by Wonder Woman,Power Girl,andBatgirl.

Eggy

In the New 52, a character nicknamed "Eggy" is introduced inHarley Quinn(vol. 2) Annual #1. He isEdgar Fullerton Yeung,an egg-headed scientist who is secretly experimenting onPoison IvyatArkham Asylum,but later reforms with Harley Quinn's help.^[16]

In other media

Video games

Chang Tzu appears as aBossandNPCinDC Universe Online.
Chang Tzu appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[17]
Chang Tzu appears as a playable character inLego DC Super-Villains.

Miscellaneous

Egg Fu appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold#16. This version is a demonic entity known asY'ggphu-Soggothsummoned by the villain Egghead.

References

^Daniels, Les (2004).Wonder Woman: The Complete History.Chronicle Books. pp. 116–118.ISBN 9780811842334.Retrieved18 August2020.
^^a ^b ^c ^dWallace, Dan (2008), "Egg Fu", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.),The DC Comics Encyclopedia,New York:Dorling Kindersley,p. 113,ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1,OCLC 213309017
^Jimenez, Phil; Wells, John (2010).The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia.Del Rey. pp. 130–132.ISBN 978-0345501073.
^Wells, John (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 33.ISBN 978-1605490557.
^Austin, Allan W.; Hamilton, Patrick L. (2019).All New, All Different?: A History of Race and the American Superhero.University of Texas Press. pp. 61–62.ISBN 9781477318973.Retrieved18 August2020.
^Wonder Woman#157at theGrand Comics Database.
^Rovin, Jeff (1987).The Encyclopedia of Supervillains.New York: Facts on File. p. 117.ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
^Schoell, William (2010). "Egg Fu — and the Return to the Golden Age".The Silver Age of Comics.BearManor Media.ISBN 978-1593936068.Retrieved18 August2020.
^Wonder Woman#157–158 (October-November 1965)
^52Week 49
^Checkmate(vol. 2) #15
^Checkmate(vol. 2) #16
^52Week 25
^^a ^b52Week 29
^52Week 45
^Harley Quinn(vol. 3) #1-8, 12-14, 17, 18
^Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide".IGN.RetrievedAugust 5,2024.

[1] Daniels, Les (2004).Wonder Woman: The Complete History.Chronicle Books. pp. 116–118.ISBN 9780811842334.Retrieved18 August2020.

[dc-ency-2] Wallace, Dan (2008), "Egg Fu", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.),The DC Comics Encyclopedia,New York:Dorling Kindersley,p. 113,ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1,OCLC 213309017

[3] Jimenez, Phil; Wells, John (2010).The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia.Del Rey. pp. 130–132.ISBN 978-0345501073.

[4] Wells, John (2014).American Comic Book Chronicles: 1965-1969.TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 33.ISBN 978-1605490557.

[5] Austin, Allan W.; Hamilton, Patrick L. (2019).All New, All Different?: A History of Race and the American Superhero.University of Texas Press. pp. 61–62.ISBN 9781477318973.Retrieved18 August2020.

[6] Wonder Woman#157at theGrand Comics Database.

[7] Rovin, Jeff (1987).The Encyclopedia of Supervillains.New York: Facts on File. p. 117.ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.

[8] Schoell, William (2010). "Egg Fu — and the Return to the Golden Age".The Silver Age of Comics.BearManor Media.ISBN 978-1593936068.Retrieved18 August2020.

[9] Wonder Woman#157–158 (October-November 1965)

[10] 52Week 49

[11] Checkmate(vol. 2) #15

[12] Checkmate(vol. 2) #16

[13] 52Week 25

[52_Week_29-14] 52Week 29

[15] 52Week 45

[16] Harley Quinn(vol. 3) #1-8, 12-14, 17, 18

[17] Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide".IGN.RetrievedAugust 5,2024.

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