Monako

Monako, Prince of Magic, birth name unknown, is a superhero and magician originally from Casablanca, Morocco, capable of many remarkable feats of magic. His abilities include various forms of conjuration and transfiguration.

Biography

Origin

Born in Morocco, the boy who would come to be known as Monako was brought to India by his missionary parents. They camped too close to a magical, malicious tribe of natives and were killed in a "weird ritual" that the boy somehow survived. The chief of the tribe took the boy in, saving him from the more bloodthirsty members of the tribe, and taught him their magical ways. It was the chief who gave the boy the name Monako. The tribe was wiped out by British colonials, when Monako was 16, and he was taken to England where he attended university. As an adult, he vowed to "right the wrongs" of the Indian tribe.

Monako's earliest-known adventure came at the recommendation of his friend Josie. She informed him that his rival Muro had learned of her brother Al's invention of a powerful new explosive for the government, and that he was planning on kidnapping Al and forcing the formula from him. Monako and Josie went to Al's lab just as Muro and his men were leaving it, and Monako paid a cab driver to follow them while they investigated, leaving an ethereal "vision" of himself in the cab. The two found the lab in a state of disrepair; unbeknownst to them, Al had burned his formula before Muro arrived, and was promptly kidnapped when Muro's men couldn't find it. Monako told Josie to stay behind and followed the trail of his vision, infiltrating Muro's base. He handled Muro's henchmen easily for a time, until Muro caught him in a steel trap. Monako was nonetheless able to escape with Al, only to discover that Muro had kidnapped Josie and driven off. Monako deduced that Muro would be heading toward the former's lab, so he and Al waited there. The plan worked, as the two intercepted Muro, but the latter managed to escape nonetheless. Monako was able to track Josie down to a tugboat of Muro's, rescuing her moments before it was set to explode.

While investigating a seemingly unrelated case, Monako happened upon both Josie and Muro once more. One of Muro's men stole a briefcase containing critical fortification data on the Panama Canal from Josie, and Muro escaped with it by plane. In the process, Muro dropped a map revealing his base of operations to be in Nicaragua, just north of Panama. Monako and Josie pursued Muro by plane; the latter crashed in the desert, and they confronted him on foot. But Muro and his henchman Tashu Lascu held them at gunpoint, tied Monako to a cactus, and took Josie captive in Monako's plane. Monako was able to escape and rode a nearby vulture to catch up with them once more. He magically transformed into a colossal giant, grabbing Muro's plane and forcing him and Tashu to escape in a magical green cloud. Monako and Josie then safely returned the Panama papers. A short time later, Monako easily stopped a pair of would-be jewel thieves.