In the year 3939, young archaeologist SOLOMON THERAK was exploring ancient ruins discovered on the planet ARCUS. He uncovered the elaborate underground tomb of a long-dead king and had spent the better part of a solar year translating heiroglyphics spread throughout the complex. One fateful day he found a passage into a smaller burial chamber. It proved to be the chamber of GHATRA-TANDIS, the court wizard. Solomon sorted through the riches in the tomb until he came across a metallic cylinder bearing the royal seal. He pried it open only to be enveloped in a mist that poured forth, causing him to lose consciousness.
He found himself in a dreamworld, surrounded by apparitions and ghostly beings. The spirit of Ghatra-Tandis loomed before him, filling his mind with thoughts and images. He was the chosen one to carry on the legacy of Arcus. He was to wield the power of Arcus in eternal pursuit of universal justice. He woke to find he was fairly bursting with energy and vitality, tunneling his way back to the surface with incredible strength and speed. He had a degree of invulnerability, could leap distances of up to a mile, and had a small degree of telekinetic abilities. He fashioned a uniform to conceal his identity and took the name BLACK MAGIC to denote the origins of his powers. Solomon has to concentrate to activate his abilities, reverting back to a mere mortal when the spell is broken.
