Ian Karkull was a sorcerer, and enemy of Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson). He was a scientist and archaeologist working in the Sahara Desert with partner Everett Dahlen. The two found the lost mystic city of Ragnor, and a ruby of incredible size and value and they immediately quarrelled over it. Dahlen stunned Karkull with a savage blow and left him to die in the hidden city. Abandoned in the lost city for days, Karkull learned an array of secrets and magics that he carried with him back to America when he was finally rescued by nomads. Arriving in New York, Karkull built a machine based on what he had learned. With it, he could turn men into intangible shadows. He killed Dahlen in revenge, but the murder attracted the attention of Doctor Fate. Fate eventually destroyed the machine that could return Karkull to human form, leaving him trapped as a shadow.
Note:In Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, Ian Karkull was (possibly) killed by Obsidian.
