Murderous Mummies



"He was to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus; the undead for all of eternity. The Medjai will never allow him to be released, for he would arise a walking disease. A plague upon mankind. An unholy flesh-eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of invincibility!"

- The narrator describing Imhotep's mummification and the consequences of releasing him from his slumber.

Mummies are ancient undead monsters or entities who are usually depicted as reanimated corpses that are preserved via mummification, hence the name - they are often believed to have supernatural powers such as curses, spells and magic, beyond the standard powers of a zombie and are thus seen as a "higher undead" much like vampires or revenants.

The mummy is one of the undead, and typically a Sealed Evil in a Can. When active, its behavior is quite similar to the zombie, Artificial or otherwise, but its embalmed flesh and ancient magic render it far sturdier than its rancid urban counterparts, to the extent that it is practically implacable. Which is ironic, considering the opposite is true in real life; a real mummy will crumble to dust if one is not quite careful with it.

More recent examples (mostly inspired by the 1932 pre-Code horror film The Mummy and the 1999 movie remake of the same name and its sequels) may make the Mummy closer to a lich or vampire, giving it more individuality and brain, as well ample magical powers (such as the ability to command "lesser" mummies and local Egyptian wildlife like scarab beetles). The Mummy completes the classic quartet of Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster/Frankenstein, and the Wolfman, the four who are the famous villains of the 1930-40s Universal Studios monster movies.

Commonly Egyptian, these legendary creatures are among the most popular movie monsters of all time. The most well-known mummy is the first of the genre, Imhotep from The Mummy franchise.

Literature

 * Prince Khor-Ru, Nila Rahmad (Goosebumps).
 * Xaltotun (Conan the Barbarian).

Animation

 * Mummy of Ankha (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!).
 * Ben 10 franchise:
 * The Mummy
 * Kuphulu
 * Bandages the Mummy (Dragon Ball).
 * Chuy (La Leyenda del Charro Negro).
 * Thoth Khepera (Batman: The Animated Series).
 * Ghost of Cleopatra (Scooby-Doo in Where's My Mummy?).
 * Money Mummy (Teen Titans Go!).
 * Mumm-Ra (ThunderCats).
 * Mummy (Total Dramarama).
 * Thee Mummy (Eddsworld).
 * Mummy of Pharaoh Scamses (What's New, Scooby-Doo?).
 * Natron (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command).

Movies

 * The Mummy film series:
 * Imhotep
 * Mathayus the Scorpion King
 * Anck-Su-Namun
 * Anubis
 * Army of Anubis
 * Emperor Han
 * Terracotta Warriors
 * Soldiers of Amun Ra
 * Pygmies
 * Imhotep's Priests
 * Ahmanet (The Mummy (2017)).
 * The Mummy (Monster Squad).
 * Crypt-Keeper (Tales from the Crypt).

Television

 * Ra's al Ghul (Gotham).
 * Commander-in-Chief Golden Mask (Himitsu Sentai Gorenger).
 * Tutenhawken (Power Rangers).
 * Marshal Machine (Kamen Rider Stronger).
 * Doctor Who:
 * The Foretold
 * Akhaten Mummy

Videogames

 * Grave Clobber (Skylanders: Trap Team).
 * Apep (The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian).
 * T' Kala (Fate: the Cursed King).
 * Tukankoopa (Paper Mario).
 * Valindra Shadowmantle (The Neverwinter Saga).
 * Ancient Egypt Zombies (Plants vs. Zombies 2).