Imhotep (original)

"Death is only the beginning."

- Words of Imhotep.

Imhotep is a villain in the 1932 film The Mummy as well as its 1999 remake and that film's 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns. In both versions, Imhotep was an Egyptian High Priest who was cursed and mummified alive when he tried to resurrect his lost love.

He was portrayed by Boris Karloff in the 1932 film. and Arnold Vosloo in both the 1999 remake and its 2001 sequel, and he is vocally portrayed by Jim Cummings in the animated series.

The Mummy (1932)
In this version, Imhotep was a High Priest during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep. He fell in love with Princess Ankh-es-en-amon, who was a priestess of the goddess Isis, but she grew ill and died. Distraught, Imhotep stole the Scroll of Thoth from its hiding place in the Temple of Isis and brought it to the princess's tomb in an attempt to resurrect her. He was caught in the act before the ritual could be completed and carried off by the Pharaoh's soldiers. Imhotep was sentenced to be buried alive for his sacrilege, and he was buried in a remote spot, the scroll in a casket along side him.

His body remained there until it was rediscovered in 1921 by the archaeologist Sir Joseph Whemple and his assistant Ralph Norton. Unsure what to make of his find, Whemple brought in his friend, Professor Muller, a noted occult expert, to look at the mummy and he unopened box. While Whemple and Muller debated over opening the box outside, Norton opened it and read aloud from the scroll. This awakened Imhotep, who took the scroll and walked off into the desert. The sight of the walking mummy drove Norton mad, and he spent the rest of his life in a straightjacket. Upset by what had happened to his assistant, Whemple left Egypt and went home to England, never planning to return. Eleven years later, in 1932, Whemple's son Frank was part of a new archaeological expedition in the same area as his father's had taken place. Imhotep, who had been restored to his normal appearance, approached Frank and his superior, Professor Pearson. He used the alias of Ardeth Bey and claimed he was an Egyptian archaeologist. He claims to have found clues to the location of Ankh-es-en-amon's tomb, and leads them to it. He allows them to dig up the tomb and install its contents in the Cairo Museum. There he met Whemple, who had returned to Egypt to view his son's discovery. Imhotep stays in the museum past closing time in order to make another attempt at resurrecting his love's mummy. While using the scroll to call her spirit back from the land of the dead, he discovers that the princess has actually reincarnated in the form of Helen Grovesnor, a wealthy young Anglo-Egyptian woman living in Cairo. She also happens to be a patient of Professor Muller. Imhotep is discovered in the museum by the night watchman, whom Imhotep kills with a spell that stops his heart. However, he leaves the scroll behind on accident. He goes in search of Helen, only to find her at Whemple's house, where she was taken after the Whemples discovered her trying to get inside the museum. Imhotep also learned that Whemple had been given the scroll by the museum staff after the guard was found dead. Professor Muller, coming to retrieve his patient, divined that Ardeth Bey was really Imhotep. Imhotep left the Whemples' house, but planned to retrieve the scroll. To this end, he brought Whemple's Nubian servant under his control. Later, he killed Whemple with his heart stopping spell and had the Nubian bring it to him. Meanwhile, Frank and Helen had begun to fall in love. This caused Imhotep to try to kill Frank, an attempt that almost succeeded, if not for the charm of Isis Professor Muller had given to Frank. Imhotep called to Helen's soul, and brought her to the museum. There he awakened her memories and informed her of his true purpose: to make her into a living mummy like himself. Frank and Muller arrived at the museum before he could her, and Imhotep attempted to use his spell on them. However, they resisted Imhotep and drove him back. Meanwhile, Helen/Ankh-es-en-amon had kneeled down to a statue of Isis and prayed for help. The statue raised its hand and struck Imhotep with divine lightning, as well as the scroll. Imhotep disintegrated, and the scroll burned away.

The Mummy (1999)
"The language of the slaves. I may have use for you. And the rewards will be great."

- Imhotep promising Beni fine rewards.

In the remake, Imhotep is the High Priest during the reign of Seti I. He carries on an affair with Anck-su-namun, the Pharaoh's mistress whom other men are forbidden to touch. He helps her assassinate Seti, and she kills herself to avoid capture by the royal Medjai guards. Imhotep and his priests then stole her body and took it to Hamunaptra, the "City of the Dead", where he intended to resurrect her using the Black Book of the Dead. However, he was interrupted by the Medjai before the ritual could be completed. As punishment for their sacrilege, the priests were mummified alive. And Imhotep himself had to endure the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses.

When he was restored to life, Imhotep gained several powers, including regeneration, invulnerability, turning himself into sand, and controlling the desert sands, as well as the ability to wield the Ten Plagues of Egypt to an unspecified degree; he was seen to turn water to blood, unleashing locusts, and control the people of the city by inflicting them with boils and sores (Although these last were used before he regained his full powers, which may account for him only using some of the plagues rather than all of them). During the first part of the movie, Imhotep expresses an intense fear of cats, screaming in fear when a white one appears in Evy's room. Ardeth Bay and Evy's superior explain that Imhotep will fear them until he is fully regenerated, cats being associated with the Guardians of the Underworld in Egyptian mythology; Rick uses this information to good effect later in the film.

In the 1999 version, Ardeth Bay is not Imhotep's pseudonym, but rather the leader of an ancient secret society devoted to guarding Imhotep's tomb.

The Mummy Returns
In the 2001 sequel, Imhotep, having been resurrected and freed from the resin he had been trapped in at the end of the first movie by a group of his faithful cultists known as the Cult of Imhotep including his new right-hand priest Baltus Hafez and Anck-Su-Namun's living reincarnation, proceeds to seek out the Bracelet of Anubis, which was the key to finding the lair of the Scorpion King, an ancient warrior whose defeat will grant Imhotep control over the Scorpion King's near-indestructible Army of Anubis. After finding the bracelet on the arm of Alex O'Connell, the son of Rick and Evi, Imhotep captures the boy and uses him to find the lair of the Scorpion King, rejuvenating his body using the flesh of mercenaries Anck-su-namun tricks into opening the cursed chest. Once Imhotep reaches the lair within the sacre oasis known as Ahm Shere, he walks over a magic seal on the floor which causes him to be robbed of his telekinesis, immortality, and other powers granted by the Curse of Hom Dai by Anubis, who seemingly wishes him to face the Scorpion King as a normal mortal. When the Scorpion King responds to Imhotep's summons, Imhotep tricks him into attacking Rick O'Connell. When Rick kills the Scorpion King and sends him and his army to the Underworld, the temple-like palace begins to collapse. Rick and Imhotep both nearly fall into a chasm, that apparently leads to the underworld, and grab onto the ledge. While Rick is rescued by Evelyn, Anck-Su-Namun leaves Imhotep to die while he begs for her assistance. After this betrayal, Imhotep loses all will to live, since his only reason for returning from the grave was to be reunited with his lover, who apparently did not fully reciprocate his affection. He gives Rick and Evelyn a sad envious smile and willingly casts himself into the pit, thus ending his reign of terror once and for all.

The Mummy: Animated Series
Imhotep makes his return in the animated series. Though it was based on the remake of the movie, Imhotep's backstory was different. When he was alive, Imhotep, instead of having an affair with Anck-Su-Namun, attempted to use the Scrolls of Thebes to steal the Mannicle of Osiris in order "make the world his own". However he as caught and mummified. After his defeat by the O'Connells, he was once again resurrected by the jealous archaeologist, Colin Weasler who intended on having Imhotep become his slave. This backfired and Weasler became Imhotep's servant. Meanwhile, the O'Connells discover the Mannicle of Osiris. Alex O'Connell once again wears the Mannicle and it remains stuck on him. After this is discovered, Imhotep and Weasler arrive intending on obtaining the Mannicle. Imhotep kidnaps Alex in order to take the Mannicle from him. However, despite his efforts, the O'Connells arrive and a battle ensues. Evelyn O'Connell attempts to use The Book of the Dead, used by Colin Weasler, to send Imhotep back. However, Weasler intervenes and Imhotep is "caught somewhere between being human and undead". The Book of The Dead is lost and Weasler and Imhotep flee. For the rest of the season, Imhotep attempts to obtain the Scrolls of Thebes to seperate the Mannicle from Alex until the finale in which they are destroyed. At the end of that episode, Imhotep is presumed dead though they all still have doubts. In the second season, Imhotep returns and attempts to find other means to conquer the world. He resurrects Anck-Su-Namun and the two, along with Weasler, search for the Scythe of Anubis. However, once they obtain the Scythe and seemingly defeat the O'Connells, Anck betrays Imhotept refusing to be sub-servient to him. Imhotep also had a brief alliance with Ninzam Toth in "Spring of Evil" in which they go to the Dark Temple and use the Spring of Evil to turn Alex O'Connell to the dark side. However they failed and the alliance was disbanded. At the series finale, Imhotep steals the Medallion of the Medjai to access Du'wat and form an army of undead. Whilst there he encounters Anck-Su-Namun trapped. She begs Imhotep to release her but he refuses. In the end, Alex unlocks the "power within" and throws Imhotep into the underworld. Afterwards, The Minotaur predicted that Imhotept would form alliances and return more powerful then ever. However this does not happen as of yet.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Imhotep does not appear in the third film, only mentioned by Rick as "the same mummy I put down twice". Ironically, he ends up having a nightclub in Shanghai named after him as a tribute by Jonathan Carnahan, who toasts to him: "May the bugger actually stay dead!".

Trivia
He was loosely inspired by the Egyptian polymath with the same name.
 * "Imhotep" is the title of a video game.
 * Imhotep features in the British comedy television series Look Around You. He is depicted as an invisible Moai.
 * In 2010 Marvel Comics series S.H.I.E.L.D., Imhotep was the man who formed the very first SHIELD.