
He learned that a government operative had tried unearthing him back then, but reported failure. Researching his mask predecessors, Veidt investigated the 1955 disappearance of Hooded Justice. His crimefighting exploits earned him a reputation amongst the criminal underground for his athletic prowess and high intellect, the latter of which earned him the title of "the smartest man in the world". He focused particularly on taking down organized crime syndicates led by Moloch the Mystic. Ozymandias made his debut busting up a major opium and heroin smuggling racket. In late 1958, Veidt adopted Alexander the Great's free-booting style and the Greek name of Ramesses II to become the costumed adventurer known as Ozymandias. "In the closing months of 1958, the papers mentioned that a major opium and heroin smuggling racket had been busted by a young adventurer named Ozymandias, who seemed to have quickly gained a reputation amongst the criminal fraternity for his boundless and implacable intelligence and a large degree of athletic prowess." Through this experience, he came to understand Alexander's legacy and the wisdom of the ancient pharaohs, all of which would inspire him to become a savior of mankind.Ĭostumed Adventurer Career Becoming Ozymandias Through the effects of the drug, he underwent a transformative psychedelic experience.

On the final night of his journey before returning to America, Veidt wandered into the desert and consumed the ball of hashish he received from Tibet. It was there Veidt realized the failings of Alexander, seeing that he didn't succeed in uniting the world, nor did he build a unity that would survive him.ĭisillusioned but determined to finish his odyssey, Veidt followed Alexander's corpse to its resting place at Alexandria. He then returned to Babylon the site of Alexander's death.
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In Tibet, he met with a group of monks, and from them he learned how to use the full 100% capacity of his brain and was even given a ball of hashish, which he ate, thus undertaking a vision quest. Veidt continued his trek through Babylon, up through Kabul to Samarkand, then down the Indus. He gazed in awe at the ruins that were once ruled by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt such as Ramesses II. He then headed south to Egypt through Memphis. He traveled north towards Gordium, reminded of Alexander's success at solving the unsolvable Gordian Knot by cutting it in two with his sword, a feat said to await the future "king of Asia". He traveled along the Black Sea Coast, imagining Alexander's armies taking port after port through bloody warfare. Veidt departed for Northern Turkey to retrace his idol's path to rulership with the desire to match his accomplishments and bring an age of illumination to a benighted world. Veidt decided to embark on a pilgrimage of physical, mental, and spiritual discovery, following the route of Alexander the Great - his childhood idol and namesake - that would take him throughout the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and former ancient Persia. After his parents and his teachers became suspicious of his grades, he successfully hid his intelligence by deliberately achieving average test results in school.įollowing the death of his parents, Veidt inherited their substantial fortune at age 17 but chose to give it all to charity, so that he could demonstrate the possibility of achieving anything starting from nothing. Growing up, he was found to be a natural-born child prodigy and incredibly intelligent.
