Emperor Han (The Mummy)

**Emperor Han** is a film villain who features in The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

## Biography

Han lived as a male warlord in Ancient China where he commanded a great army that sought to conquer the lands. His rivals began to worry about his strength and hired numerous assassins to kill him but he slayed each and everyone. Han's might destroyed villages and those that opposed him were put to death. Those captured were forced to build the Great Wall of China and when they completed their task; they were buried alive beneath it. His mystics taught him control over the five elements which further increased his power. However, despite all he had learnt and achieved, he succumbed to the same fate as those of the peasant class; he was growing older and weaker. He eventually learnt of a witch that held the secrets of immortality. He sent his closest friend, General Ming, to seek his mystic out and gain her secrets. When he returned to her, Han ordered that no man was to touch her as she was to be his alone. While Zi Juan did not possess the secret of immortality herself; she said she knew where it was located. Taking General Ming, the two journeyed to the greatest library in all of the world. There she found the Oracle Bones which contained a spell for the task. While away, Han sent spies to watch over the pair and learnt that Zi Juan and Ming had fallen in love with one another.

When they returned, the Emperor demanded that the spell be cast on him to make him immortal. Using the Oracle Bones, Zi Juan cast the spell and Han felt it's power filling him with eternal life. He took Zi Juan to the balcony where he asked her what was her fondest wish and he would grant it. She asked to be with General Ming and the Emperor made her see Ming chained with ropes tied to four horses. Han demanded that Zi Juan marry him and that he would spare the General. She stated that she would kill him anyway and he agreed, giving the order to his troops to send the horses their four separate ways which pulled Ming apart thus killing him. Emperor Han then stabbed Zi Juan and thanked her for her service to him. However, as she fled, Han began to feel muddy tears coming down his eyes. Terrified, he demanded from her what she did to him and learnt that she cursed him. He began vomiting mud and fire engufled his body which burnt his shape into that of a terracotta statue. This fate befell that of his army which remained frozen in place. Zi Juan had survived and became immortal as well as had a daughter. The two of them would watch over the hidden tomb of the Dragon Emperor to ensure he never was freed.

Two thousand years later, Alex O'Connel discovered the chariot and sarcophagus of Emperor Han. The Dragon Emperor was then awakened when General Yang spilt the waters from the Eye of Shangri-la onto the driver of the chariot who was actually Han. Awakened, he reluctantly took Yan as his General and sought the Pool of Eternity in Shangri-la to restore him along with his army. Taking Yan's army, they made their way to the Gateway to Shangri-la where Yan's forces were defeated. Emperor Han personally defeated all his enemies and found the way to Shangri-la but an avalanche camethat covered him despite his attempts at stopping it. Once he escaped the snow, he entered into Shangri-la where he defeated the guardians and entered into the Pool of Eternal Life. Given great power, he transformed into a golden three headed winged dragon and took Zi Juan daughter with him to his army's tomb. Awakening his army, he stated that he would bring order to the world and remove the concept of freedom as a new order would befall the planet. He marched his forces towards the Great Wall as once they were threw it, they would become truly immortal. However, they came under attack by the awakened undead of his enemies that rose from the Great Wall who were called to battle the Dragon Emperor's armies by a spell from Zi Juan.

Despite this, Emperor Han seemed to have the upper hand and fought as well as killed Zi Juan in personal combat. Making his way into the Great Wall, he cast a spell in order to draw his undead enemies back into their forced tomb. However, he was attacked by Rick O'Connel and his son. When distracted, his chest was pierced by on half of Zi Juan's mystical dagger while Alex used the other half to pierce his hear from his back. This caused Han to catch on fire and his soul was condemned to hell as the Dragon Emperor was finally defeated.

## Overview

### Personality and attributes

In appearance, Han appeared as a handsome Asian male with long black hair and dark eyes. By the time he was middle aged, he began to wear his hair up and had a mustache. When he regained his Human form, he appeared as a healthy Chinese man in his twenties.

In undeath, Han was a decaying mummy that was encased within a terracotta statue. This stone exterior could be shattered but he was incapable of being killed by normal means though it was possible to wound him. When shattered, the exterior was capable of being regenerated thanks to Han's mystical abilities allowing him to forge fire reformed the stony material. Sometimes, he was known to use broken pieces of stone as projectiles which he threw at his enemies.

He was noted as being tyrannical and an amoral psychopath who did not hesitate to destroy anyone who he percieved as a threat. He felt that the love between his loyal general and that of a beautiful witch he desired was a betrayal to him. Han also had cruel punishments for his prisoners such as being tied to different horses who ran in different directions and ripped the prisoner apart.

Furthermore, he often surrounded himself with a cadre of loyal followers who's only purpose was to serve him. Ultimately, the Dragon Emperor's goal was the conquest of the earth itself and reshape it into his own warped corrupted image.

### Powers and abilities

Beyond the magical powers he possessed, the Emperor was a skilled fighter and made use of martial arts to defeat his opponents in single combat. His skill was sufficient enough for him to defeat assassins that enter his tent alone.

After being taught by his mystics, the Dragon Emperor learnt a number of magical abilities. This included the power over the five elements allowing him to shoot fireballs from his hands, create icy spikes over his environment, stop an avalanche and sent out a terrible cry that can scare the Yeti. Beyond this, he also had a wide range of martial art skills at his disposal.

Higher end abilities which came when he entered the Pool of Eternal Life included shape shifting allowing him to become either a three headed golden winged dragon which can shoot fireballs from its mouth or a demonic large hound with great increased strength. In addition to this, he was able to reverse the spell that rose his undead enemies forcing them back to their grave.

He only possessed one weakness which was a vulnerability to an enchanged dagger that was forged by the witch Zi Juan. If stabbed through his heart, the Dragon Emperor would be killed and wounds were capable of stopping his shapeshifting powers. Another more minor weakness was that certain abilities required intense concentration which can be broken if he was distracted.

## Notes

* The Dragon Emperor was portrayed by actor Jet Li and featured as an antagonist in The Mummy series.

## Appearances

* *The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor*: