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Not to be confused with the Sphinx from Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Stylized Portable Versions)

"So, I'll bet you think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

- Sphinx; The Sphinx

The Sphinx[1] is a large creature with a monstrous face hidden behind a human mask and a body combining traits of a dog, a lion, a bird, and a snake.[2]

History[]

The Sphinx is a composite creature, an entity made out of several animals much like a Griffin or Basilisk.[3] In ancient Greece, it would ask its victims a riddle, "What walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?" If the victim did not answer the riddle correctly, they were drained of their theta waves, leaving them a drooling vegetable.[4][5][6] The Sphinx was linked to systematically wiping out half of the entire population of Thebes, leaving pestilence, plague, and horror in its wake.[7]

In 1997, the Sphinx rampaged through New York, hunting down the city's brightest minds and draining their intelligence away if they failed to answer its riddle correctly. It was first sighted at the New York State University Department of Philosophy, where it left Professor Barthes in a catatonic state. Then it attacked a trio listening to Jeopardy, patrons at the New York City Public Library, the New York headquarters of MENSA, and a delegation at the United Nations Headquarters. The Extreme Ghostbusters found it on the sixth floor and tried to stall it. Egon Spengler stepped forward and accepted the challenge. Since no one ever answered correctly, the Sphinx was shocked when Egon did so: "Man." Before it could ask another riddle, Garrett Miller blasted it from behind and Kylie Griffin trapped it.

Classification[]

In Professor Barthes' office, Garrett Miller reveals the Sphinx is at least a Class 6 after scanning with the P.K.E. Meter.[8]

Powers[]

In addition to possessing great strength and the ability to fly, the Sphinx has the ability to drain the theta waves from the brain of whoever answers its riddle incorrectly, taking away all their thoughts. It does this by removing its mask and attaching a long, green tentacle from its face to their head. However, it can't use this power if its victim doesn't let it ask them the riddle first or if they get it right. If the victim gets it right, the Sphinx starts molting.

Personality[]

The Sphinx looks down on humans, thinking them to be vain and arrogant in regard to their knowledge. Thus, whenever it notices one that seems to think they're intelligent, it challenges them to answer its riddle saying, "So, I bet you think you're pretty smart." The Sphinx is also very impatient, particularly when he's waiting on an answer from someone.

Development[]

The design of Sphinx by Character Designer Fil Barlow is based partly off sketches faxed to him by Illustrator Everett Peck. The hideous creature behind the mask was based off a sketch by Executive Producer Richard Raynis. Barlow incorporated his own fascination with masks into the design. He hinted at the historical Greek Sphinx being female through the mask and hinted at the Egyptian origins through the tentacle-like head dress. Everett's designs were distinctly male. Barlow's first designs were more monstrous, but he was encouraged to go along a more traditional route.[9][10]

Appearances[]

Extreme Ghostbusters

Trivia[]

  • It used the classic riddle of the Sphinx, but in Extreme Ghostbusters, the riddle was apparently never recorded in history so nobody knew the answer (though the riddle may have been forgotten, as some of the Sphinx's victims mistook it for a griffin, then a basilisk).
  • On page six of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #11, the Sphinx's depiction in the Bestiary makes a non-canon cameo right of the Spectral Almanac.
  • On the subscription cover of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #18, the Sphinx makes a non-canon cameo.

References[]

  1. Sphinx (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 08:13-08:14). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Sphinx says: "A Sphinx."
  2. Egon Spengler (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 06:36-06:44). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Egon says: "Among the physical samples you found are a dog hair, a lion hair, a snake scale, and a strand from a bird wing."
  3. Egon Spengler (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 06:54-07:02). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Egon says: "We're dealing with a composite creature, a creature made up of several different animals like a Griffin or a Basilisk, or even a Sphinx."
  4. Roland Jackson (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 06:15-06:17). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Roland says: "He's not showing any brain wave pattern."
  5. Kylie Griffin (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 06:22-06:25). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Kylie says: "Sounds like something wiped out all of his Theta Waves."
  6. Egon Spengler (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 07:13-07:21). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Egon says: "The ancient Greeks also had a Sphinx. It asked everyone he met a riddle. If you didn't know the answer, you were in big trouble."
  7. Egon Spengler (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 07:23-07:30). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Egon says: "It systematically wiped out half the entire population of Thebes, leaving pestilence, plague, and horror in its wake"
  8. Garrett Miller (1997). Extreme Ghostbusters- The Sphinx (1997) (DVD ts. 05:27-05:30). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Garrett says: "Looks like at least a Class 6."
  9. Fil Barlow deviantArt "XGB: Ep02: The Sphinx" 2/3/14 Fil Barlow says: "I based this design partly off sketches that Illustrator Everett Peck faxed through, and the hideous creature behind the mask was based off a sketch by Executive Producer Richard Raynis (I'll post that art at a later date). I have my own fascination with masks that I brought to the creature."
  10. Fil Barlow deviantArt "XGB: Ep02: The Sphinx" comment 2/3/14 Fil Barlow says: "I hinted at the historical Greek sphinx being female through the mask. I hinted at the Egyptian origins through the tentacle-like head dress. Everett's designs were distinctly male. My first designs were more monstrous, but I was encouraged to go along a more traditional route. I would have loved to have pushed the design even further."

Gallery[]

Collages[]

Primary Canon[]

Secondary Canon[]

Behind the Scenes[]

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