Gorilla-Man
Encyclopedia
Gorilla-Man is the name of three fictional character
s appearing in the Marvel Comics
universe
. Ken Hale first appeared
in Men's Adventures #26 (March 1954), while Arthur Nagan first appeared in Mystery Tales #21 (September 1954), and Franz Radzik first appeared in Tales to Astonish
#28 (February 1962).
, and proved himself to be a formidable guide. He was given a special yearbook, and was acknowledged as an ally, or "X-Ape". After helping them on their mission, Ken presumably went on to live in the treehouse a while longer. He did use his powers when working with the Avengers
, S.H.I.E.L.D.
's Howling Commandos unit
, and the Agents of Atlas
.
During the Secret Invasion
, Gorilla-Man and Human Robot rescue Namora
from the Skrull
s.
. This story was reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales #7 (December 1974).
The character subsequently appears in Defenders vol. 1 #21 (March 1975), 31-33 (January–March 1976), 35 (May 1976), Defenders Annual #1 (October 1976), Power Man/Iron Fist #68 (April 1981), Marvel Age Annual #1 (1985), The Sensational She-Hulk vol. 2 #1-3 (May–July 1989), Avengers: Deathtrap: The Vault Graphic Novel (1991), Web of Spider-Man #73 (February 1991), Marvel Comics Presents #97 (1992), Defenders vol. 2 #5 (July 2001), 7-10 (September–December 2001), and Heroes for Hire #6-8 (March–May 2007).
Gorilla-Man appeared as part of the "Headmen" entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
#5, and in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #3.
who took the organs from gorillas to use in people. However his scheme was allegedly thwarted by the gorillas who somehow transplanted his head onto a gorilla’s body. He is a member of the Headmen
and fought with Defenders on several occasions. Upon his release from prison, he attacked Power Man, who was temporarily de-powered. He is a former member of the Lethal Legion
.
He later rejoined by the Headmen
and participates in the plan to give his ally, Chondu
, a new body. Specifically, the body of a clone of She-Hulk
. The Headmen hire the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, then later Mysterio
in order to test She-Hulk for compatibility. She is subdued and cloned, but escapes with the aid of Spider-Man
. Nagan is arrested by the New York city police. Nagan is seen without the Headmen during a Vault
outbreak. He and the female Frenzy
, being held in neighboring cells, are freed by Electro.
The Headmen tracked Spider-man to a party Alicia Masters was hosting in order to procure Spider-Man's body for Chondu. Human Torch and Spider-man defeating enemies and the Headmen was soon arrested. Later allied with the A.I.M. plotted to control an ancient space-god in order to rule the world. They resurrected the alien space god Orrgo and conquered the world with him, but Defenders quickly defeating Orrgo and the Headmen.
while attempting to transplant Chondu
's head onto Humbug
's body.
It is revealed in the Guardians of the Galaxy series that Nagan is one of the inmates left behind in the Negative Zone
42 prison and was used to help Star-Lord
communicate with Mantis telepathically to bring the other Guardians to help defend the 42 prison against Blastaar
and his horde from invading Earth via the non-functional portal there.
He sided with Blastaar's forces when the Shadow Initiative invaded to take the prison back. Despite inflicting heavy casualties on the Shadow Initiative's forces, Nagan and his allies were betrayed by fellow inmate Hardball. Hardball killed the Negative aliens but let Nagan live
#5. The latter in Gorilla Man #3. This is not to be confused with a story from Strange Tales
#1. In it a man who admires evil things is injected with a formula by an evil scientist which turns him into an ape, as he hopes to become a creature of evil. A student is knocked out by the evil man. He is tied to a chair and gagged at the home of the scientist. The mind of the man is sent back through the ages as he becomes an ape. However the other man is able to free himself. He breaks the scientists neck, but is captured and caged.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s appearing in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Ken Hale first appeared
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in Men's Adventures #26 (March 1954), while Arthur Nagan first appeared in Mystery Tales #21 (September 1954), and Franz Radzik first appeared in Tales to Astonish
Tales to Astonish
Tales to Astonish is the name of two American comic book series and a one-shot comic published by Marvel Comics.The primary title bearing that name was published from 1959-1968...
#28 (February 1962).
Ken Hale
Fictional character biography
Kenneth Hale was a happy-go-lucky soldier of fortune. He was always risking his life for thrills, but he was actually afraid of dying. He heard of a local tribal legend from Africa that stated "If you kill the magical Gorilla-Man, you become immortal." Ken travelled to Africa to find the Gorilla-Man. Ken gave up on the idea at the last minute, but the ape forced him to shoot. Ken Hale then became immortal, but at the cost of becoming the new Gorilla-Man. After operating his own team for a while, Ken Hale then "retired", and lived in a large treehouse near the Congo. He served as a guide for the original X-MenX-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, and proved himself to be a formidable guide. He was given a special yearbook, and was acknowledged as an ally, or "X-Ape". After helping them on their mission, Ken presumably went on to live in the treehouse a while longer. He did use his powers when working with the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
's Howling Commandos unit
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Running six issues before its cancellation and cover-dated December 2005 to May 2006, the series featured a fictional team set in the Marvel Universe, consisting of supernatural characters employed as a unit...
, and the Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is composed of characters originally appearing in unrelated stories published in the 1950s by Marvel's predecessor company, Atlas Comics....
.
During the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, Gorilla-Man and Human Robot rescue Namora
Namora
Namora is a fictional character, a superhero in the . She is from Atlantis and is the daughter of an Atlantean father and a human mother. She is the cousin of Namor the Sub-Mariner.-Publication history:...
from the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s.
Powers and abilities
As Gorilla-Man, Hale possesses the body, and therefore the strength, agility, and endurance of a mountain gorilla, while still retaining his normal human intelligence. He is an expert in weapons usage with a preference for firearms, and was a skilled hand-to-hand fighter even as a human being. Gorilla-Man also has been cursed with immortality, thus he does not age and has retained the same level of strength and physical prowess over decades.Other versions
- In an alternate Earth that appeared in Avengers Forever #4-5, a similar version of Hale as Gorilla-Man appeared in the Avengers of the 1950s. However their timeline was destroyed by ImmortusImmortusImmortus is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is the future self of Kang the Conqueror, and first appeared in Avengers #10, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
. - On Earth-O-Men, Ken Hale appeared as the Gorilla Man on an Earth dominated by the alien race known as the Skrulls. This version appeared in Paradise X: Heralds #3.
Publication history
Dr. Arthur Nagan first appeared in Mystery Tales #21 (September 1954), and was created by Bob PowellBob Powell (comics)
Bob Powell né Stanislav Robert Pawlowski was an American comic book artist known for his work during the 1930-40s Golden Age of comic books, including on the features "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" and "Mr. Mystic". He received a belated credit in 1999 for co-writing the debut of the popular...
. This story was reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales #7 (December 1974).
The character subsequently appears in Defenders vol. 1 #21 (March 1975), 31-33 (January–March 1976), 35 (May 1976), Defenders Annual #1 (October 1976), Power Man/Iron Fist #68 (April 1981), Marvel Age Annual #1 (1985), The Sensational She-Hulk vol. 2 #1-3 (May–July 1989), Avengers: Deathtrap: The Vault Graphic Novel (1991), Web of Spider-Man #73 (February 1991), Marvel Comics Presents #97 (1992), Defenders vol. 2 #5 (July 2001), 7-10 (September–December 2001), and Heroes for Hire #6-8 (March–May 2007).
Gorilla-Man appeared as part of the "Headmen" entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications...
#5, and in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #3.
Fictional character biography
Dr. Arthur Nagan is a former surgeonSurgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
who took the organs from gorillas to use in people. However his scheme was allegedly thwarted by the gorillas who somehow transplanted his head onto a gorilla’s body. He is a member of the Headmen
Headmen
The Headmen is a group of fictional supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. They first appeared in The Defenders #21 .-Fictional biography:...
and fought with Defenders on several occasions. Upon his release from prison, he attacked Power Man, who was temporarily de-powered. He is a former member of the Lethal Legion
Lethal Legion
The Lethal Legion is the name of five teams of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The first version of the Legion appears in The Avengers #78 ; the second version in Avengers #164 ; the third version in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #1 ; the fourth Avengers...
.
He later rejoined by the Headmen
Headmen
The Headmen is a group of fictional supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. They first appeared in The Defenders #21 .-Fictional biography:...
and participates in the plan to give his ally, Chondu
Chondu the Mystic
Chondu the Mystic, sometimes known as Chondu the Yogi, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:...
, a new body. Specifically, the body of a clone of She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
. The Headmen hire the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, then later Mysterio
Mysterio
Mysterio is the name of three fictional characters, all of which are supervillains and enemies of Spider-Man in the . The original Mysterio was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #13, although it was later retconned that the aliens seen in Amazing...
in order to test She-Hulk for compatibility. She is subdued and cloned, but escapes with the aid of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. Nagan is arrested by the New York city police. Nagan is seen without the Headmen during a Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
outbreak. He and the female Frenzy
Joanna Cargill
Joanna Cargill, also known as Frenzy, is a fictional character, a mutant superhuman in the Marvel Comics universe. She has been a member of supervillain groups, including the Alliance of Evil and the Acolytes, as well as the superhero team the X-Men....
, being held in neighboring cells, are freed by Electro.
The Headmen tracked Spider-man to a party Alicia Masters was hosting in order to procure Spider-Man's body for Chondu. Human Torch and Spider-man defeating enemies and the Headmen was soon arrested. Later allied with the A.I.M. plotted to control an ancient space-god in order to rule the world. They resurrected the alien space god Orrgo and conquered the world with him, but Defenders quickly defeating Orrgo and the Headmen.
Civil War
Nagan and the Headmen then fought the Heroes for HireHeroes For Hire
Heroes for Hire is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54 , and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias.-Publication history and original concept:...
while attempting to transplant Chondu
Chondu the Mystic
Chondu the Mystic, sometimes known as Chondu the Yogi, is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:...
's head onto Humbug
Humbug (comics)
Buck Mitty, known as Humbug, is a fictional character that appeared in the Marvel Comics universe. Humbug was originally a super-villain but later became a super-hero and a member of the Heroes for Hire.-Fictional character biography:...
's body.
It is revealed in the Guardians of the Galaxy series that Nagan is one of the inmates left behind in the Negative Zone
Negative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
42 prison and was used to help Star-Lord
Star-Lord
Star-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
communicate with Mantis telepathically to bring the other Guardians to help defend the 42 prison against Blastaar
Blastaar
Blastaar, sometimes called the Living Bomb-Burst and Blasstaar, is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Blastaar is an opponent of the Fantastic Four and lives in the Negative Zone...
and his horde from invading Earth via the non-functional portal there.
He sided with Blastaar's forces when the Shadow Initiative invaded to take the prison back. Despite inflicting heavy casualties on the Shadow Initiative's forces, Nagan and his allies were betrayed by fellow inmate Hardball. Hardball killed the Negative aliens but let Nagan live
Franz Radzik
Franz Radzik, a scientist who created an electro-magnetic ray machine to transfer his mind into a gorilla’s body was known as Gorilla-Man. He was sent into deep space on an experimental rocket ship and first appeared in Tales to Astonish vol. 1 #28 and 30. The former story was reprinted in Adventure into FearAdventure into Fear
Adventure into Fear is an American horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from cover dates November 1970 through December 1975, for 31 issues...
#5. The latter in Gorilla Man #3. This is not to be confused with a story from Strange Tales
Strange Tales
Strange Tales is the name of several comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It introduced the features "Doctor Strange" and "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.", and was a showcase for the science fiction/suspense stories of artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and for the...
#1. In it a man who admires evil things is injected with a formula by an evil scientist which turns him into an ape, as he hopes to become a creature of evil. A student is knocked out by the evil man. He is tied to a chair and gagged at the home of the scientist. The mind of the man is sent back through the ages as he becomes an ape. However the other man is able to free himself. He breaks the scientists neck, but is captured and caged.