Monsters Of The King - Fin Fang Foom!

We wrap up this month of Jack "King" Kirby monsters with his greatest Atlas creation -- the totally awesome FIN FANG FOOM! I've said it all before (see previous post for example) but Fin Fang Foom, the amazing Chinese dragon of myth rouses from his centuries-long slumber to run roughshod over the Red Menace of  China butting a clawed foot down on the minions of Mao in a most amazing way. Of course Fin Fang Foom was the tool of a mere human who tricked him into his rampage, but it's all good.

First seen in the pages of Strange Tales #89, I first ran across the mighty Fin Fang Foom in the reprint comic Fantasy Masterpieces. It's perhaps the most effective giant monster comic book story I've ever read and when I dig it out for another go, it never disappoints.

Long live Fin Fang Foom! While the great Jack Kirby is no longer with us, his immortal monsters are here to stay!

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Monsters Of The King - Taboo!

Taboo was yet another alien monster from the depths of space who ended up stranded in the hidden jungle of the Amazon. In a story by Kirby and Ayers for Strange Tales #75 we learn that Taboo has been waiting for the right folks to find him to help him repair his ship. He finds that assistance when explorers at long last reach the hidden lair and then off he goes back into space. But a bomb aboard his ship blows him up good. You can read it all here.

He gets it back together in Strange Tales #77 and menaces mankind again in the heart of New York City. This time though his fellow creatures descend from the stars and declare him a mentally ill criminal and undo his carnage, taking the demented Taboo with them.

Tomorrow we confront the greatest of the Atlas monsters. Be here, because there's no escape!

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Monsters Of The King - Xemnu!

Xemnu the Titan in a story by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers was originally called "The Hulk", but then Marvel had better plans for the "nom de monstre" and slapped on the Gamma-ray character we know today. Xemnu was forgotten for a time.

Originally the criminal alien landed in Journey into Mystery #62 and using his hypnotic powers enslaved the people and used them to repair his space craft. But one wily human tricked him into soaring into the sun freeing everyone. But Xemnu was able to not burn up in the depths of the sun and returned in Journey into Mystery #66 (still called "The Hulk") and tried again to enslave the folk. But once again the same hero, a guy named Joe was able to make Xemnu hypnotize himself with the use of simple mirror and Xemnu supposedly disappear into thin air.

But Xemnu returned in of all places Marvel Feature #3 starring the newly-formed Defenders and this time he was officially redubbed "The Titan" and attempted to take over the minds of the children of Earth. Doc Strange, the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk (in a bit of Thomasian irony) defeated him yet again. Xemnu then went on to become a regular villain of sorts showing up in all kinds of places, usually battling the Hulk in some way or other.

More monsters descend onto the planet next time.

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Monsters Of The King - Gorgilla!

Gorgilla first appears in Tales to Astonish #12 when he is discovered on the island of Borneo, a giant wild man worshiped by the local natives.

In a bit of retro-continuity his discoverer turns out to be Doctor Anthony Druid.  The story is a particularly handsome one by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

The giant monster proves to be popular enough to get another appearance in Tales to Astonish #18 and this time Gorgilla is captured and brought to New York City. This giant creature who already owes much to the legendary King Kong takes another page from that book and runs amok in the city, busting up a baseball game, and eventually scaling a famous landmark, in this case the Statue of Liberty. But Gorgilla is eventually captured and taken home to Borneo.

More monsters appear tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Monstrom!

Monstrom, the Dweller in the Black Swamp is yet another alien, appears to a muck monster at first but is instead merely attempting to find humans who can assist in getting his space ship operational. As far as is known he's there still as recounted in the pages of Tales to Astonish #11. To read the story check out this link. Monstrom is one of Jack Kirby's creepiest creations.

I loved this cover when the art was appropriated and altered a wee bit by the deft hand of Marie Severin for Fear #1.

More Kirby monsters lumber forward tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Goliath!

Journey Into Mystery #63 sees the rise of Goliath, yet another giant beast from the depths of the deep dark oceans.  Goliath (also known as Gigantus) came to the surface world from Mu and demanded mankind serve the giants of Mu. But he's tricked when a man presents him with an even larger creature presumably from the depths of space. It's a trick but Goliath falls for it and returns to his undersea home. This one is by Jack "King" Kirby with "Sturdy" Steve Ditko on inks. 

More Kirby monsters lurch forth tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Snowman!

There were a few Abominable Snowmen roaming the wilds of the Atlas Universe but this one from Tales to Astonish #24 proves to be a Lizard Man from the depths of the Earth wearing a furry suit to protect him from the cold, and is on a mission for his people who hope to invade the surface. He manages to capture some people and take them into the bowels of the Earth. The read more about this particular  Abominable Snowman check out this link.

More Kirby monsters on the prowl tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Zetora!

Zetora is the Martian (how many different kinds of Martians are there in the Marvel Universe) who came to our little blue marble and proceeded to look just like us.  In the fantastically titled "The Martian Who Stole a Body!" we encounter this cocky alien who impersonated a human until his loyal pooch gave him away.

In his second outing, he escapes the authorities and even takes over the United Nations in the name of his Martian heritage, but that heritage itself proves his undoing when the nasty Earth bacteria does what it so famously does to Martian invaders.

Despite getting two stories, the unlucky Zetora never rated a single cover giving way to the fellow monsters Orogo the Thing from Beyond and Rro the Monster from the Bottomless Pit!

More monsters land in your neighborhood tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Grogg!

The mighty Grogg proves to be one of the mightiest weapons against the Soviet machine. The monster dragon Groog is first roused from the secrets of Russian folklore in the pages of Strange Tales #83 with the intent to use him as a weapon for the Soviets, but when he proves unreliable the top agent in charge attempts to sacrifice the learned man who has raised Grogg against his will. That fellow turns Grogg against the machinery of the state. Later in Strange Tales #87  the monster created by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers the mighty Grogg is revived and this time sent to the depths of space, Mars to be exact to forestall the expansion of Soviet power.

Grogg is a dragon and flails a bit in the shadow of the more famous Fin Fang Foom. But there's no doubt he's a doughty foe himself.

More Kirby monsters tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Gargantus!

In the pages of Strange Tales #85 Gargantus appears in a story featuring artwork by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. The mighty undersea monster was roused when a man and his boy descend into the depths and encounter the mighty monster, just one of many such creatures living deep beneath the sea and who had imagined that the surface world was of no interest. That changes but being topside cause the enormous creature to suffocate and he has to return to the safety of the depths.

In Strange Tales #90 in a story by Kirby and Dick Ayers, mankind again disturbs the mighty beast and he once again heads up to the surface.

But this time the same scientist who had defeated him before challenges him and is able to at long last electrocute him or something akin to that and the great beast is again defeated.

More mighty monsters from the mind of Kirby tomorrow.

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Monsters Of The King - Groot!

Everybody knows Groot. After his star turn in the Guardians of the Galaxy comic books and two (count 'em two) big time Hollywood movies, Groot is a household name, likely the most famous of the Kirby monsters. 

But it was not always thus. Originally the cute Groot was merely another alien invader, a monster who fell victim to the enemy of most wooden thing -- termites. Since then, he's been revised as an ongoing character. As cute as little Groot is, I find a soft spot in my heart for the deadly original.

 More monsters are coming tomorrow.

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