GORLION

Real Name: None

Identity/Class: Magical creature (see comments)

Occupation: Servant of the Ancient One (Yao)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Ancient One (as the High Lama)

Enemies: Doctor Druid

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The Ancient One's monastery, Tibet

First Appearance: Amazing Adventures I#1/3 (June, 1961) (see comments)

Powers/Abilities: The Gorlion possessed the upper-half of a gorilla, and the lower-half of a lion. It had remarkable leaping abilities, greater-than-average-gorilla strength, and clawed feet.


Height: 12' (by approximation)
Weight: 2 tons (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown

History:
(Amazing Adventures I#1/3) - When the man known as Anthony Druid went to Tibet to assist the gravely ill High Lama, he was forced to face several obstacles before reaching the Lama himself--among these was the Gorlion, who confronted Druid in a corridor. Druid was informed by the Lama's servant that to escape the Gorlion, he could depart through any of the doors along the hallway, but that if he wished to heal the Lama, he would have to get past the Gorlion.

   Druid managed to evade the Gorlion by ducking beneath its lunge, and escaped the corridor by climbing a rope which mysteriously levitated into the air. Druid went on to successfully meet the Lama, who transferred his mystical powers to Druid.

(Marvel Universe#5) - At the Explorers Club in the late-1950s, Dr. Druid recounted his origin--including his encounter with the Gorlion--to Ulysses Bloodstone.

(Avengers Spotlight#37) - Many years later, Dr. Druid's enemy Ravonna used anti-time powers to transform Earth back to the past. Dr. Druid was brought back to Tibet by the Lama, and made to go through the same rituals he had years before, again evading the Gorlion by climbing the rope. Druid learned that the Lama was actually the Ancient One--Druid also learned that he himself had been given his powers to prepare for the coming of Dr. Strange. With the Ancient One's assistance, Dr. Druid was able to defeat Ravonna, and time returned to normal.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils) and Steve Ditko (inks).

Of course, in the original story, Dr. Druid was called "Dr. Droom"--this alias has been more-or-less expunged from Dr. Druid's backstory.

This story was originally published in Amazing Adventures I#1 (June 1961), wherein "Dr. Droom" battled the Gorlion; when it was reprinted in Weird Wonder Tales#19 (December, 1976) (using the magic of retroactive continuity) it was redrawn and re-lettered to make Dr. Droom into Dr. Druid.
--John Kaminski 

My guess is that the Gorlion was probably just a magically-induced illusion rather than an actual living creature--that way, the High Lama/Ancient One wouldn't have to worry about feeding it (What does a giant Gorlion eat? ANYTHING it wants!) or (worse yet) cleaning up after the hairy beast.--Ron Fredricks

Big thanks to MD Carter, who allowed me to borrow the main image from his website, The Monsters of Jack Kirby.

Amazing Adventures images and Marvel Universe#5 added by Ron Fredricks.

Profile by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Gorlion should not be confused with:


images: (without ads)
Marvel Universe#5, p7, pan6  (Main Image - Gorlion confronts Dr. Druid (left))
Amazing Adventures I#1/3, p3, pan5 (Dr Droom (see comments) first encounters Gorlion)
Amazing Adventures I#1/3, p3, pan6 (Gorlion confronts Dr. Droom (see comments))


Appearances:
Amazing Adventures I#1/3 (June, 1961) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Steve Ditko (inks) - [original, as Dr. Droom]
Weird Wonder Tales#19 (December, 1976) - same as above - [reprint, as Dr. Druid]
Avengers Spotlight#37 (October, 1990) - Roy & Dann Thomas (writers), Bob Hall (pencils), Win Mortimer (inks), Renée Witterstaetter (colors), Rick Parker (letters), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Marvel Universe#5 (October, 1998) - Roger Stern (writer), Bret Blevins (pencils), Mike Manley (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)


First Posted: 02/23/2003
Last updated: 08/27/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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