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GORR THE GOLDEN GORILLA

Real Name: Gorr

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Counter-Earth of the High Evolutionary) evolved gorilla

Occupation: Agent of the High Evolutionary

Group Membership: New Men of Counter-Earth (brethren);
    formerly Stranger's prisoners

Affiliations: High Evolutionary (creator, former master); Fantastic Four (Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Invisible Girl (Sue Storm), Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), Thing (Ben Grimm)); Overmind (used him as a pawn)

Enemies: Deadpool (Wade Wilson), Galactus, Skrulls, NYPD (Jerry, Joe, others), Stranger

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    formerly the Stranger's laboratory world;
    formerly Counter-Earth

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#171 (June, 1976)

Powers/Abilities: Gorr possesses superhuman strength (possibly Class 10, allowing him to lift/press ten tons), speed and agility. He is exceptionally intelligent, and enjoys using a vocabulary that would make Henry McCoy proud. At one point, he grew to 25-50' tall (although this was an accidental and temporary side effect of an evolving ray), with an accompanying increase in strength (Hulk-level, about Class 100+, allowing him to lift/press 100+ tons -- see comments) and durability that lasted briefly after he had returned to his usual height (see comments). In his temporary enlarged state, he was more violent and only growled; he also gave off a golden glow and was stil l vulnerable to fire.

Height: 5'8" (usual height), briefly variable
Weight: 225 lbs. (usual weight), briefly variable
Eyes: Red
Hair: Golden

History:
(Fantastic Four I#172 (fb)) - A disruption in the shields surrounding the High Evolutionary's creation Counter-Earth allowed the Asgardian construct known as the Destroyer, then serving as the herald of Galactus the world devourer, to detect the pseudo-planet's presence, and to summon its master to consume it. Responding to Galactus' imminent arrival, the High Evolutionary evolved a golden-haired gorilla into one of his humanoid New Men.  He then sent the gorilla, Gorr, to Earth to seek the aid of the Fantastic Four, who had triumphed over Galactus in the past.

(Fantastic Four I#171) - Arriving on Earth, Gorr, for some reason (which he later claimed was oxygen exposure but the High Evolutionary later stated was an accidental and temporary side effect of the initial evolving ray), mutated into an enormous, King Kong-sized monster which rampaged through Manhattan, New York. The Fantastic Four were drawn to the giant gorilla, and the Invisible Girl eventually used a force field to contain him. The field negated whatever was causing him to maintain his giant Kong state, and he returned to his normal form. They subdued him and manacled him in a frame that could supposedly contain the Hulk.

(Fantastic Four I#172) - Gorr broke free of his shackles and, after a brief fight, duped the the Fantastic Four into following him into his ship, which transported them to Counter-Earth. En route, he explained the reasons behind his mission.

   They soon reached the High Evolutionary's asteroid base near Counter-Earth. Neither Gorr, the Fantastic Four nor the High Evolutionary could stop the Destroyer from summoning Galactus.

 

(Fantastic Four I#173) - The High Evolutionary pleaded with Galactus to spare Counter-Earth, and Galactus gave them 48 hours to find a suitable world whose inhabitants would willingly sacrifice themselves to him. The High Evolutionary identified three potential worlds and two exploratory groups were formed; Gorr accompanied the Human Torch to what appeared to be a medieval world (actually occupied by alien shapeshifting Skrulls). The duo were easily overpowered and captured by the knights.

 

(Fantastic Four I#174) - Both the Human Torch and Gorr were chained in a dungeon. To win freedom, Gorr challenged the greatest warrior of the knights in a joust. Armored as a knight and on horseback, Gorr won via his agility. Surrounding knights slew the last dragon on the planet and were then revealed  to as Skrulls. The dragons had been the planet's intelligent race. With the last dragon gone, the Skrulls left as well, leaving an uninhabited planet (which Galactus later considered worthless for consumption (see comments)).

(Fantastic Four I#175) - With Galactus readying to consume Counter-Earth, the two expeditionary teams were transported back. The Fantastic Four (minus the Invisible Girl) and Gorr futilely tried to stop Galactus until Impossible Man, disguised as the Invisible Girl, duped Galactus into consuming his planet of Poppup, thereby sparing Counter-Earth. The High Evolutionary, Gorr and the Fantastic Four watched in surprise as Galactus' digestion of Poppup transformed him and eliminated the world devourer's threat. Later, Gorr refused Johnny Storm's invitation to join them back on Earth, and Gorr instead remained at the High Evolutionary's side as his "valet".

(Marvel Two-In-One I#61+ 62-BTS, 63) - Counter-Earth, along with the High Evolutionary, was eventually taken by Sphinxor and his Prime Movers, agents of the Beyonders, and placed in the latter's museum of oddities. (Where Gorr was at this time is unclear.)

(Quasar I#14-15-BTS) - Gorr somehow became a prisoner/research subject on the Stranger's Laboratory World.

(Quasar I#16) - The Overmind attacked the Stranger, releasing many of his subjects and sending them to attack the Stranger and his allies.  Gorr was one of those released, and he was transported by Squadron member Dr. Spectrum (also a pawn of the Overmind at that time) to the site of the battle.  Gorr was battered at super-speed by the Eternal Makkari, but was saved by a blast from the Last Monitor.  Shortly thereafter, the Overmind withdrew his power to focus on the Stranger, returning his pawns' free will in the process. Following this struggle, many of the former inhabitants escaped the laboratory world.  Gorr's fate is unrevealed.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Deadpool: Badder Blood#1 (fb) - BTS) - Tyger Tiger promised Deadpool to stay neutral and away from Thumper (Miles Ellison), if he brought her the head of Gorr the Golden Gorilla.

(Deadpool: Badder Blood#1 (fb)) - Deadpool found Gorr in the Savage Land attacking U.N. supply trucks to cut off trade with the outside world. He slew Gorr and cut off his balls, which he later brought to Tyger in Madripoor.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas and George Perez.

The exposure to oxygen caused Gorr to grow and rampage out of control?  That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, given that Counter-Earth's air should be about the same as Earth-Prime's. And why didn't he grow again when he was exposed later?  I'd say it was more the effect of his transportation, or a delayed effect from his transformation.... maybe he gets big and strong when he's angry or confused (hey, it works for the Hulk).
The High Evolutionary stated (Fantastic Four I#175) it was an accidental and temporary side effect of the initial evolving ray. But I guess it could happen again in similar circumstances.--Grendel Prime

Galactus' requirement has always been a planet capable of supporting life.  I think there were only one or two occasions where he drew the life from its inhabitants.  So either there was another reason that the former dragon planet was no good, or Gorr and Johnny just didn't know any better, and missed a perfectly good chance.

One of his fellow inmates on the Stranger's Lab World, Sphinxor, stole Gorr's home world for the Beyonders; this could make for a future confrontation between the two.--Kyle Sims

It's been said that Gorr "easily" broke free of Hulk-proof shackles on Earth immediately after his towering transformation, yet later he was a manacled prisoner in chains on the Skrull's pseudo-medieval world. Given the Skrulls couldn't cage a dragon, then logically they shouldn't be able to restrain a Hulk-strong creature. It seems Gorr's Hulk-like strength was temporary, a residual side effect of his immense glowing growth (itself an accidental side effect of the High Evolutionary's evolving ray).--Grendel Prime
It was stated that Reed once prepared the apparatus/restraints for the Hulk. That doesn't mean they could hold the Hulk, nor that breaking them indicated Hulk-like strength. It could have been an early underestimation of the Hulk's power. Plus, the Hulk wasn't as strong in his earliest days.--Snood

Based on his colour I always saw Gorr as the High Evolutionary's herald like the Silver Surfer, but because the High Evolutionary can't bestow the Power Cosmic, he greatly increased his strength or the radiation that turned into a giant did that.--John Holstein
The High Evolutionary later stated (Fantastic Four I#175) it was an accidental and temporary side effect of the initial evolving ray.--Grendel Prime

Supplemental information from John McDonagh:
Gorr is (very likely) an homage to science fiction writer John Norman.
Two Mystery Science Theatre 3000 ed movies about Counter-Earth. John Norman wrote various sci-fi novels about a world called Gor, also called COUNTER-EARTH. See:
http://www.mst3kinfo.com/daddyo/di_519.html
Writer and philosophy teacher John Frederick Lange, Jr. used the pseudonym JOHN NORMAN, when he penned the sci-fi novels which depicted adventures on the planet Gor. There are at least ten in the series: 1966's Tarnsman of Gor; 1967's Outlaw of Gor; 1968's Priest-Kings of Gor; 1969's Nomads of Gor; 1970's Assassin of Gor; 1971's Raiders of Gor; 1972's Captive of Gor; 1974's Hunters of Gor; 1976's Tribesmen of Gor; and 1977's Slave Girl of Gor.
http://www.worldofgor.com/

Profile by Snood. Updated by Kyle Sims, Grendel Prime and Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS :
Gorr has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#172, p8, pan6 (main image)
Fantastic Four I#172, p10-11, pan9 (headshot)
Fantastic Four I#171, p8, pan4 (giant-sized rampage)
Fantastic Four I#172, p3, pan7 (breaking manacles)
Fantastic Four I#174, p13, pan6 (in simple chains)
Deadpool: Badder Blood#1, p19, pan1 (vs Deadpool)
Fantastic Four I#175, p10, pan1 (chatting with High Evolutionary)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#172 (July, 1976) - Roy Thomas & Bill Mantlo (writers), George Perez (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
Fantastic Four I#173 (August, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Fantastic Four I#174 (September, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Joe Sinnott (inks)
Fantastic Four I#175 (October, 1976) - Roy Thomas (writer/editor), John Buscema (artist)
Marvel Two-In-One I#63 (May, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Jerry Bingham (pencils), Gene Day (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)
Quasar I#14 (September, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Len Kaminski (editor)
Quasar I#15 (October, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Dan Panosian (inks), Len Kaminski (editor)
Quasar I#16 (November, 1990) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Mike Manley (pencils), Keith Williams (inks), Len Kaminski (editor)
Deadpool: Badder Blood#1 (August, 2023) - Rob Liefeld (story/artist), Chad Bowers (script), Mark Basso (editor)

First posted: 01/06/2004
Last updated: 11/22/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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