Gog (Tsiln; Spider-Man and Ka-Zar character)

Group Membership: Formerly the Sinister Six (Dr. Octopus, Electro, Hobgoblin (Jason Macendale), Mysterio, Vulture)

Enemies: Bo, Richard Calkin, Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, Thing), Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch/Noble Kale), Hercules, Hulk (Bruce Banner), J. Jonah Jameson, Ka-Zar, Bobbi Morse (later Mockingbird), Nova (Richard Rider), Solo, Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, X-Men (Magik/Illyana Rasputin, Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde), Zabu

Known Relatives: Unnamed female (possible sister or intended mate, deceased)

Place of Birth/Origin: Possibly born on Earth, but originated from the planet Broi, second from the sun in the star system Wyllys, Milky Way galaxy

Base of Operations: Monster Island, sea of Okhotsk;
   formerly Haizlip dimension;
    formerly New Jersey and Manhattan, New York;
    formerly the Savage Land, Antarctica;
    formerly a starship

Powers/Abilities: As a Tsiln, Gog is an immense semi-reptilian anthropoid with both reptilian and mammalian characteristics. He possesses vast, virtually incalculable strength (he can incapacitate the Hulk with a swat of his hand) and durability. He continuously generates anti-gravitons psionically to support his immense bulk. He has a long semi-prehensile tail. In addition, he can survive for lengthy periods of time (perhaps hours to days) without air.

Gog is no mindless beast, though he speaks an alien language and his motives are sometimes unfathomable. His race designs warp-drive starships, and he wears wristbands which, when clanged together, allow him to teleport himself and others in his vicinity across space. Gog himself designed a miniature device that could create a mental link between himself and its wearer. In addition, Gog's costume was designed to grow with his body as he aged.

Height: 300' (as an adult; originally was perhaps 4-6 inches tall)
Weight: Unrevealed
Fingers: Four, with opposable thumb
Toes: Three
Skin color: Orange, scaled

History:
(Astonishing Tales#18 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#15 (fb) - BTS) - Gog, like all Tsiln, was born prematurely and incubated until fully gestated (much like Earth marsupials). Within his mechanical incubator, his mind was programmed with Tsiln language and culture.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe#15 (fb) - BTS) - Within his incubator, "Gog" was sent to Earth in a warp-drive starship along with a baby female that died. His ship landed in the Savage Land.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#104 (fb)) - The Tsiln ship was found by Kraven the Hunter, who discovered the small male and the deceased female, taking the former with him into the jungle wilderness. Initially riding on Kraven's shoulder, the young Tsiln doubled in size within a few days and then its growth accelerated so that he towered over his rescuer. Kraven named the child "Gog" after the biblical giant, and Gog swiftly proved that he would do anything for his adoptive father.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#104 (fb) - BTS) - Kraven decided to use Gog to conquer the Savage Land. He had Gog construct an lizard-altar in order to draw worshippers from the Swamp Men.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#103 (fb) - BTS) - Gog attacked a pair of scientists and their guide as they explored the fringes of the Savage Land, destroying their camp before fleeing back into the nearby frozen land.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#103 (fb) - BTS) - Ka-Zar heard of Gog via the drum beats of the Swamp Men.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#103) - Reports from the guide Mr. Calkin a few weeks later led J. Jonah Jameson to bring a reporting expedition to the Savage Land, including Peter Parker and his then-girlfriend Gwen Stacy. They accompanied Calkin and his men into the Savage Land, encountering the lizard altar and a group of Swamp Men, but were soon confronted by Gog himself. Gog--then about 30 feet tall--snatched Gwen Stacy in his hand and took off. Peter Parker tried to follow, but was swatted aside, and Gog soon brought Gwen to Kraven, who had sent Gog to capture her so that he could make her his queen.
Meanwhile, Ka-Zar and Zabu met up with Jameson's group and learned of Gog's capture of Gwen.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#104) - As Spider-Man, Parker teamed up with Ka-Zar and Zabu. Spider-Man attracted Gog's attention, leading Gog to chase him into the jungle, eventually running into quicksand, under which he swiftly sank, seemingly perishing. Ka-Zar and Zabu defeated Kraven, who appeared to fall to his death.

(Amazing Spider-Man I#111 (fb)) - Kraven, having recovered from his fall, found the seemingly lifeless hand of Gog sticking out of the quicksand, and Kraven left him for dead.

(Astonishing Tales#18 (fb)) - However, Gog's lungs proved stronger than suspected, and he survived until the Plunderer--also drawn to the Savage Land by Calkin's reports--could rescue him. The Plunderer used a helicopter to haul Gog to safety, and his gratitude was boundless. Gog designed a complex mental link, which he gave to the Plunderer, enabling them to bypass their language barrier. Despite Gog's mental primacy, Gog remained docile, obeying his every whim. The Plunderer suspected that his promises of revenge on Spider-Man were what made Gog so malleable.

(Astonishing Tales#17) - The Plunderer and his ally, Gemini, plotted to obtain the Super-Soldier serum (or a variant thereof), using Gog as their muscle in case any super-heroes interfered with them. Gemini escaped from the SHIELD Helicarrier with the serum, but was followed by Ka-Zar. The jungle lord punched out Gemini as they landed in New Jersey, but the serum fell into the Plunderer's hands, with Gog standing right behind him.

(Astonishing Tales#18) - Gog grabbed Ka-Zar, squeezing his chest and forcing his surrender. A SHIELD pilot then dropped off Zabu and Bobbi Morse, and Zabu bit Gog's tail, but was quickly hurled away. The Plunderer then instructed Gog to let Ka-Zar go and transport them to AIM's English headquarters, but Gog instead transported them to the water just off Liberty Island, somehow doubling in size in the process. The Plunderer realized that Gog was no longer responding to his commands as Gog scaled the Statue of Liberty, tearing off its torch hand. Searching the skyline, Gog spied the tallest building in New York City and then teleported atop of it (see comments), inadvertently taking Zabu with him. Now even larger, the immense Gog gazed into space and then slammed his bracelets together again, vanishing to parts unknown.

(Spider-Man#21 - BTS / Spider-Man#23 (fb) - BTS) - Dr. Octopus led Electro, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, and the Vulture to another dimension where they slaughtered a number of aliens, claimed a number of weapons, and recruited Gog (now about 300' tall) as the sixth member of the Sinister Six. Gog's wristbands were removed, and Dr. Octopus somehow managed to gain control of him.

(Spider-Man#22) - As Ghost Rider, the Hulk, and Spider-Man battled the Sinister Six, Gog revealed his presence, slapping his wrist on top of Ghost Rider and the Hulk, flattening them with a single blow.

(Spider-Man#23) - Spider-Man managed to stay alive until the Fantastic Four, Nova, and Solo arrived to help him. The heroes evaded Gog's strikes, and Solo used an unspecified energy weapon to blast Gog, incapacitating him and causing him to come crashing to the ground.
After the rest of the Sinister Six were taken away, Mr. Fantastic discussed his plans to shrink Gog to a more manageable size and then send him back to the dimension from which he had been taken.

(Chaos War#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Gog got caught and placed in "Continuum", an alternate universe created by the Olympus Group that was supposed to replace Earth.

(Chaos War#1/2) - While trapped in "Continuum" Gog was encountered by Hercules, who knocked him out during a fight.

(Uncanny X-Men III#33 - BTS) - At some point, Gog relocated to Monster Island, sea of Okhotsk.

(Uncanny X-Men III#33) - Gog, the Brute That Walks, a Flora Colossus and Gorgolla attacked the cave where the X-Men Magik and Shadowcat ahd found the mutant girl Bo. Fed up with having to fight monsters, Magik teleported herself, Kitty and Bo back to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

Information on the Tsiln derived from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#15: Appendix to Alien Races: Tsiln.

In Astonishing Tales#18, Gog actually teleported atop the World Trade Center/Twin Towers, but they are sadly no longer there, so that information can be considered topical.

Calkin's first name was revealed in Gog's profile in OHotMU Update 2010#1. The Haizlip dimension was first mentioned in Gog's profile in Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone.

Presumably a warp-drive starship, it was used to transport the future Gog and a female Tsiln to Earth. It landed in the Savage Land and was discovered by Kraven, who removed Gog. Its subsequent fate is unknown.

She was sent alongside the future Gog in the starship to Earth, but she had died by the time Kraven found the ship.

images:
Amazing Spider-Man I#103, p16 (Gog vs Spidey)
    #104, p7, panel 1 (ship)
            p8, panel 3 (infant Gog)
                panel 5 (dead female
Astonishing Tales#18, p18, panel 2 (Gog atop the towers)
Spider-Man#22, last page (Gog with Sinister Six)

Amazing Spider-Man I#104 (January, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gil Kane (pencils), Frank Gicaoia (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man I#111 (August, 1972) - Gerry Conway (writer), John Romita (pencils), John Romita & Tony Mortellaro (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Astonishing Tales#17-18 (April-June, 1973) - Mike Friedrich (writer), Dan Adkins (pecnils), Frank Chiaramonte (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com