BEN BENSON
Real Name: Ben Benson (see comments)
Identity/Class: Human (1950s era)
Occupation: Explorer (likely retired)
Group Membership: Explorers' Club (see comments)
Affiliations: Ken Hale
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None (see comments)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed
First Appearance: Men's Adventures#26/4/ (March, 1954)
Powers/Abilities: A seemingly ordinary man, the elderly Benson displayed no paranormal abilities.
As a result of his explorations, Benson was knowledgeable in the legends and folklore of Africa.
Height: Unrevealed
(see comments)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: White (balding)
History:
(Men's Adventures#26/4 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Benson is
largely unrevealed, but apparently in his younger years, he explored the
African continent. While in Kenya, he heard the natives speak of
half-man, half-gorilla creatures--supposedly, when the time came, the
leader of these creatures would fight a challenger to his kingship to
the death.
Benson eventually joined the Explorers' Club, and at some point, he met the acquaintance of Ken Hale.
(Men's Adventures#26/4) - When Hale was plagued by
nightmares of a gorilla-man, he eventually went to the Explorers' Club
and questioned Benson about such a creature. Benson told Hale about the
legend of the gorilla-men of Kenya; afterwards, Hale quickly dashed off.
When Benson questioned where he was going, Hale replied that he was
headed to Africa--although Hale didn't know why,
he insisted that he had to go there...
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Robert Q. Sale.
...and of course, Hale's trip to Africa would
eventually result in his transformation into Gorilla-Man.
(Agents of Atlas I#6/Gorilla-Man I#3 featured flashbacks wherein it was
Mr. Lao who gave Ken Hale a map to the exact location
of the gorilla-men, but I assume it was Benson who pointed him in
the general direction of Kenya)
Benson only appeared in these four story-panels, so not much is known
about him--considering his advanced age, he probably died within a few
years of these events; and since he was never clearly depicted as
standing upright, I couldn't estimate his height/weight.
Because Ken Hale addressed him as "Ben" (see
second image), I'm only assuming that's his first name,
and not just a nickname/shortened form of his last name.
The name of the organization was mentioned in a caption as "Explorers'
Club" (with apostrophe).
This profile was completed 4/06/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary 's celebratory event.
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Ben Benson has no known connections to:
images: (without ads)
Men's Adventures#26/4, p2, pan9 (Main Image - Ben Benson, sitting in chair at Explorers' Club)
Men's Adventures#26/4, p3, pan1 (Headshot - Ben Benson, telling Ken Hale (background) about gorilla-men)
Men's Adventures#26/4, p3, pan2 (Ben Benson (background) questions Ken Hale)
Men's Adventures#26/4, p3, pan3 (Ben Benson, rising from chair)
Appearances:
Men's Adventures#26/4/ (March, 1954) - unidentified writer, Robert Q. Sale (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 09/08/2021
Last updated: 09/06/2021
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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