Gorillas in Comics - Modern Age

Modern Age

Since the silver age, several modern comic book writers have made references to the bizarre preponderance of gorillas in comic book history.

• "Ape-X", a member of The Squadron Supreme
  • Also the name of a super hero who becomes a powerful gorilla after donning a magic Mexican wrestling mask
• "*Dmitri-9", a character vaguely resembling Detective Chimp, appearing in controversial graphic novel The Filth; a Russian ape who became part of the space programme, and came back superintelligent, with a natural talent for killing and an advanced hatred for humans and American space chimps. Killed by an enraged English mob and a speeding train.
• "Haiku Gorilla", a member of the LNH
• "Mondo Simian", a graphic novel by Patrick Joseph featuring a "Planet of the Apes"-inspired world of intelligent apes.
• The "Weeping Gorilla Comix" in Alan Moore's Promethea.
• "King Solomon", a gorilla with a genius-level human brain that serves as Tom Strong's assistant (also created by Alan Moore).
• "Rex Mantooth, Kung-Fu Gorilla", a ninja gorilla, created by Matt Fraction.
• "Sky Ape", a millionaire gorilla with a jetpack, written by Philip D. Amara & Tim McCarney.
• "The Trial of the 800 pound Gorilla", a storyline in Batton Lash's indie comic Supernatural Law paid homage to the iconic "talking gorilla" as well.
• "JLApe", a crossover through the various 1999 annuals of the Justice League of America members' series, in which a bomb planted by inhabitants of Gorilla City turned the United Nations and the League into gorillas.
• "Kriegaffe" ("War ape"), a series of bionically enhanced talking gorillas, created by Nazi scientist Herman von Klempt in Mike Mignola's Hellboy.
• "Don Uggie Apelino", head of the Ape Gang, a criminal mob of sentient gorillas in Judge Dredd.
• "Urban Gorilla", a commuting gorilla in a business suit created by Scott Shaw
• "McGimben 'Mac' Gimbensky" is a protagonist in Tim Eldred's Grease Monkey.
• "Axewell Tiberius" from Art Adams's Monkeyman and O'Brien.
• "Cy-Gor" (short for "Cybernetic Gorilla"), a half-man, half gorilla character in Spawn, published by Image Comics.
• "Brainiape", a gorilla which hosted a mutated, psionically-powered human brain encased in a globe on top of the gorilla's skull, a recurring villain in Image Comics' Savage Dragon. Brainiape's human brain was ultimately revealed to be the amnesiac mind of Adolf Hitler, rescued from death and mutated by the processes that preserved it.
• Marvel Apes "A new Marvel mini-series in which The Gibbon is transported into an alternate earth where all the Superheroes have simian counterparts (Captain Apemerica)." Covers by John Watson.
• "Nnamdi", Solovar's son and successor.
• Secret Origins issue 40 was an 'all gorilla issue' that featured Congorilla, Detective Chimp, and Gorilla Grodd. The issue's editorial discussed the Silver Age phenomenon and the issue sported a campy cover that featured a number of tricks formerly used to sell comics such as go checks, fires, motorcycles and questions.