Home Comics Avengers’ Gorilla-Man Ken Hale’s 1954 Debut Headed to Auction

Avengers’ Gorilla-Man Ken Hale’s 1954 Debut Headed to Auction

In the debut issue of Men’s Adventures #26 from Marvel/Atlas, which was published in 1954, readers were introduced to Kenneth Hale, also known as Gorilla-Man. This character has since become associated with the Avengers and has had a rich history within Marvel Comics.

Originally, Marvel was known as Atlas and began as a war comic before moving into horror. The last two issues of Men’s Adventures featured the original Human Torch. In this particular story, Kenneth Hale is haunted by nightmares of a Gorilla Man in Africa. Determined to confront the mythical creature, Hale travels to Kenya and engages in a fierce battle, ultimately killing the Gorilla Man. However, this act of violence causes a transformation, turning Hale himself into the new Gorilla Man.

In 2006, Marvel Comics revived the character in the series Agents Of Atlas, giving Gorilla-Man a significant role within the Marvel universe. It was revealed that he had served as a guide for the original X-Men, worked alongside the 1950s Avengers, and joined other notable groups like S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Howling Commandos and Agents of Atlas. Agents of Atlas reintroduced Gorilla-Man to Marvel readers after a hiatus of over fifty years and even spawned his own dedicated series.

As the character continued to develop, Gorilla-Man joined Domino’s version of the Mercs For Money and became part of Black Panther’s Agents of Wakanda. He recently resurfaced within the Avengers, assuming the role of overseeing their headquarters in Avengers Mountain. However, Gorilla-Man’s loyalty was called into question when he betrayed his fellow Avengers by aiding the Red Widow and the Winter Guard in infiltrating Avengers Mountain and kidnapping She-Hulk. Dracula had promised Gorilla-Man a death at Red Widow’s hands, but the character did not achieve this long-desired outcome.

Despite these recent events, Gorilla-Man has been seen providing assistance to other Marvel heroes such as Ka-Zar and Blade in their fight against Roxxon’s Berserkers. However, it is essential to remember that this is where it all began for the character – his very first appearance in Men’s Adventures #26.

If Gorilla-Man were to make his way into the upcoming Marvel movies, owning a copy of this significant comic book would be an incredible find. Currently available for sale through Heritage Auctions, this issue represents a remarkable opportunity to acquire the first appearance of one of Marvel’s Avengers, predating the formation of the Avengers by a decade.

The specific copy of Men’s Adventures #26 being offered has a VG- condition and features a Russ Heath cover, with artwork by Dick Ayers, George Evans, and Gene Colan. Despite minor flaws such as a piece missing from the back cover, a 4″ tear on the back cover, and a 1.5″ tear on the front cover that extends into four pages, its estimated value is $86 according to the current Overstreet 2022 VG 4.0 pricing. Affiliates of Bleeding Cool frequently engage with Heritage Auctions as both buyers and sellers.

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