GOOM
Real Name: Goom
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Planet X)
Occupation: Would-be conqueror
Group Membership: Monster Island's monsters (Abominable Snowman, Blip, Brute that Walks, Gog, Gorgolla, It the Living Colossus, a Lizard Man of Tok, Moomba, Rorgg, Two-Headed Thing, Xemnu, Zzutak and one of the Flora colossus (like Groot), among others);
formerly S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Howling Commandos unit (Abominable Snowman, Bradley Beemer, Brother Voodoo,
Clone of Frankenstein, Glob/Joe Timms, Gorilla Man/Ken Hale, Grogg, Groot, Hellstorm, It the Living Colossus, Kraa the Unhuman, Lilith, Living Mummy, Clay Quartermain, Sasquatch/Walter Langkowski, Vampire by Night, Warwolf/Vince Marcus, Zombie"John Doe", many others); "the Collector's collection" (Droom, Fin Fang Foom, Gargantus, Grogg, Groot, Grottu, Rommbu, Taboo, Tragg, Vandoom's Monster)
Affiliations: Googam, Kid Kaiju (Kei Kawade), Multiple Man (Jamie Madrox), Strong Guy (Guido Carosella);
formerly the Collector (Elder), Mole Man
temporarily Bruttu, Crawling Creature, Creature from Krogarr, Creature from the Black Bog, Green Thing, Insect Man, Klagg, Krakoa (grandchild), Metallo, Monsteroso, Monsteroso, Monstro, Monstrom, Oog, Orrgo, Pildorr the Plunderer, Quogg, Sporr, Thing that Crawled by Night, Thorg, Tim Boo Ba, Ulvar, Zetora
Enemies: Collector, Crustor, Hedy Devine, Doop, Whitney Hammond, the Hive, Mark Langley, Leviathon Tide, Merlin, Chili Seven, Venus, X-Men (Magik/Illyana Rasputin, Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde), Xemnu
Known Relatives: Googam (son), Shivoor (wife)
Aliases: The Thing From Planet X
Base of Operations: Monster Island, sea of Okhotsk;
formerly God Complex, Antarctica;
formerly Area 13, Pine Barrens, New Jersey;
formerly the Negative Zone;
formerly the Collector's zoo, beneath Canada;
formerly Planet X
First Appearance: Tales Of Suspense I#15/1 (March, 1961)
Powers/Abilities: Goom possessed superhuman size and strength (class 40), and while on the planet Earth, he was able to fly due to the difference in gravity. Goom also possessed terrific mental powers which included telekinesis. He could lift an entire city into the air by force of will. Goom was protected from all harm by an invisible force field, which may have been related to his mental powers.
Goom also wielded sophisticated alien technology which included his starship, a time machine, and a Neutron Ray which was powerful enough to reduce an entire mountain into dust.
Height: Unrevealed (approximately 40')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 25 tons)
Eyes: Black
Hair: None
History:
(Tales Of Suspense I#15/1) - Goom was a criminal from the Planet X, a planet within Earth's solar system but which was hidden from the perspective of Earthmen due to time and space warps. Goom first learned of Earth due to a radio beam sent out by scientist Mark Langley, who was attempting to learn if life existed on his planet. Goom used Langley's radio beam to follow the transmission back to Earth. He landed his craft outside of Langley's laboratory, and emerging, found himself to be more powerful on Earth than he had been on Planet X. He declared that he would now set out to conquer Earth, and ordered Langley to bring Earth's greatest scientists and statesmen to him, while he held his wife Helen hostage.
Langley obliged, and when the scientists arrived, Goom informed them that he had come to Earth only to conquer it. As a show of his power, he placed one of the scientists into his time machine, regressing him into an infant. As a second display of might, he lifted an entire city into the sky with his thoughts. Earth had all but surrendered to Goom when Langley again contacted Planet X, and other members of Goom's race came to Earth. They identified Goom as an outcast, and forcibly retrieved him, taking him back to Planet X.
(Marvel Monsters: Fin Fang Four#1 - BTS) - "Where Monsters Dwell!", a movie featuring Goom's image and footage of the creature, had been made, directed by an "Anthony Droom".
(Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl#1 (fb) - BTS) - Goom was captured by the Collector and placed in his zoo beneath Canada.
(Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl#1) - After an attack on the Collector by the Mole Man caused the freedom of the creatures, Goom was among many of the specimens to go on a rampage through New York City. They were defeated by a group of heroes that included the Hulk, the Beast, the Thing, and Giant-Man. Mr. Fantastic had the Thing open a portal to the Negative Zone, where the creatures were all dumped.
(Incredible Hulk II Annual#5 - BTS) - Another would-be-conquerer, Xemnu the Titan had researched classified extraterrestrial files of the U.S. government, thus learning of Goom's time on Earth. Xemnu chose to built five robots resembling several monster-like creatures including Goom, Groot, Blip, Diablo and Taboo. Xemnu used these robots to battle the Hulk who eventually destroyed all of them.
(Warlock and the Infinity Watch#7 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Goom
returned to Earth and made his way to Monster Isle.
(Warlock and the Infinity Watch#7) - Goom was among the monsters that
the Infinity Watch encountered when they arrived on Monster Isle.
(Marvel Valentine
Special#1/3)- Many years later, as part of a grand new scheme to
conquer Earth, Goom used a dating service to trick women into
contacting him. He then intended for them to give birth to his
offspring, who would cause humanity to "crumble under the weight of
this aggressive new demographic group." His advertisement was answered
by Chili Seven, but he found himself opposed by the goddess Venus, and
her old flame Whitney Hammond. Venus observed that Goom sought only to
be loved, and that therefore a solution to Goom's problem should be
found. She used the dating service to find a match for Goom, which
proved to be Shivoor, princess of Colony World X-IV. Although Shivoor
was instantly taken by Goom, he insisted that his "mighty heart yearns
for conquest-- not romance!" Despite his protestations, Goom was led
away by Shivoor, back into space.
(Marvel Monsters: Fin Fang Four#1 -
BTS) - Tim Boo Ba pretended to be Goom to telepathically lure Goom's
son Googam into releasing him from his subatomic world.
(Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#2) - Goom was seen to be in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "Howling Commandos" unit.
(Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#4) - Goom escaped his containment unit and rampaged through the Area 13 compound, but was felled by Gorilla Man.
(Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#6) - Goom was among the Howling Commandos members that launched an assault on the forces of Merlin.
(Ghost Rider VI#33 - BTS) - Deacon and Blackout considered him as a possible agent in their fight against Ghost Rider (Blaze).
(Incredible Hulk V#12 (fb) - BTS) - Goom and Googam were imprisoned at the God Complex, a prison in Anarctica for threats no ordinary prison could hold.
(Incredible Hulk V#12) - When they had the chance to break out after a battle between Thing and Wolverine against the Hulk, they decided against it when Goom assumed Earth had been destroyed by nuclear bombs while Goom believed everybody had moved to Mars. The monsters descended right back down to their automated, safe underground prison.
(Wolverine & the X-Men I#17) - Goom, Fin Fang Foom, a Flora Colossus, Grogg, Krakoa and Thorg got into a fight with Doop.
(Uncanny X-Men III#33 - BTS) - At some point, Goom relocated to Monster Island, sea of Okhotsk.
(Uncanny X-Men III#33) - Goom was one of the many monsters who witnessed the arrival of X-Men Magik and Shadowcat and got into a fight with them. They had come to Monster Island to save a little mutant girl called Bo. After they found her Magik teleported herself, Kitty and Bo back to the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(Monsters Unleashed II#2) - The Inhuman Kid Kaiju summoned Goom along with numerous other monsters to an area outside San Diego, California in defense against the Leviathons.
(Monsters Unleashed II#3) - Goom joined the fight against the Leviathons. Earth's heroes watched the monsters summoned by Kid Kaiju defeat the Leviathons.
(Doctor Strange#1.MU) - Goom knocked down a Leviathon, who had swatted away his son Googam. He left the Leviathon for Googam to finish off because his son claimed he had everything under control. Goom walked away to find a worthier opponent. Goom then witnessed how Doctor Strange saved Googam from the Leviathon, who once again gained the upper hand against Googam.
(Monsters Unleashed II#3) - After the battle Goom and the other monsters were teleported back from where they came.
(Monsters Unleashed II#4) - Goom fought Leviathons in New York City alongside Earth's heroes and was knocked out by a Leviathon in front of Vision, who asked for more backup because the Leviathons were breaking through their defense lines.
(Monsters Unleashed II#5) - After the Leviathon Mother was defeated by Kid Kaiju's own monsters Goom was among the last monsters to be teleported away.
(Venomized#4) - Kei sent Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur to safety, then summoned Goom, Gomdulla, and Gorgilla to help in the fight against the Poisons' Hive.
(X-Men Unlimited III#34 (fb) - BTS) - Goom and several other inhabitants of Monster Island came under the influence of Xemnu the Titan who proclaimed himself King of Monster Island using his psychic abilities to bend other monsters to his will.
(X-Men Unlimited III#27) - Goom and Rorgg were seen on Monster Island when mutants Strong Guy and one of Multiple Man's dupes found themselves on the island after dealing with the ferocious blue offspring of a crustaceous monster.
(X-Men Unlimited III#34) - Just as the two mutants were about to leave Monster Island they were discovered by Goom. Eager to bring the mutants to Xemnu, Goom opposed Strong Guy who used his superhuman strength to break off one of Goom's teeth after which Goom threw the mutant at the ground rendering him unconscious. The sound of their battle had attracted Rorrg, the Two-Headed Thing and a Giganto who were all under Xemnu's control. The monsters brought the two mutants to Xemnu who was seemingly impressed with their efforts and revealed his newly developed master plan to amass a mutant army to conquer the island nation of Krakoa after which he placed the mutants under his mind control.
However, Xemnu came under attack by the same ferocious blue little monsters that had previously attacked Strong Guy and Multiple Man. Having dented Xemnu's chrome cranium, Goom and the other monsters regained their senses for a brief moment. Still able to use some of his hypnotic capabilities, Xemnu once again took control of Rorrg, the Two-Headed Thing and the Giganto who then attacked Goom. Mere moments later another monster appeared, aptly named Crustor by the Multiple Man dupe, the crustaceous monster helped Goom ward off the other monsters while the dupe and Strong Guy successfully defeated Xemnu, ending his reign.
The following morning Goom and Rorrg helped the mutants locate a Krakoan gateway on the island after which the towering monsters wondered how they would've ever fit through one of the gates of Xemnu had his way. Rorrg then thanked the mutants on behalf of the monsters after which the duo returned home.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.
Markus Raymond and Loki discussed Goom's height and weight, noting it would be similar to his son although the stories themselves are not ideal for estimating him: in one panel humans are up to his knees, then the same humans fit in his hand comfortably, then they are up to his waist, then other humans are barely knee high and he towers over them. Given that Googam is still growing in his initial story (and isn't 40 foot at the time - maybe 12), but adds that he will soon be as large as his father. Although we also know that Goom could grow and shrink either himself or the the humans around him (we see Googam do the latter, so we know it is within their species' power).
Of some interest is the story of Venus and the name Chili Seven.
In the 1999 JLA Annual#3, there are some very familiar names being screamed. Here's the breakdown: the 1999 annuals from DC were a very nice homage to the Silver Age, utilizing two mainstays of that olden time: gorillas and weird transformations. There is a scene in the U.N. where the delegates are all turned into gorillas and start tearing the place up. What got me was the things they were yelling. They were all yelling the names of classic Kirby monsters! The monsters references include Groot, Mombu, Zzutak, Klaggu, Moomba, Goom and Krobaa.
In Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man#4, Goom is depicted as an alien in the Negative Zone who monitors Earth through television transmissions. When the Human Torch switches the television feed to MTV, he winds up absorbing phrases from rap culture ("Goom is in the hizzy!"). The Torch also accidentally brought him to Earth, but Spider-Man helped send him back.
In a non-canonical story in Monster-Size Hulk#1 (December, 2008) Goom tells his son Googam a fairy tale about the Hulk fighting monsters.
In Iceman and Angel#1 (May, 2011) Goom gets into a fight with the mutants Iceman and Angel while searching for his son Googam, who was at college and had not checked in with him for over a week. Iceman and Angel helped him find Googam, who was enjoying Springbreak in Cancun, Mexico. Goom then took Googam back to Planet X on his spaceship. Several things in this story don't work within Marvel's continuity, which makes its canocity within Earth-616 continuity questionable enough to not include it in the main history.
--Markus Raymond
Profile has been fully reworked, updated and extended by MarvellousLuke.
Profile by Prime Eternal, Markus Raymond and MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Goom should not be confused with:
Goom's ship was evidently capable of faster-than-light travel, and brought him to Earth, following Mark Langley's radio transmission.
--Tales Of Suspense I#15
Goom's Time Machine was a cabinet large enough to fit an ordinary-sized human. The time machine's controls enabled Goom to control the aging process of anyone placed within it. As a demonstration of his power, he regressed a scientist back into infancy.
--Tales Of Suspense I#15
Shivoor was the flowered princess of Colony World X-IV. Like Goom, she loved pillaging and plundering, and was thus the perfect match for Goom. She was found to the perfect match for Goom on the Floppy Disk of the Gods, and led him away to celebrate their love for one another as husband and wife.
--Marvel Valentine Special#1/3
images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#15, p4, pan4 (main)
Tales of Suspense I#15, p5, pan2 (flying)
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#4, p4, pan2,3 (defeated by Gorilla Man)
Doctor Strange#1.MU, p4, pan1 (after defeating Leviathon)
Tales of Suspense I#15, p3, pan5 (ship)
Tales of Suspense I#15, p9, pan8 (time machine)
Marvel Valentine Special#1/3, p8, pan3 (Shivoor)
Appearances:
Tales Of Suspense I#15 (March, 1961) - Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Incredible Hulk Annual#5 (November, 1976) - Chris Claremont & Len Wein (writers), Sal Buscema (pencils), Jack Abel (inks), Len Wein (editor)
Warlock and the Infinity Watch#7 (August, 1992) - Jim Starlin (writer), Tom Raney (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Craig Anderson (editor)
Marvel Valentine Special#1 (March, 1997) - Frank Strom (writer), Dan DeCarlo (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl#1 (December, 2005) - Steve Niles (writer), Duncan Fegredo (artist), Jenny Lee & Mark Paniccia (editors)
Marvel Monsters: Fin Fang Four#1 (December, 2005) - Scott Gray (writer), Roger Langridge (artist), John Barber (editor)
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#2 (January, 2006) - Keith Giffen (writer), Eduardo Francisco (penciler), Rob Campanella (inker), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#4 (March, 2006) - Keith Giffen (writer), Derec Aucoin (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Nick Fury's Howling Commandos#6 (May, 2006) - Keith Giffen (writer), Mike Norton (penciler), Derec Aucoin & Norman Lee (inkers), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Ghost Rider VI#33 (2009) - Jason Aaron (writer), Tony Moore (artist), Axel Alonso (editor)
Iceman and Angel#1 (May, 2011) - Brian Clevinger (writer), Juan Doe (artist), Sebastian Girner (editor)
Incredible Hulk V#12 (October, 2012) - Jason Aaron (writer), Carlos Pacheco (pencils), Roger Bonet (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Wolverine & the X-Men I#17 (November, 2012) - Jason Aaron (writer), Michael Allred (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
Uncanny X-Men III#33 (April, 2015) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Kris Anka (pencils, inks), Mike Marts, Xander Jarowey (editors)
Monsters Unleashed II#2 (April, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Monsters Unleashed II#3 (April, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Leinil Francis Yu (pencils), Gerry Alanguilan & Michael Jason Paz (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Doctor Strange#1.MU (April, 2017) - Chip Zdarsky (writer), Julian Lopez (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Darren Shan (editor)
Monsters Unleashed II#4 (May, 2017) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Salvador Larroca (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Venomized#4 (June, 2018) - Cullen Bunn (writer), Kevin Libranda (penciler), Scott Hanna, Livesay (inkers), Devin Lewis (editor)
X-Men Unlimited III#27 (March 21, 2022) - Jason Loo (writer, pencils, inks), Lauren Amaro (editor)
X-Men Unlimited III#34 (May 9, 2022) - Jason Loo (writer, pencils, inks), Lauren Amaro (editor)
First Posted: 12/06/2003
Last updated: 08/16/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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