GORGON extraterrestrial colonyGORGON extraterrestrial colony
Classification: Elderspawn (descendants of the Elder Gods) dwelling on an extraterrestrial planet
Location/Base of Operations: Unidentified planet, unidentified star system, unidentified galaxy
formerly unspecified location on Earth
Known Members: Unidentified leader, scout, and two agents of the leader
they are descended from the original Gorgons: Euryale, Medusa, and Stheno
Affiliations: None known
Enemies: John and an unidentified blind man;
humanity in general
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#96/3 (September, 1963)
Powers/Abilities:
The Gorgons can petrify -- turn to stone, not just terrify to the point
of immobility -- others (at least humans) who look upon their faces.
Not seeing their faces (certainly
via blindness, but presumably via closing both eyes, turning away, and
possibly via only seeing via a reflection).
They had thick green, serpentine lcosk for hair, however, they did not actually appear to have snakes for hair as the terrestrial Gorgons do.
Due to their mystic natures, they may have extended lifespans and some resistance to conventional injury. The scout's referring to humans as mortals would seem to imply that they were not mortal.
They possess the technology to view events on Earth as well as at least one, and presumably multiple, spaceships.
Their "technology" may or may not be magical in nature rather than mechanical.
Traits: At least some of the Gorgons are imperialistic, and they enjoy terrifying and petrifying mortals.
However, they are also somewhat gullible, and they accepted defeat after failing against just two humans.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric humanoid bipeds
Eyes: Two (on head; green color seen; "vertical slit" serpentine pupil)
Fingers: Four (plus opposing thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed (presumably five)
Skin color: Light orange to "pink" (comparable to Caucasian humanity)
Hair: Serpentine appendages
Average height: Approximately 5'10"?
History:
(Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#2: Gorgons entry / myth history - BTS) - The original Gorgons were the sisters Euryale,
Medusa, and Stheno, beautiful goddesses who were the offspring of
Phorcys (one of the spawn of the Elder God Set) and Ceto (daughter of
Pontus and the Elder Goddess Gaea).
Medusa, at least, on pre-Cataclysmic Atlantis served as the chaste priestess of the Olympian goddess Athena; however, after Medusa was seduced by Neptune/Poseidon on Athena's altar, she cursed the three sisters as snake-haired sisters, possibly unleashing this nature they possessed from the grandfather.
Whether via pathenogenesis, magical means, cross-breeding with humanity
or others, the Gorgons developed into a larger society of both males
and females.
(Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#2: Gorgons entry) - At some point after Perseus decapitated Medusa circa the 14th
Century B.C., a group of Gorgons left Earth under unrevealed
circumstances and for unrevealed reasons to found a civilization on an
unidentified planet.
(Journey
into Mystery I#96/3 (fb) - BTS) <Circa 1963 A.D.> - From their
planet, the new leader of the Gorgon extraterrestrial colony ordered
his or her people to invade and conquer Earth. However, he or she also
ordered that they first must be certain that their petrifaction powers
still worked on humans.
(Journey into Mystery I#96/3) - Two members of the Gorgon extraterrestrial colony
viewed a classroom discussing Medusa and the Gorgons, and they were
amused that their existence had been considered myths. However, they
confidently stated that mortals would soon learn the truth, as they
prepared to invade and conquer Earth. 
They further discussed their
plans to send an advance scout to Earth to test humanity's
vulnerability and that they would not attack until she returned with
her report.
One moonless Earth night, the
advance scout's ship landed in a lonely area outside of town without
being seen.
Hiding her features under a cloak
until ready to strike, she entered the city the next day and chose a
man (John) sitting on a park bench to be her first victim.
Approaching
the man, she told him to prepare to meet his doom. As he questioned
what she was talking about, she pulled back her cowl, revealing her
entire head.
However, not only did the man not turn to stone, he did
not even seem to be disturbed by her monstrous appearance. 
Deciding that this man must be exceptionally strong-willed, the scout decided to test her power on another.
Seeing another man nearby, she
stepped in front of him and commanded the mortal to gaze on her, to
look closely at her awesome features and to behold her startling
aspect. However, this man, too, both remained in his normal flesh and
blood form and was completely unphased by her.
Concluding that she had failed,
the scout further postulated that the only possible explanation was
that over the centuries, the human race had become invulnerable to
their powers and that they could never hope to conquer them now.
After departing Earth in her ship, the scout contacted her home planet, telling them to cancel the invasion of Earth.
(Journey into Mystery I#96/3 - BTS) - After the scout
had departed, the two blind men she had failed to petrify (obviously
because they could not see her) discussed the strange behavior of the
woman they had encountered.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Paul Reinman.
I wonder if the extraterrestrial
Gorgons ever learned the truth and re-considered attacking Earth, only
to be dissuaded by the Man on the Wall (Nick Fury).
Obviously, in the original story,
these Gorgons were intended to be aliens who had inspired the myth of
the Medusa and the Gorgons. The original story did state that "ages ago, a few of us visited their primitive planet -- Earth. Which gave rise to the ancient myth of Medusa."
The Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#2: Gorgons profile
clarified the true nature of these Gorgons. It is quite likely that
millennia after leaving Earth, the modern members of the
extraterrestrial Gorgon colony no longer knew the truth (perhaps the
originals told them differently) and/or chose to deny their
heritage.
We don't know how or why or when this group of Gorgons left Earth. It
was after 1400 BC, but was it shortly thereafter vs. centuries or how
many millennia?
Perhaps future stories will further clarify the matter.
No male members of the extraterrestrial colony were seen. It may be
that the society is female-dominated, or it may be that the the Gorgons
reproduce asexually, or that the Gorgons lack secondary sex
differentation. The scout was referred to as "she," certainly, but
beyond that who knows...
Based on the image (seen in the ship profile), the ship seems to depart
Earth from the middle of Texas, so perhaps Austin or San Antonio? Or
perhaps the path shown only includes a portion, and it came from
somewhere further north...and/or east or west...
John and the other blind guy can get their own profiles or be added as
sub-profiles by whoever wants to cover them. I am trying to maintain
focus on extraterrestrial races, so I'm going to just move on to
Grampus and the Gramosians...
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Gorgons share ancestry with
 unidentified star system, unidentified galaxy(Official
Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#2: Gorgons entry) - At some point after Perseus decapitated Medusa circa the 14th
Century B.C., a group of Gorgons left Earth under unrevealed
circumstances and for unrevealed reasons to found a civilization on an
unidentified planet. (Journey
into Mystery I#96/3 (fb) - BTS) <Circa 1963 A.D.> - From their
planet, the new leader of the Gorgon extraterrestrial colony ordered
his or her people to invade and conquer Earth. However, he or she also
ordered that they first must be certain that their petrifaction powers
still worked on humans. (Journey into Mystery I#96/3) - The Gorgons'
scout arrived on Earth, but she mistakenly assumed that humans were
resistant to the Gorgons' petrifaction power after encountering a pair
of blind men who proved immune to her power...and so she reported back
to her home planet, telling them to call off the invasion, and she
presumably headed back to her homeworld. |
 
Unless the Gorgons were based somewhere in Earth's solar system, the
scout's ship had to have been able to travel at faster-than-light
speeds or access warps to travel from one solar system to another in
timely fashion. Again, the means is unrevealed and may or may not have involved some mystical means. (Journey into Mystery I#96/3 (fb) - BTS) <Circa 1963 A.D.> - From their planet, the new leader of the Gorgon extraterrestrial colony ordered his or her people to invade and conquer Earth. However, he or she also
ordered that they first must be certain that their petrifaction powers
still worked on humans. (Journey into Mystery I#96/3) - The Gorgons' scout's ship arrived on Earth, but she mistakenly assumed that humans were resistant to the Gorgons' petrifaction power after encountering a pair of blind men who proved immune to her power. And so she departed Earth and reported back to her
home planet, telling them to call off the invasion, and she presumably
headed back to her homeworld. |
images: (without ads)
Journey into Mystery I#96/3, story pg. 2 (viewing device);
pg. 3, panel 1 (agents of leader discussing plans);
panel 2 (planet of the Gorgons);
panel 3 (Gorgon city);
panel 4 (scout's ship landing on Earth);
panel 5 (cowled scout with ship);
pg. 4, panel 1 (cowled scout, full);
panel 3 (scout, face, detail);
panel 5 (scout, strike two!);
pg. 5, panel 3 (scout ship departing Earth.
Appearances:
Journey
into Mystery I#96/3: "Call Her...Medusa!" (September, 1963) - Stan Lee
(plot), Larry Lieber (script, penciler), Paul Reinman (inker)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#2 (August, 2010) - Jeff Christiansen (head writer/coordinator), Mike Fichera, Mike O'Sullivan, Markus Raymond & Stuart Vandal (assistant coordinators), Michael Hoskin, Mike O'Sullivan, Kevin Garcia, Rob London, Madison Carter, Gabriel Shechter, Ronald Byrd, Sean McQuaid, Stuart Vandal, Chris Biggs, David Wilftong & Jacob Rougemont (writers), Gus Vasquez & Tom Chu (select character artwork), Theodore W. Kutt (copy editor), Alex Starbuck (assistant editor), John Denning (associate editor), Jennifer Grunwald & Mark D. Beazley (editors, special projects), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
First posted: 10/03/2023
Last updated: 10/03/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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