GROKKOSGROKKOS
Classification: Alternate Reality (Earth-57824) terrestrial fauna (see comments)
Location/Base of Operations: Unidentified portion of Earth-57824 (perhaps 2750-3550 A.D.)
Known Members: None identified
Affiliations: None known
Enemies: Humanity (at least); notably Mr. Thursby
First Appearance: Adventures into Weird Worlds#13/4 (December, 1952)
Powers/Abilities:
The Grokkos appear to be human-sized (when standing on their hind legs)
mammalian (possibly porcine or rodentine) creatures. They have at least
four long, sharp perhaps-osseous (bony) claws and sharp teeth with
markedly extended maxillary canine teeth.
Carnivorous, at least, they are man-eaters. As contemporary humanity can travel forward in time a day to escape them, they likely feed on other forms of life to survive.
They were prone to ptyalism, at least when approaching potential prey.
Traits: Roaming in packs, they will attack and presumably slay and devour adult humans.
Type: Bilaterally symmetric mammalian quadrupeds
Eyes: Two (on head; they appear to have vertical slit pupils, like a cat or some reptiles)
Fingers: Four claws; they may or may not have a dewclaw
Toes: Unrevealed (likely four)
Skin color: Unrevealed; their are covered with dark brown hair and have pink or orange snouts
Average height: Unrevealed (perhaps 2.5-3' at the withers or shoulder blade; they approach 6' when standing on their hind legs
Other Distinguishing Features: They had porcine snots/noses; in profile, their heads seem vaguely pteropine (bat-like)
History:
(Adventures into Weird Worlds#13/4 (fb) - BTS) -
The Grokkos exist on Earth-57824 in an unspecified future time period
(see comments). They will attempt to feed on humanity, but were often
unsuccessful due to humanity's attempt to travel forward in time.
(Adventures into Weird
Worlds#13/4) - When Mr. Thursby used his time machine to travel to this
time period, he thought to make himself the dictator of the peaceful
people. Apparently seeing the people, a group of at least three Grokkos
began approaching them. A local warned those conversing with Thursby
that they needed to move away from their as wild Grokkos were heading
that way. Seeing the "slimy things," Thursby noted that they looked
like man-eaters, but the people -- assuming that he could travel
through time like he could -- assured him that they would escape.
Thursby panicked as the Grokkos got between him and his time machine,
but the people continued to assure him that it would be fine. However,
when they transported themselves a day forward in time to escape the
creatures, Thursby was left behind, and the he could only scream in
denial as the Grokkos swarmed over him.
Comments: Created by Don Perlin, Abe Simon and an unidentified writer.
We don't know whether the Grokkos were some species that evolved over time on Earth, whether they were genetically engineered, were transported to Earth from another world, magically-created, or who knows what.
As we normally treat Golden Age
stories as if they occurred at the time of publication (barring
anything to the contrary), we would assume Thursby traveled forward
from 1952 as the default. They commonly note stories as occurring in
the future, but they did not in this case, so there's not any reason to
believe that to be the case. When Thursby first traveled into the
future, he was so excited that he "didn't stop the time machine until
he had traveled several centuries into the future."
The word "several" is not very specific and can mean
different things to different people. Its definition is "more than two
but less than many." I generally think of several as more than a few,
and I think of a few as 3-4 (obviously a "couple" strictly means two),
maybe even five, whereas several is like 5-7, maybe even 10, but at
some point it becomes many.
After that first stop, he traveled another 500 years
to the time period in which he met the Grokkos. So 500 years plus a
several (3-10) centuries from 1952, so likely at least 2750 A.D. and
maybe even 3450 A.D.?
Thanks to Loki for providing me scans of this story!
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Grokkos should be distinguished from:
images: (without ads)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#13/4, pg. 4, panel 6 (in profile);
pg. 5, panel 7 (attacking Thursby)
Appearances:
Adventures into Weird Worlds#13/4 (December, 1952) - unidentified writer, Don Perlin (penciler), Abe Simon (inker)
First posted: 10/22/2024
Last updated: 10/22/2024
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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