phrogg-newmen-ih158-main PHROGG

Real Name: Presumably Phrogg

Identity/Class: Terrestrial fauna (frog) mutate (New Men) transported to extraterrestrial existence (Dromisana Galaxy; the High Evolutionary's Counter-Earth)

Occupation: Agent of the Man-Beast;

Group Membership: New Men; specifically the Man-Beast's New Men (Barachuudar, Cobrah, Haukk, Kohbra, Lizhardus, Monck, Pih-Junn, Rhodan, Snakar, Triax the Terrible, Weezhil, others)

Affiliations: Man-Beast, Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich)

Enemies: High Evolutionary (Herbert Edgar Wyndham), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Porcunius and the New Men opposing the Man-Beast's New Men, US Air Force of the High-Evolutionary's Counter-Earth (notably including General Ross), Adam Warlock;
|   presumably Count Tagar, Knights of Wundagore (notably Sir Lepard, Sir Lyan, Sir Ossilot, Sir Ram, and other unidentified Knights), Thor Odinson;
    possibly the Beyonders, Prime Movers of Tarkus, Sphinxor, Thanos

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
    at least formerly various hidden base (including this one) on the High Evolutionary's Counter-Earth;
    presumably formerly Wundagore-3;
    presumably formerly somewhere in the galaxy Dromisana;
    presumably created in the High Evolutionary's Citadel of Science atop Mount Wundagore, Transia;

First Appearance: (Possible first appearance, behind-the-scenes) Thor I#135 (December, 1966);
    (seen and identified) Incredible Hulk II#158 (December, 1972)

Powers/Abilities: A ranine humanoid, Phrogg likely possesses some degree of enhanced leaping ability...and/or enhanced speed...and/or enhanced strength.

    He may or may not have an extendable, sticky tongue that can be used to snare objects or beings.

    He may or may not have toxic secretions on his skin.

    He may or may not be able to hold his breath and survive underwater for extendable periods.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'4" to 5'10")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 120-180 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: None

History:
 (Thor I#135 - BTS / Quicksilver I#9 (fb) - BTS) - The Man-Beast used his evolutionary ray (presumably still powered by Isotope C) to create a number of his own New Men (presumably including Phrogg), who then engaged Thor and the Evolutionary. 

    Thor subdued the Man-Beast, and Count Tagar and the Knights forced the rest of the Man-Beast's New Men into the Evolutionary's Star Chamber, which then transported them to the "galaxy Dromisana" (see comments).

(Marvel Premiere#1 (fb) - BTS / (Marvel Premiere#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Man-Beast and his New Men (presumably including Phrogg) secretly returned to Earth's solar system. The Man-Beast covertly monitored the High Evolutionary's activities.

(Marvel Premiere I#1 - BTS) - When the High Evolutionary became exhausted by the process of creating his Counter-Earth and collapsed, the Man-Beast led a group of armored New Men (possibly including Phrogg) to invade the Evolutionary's asteroid base, apparently slaying Sir Ram in the process.

     The Man-Beast then used the High Evolutionary's machinery to guide the newly developed humanity on Counter-Earth to commit the violent crimes the High Evolutionary had sought to prevent.

    The High Evolutionary revived and attacked the Man-Beast, who summoned his armored New Men (possibly including Phrogg) to aid him. Though the High Evolutionary stopped them as well, the distraction allowed the Man-Beast to strike down the Evolutionary with a psychic blast.

    Before the Man-Beast could slay the Evolutionary, however, Him -- the creation of the Enclave whom the Evolutionary had rescued from space --  rushed to attack the New Men. The Man-Beast teleported himself and his followers down to Counter-Earth.

    The Evolutionary considered destroying his now-tainted world, but Him convinced the Evolutionary to allow him to track down the Man-Beast and to save humanity. The Evolutionary gave Him the Infinity Soul Gem and sent him to Counter-Earth with the new name of Adam Warlock.

(Marvel Premiere#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Man-Beast and his New Men established the base of Wundagore-3.

(Warlock I#1 - BTS) - The High Evolutionary altered Counter-Earth so that it vibrated on a different plane, a mere micro-second out of sync with the rest of the dimension, so that a rocket from Earth approaching Counter-Earth could neither see nor be seen by Counter-Earth.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 (fb) - BTS) - After the Man-Beast dissolved into mist to escape de-evolution by Adam Warlock (although he secretly possessed Rex Carpenter), Kohbra assumed leadership of the New Men and plotted to conquer Counter-Earth. Porcunius led a rebel group of New Men who sought only acceptance, not dominance.

phrogg-newmen-ih158-face(Incredible Hulk II#158 (fb) - BTS) - Presumably with Kohbra's instruction, Phrogg infiltrated Porcunius' group.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 - BTS) - Seeking to get rid of the Hulk and the Rhino, the Leader (Samuel Sterns) sent them on a craft to the opposite side of Earth's sun, at which point it would slow down; it was believed that either the orbit would decay and it would plunge into the sun or they would remain trapped in the craft until they would perish.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 (fb) - BTS) - Kohbra led his army of New Men in an assault on the base of the group of rebel New Men led by Porcunius.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 - BTS) - The Leader's craft instead reached Counter-Earth, after which point the two passengers were separated from each other and the craft.

(Incredible Hulk II#158) - Kohbra announced to Porcunius that he and his rebel band were surrounded and told him to surrender, to rejoin is fellow New Men, and to reclaim their collective destiny to rule this Earth. Before Porcunius could respond, however, the Hulk's fall caused him to crash through the base's ceiling. Porcunius initially suspected the giant green creature to have been sent by Kohbra, but Kohbra feared that Porcunius and his men had gained an ally, and so he led his forces to flee; he told his men to "let the fool think us frightened. We will have our day soon enough." Regardless, their flight convinced Porcunius and his men that the creature was not one of theirs.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 - BTS) - Porcunius convinced the Hulk to join them in him and his allies to take shelter in their catacombs to avoid the soldiers that would hunt them.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 (fb) - BTS) - Kohbra and/or other members of his New Men located and allied with the Rhino.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 (fb) - BTS) - After reporter Jason Anders released an article noting an alien ship to have been discovered by and brought to a local air force base ('scant hours after the ship's discovery), Porcunius read the article to the Hulk, who realized it was the ship on which he had arrived.

(Incredible Hulk II#158) - Phrogg was present as the Porcunius agreed to help the Hulk locate his ship and return to his world, at least in part to prevent Kohbra and his allies from gaining the ship.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 (fb) - BTS) - Phrogg reported this to Kohbra.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 - BTS) - Led by Kohbra, Rhino charged into the air force base and smashed the Hulk from behind.

    The two groups of New Men then fought each other, with Kohbra vowing that Porcunius' outnumbered forces would lose the struggle.

(Incredible Hulk II#158 - BTS) - Regardless, the Leader then recalled his ship, hoping to leave the Hulk and Rhino stranded there.

(Incredible Hulk II#158) - After the Hulk departed with the Rhino aboard the ship, Air Force base airmen rushed in, led by this world's General Ross, and both groups of New Men fled back to their subterranean lairs.

Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, Steve Gerber, Herb Trimpe and Sal Trapani.

    Phrogg has appeared in one issue, in two panels in Incredible Hulk II#158.

    However, as far as I know, there is not anything that indicates that the Man-Beast was able to create additional New Men on his own without the High Evolutionary's evolutionary ray.
    Therefore, Phrogg was likely created and present in Thor I#135.
    I am listing Phrogg as behind-the-scenes in the issues covered in Thor I#135 - Warlock I#1.

    And, assuming Phrogg did not perish at some point earlier, he was presumably present on Counter-Earth when Sphinxor and the Prime Movers took the world for the Beyonders' museum circa Marvel Two-In-One I#61-64 (1980)...and when Counter-Earth was apparently destroyed by the Infinity Gauntlet-possessing Thanos (as revealed circa Warlock and the Infinity Watch#4 (1992).
    I am not really certain what the deal is with the Counter-Earth that appeared circa Uncanny Avengers II#1 (2015), but I do not believe Phrogg was seen with them.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Phrogg should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#158, pg. 10, panel 2 (face);
            panel 3 (departing Porcunius' group)

Appearances:
Thor I#135 (December, 1966) - Stan "The Man" Lee (writer/editor), Jack "King" Kirby (penciler), Vince "The Prince" Colletta (inker) - BTS; presumed
 Marvel Premiere#1-2 (April-May, 1972) - Roy Thomas (writer), Gil Kane (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Stan Lee (editor) - BTS; presumed
Warlock I#1 (August, 1972) - Roy Thomas (plot), Mike Friedrich (script), Gil Kane (pencils), Tom Sutton (inker), Stan Lee (editor) - BTS; presumed
Warlock I#2 (October, 1972) - Roy Thomas (plot), Mike Friedrich (script), John Buscema, Tom Sutton & Gil Kane (pencils), Tom Sutton (inker), Stan Lee (editor) - BTS; presumed
Incredible Hulk II#158 (December, 1972) - Roy Thomas (plot/editor), Steve Gerber (writer), Herb Trimpe (penciler), Sal Trapani (inker)

First posted: 10/02/2024
Last updated: 10/10/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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