This 5-page story--I, the Gargoyle!--was redone a few years later as a "Tales of the Watcher" back-up feature in Silver Surfer I#7 (August, 1969)--although expanded to 10-pages with a few additional story-panels, it was essentially the same.
ALAN SWAN
Real Name: Alan Swan
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Musician/singer
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Unidentified subterranean people
Enemies: None
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: "A gargoyle" (as called by himself)
Base of Operations: A subterranean city; originally from an unidentified American city
First Appearance: Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2 (May, 1962)
Powers/Abilities: Having no paranormal abilities, the intelligent Swan was a talented singer and musician who played piano. Although a good-hearted, gentle, and generous man, he was unfortunately rejected by human society because of the ugliness of his deformed face.
But Swan's loneliness eventually ended when he piloted the atomic mole machine to the center of the earth, where he found love and acceptance with a subterranean civilization.
Height: Unrevealed (6'; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
History:
(Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2 (fb)) - Alan Swan's talents
were many, but having a love of
music, he earned a living as a singer of romantic ballads; the sales
of his records brought him great wealth, which he always generously
donated to charities. But because of the ugly features of his
face, he was completely friendless, and women rejected him when he asked
them out on dates. In the lonely solitude of his home, the
socially-isolated and despondent Swan wept, for in a world populated
with teeming billions, he could not find one other human being to love,
and felt his life had no value.
(Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2) - The depressed Swan's life was destined to be changed by a news broadcast that announced the completion of an atomic mole machine; although it was essentially a one-way voyage with no way to return, Swan volunteered to operate the machine for its journey to the center of the earth, because he figured no one would miss him. Sitting at the controls of the mole machine as it began to bore deep into the ground, Swan rationalized that perhaps this was why he was born an ugly "gargoyle," so that the world would have one man well-suited for such a suicide mission.
The hours turned to days, and the mole machine dug deeper and deeper; finally, it reached a huge cavern with breathable air and a faint, peaceful light. Swan exited the machine and saw a subterranean city in the distance; then he was greeted by two people--a man and a beautiful blond woman. Swan was stunned when the woman addressed him as "handsome one"; she explained that because of the dim light in their world, her people perceived others by their hearts and souls, and she could "see" that Swan had a kind and gentle soul filled with beauty and music.
The two subterraneans escorted Swan to their city, where they showed him a piano-like instrument and asked him to play some of the lovely melodies they sensed filling his heart. Swan sat down and began to play, which attracted the attention of several other citizens, who came running to pay homage to the one who produced the lovely sounds.
When Swan was finished playing, the subterranean people begged him to remain with them, so that the beauty of his music could inspire them for all the days of his life--they offered him their respect, gratitude, and love, so Swan happily accepted their offer.
Returning to the mole machine, Swan radioed the surface-world for the final time and reported that he had reached the earth's core, where a miracle had occurred--he had found "Heaven".
Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Alan Swan would seem to be a more sympathetic version of the earlier-introduced Mole Man/Harvey Elder (@ Fantastic Four I#1).
That blonde seemed to take an immediate interest in Swan--perhaps the two eventually fell in love and were married.
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This 5-page story--I, the Gargoyle!--was redone a few years later as a "Tales of the Watcher" back-up feature in Silver Surfer I#7 (August, 1969)--although expanded to 10-pages with a few additional story-panels, it was essentially the same. |
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Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Alan Swan/"The Gargoyle" has no known connections to:
The atomic mole machine should not be confused with:
The subterranean people have no know connections to:
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A vehicle designed to bore into the earth's core, it was built to learn if life existed far beneath the surface of the world. It required a human pilot to operate it from the control cockpit, which was equipped with a radio; however, there was no way to return it and the pilot to the surface once the voyage was made, so it would essentially be a suicide mission. Musician Alan Swan volunteered for the mission, since he was rejected by society because of his ugly features; however, Swan found happiness and acceptance when he discovered a city of subterranean people. --Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2 |
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A peaceful human-like race who resided in a city near the earth's core, they numbered at least six (three men and three women [none identified]; the men were bald, and the women had blond hair). They were highly fond of music, and because of the dim light in their subterranean world, they perceived others with their hearts and souls. Two of them greeted musician Alec Swan when he arrived in their subterranean world. Despite Swan's ugly features, the blond woman addressed him as "handsome one" because she could "see" the beauty in Swan's soul. Sensing the lovely melodies that filled Swan's heart, they took him back to their city and asked him to play a piano-like instrument. Swan complied and his music attracted the attention of other citizens, who came running to pay homage to the one who produced the lovely sounds. |
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When Swan was finished playing, the subterranean people begged him to remain with them; being regarded as an ugly outcast on the surface-world, Alan Swan happily accepted their offer. --Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2 (Comment: And much like Daredevil/Matt Murdock, these people probably had some form of "radar sense" which allowed them to perceive the inanimate objects in their surroundings.) |
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images: (without ads)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p2, pan7 (main image - Alan Swan)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p3, pan6 (headshot - Alan Swan)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p5, pan1 (Alan Swan plays music for subterranean people)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p5, pan5 (Alan Swan radios surface-world; subterranean woman [left])
Silver Surfer I#7/2, p5, pan1 (Alan Swan)
Silver Surfer I#7/2, p10, pan4 (Alan Swan radios surface-world; subterranean woman [left])
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p3, pan5 (atomic mole machine)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p3, pan7-8 (Alan Swan inside atomic mole machine; atomic mole machine begins to dig)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p4, pan4 (Alan Swan sees subterranean city)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p4, pan4 (two subterraneans greet Alan Swan)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p4, pan5 (subterranean woman and man speak to Alan Swan)
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2, p5, pan4 (subterraneans invite Alan Swan to stay with them)
Appearances:
Amazing Adult Fantasy I#12/2 (May, 1962) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Steve Ditko (artist), Artie Simek (letters)
Silver Surfer I#7/2 (August, 1969) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Howard Purcell (pencils), Dan Adkins (inks), Jean Simek (letters) - original story redone
First posted: 02/14/2025
Last updated: 01/29/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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