GARGANTUA

Real Name: Edward Cobert

Identity/Class: Human Mutate;
  Citizen of the U.S.A., dual identity secret

Occupation: Criminal for hire;
  Formerly a SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division) scientist working on Project: Olympus

Group Membership: (formerly) Masters of Evil; (formerly) Project: Olympus of SHIELD

Affiliations: Abomination, Force of Nature, Krona, Mad Dog, Mad Thinker, Mutant Force, Professor Power’s Secret Empire operatives (Cloud, Seraph, Harridan),
Titania (Mary MacPherran), Wizard

Enemies: Bucky (Hoskins), Captain America (Walker), Defenders (Angel, Beast, Cloud, Gargoyle, Iceman, Moondragon, Valkyrie), Guardians of the Galaxy, Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Dum-Dum Dugan, Glyph, Hit-Monkey, Man-Thing, Manphibian, Jasper Sitwell, Teen Abomination, Vampire by Night, Warwolf/Martin Reyna), Infinity War doppelgangers, Nick Fury and SHIELD, Wasp, Wonder Man

Known Relatives: None known

Aliases: Levi; Leviathan; Ferbel? (see comments)

Base of Operations: None known;
    formerly Project: Olympus in the Caribbean

Extent of Education: SHIELD Academy graduate;
    PhD in biochemistry

First Appearance: (New) Defenders I#126 (December, 1983)

Powers/Abilities: Gargantua is trapped at giant-size. He possesses super-strength (Class 75?), with enhanced human stamina, metahuman durability, and athletic speed and reflexes. His agility is below normal and he demonstrates no particular fighting skills. He was once a renowned scientist, but now has limited intelligence.

Height: 25'?
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Pale blue
Hair: Brown

History: ((New) Defenders I#126 (fb) ) - Little is known about the background of Edward Cobert. He was a brilliant SHIELD scientist that was appointed to head the Caribbean-based Project: Olympus: dedicated to the development of a new breed of super-human, and answerable directly to the president of the United States. The government, in this project, hoped to have super-human operatives created that would be tied to the government, but the scientists of the Project decided to attempt to totally eradicate the old heroes with their new breed of hero. Cobert volunteered himself for the first experiment, involving artificial cellular enhancement, and ended up growing to giant size and going berserk. Before SHIELD could stop his rampage, fifty lives were lost. Cobert was sedated and taken to Level L of the New York SHIELD headquarters, where he was kept for the next three years.

((New) Defenders I#126) - After Secret Empire operatives Mad Dog and the Mutant Force were captured by SHIELD, Professor Power ordered their release by calling his agents in SHIELD to provide a distraction. An unnamed agent freed Leviathan from custody, and he broke free from the headquarters, killing four SHIELD agents in the process. Leviathan attracted the attention of the Defenders as he engaged in rampant destruction on the streets of New York, throwing cars and smashing buildings (and speaking in rhyme!). He plucked the Angel out of the air and threw him at the Beast. Iceman encased Leviathan's head in a block of ice, which he shattered by blowing. Valkyrie attacked, but Leviathan knocked her over with a punch. Moondragon attempted, to no avail, to brain blast Leviathan as he chanted, "Fee fie fo fum! Bite off your heads -one by one!" The Defenders attacked all at once, finally using teamwork, and Leviathan fell unconscious. He was put into SHIELD restraints and taken back into custody. During the battle, the Empire operatives were successfully freed.

((New Defenders I#128 (fb)) - Leviathan was freed from SHIELD custody and recruited by the Empire.

((New) Defenders I#128) - The Defenders attacked the Secret Empire headquarters and fought many of their operatives. After they were weakened, Leviathan vanquished the entire team, leading to their capture. They later beat the Empire, but Leviathan was not seen again.

(Captain America I#338) - The replacement Captain America and Bucky (later USAgent and Battle Star) were ordered by the government to take down Power. After they fought robots and Mandroids, Leviathan attacked them. He picked one up in each hand and tried to smash them into each other. Leviathan dropped them when he was hit in the eye with Cap's shield. He tried to stomp on them both, then reached down to smash them. They caught a ride back up on his hands, then positioned themselves on either side of his neck. The two super-strong heroes joined hands and squeezed until Leviathan lost his air and passed out.

(Avengers Spotlight I#28/2) - The Mad Thinker escaped from prison, having devised a plan to change public opinion regarding the Super-powers Registration Act. He devised a transmitter which he somehow placed in Leviathan's ear. The Mad Thinker renamed Leviathan "Gargantua" and devised a new costume. Through the transmitter, he ordered him to attack the Capitol Building, where Wonder Man and the Wasp were speaking publicly about the Act. Following the Thinker's orders, Gargantua started smashing cars. After Wonder Man punched Gargantua in the shin, he began hopping around on one foot and accidentally stomped on Wonder Man. They continued fighting until the Wasp flew into his ear and discovered the transmitter. She spoke into it, giving Gargantua new orders to bend down and wait for Wonder Man to punch him, knocking him unconscious. The event, in conjunction with the speeches, swayed public opinion, according to the Mad Thinker's plans.

(New Warriors I#36) - Inside the maximum security prison the Vault, Gargantua joined the Wizard and the Forces of Nature in a riot against the Guardsmen, who were not allowing Forces of Nature member Terraformer access to plantlife. Both the prisoners and guards were finally calmed by the recently incarcerated Vance Astrovik, who then brought Terraformer a plant from the warden's office.

(Guardians of the Galaxy I#28-29) - Gargantua was recruited by Doctor Octopus to join a new Masters of Evil team and storm Avengers Mansion. The Guardians of the Galaxy fought them off, vanquishing several of the Masters. Dr. Octopus, Gargantua, Puff Adder, and Shocker breeched the Mansion and fought with the Guardians until several Infinity War doppelgangers attacked. The two teams joined forces against the doppelgangers until they were rendered inert. After the battle, Gargantua, Puff Adder, and Shocker turned against Doctor Octopus (having fought with the Guardians now) and pursued him away from the Mansion.

(Incredible Hulk Annual I#19/3) - Gargantua attacked a small town recently renamed "Hulk" (before that it was known as Dustpit, Arizona) with the Abomination and Titania, looking to fight the Hulk. After much damage was done and the whole city was leveled, they realized the Hulk wasn't there and retreated.

(JLA/Avengers#4) - Gargantua was among the villains pulled forth from time and space by Krona to guard his stronghold from an onslaught by the Avengers and the JLA.

SECRET WARS HAPPENED

(Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. I#6) - After being trapped in the Pleasant Hill prison, where villains had their realities rewritten, Gargantua escaped and turned back into himself, but he was knocked out by Dum-Dum Dugan of the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Howling Commandos.

Comments: Created by Created by J.M. DeMatteis and Alan Kupperberg.

Edward Cobert is strangely named Ferbel in one panel of his first appearance. This name is never heard again. It is unknown if Project: Olympus has ties to any other characters as it has never been mentioned again. Valkyrie referred to Cobert as a gargantua in his very first appearance, so the name change almost seemed fated.

Gargantua had an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition#3.

Profile by Chadman

CLARIFICATIONS:
Leviathan/Gargantua has no known connection to:

• Levainon, vessel of the Levians, @ Thor I#256
• Leviathan (Tiamat), @ Ghost Rider III#28
• Leviathan, stone creature defeated by Thor, @Thor: Son of Asgard I#5
• Leviathan, creation of Plant-Man, @ Sub-Mariner I#3
• Leviathan, ship of Hydropolis, @ Hulk!#22
• Leviathan, undersea robot, @ Iron Man I#218
• Leviathan, monstrous form of Marrina, @ Avengers I#291
• Leviathans, Marrina's offspring, @ Avengers I#293
• Leviathan, leader of Coven, @ Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD II#7
• Leviathan in the..., (Wraithchilde), @ Deaths Head III#1
• Leviathans, sea creatures of Microverse, @ Micronauts I#30
• Gargantua, ally of Phantome, @ Marvel Comics Presents I#156
• Gargantua, enemy of Black Knight, @ Hulk Comic I#49/2
• Gargantuoid 2099, used by Alchemax, @ 2099 Unlimited I#10
• Gargantus, enemy of Iron Man, @ Tales of Suspense I#40
• Any other "Levia-" or "Garg-" characters.