GARGOYLE FROM THE FIFTH GALAXY

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unknown)

Occupation: Emissary

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: His people

Enemies: Mankind in general (but only because he was misunderstood)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout the universe; originally from an unidentified planet in the Fifth Galaxy

First Appearance: World of Fantasy#19/1 (August, 1959)

Powers/Abilities: Having a humanoid form, the alien stood about six feet tall. Because of an evolutionary trait shared by all of his race, he shot a jet of flames from his mouth whenever he spoke. The alien was able to survive an artillery barrage with only minor detriment (perhaps by the use of a personal force field?). The alien traveled in a spaceship.

History: (World of Fantasy#19/1 (fb) - BTS) - A highly advanced alien race decided to share their knowledge and wisdom with the less fortunate civilization of Earth. They sent a representative to help the inferior Earthlings and show them how to improve their way of life.

(World of Fantasy#19/1) - The representative's spaceship was first detected entering Earth's atmosphere by an Alaskan radar station. Within minutes, the United Nations was notified, and throughout the world, military heads gathered to appraise the sudden intrusion of the alien vessel.

  The spaceship finally came to a landing in Washington, D.C. and it was surrounded by military troops. The door of the spacecraft opened, and the alien representative stepped out. The alien's frightening gargoyle-like appearance -- coupled with the fact that he spoke in a shrill, shrieking voice and shot flames from his mouth as he spoke -- made the suspicious soldiers interpret him to be a threat. Unable to understand the strange visitor's language, the troops fired several warning shots at him, but the fire-breathing alien continued to advance. Fearing an attack, the soldiers unleashed a blistering hail of shells at the gargoyle -- although he was unharmed, the alien was forced to slow his advance. Suddenly, the creature turned and went back to his ship and blasted off from Earth. The soldiers rejoiced at driving off the invader... but then they spotted a book that the gargoyle had dropped.

  The book was turned over to the world's leading linguists and scientists for study, and several months later, they finished deciphering its writing and symbols. The findings of the scientists were taken to the U.N., and the "invader's" true mission was revealed -- he had only come in peace, to help humanity in whatever way he could. The delegates then realized that mankind had been foolish to judge the alien by his appearance.

  Knowing that they could not undo what had been done, the delegates were nonetheless hopeful that perhaps someday the alien would return and forgive humanity for what it had done out of ignorance and fear... perhaps by then, mankind will have come of age and proven itself worthy...

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Don Heck.

Another case of where the character on the Jack Kirby cover bears little resemblance to the actual character in the story.

This story reminded me a little of "The Gift," an episode of The Twilight Zone that was produced a few years after this story was published (...although that part with the dropped book also reminded me of the episode "To Serve Man".)

And a BIG Thank You to Brian Hirsch for getting me the scans of this story!

Profile by John Kaminski

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Gargoyle from the Fifth Galaxy has no known connections to:

• Dragoom, fiery invader from the Fifth Galaxy @ Strange Tales I#76
• Gargoyle, pre-Marvel character @ Strange Tales I#78/2
• Gargoyle (Yuri Topolov), Russian scientist @ Incredible Hulk I#1
• Grey Gargoyle (Paul Duval), stone-powered villain @ Journey into Mystery I#107
• Gargoyles working for Shadow-Queen @ Dr. Strange II#43
• Gargoyle (Isaac Christians), Initiative, former Defenders member @ Defenders I#94
• Gargoyle, rendered inert by Derwydden @ Gargoyle#1
• The Gargoyles, dwelling in secrecy amongst humanity @ Tales of Suspense I#46
• Stonians, Fin Fang Foom/It the Living Colossus foes @ Strange Tales I#74
• any other characters with similar names

Gargoyle's Spaceship

A large rocketship, it was capable of interstellar travel.

--World of Fantasy#19/1

Gargoyle's People

One of the most highly civilized races in the universe, they had no wars and lived in peace. They had conquered all disease and old age deterioration, giving them a lifespan of thousands of years. They lived on an extremely cold planet in the Fifth Galaxy, and nature had made them a race of fire-breathers for their own protection.

Wanting to share their knowledge with the less fortunate civilization of Earth, they dispatched a representative to travel to the distant world, but he was only met with hostility by the planet's inhabitants, who misunderstood his true intentions.

--World of Fantasy#19/1

images:
World of Fantasy#19, p3, pan4 (main)