MAN-APE
Real Name: M'Baku
Identity/Class: Human mutate;
citizen of Wakanda
Occupation: Criminal, Chieftain of the Jabari, the White Gorilla Clan
Group Membership: Jabari Clan (Damola, M'Chata, N'Gamo, N'Taka, Naraba, Queen Divine Justice, others);
formerly Villains for Hire, Masters of Evil (Aqueduct, Bison, Blackwing, Boomerang, Cardinal, Constrictor, Crimson Cowl/Justine Hammer, Cyclone/Pierre Fresson,
Dragonfly,
Eel/Edward Lavell,
Flying Tiger,
Icemaster, Joystick,
Klaw, Lodestone,
Man-Killer, Quicksand, Scorcher,
Shatterfist,
Shockwave, Slyde,
Sunstroke,
Supercharger,
Tiger Shark), Lethal Legion (Black Talon, Goliath/Erik Josten, Grim Reaper, Nekra, Ultron-12), Lethal Legion (Grim Reaper, Living Laser, Power Man/Erik Josten, Swordsman/Jacques Duquesne)
Affiliations:
Afrikaa, Armadillo, Baron Macabre, Blackheart, Black Panther (T'Challa, only briefly), Black Talon (Samuel David Barone), Baron Brimstone, Crossbones, Crossfire, Death Tiger, Doctor Doom, Flying Tiger, Goliath/Power Man (Erik Josten), Grim Reaper, Krona, Lady Stilt-Man, Malice (Nakia), Mephisto, Moses Magnum, N'Gamo, Nekra, Nightshade, Orka, Owl, President N'Dingi, Princess Zanda, Queen Ororo, Saboteur, Speed Demon, Stilt-Man (Wilbur Day), Ultron-12, W'Kabi, Whirlwind (David Cannon);
formerly Monster (Brady Briedel)
Enemies: Avalanche (Dominic Petros), Avengers (Black Knight/Dane Whitman, Black Panther/T'Challa, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Goliath/Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Iron Man/Tony Stark, Mockingbird, Hank Pym, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Tigra, Vision, Wonder Man), Beast (Henry McCoy), Black Panther (T'Challa), Black Panther (T'Challa; "Happy Pants"), Bombshell, Bushmaster, Cable (Nathan Summers), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Death Stalker, Falcon, Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Ms. Marvel/Sharon Ventura, Thing/Ben Grimm), Henry Peter Gyrich, Headhunter, Heroes for Hire (Black Cat, Misty Knight, Shang-Chi, Tarantula, Colleen Wing), JLA, Kantu, Monica Lynne, Misty Knight, Morlun, Puppet Master (Philip Masters), Purple Man (Zebediah Killgrave), Ramonda, Scourge (Paladin), Shang-Chi, Shocker (Herman Schultz), Shuri, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Synapse (Emily Guerrero), Thor (Jane Foster), Thunderbolts (Atlas/Erik Josten, Charcoal, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Jolt, Moonstone/Karla Sofen, Songbird), Tiger Shark, Toyosi, Vibraxas
Known Relatives: Mandla (brother), Damola (cousin, deceased), Queen Divine Justice (Chante Brown, born Ce'athauna Asira Davin, cousin)
Aliases: White Gorilla, "Magilla," "Binky," "M'Burger" (the last two names used by Queen Divine Justice)
Base of Operations: Wakanda, Northern Africa
First Appearance: Avengers I#62 (March, 1969)
Powers/Abilities: Man-Ape possesses super human strength, capable of lifting up to ten tons. He also has enhanced endurance, agility, and resistance to injury. A natural fighter, his style is reminiscent of the gorilla. After being resurrected mystically by Baron Macabre, Man-Ape briefly showed supernatural strength and glowed green, but he could be restrained by a mystical net.
Height: 7’
Weight: 355 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
History:
(Black Panther III#35 (fb)) - After King T'Chaka of Wakanda was murdered, the Jabari took to worshipping the sacred White Gorilla, a practice that had long been outlawed in Wakanda where the tribes mostly worshipped the Panther God, and the Jabari sought to conquer all of Wakanda. Many tribes went to war, and many of the more fundamentalist tribes denounced the Jabari as war-mongers and traitors. To keep the peace, the new King T'Challa, the Black Panther condemned the tribe and dispersed them throughout Wakanda, but many others took that as an edict to shun the Jabari and hunt them down. The Jabari chieftain, Damola, chose to flee Wakanda to America with his wife rather than face this persecution. They were still hunted down and murdered, leading to Damola's infant daughter an orphan in Chicago, Illinois. The orphan, Chante Giovanni Brown, was raised in Chicago by a Wakandan, Toyosi.
(Black Panther III#34 (fb) - BTS) - When King T'Challa of Wakanda shunned the worship of the White Gorilla, the Jabari, called the Clan of the White Gorilla, were shunned outcasts, and moved to dwell in the forbidden frozen lands of the Jabari, including the Crystal Forest and the large Gorilla Palace. Man-Ape, the Chieftain of the Jabari, grew to hate the Wakandans, their worship of the Panther, and their reliance on technology. The leaders of the Jabari were exiled from Wakanda and eventually killed.
(Avengers I#62 (fb) - BTS/Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition I#8) - Though forbidden, M'Baku slew a sacred white gorilla and ate its flesh, an act which mystically bestowed upon him super strength. He turned its garb into a costume and reformed the White Gorilla Cult, all in secret.
(Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes II#1 - BTS) - The first of Wakanda's warrior command, M'Baku was appointed acting chieftain while T'Challa was acting with the Avengers in the United States.
(Avengers I#62 (fb) - BTS) - Over the following months, M'Baku changed some of T'Challa's edicts, including giving the warriors rights to shoot down any intruders.
(Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes II#2 - BTS) - When T'Challa introduced Wakanda into the United Nations and took upon himself an American identity, M'Baku, through his second-in-command, N'Gamo, authorized three Wakandans in America, N'Taka, M'Chata, and Naraba, to make a move against T'Challa.
(Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes II#3 - BTS) - At M'Baku's command, N'Taka hired the Death Tiger to deal with T'Challa.
(Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes II#7 - BTS) - The Death Tiger attacked T'Challa, but was killed by a young student with a gun who saved T'Challa's life.
(Avengers I#62) - T'Challa returned to Wakanda with three of his fellow Avengers (Black Knight (Dane Whitman), Hawkeye (Clint Barton), and Vision), whom the warriors, including W'Kabi, briefly opened fire upon. M'Baku feigned pleasure to see T'Challa, but whispered to N'Gamo that their plans would soon be fulfilled. M'Baku apologized to T'Challa about the act against the Avengers, making excuses that Klaw was in the area, then invited him to sit down at a feast. The four Avengers soon fell unconscious, having drunk drugged wine. When they awakened, M'Baku was wearing the forbidden guise of the White Gorilla, calling himself Man-Ape. He had T'Challa dressed in his Black Panther garb, then revealed an effigy to the Gorilla God he'd had created, stating it symbolized his new power and status. Black Panther attacked Man-Ape and the two battled fiercely, Man-Ape stopping to cast aside some mocking tribesman and even using an uprooted tree as a missile. He briefly feigned defeat, in order to force the battle into one of the technological chambers of the Black Panther's Techno-Jungle. Man-Ape threw a large dynamo at Black Panther, almost driving the king into a molten atomic furnace. When Man-Ape almost fell in the furnace, he begged to be saved, admitting his folly, and Black Panther pulled him up, only to have Man-Ape grab an electrical wire and knock Black Panther out. Man-Ape tied the king up in front of a stone image of the Panther God, planning to smash Black Panther with it, but when Man-Ape tried to push the stone over, it didn't fall, but instead fell crumbled into massive pieces that buried Man-Ape in them.
(Avengers I#78 (fb) - BTS) - N'Gamo carried Man-Ape's form away for burial, leaving everyone to assume that Man-Ape was dead. The two of them left the country and were recruited by Avengers villain, the Grim Reaper, into a revenge squad called the Lethal Legion, alongside Swordsman (Jacques Duquesne), Living Laser, and Power Man (Erik Josten). The villains trained together, and planned to take down as many of the Avengers as they could, promised by the Grim Reaper that the one who defeated the most Avengers would get the biggest reward. Man-Ape lured Captain America (Steve Rogers) into a trap at Avengers Mansion, using a forged note, and had N'Gamo drive him there in one of the Grim Reaper's helicopters.
(Avengers I#78) - When Captain America arrived, Man-Ape attacked and, after trading a few blows and beating heavy equipment against the hero's shield, threw Captain America from the roof. More Avengers, Goliath (Clint Barton), Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Vision, attacked, and Man-Ape was briefly felled by Goliath. N'Gamo hit Goliath with a metal tool from the helicopter, then Man-Ape fled, overwhelmed by the odds. He soon kidnapped Monica Lynne, love interest of Black Panther, and contacted Black Panther and the Avengers about the kidnapping. Black Panther agreed to fight Man-Ape one-on-one, and soon boarded Man-Ape's helicopter from his smaller ship. The two fought savagely across the ship, and N'Gamo once sought to hit Black Panther with a mace, but was thrown into Man-Ape instead. Black Panther tried to rescue Monica Lynne, only to discover "Monica" was a mannequin lined with explosives. After the explosion, Man-Ape sent a message to the Avengers letting them know of the capture and that he planned to fight them again. He then, with N'Gamo, returned Black Panther and Monica to the Legion's hideout in Manhattan's tunnels. He claimed victory over Black Panther in front of his teammates.
(Avengers I#79) - Grim Reaper laid a plot to lure the other Avengers into traps, and sent Man-Ape and Living Laser to a nearby power station to capture the Avengers who would soon arrive. Captain America and Quicksilver entered, and Man-Ape ripped a staircase out from underneath them. Living Laser subdued Quicksilver while Man-Ape captured Captain America by smashing several hydraulic generators, trapping the Avenger in the following deluge. They returned to headquarters, where the rest of the Legion had captured Goliath and Scarlet Witch. Power Man added the Vision with the other Avengers, and Grim Reaper planned to kill the heroes until he realized that Vision's mind was based on the brain patterns of his deceased brother, Wonder Man, and Grim Reaper smashed the trap, freeing the heroes. They then learned that the Vision had been in Power Man's costume all along. Man-Ape attacked Captain America again, and was knocked into a control panel, knocking him out. The Avengers left the Legion tied up, to be arrested.
(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#8) - Man-Ape was exiled from Wakanda, and sentenced to death should he ever return. He stayed in the United States, though sometimes wandering the less civilized parts of the world, hiring himself out as a mercenary to survive.
(West Coast Avengers II#1) - Man-Ape allied with Grim Reaper again was sent with Ultron-12 to free Goliath (Erik Josten) from the West Coast Avengers compound. Despite triggering the alarm, Man-Ape was successful in freeing Goliath. He and Ultron fought against Tigra. Man-Ape was prepared to leave, but Ultron forced him to stay and fight, shooting an energy blast to coerce him. They battled the rest of the Avengers team (Hank Pym, Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Wonder Man, Mockingbird, Iron Man (Tony Stark), Goliath aiding Man-Ape in defeating the powerful Wonder Man. The Avengers defeated, the villains fled.
(West
Coast Avengers II#2) - Man-Ape watched the dramatic interactions of
Grim Reaper, Goliath, Nekra, Black Talon, and Ultron-12 as they taunted
Wonder Man and Hank Pym. When Wonder Man tried to escape, he was
knocked out. Later, Man-Ape interrupted Grim Reaper and Nekra to inform
them that Wonder Man had awakened, and was infuriated by Grim Reaper's
racial slurs against Man-Ape. Man-Ape told Black Talon of Grim Reaper's
attitudes.
(Vision and the Scarlet Witch II#2) - Ultron-12 captured more of the Avengers (Hawkeye, Iron Man, Tigra, Vision, and Scarlet Witch), and Man-Ape watched as Grim Reaper told the heroes of his mad plans to transfer the minds of Vision and Wonder Man into a new body. Wonder Man managed to escape, and Mockingbird attacked. When it looked as if Grim Reaper would lose, Man-Ape and Black Talon, with his zombie army, chose to abandon him and walked away.
(Fantastic Four I#336) - Unconsciously responding to Dr. Doom's Aggression Enhancer, Man-Ape attacked a Washington D.C. courthouse to attack the Fantastic Four (Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Invisible Woman, Mister Fantastic, Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura), Thing) alongside Armadillo, Baron Brimstone, Orka, Owl, Stilt Man (Wilbur Day), and Whirlwind (David Cannon), and all were easily defeated in a clumsy attack, Man-Ape lying unconscious beneath Orka's bulk. All the villains were soon arrested.
(Wonder Man II#24) - Man-Ape was mentally contacted by Black Talon and broke out of prison to aid his former ally. He joined with Goliath and three versions of Mephisto posing as Enchantress, Executioner, and Baron Zemo, to oppose Wonder Man.
(Wonder Man II#25) - The villains attacked Wonder Man and the Beast, who quickly and easily defeated Man-Ape. When Man-Ape saw Blackheart and Grim Reaper, he realized he'd been manipulated into participating in the fight.
(Captain America I#411-414) - Alongside dozens of villains, Man-Ape attended the AIM Weapons Expo at Boca Caliente. He watched Crossbones fight other villains in an arena style tournament. When Crossbones was revealed to be Captain America in disguise, the villains stormed the arena, eager to attack. Man-Ape got the hero in a bear hug, but the other villains piled on top of them and Falcon helped Captain America escape. Shang-Chi also joined in the brief battle.
(Thunderbolts I#33 (fb)) - Man-Ape joined the Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil, and the villainous team moved into a new headquarters at Mount Charteris near Burton Canyon, Colorado.
(Thunderbolts I#25 (fb) - BTS) - Crimson Cowl had her operatives place weather modulators in key cities around the world.
(Thunderbolts I#24) - Crimson Cowl led the Masters in blackmailing the world, demanding large sums of money in order to stop their weather machine from ravaging the world.
(Thunderbolts I#25) - As they continued with their weather plot, Moonstone (Karla Sofen) of the Thunderbolts appeared wanting to join up, and Man-Ape was among those who transported her to her cell. As he ruminated over thoughts of eventually taking over the Masters of Evil for himself, he was pulled into a hallway and knocked out by the Thunderbolts (Atlas (Erik Josten), Charcoal, Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Jolt, Songbird). Charcoal stripped Man-Ape and donned his costume, posing as him. The Thunderbolts soon stopped the Masters team and they were all arrested.
(Black Panther III#35 (fb) - BTS) - T'Challa recruited Chante, who called herself Queen Divine Justice, to be one of his Dora Milaje, ceremonial wives in training, to stop tribal fanatics from killing her and to keep the Jabari from recruiting her.
(Black Panther III#33 (fb) - BTS) - Malice, the former Dora Milaje known as Nakia, freed Man-Ape from his cell in the United States, and he agreed to return to Wakanda to slay Ramonda, Black Panther's mother, and her bodyguard.
(Black Panther III#34 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Ape learned that T'Challa had appointed the long-lost heir of the Jabari throne as one of his Dora Milaje. Malice gave him access codes that would allow him to hijack one of T'Challa's ships.
(Black Panther III#32) -Man-Ape stole aboard Ramonda's ship in the cargo bay. When Queen Divine Justice, of the Dora Milaje, investigated, Man-Ape struck out, knocking both she and Ramonda unconscious. He then took control of the ship, shooting down the other Wakandan aircrafts that flew nearby. He crashed the ship in the Jabari lands. When Justice woke up, she was startled to find herself in Man-Ape's clutches and in the Crystal Forest.
(Black Panther III#35 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Man-Ape discovered a suspended animation chamber containing the Black Panther in the Crystal Forest. He assumed this was the original Black Panther and the other was an imposter.
(Black Panther III#33) - Man-Ape explained his mission to Justice, defending the rights of the Jabari and counting them separate from other Wakandans. Justice struck Man-Ape with the soles of her Vibranium boots, then fled, but Man-Ape did not pursue, knowing she could not escape from the Crystal Forest. N'Gamo rushed to check on Man-Ape, and was shocked to learn that Man-Ape planned to kill Justice. N'Gamo told Man-Ape that Justice was the Jabari Dora Milaje, shocking Man-Ape. Man-Ape and the rest of the Jabari knelt before Justice when she was apprehended by them.
(Black Panther III#34) - The Crystal Forest surrounded the Gorilla Palace, and the temperature of the land surrounding was around -47 Celsius at night. Vibraxas entered the Gorilla Palace, seeking Justice, and subdued several guards on his way in. He found Queen being attended to by a few tribal members. Man-Ape entered and removed the headband that gave Vibraxas control over his abilities, then knocked him out and ordered him killed, but Justice refused. Man-Ape had Vibraxas wrapped in a burial shroud of Kurieto mud that would block his powers, then coached Justice on the responsibilities of her new office. The Jabari prepared the March of Lights, the ceremony that would proclaim Justice as their new ruler and declare war on Wakanda. Justice laid down the condition that she would not marry Man-Ape, and he scoffed, revealing he was her cousin. Black Panther then attacked, demanding that the Jabari follow his laws. Man-Ape moved to attack, though knowing that Justice had ordered no harm to Black Panther, but the king appointed the American bureaucrat Henry Peter Gyrich to fight Man-Ape in his place.
(Black Panther III#35) - Gyrich declared combat by skill instead of violence, invoking a tribal law, but Man-Ape knocked Gyrich over, taking a bite out of his government ID. While he held Gyrich in his hand, the bureaucrat announced that he believed Man-Ape only wanted Justice in power because that would give Man-Ape more power and bring greater prowess to the Jabari. Tiring of Gyrich's antics, Man-Ape grew increasingly furious and swore to slay Gyrich. Black Panther returned and Man-Ape unleashed his fury on his former friend, battling him while demanding the Jabari be allowed to annex from Wakanda and accusing Black Panther of starting the war he was claiming to stop. When Vibraxas lost control of his powers, much of the Crystal Palace shattered. Man-Ape laughed as Justice and Panther saw the suspended animation container holding the other Black Panther.
(Black Panther III#48) - Imprisoned in Wakanda, Man-Ape received a visit from Queen Divine Justice, who was seeking information on the Black Panther who'd been in the stasis tube. She told Man-Ape that version of the Panther was in stasis again, and sought Man-Ape's held to save him, telling Man-Ape that maybe his assistance would reflect well on him at his trial. Man-Ape laughed, knowing he would get no trial. Queen and Vibraxas later freed Man-Ape, and she ordered him to return to the Jabari to await trial, and made him promise not to seek vengeance on Black Panther. Man-Ape immediately donned his costume, though, and attacked Black Panther. Stating that he had promised not to harm Black Panther, Man-Ape instead smashed the stasis tube, killing the other Panther (a future version of T'Challa).
(Black Panther III#49) - Reunited with the Jabari, Man-Ape and his people stood defensively on the borders of their land as Black Panther led the combined tribes of Wakanda in war against them. Man-Ape postured, telling Black Panther that all the things the Jabari believed about him were being proven true, until Queen silenced him with a snowball. She and Vibraxas pleaded for Black Panther to stand down, but the king refused, stating that both Man-Ape and Queen would be sentenced to death. Black Panther attacked Vibraxas and Queen, severely injuring her, then seemed to have a seizure, collapsing on the ground. Man-Ape, shocked, ordered his men to attack, and savagely led a bloody battle against the Wakandans. When Queen gained enough coherence, she commanded her people to stop the war, and pleaded to Black Panther again to free her people. The war resolved, though the decision of Black Panther was not made clear.
(JLA/Avengers#4) - Man-Ape was among the villains pulled forth from time and space to battle the Avengers and JLA for Krona.
(Black Panther IV#16-18) - Man-Ape initially grew furious when he heard of Black Panther's wedding to Storm. He planned to rally his tribe to attack the wedding, until he realized that he had been invited. At the wedding, he got into a skirmish with Spider-Man while Luke Cage and Jessica Jones watched.
(Civil War: Battle Damage Report#1) - Man-Ape was present at the Pan-African Congress on the Treatment of Superhumans.
(Heroes for Hire II#6) - Man-Ape allied with Grim Reaper and Saboteur in a plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty. When the Heroes for Hire (Black Cat, Misty Knight, Shang-Chi, Tarantula, Colleen Wing) tried to stop them aboard the ship with the bomb, Saboteur knocked them all out with a sonic device.
(Heroes for Hire II#7) - While the Heroes managed to stop the bomb, and Man-Ape was not surprised. He made egg hats for his allies, wearing a bathrobe and slippers. Grim Reaper slashed Saboteur in a rage, and Man-Ape refused to clean up the mess. Heroes for Hire attacked them and Tarantula and Black Cat drop-kicked Man-Ape before he leaped through the window with them.
(Heroes for Hire II#8) - Man-Ape and Grim Reaper were defeated and taken to the police.
(Black Panther V#4 (fb)) - Morlun, devourer of totems, came to Wakanda. Though his intention was to feast on the Panther totem, his journey first brought him to the kingdom of the Man-Ape. M'Baku received word of the stranger's arrival just as he was celebrating news of Black Panther's death. Initially believing it was merely an opportunist trying to claim power in the absence of the Panther, Man-Ape led his forces against Morlun. The extradimensional menace drained all of them, killing dozens on the spot. In the end, M'Baku didn't fare much better against him. Morlun consumed his life force, feasting on M'Baku's mind and body until nothing but ashes remained.
(Villains for Hire#3 (fb) - BTS) - Somehow returning back to life, Man-Ape resumed his criminal activities abroad. (see comments)
(Villains for Hire#4 (fb) - BTS) - Unbeknownst to Man-Ape, he ended up mind controlled by an in-ear headphone supplied to him by a mysterious mission controller (Misty Knight, who herself was being manipulated by the Puppet Master as part of his revenge scheme against Purple Man). The mind-controlled M'Baku joined a team of similarly controlled villains (Crossfire, Monster, Nightshade, Speed Demon and Lady Stilt-Man).
(Villains for Hire#3) - Misty summoned her team to come and rescue her when the Purple Man's goons (Avalanche, Bombshell, Bushmaster, Death Stalker, Headhunter, Scourge, Shocker and Tiger Shark) attacked her headquarters. M'Baku and the others rushed out to rescue their enigmatic boss, only for Tiger Shark to ambush him. Following a brief fight in which Man-Ape got help from Lady Stilt Man and Crossfire, Tiger Shark revealed to them they were actually working for Misty Knight. He also told them Purple Man had allowed him to offer M'Baku and the others a deal: half a million dollars plus retention if they switched sides and joined up with him. Both M'Baku and Lady Stilt Man showed immediate interest. In the end, Misty Knight was overrun by Purple Man's forces and restrained. When Purple Man himself arrived on site to confront his opponent, he was shocked to see the snickering face of the Puppet Master greeting him from the various videoscreens in Misty's control room. Masters revealed himself as the true mastermind behind Killgrave's recent misfortunes.
(Villains for Hire#4) - Puppet Master used his control technology to take over Man-Ape and the other villains through the special earpieces they'd been wearing (actually designed by him). Now controlling all the villains, except for Headhunter and Purple Man, he ordered them to murder Killgrave. Pushing his pheromone powers to its limits, Purple Man succeeded in overriding the Puppet Master's control over the villains. This short-circuited their earpieces, leaving them their own free will for the first time in a long time. Furious at being played like a puppet, Man-Ape attacked Killgrave. Trying to save her boss, Headhunter jumped on M'Baku's back and successfully used her own mind control powers to get him to let go of Zebediah and attack the others instead. Man-Ape attacked Lady Stilt-Man and Avalanche, which was enough for the latter to use his powers to blast a hole in the nearest wall he could escape out of. Not wanting any of the villains to leave, the mysterious Scourge started shooting anyone who attempted to go. Man-Ape tried to stop the gun-toting vigilante, only to realize he was firing stun rounds instead of bullets. Of his own mind once more, M'Baku decided to leave too and jumped through Avalanche's hole, telling Scourge he should have killed him while he had the chance.
(Superior Carnage#1 (fb) - BTS) - Through unrevealed ways, Man-Ape was captured by the authorities.
(Superior Carnage#1) - Man-Ape was transferred to a maximum security prison facility that housed both supervillains and common criminals. He was seen being herded inside in chains along with Mr. Hyde and the Man-Bull. Later, M'Baku was in the prison when Carnage (Cletus Kasady) escaped and went on a rampage. The Man-Ape kept to himself and out of sight throughout the incident.
SECRET WARS III HAPPENED
(All-New, All-Different Avengers#8 (fb) - BTS) - Man-Ape was imprisoned in Pleasant Hill, his mind rewritten by Kobik as he lived life as a civilian alongside many other super-criminals.
(All-New, All-Different Avengers#8) - The criminals gained their minds and powers back, then attacked the heroes who had arrived to stop them. Man-Ape worked with Armadillo and Flying Tiger, fighting members of the Avengers Unity Division and Thor (Jane Foster).
(Black Panther VI#4 - BTS) - After M’Baku's death, his brother Mandla took over leadership of the White Gorillas. Mandla was later killed.
(Black Panther: Long Live the King#4 (fb) - BTS) - M'Baku was resurrected. (see comments)
(Black Panther: Long Live the King#3) - Man-Ape (M'Baku), Baron Macabre, and the White Gorilla Cult prepared for war to conquer Wakanda.
(Black Panther: Long Live the King#4) - Baron Macabre further empowered Man-Ape with supernatural abilities. He announced his intention to take over Wakanda with the White Gorilla Cult. He initially planned to give Baron Macabre a position of power, but after Macabre read the attack of robotic rodents as a bad omen and declared Man-Ape unfit to rule, Man-Ape sought to kill Macabre by throwing him off a cliff. Black Panther, Kantu, and Shuri attacked, and Man-Ape fought them with his new supernatural powers, nearly winning. A surprise attack by Kantu allowed Black Panther to kick Man-Ape in the face before Shuri trapped him on the ground with a net. Baron Macabre, who had survived the fall, returned and removed Man-Ape's supernatural powers leaving him behind to be arrested by Wakandan authorities.
Comments: Created by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and George Klein.
Man-Ape has handbook entries in OHotMU Deluxe Edition#8, Master Edition and All-New OHotMU Update#4. Main image scan by MarvellousLuke.
In Markus Raymond's opinion there are three options for Man-Ape's appearances in Villains for Hire, Superior Carnage and All-New, All-Different Avengers.
The problem with the third option for me is that Coates made such a big deal out of M'Baku still being dead with the introduction of his brother before Covington brought him back for real in another story that seemed to make it clear that he had not been alive until that point.
Maybe M'Baku had been resurrected for Villains for Hire and then died at some point after Superior Carnage again. There is also the option that M'Baku had been alive again since Villains for Hire and Black Panther and nobody else in Wakanda was aware of it until he gathered the White Gorilla Cult once again in Covington's story.
--Markus Raymond
Profile by Chadman. Update by Norvo (Black Panther V, Villains for Hire, Superior Carnage) & Markus Raymond (ANAD Avengers).
CLARIFICATIONS:
Man-Ape
has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update#4, Man-Ape profile (main)
Black Panther III#48, p17, pan3 (without costume)
Thunderbolts I#25, p13, pan2 (old costume)
Black Panther V#4, p4, pan1-2 (vs Morlun)
Appearances:
Avengers I#62 (March, 1969) - Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema (penciler), George Klein (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
Avengers I#78-79 (July, 1970) - Roy Thomas (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Stan Lee (editor)
West Coast Avengers II#1-2 (November, 1985) - Steve Englehart (writer),
Al Milgrom (penciler), Kim DeMulder (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Vision and the Scarlet Witch II#2 (November, 1985) - Steve Englehart
(writer), Richard Howell (penciler), Andy Mushynsky (inker), Jim
Salicrup (editor)
Captain America I#411-414 (January-April, 1993) - Mark Gruenwald
(writer), Rik Levins (penciler), Danny Bulanadi (inker), Mike Rockwitz
(editor)
Fantastic Four I#336 (January, 1990) - Walter Simonson (writer), Ron
Lim (penciler), Mike DeCarlo (inker), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Wonder Man II#24 (August, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff Johnson (penciler), Jon Holdredge (inker), Fabian Nicieza (editor)
Wonder Man II#25 (September, 1993) - Gerard Jones (writer), Jeff
Johnson, Fred Reyes, Fred Haynes (pencilers), Holdredge, Boyd, Lowe,
McKenna, Amash, Aiken, Pepoy, and Panosian (inkers), Fabian Nicieza
(editor)
Thunderbolts I#24-25 (March-April, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark
Bagley (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Thunderbolts I#33 (December, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Scott Hanna (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Black Panther III#32-33 (July-August, 2001) - Priest (writer), Sal Velluto (penciler), Bob Almond (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Black Panther III#34-35 (September-October, 2001) - Priest (writer), J.
Calafiore (penciler), Livesay (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
Black Panther III#48-49 (October-November, 2002) - Priest (writer), Sal
Velluto (penciler), Bob Almond (inker), Mike Marts (editor)
JLA Avengers#4 (February, 2004) - Kurt Busiek
(writer), George Perez (penciler), Tom Brevoort, Dan
Raspler (editors)
Black Panther IV#16-18 (July-September, 2006) - Reginald Hudlin
(writer), Scott Eaton (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), Axel Alonzo
(editor)
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes II#1-3 (December, 2006-February,
2007) - Joe Casey (writer), Will Rosado (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker),
Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report#1 (2007)
Heroes for Hire II#6 (March, 2007) - Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
(writers), Alvaro Rio (penciler), Scott Koblish, Tom Palmer (inkers),
Mark Paniccia (editor)
Heroes for Hire II#7 (April, 2007) - Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Zeb
Wells (writers), Al Rio (penciler), Tom Palmer, Terry Pallot (inkers),
Mark Paniccia (editor)
Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes II#7 (May, 2007) - Joe Casey
(writer), Will Rosado (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Heroes for Hire II#8 (May, 2007) - Zeb Wells (writer), Al Rio (penciler), Scott Koblish (inker), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Black Panther V#4 (July, 2009) - Reginald Hudlin (writer), Ken Lashley (pencils), Paul Neary (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Villains for Hire#3 (April, 2012) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
(writers), Renato Arlem (pencils & inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Villains for Hire#4 (May, 2012) - Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
(writers), Renato Arlem (pencils & inks), Bill Rosemann (editor)
Superior Carnage#1 (September, 2013) - Kevin Shinick (writer), Stephen Segovia (pencils & inks), Sana Amanat (editor)
All-New, All-Different Avengers#8 (June, 2016) - Mark Waid (writer), Adam Kubert (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Black Panther VI#4 (September, 2016) - Ta-Nehisi Coates (writer), Brian Stelfreeze (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Black Panther: Long Live the King#3-4 (2018) - Aaron Covington (writer), Mario Del Pennino (artist), Devin Lewis (editor)
First Posted: 05/30/2007
Last updated: 08/30/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters
mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All
Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!