MOUNTAIN GOD

Classification: Extradimensional technology

Creator: Psyklop

User/Possessors: Psyklop

Enemies: Hulk (Bruce Banner), Jarella

Aliases: "God of the Mountain"; "giant," "stupid robot" (as called by Hulk); "he who dwells above the clouds," "a great deity of ancient legend," "that metallic monstrosity" (as called by Jarella)

Base of Operations: A mountain retreat on the "sub-atomic" world of K'ai

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#202 (August, 1976)

Powers/Abilities/Functions: Built in humanoid form and covered with synthetic green skin, the Mountain God was a robot that stood about 50 feet tall. It had great strength and a limited degree of autonomous operation. It was armed with a gigantic ax.

History:
(Incredible Hulk II#203 (fb)) - Following his defeat by the Hulk (@ Incredible Hulk II#140), Psyklop's dark gods punished him for his failure by exiling him to K'ai. Psyklop spent months establishing a base on a remote mountain peak, creating machines that would ensure his comfort, and building a giant robot (based on the legends of the people of K'ai) to assure his privacy.

(Incredible Hulk II#202) - After his defeat of the barbarian Kronak, the Hulk once again found himself on the "micro-world" of K'ai, where he saw his lover Queen Jarella tied to a catapult by some of her subjects, about to be hurled to the mountains. The Hulk leaped to Jarella's rescue, catching her in midair just as the catapult was cut.

  Afterwards, Jarella explained that some of her people blamed the earthquakes that had been plaguing her world on the wrath of a legendary god, to whom she was being sacrificed so that his anger might be appeased.

  Seeking to unravel the mystery behind the true cause of the tremors, the Hulk and Jarella began to climb the mountain. Upon reaching the peak, they came to the Mountain God's castle. The two crawled underneath the gigantic door, and Jarella became quite fearful at seeing the huge table a chair within the castle walls. Suddenly, they heard the thunderous stomping of approaching footsteps, and they turned and saw the Mountain God himself -- upon seeing the "little gnats" who had dared to invade his home, the Mountain God was pleased because he would be feasting that night... although he doubted that either of them would provide him with more than a mouthful.

  As the Mountain God swung his ax down upon them, the Hulk pushed Jarella aside to safety, then leapt to strike the Mountain God, but the giant merely swatted the Hulk aside. The Mountain God next seized the Hulk in his hand, but the Hulk broke free and struck the Mountain God's face, tearing part of the "skin" away and revealing the Mountain God to be only a large robot. After the Hulk tore a section of skin from the false god's body, the huge robot tried to retaliate by striking the Hulk, but the Hulk grabbed the robot's mechanical fist and hurled it through the castle wall -- the robot's deathcry came to a shattering end halfway down the mountainside.

  Shortly thereafter, the Hulk and Jarella would learn who the builder of the Mountain God was when the Hulk was struck down by a blast from Psyklop...

Comments: Created by Len Wein, Sal Buscema, and Joe Staton

Psyklop must have based his Mountain God robot on the giant from the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk" -- it did its own version of the "Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!" verse, and at one point, this not-so-jolly green giant even threatened to grind the Hulk's bones to make his bread.

Profile by John Kaminski

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Mountain God has no known connection to:

• Murder Mountain, General Skul's HQ @ Marvel Fanfare I#16
• Mystic Mountain, Zanadu, Mogul's HQ @ Thor I#137
• Man Mountain Klout, Howard the Duck foe @ Howard the Duck I#5
• Man Mountain Marko, super-strong mob henchman @ Amazing Spider-Man I#73
• or any other mountain, god or giant

Mountain God's castle

Situated high on a peak on the mountains of K'ai, it was the home of the Mountain God and the secret headquarters of Psyklop.

--Incredible Hulk II#202 (Incredible Hulk II#203 (fb), Incredible Hulk II#202-203

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#202, p13, pan4 (main image)