TOM GORMAN

Real Name: Lt. Tom Gorman

Identity/Class: Human (ca. 3050 BC, 1950s era)

Occupation: Test-pilot

Group Membership: United States Air Force

Affiliations: Na-Ni-Ma, unidentified pharaoh (see comments)

Enemies: General Coleran

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unidentified airfield in California

First Appearance: Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3 (February, 1957)

Powers/Abilities: Gorman was a trained aircraft pilot who flew the experimental XD-1.

When he took the XD-1 up for a test-flight, the aircraft's tremendous velocity somehow transported itself and Gorman through time, stranding him 5000 years in the past of ancient Egypt; Gorman's temporal displacement was fleeting, and after a period of three weeks (relatively speaking), he alone returned to the 20th Century, while the XD-1 remained in the past.  

During his stay in ancient Egypt, Gorman employed a pantomime-like form of sign-language, with which he was able to make himself understood (with difficulty) by the indigenous peoples of that era. 


Height: 5'10" (by approximation)
Weight: 180 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown

History:
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3 (fb) - BTS) - The past of Tom Gorman is largely unrevealed, but he joined the Air Force and eventually attained the rank of lieutenant; Lt. Gorman was assigned to take the experimental XD-1 aircraft for its test-flight. 

(Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3 (fb)) - From an airfield in California, Gorman took off in the XD-1, and he was stunned to find that the plane had carried him to New York City in less than a minute!  As he barely opened the throttle to gradually increase his velocity, total blackness enveloped the aircraft, and Gorman supposed that he had surpassed the speed of light. 

   The XD-1 continued eastward, and Gorman suddenly saw Egypt looming ahead--he recognized the region by the Nile River, the desert, and the architecture... but the Pyramids and the Sphinx were missing!

   Seeing that his fuel gauge read too low for a return trip, Gorman throttled way down and came in for a landing; upon seeing the primitive civilization in which he had landed, Gorman had an answer for the absence of the Pyramids and Sphinx: They hadn't been built yet!  Gorman theorized that since he had been flying from west to east, against time, he had somehow been hurtled into the past!

   Shocked by the knowledge that he was at least 5000 years back in time, Gorman allowed himself to be led by the awestruck people to the palace of the pharaoh.  Gorman used a form of sign-language to communicate with the pharaoh; but after explaining to the ruler that he flew in the plane, Gorman found that it was a big mistake--the pharaoh thought that the mortal Gorman had offended the gods by using a ship (the XD-1) that could only belong to them, so he decreed that Gorman must be made a sacrificial offering to appease the angry deities.

   However, the pharaoh's lovely daughter had taken an interest in Gorman, and she argued with her father for several minutes; then Gorman found out what the two had been discussing--the princess wanted to marry him!  Taking all the facts into consideration--that it seemed like he'd be trapped in the past for the rest of his life, and that the pharaoh's daughter was a pretty girl--Gorman quickly nodded his willingness to marry the princess.

   The next day, the XD-1 was brought to the pharaoh's palace, and gifts were brought to the plane--Gorman supposed the Egyptians thought the plane would take off on its own and carry the offerings to the "god" who owned it.

   After several days, Gorman not only got used to being in his strange predicament, he even looked forward to his upcoming marriage to the princess (whom he learned was named "Na-Ni-Ma").  At the end of three weeks, Gorman and Na-Ni-Ma were carried through the streets, past cheering throngs, to a temple; but as the ceremony began, a numbness gradually took possession of Gorman's body, and he faded away from ancient Egypt.

   The next thing he knew, Gorman had returned to the 20th Century, and he reappeared in General Coleran's office.  The blustering general demanded to know where Gorman had been... and more importantly, where the XD-1 was.  When Gorman couldn't provide Coleran with a satisfactory answer, the general ordered his court-martial.

(Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3) - Gorman was summoned before a court-martial board presided by General Coleran, and he told the unbelievable story of his disappearance to ancient Egypt.  Gorman guessed that he had returned because he didn't belong in the past... and although the XD-1 didn't belong in the past either, he theorized it might have something to do with the fact that he was a living being, and the XD-1 was only an inanimate object.  

   Immediately after Gorman's incredible testimony, the members of the hearing board all concurred with the same opinion, and General Coleran delivered the verdict--it was concluded that Lt. Tom Gorman must have sold or given the XD-1 to some potential enemy, thus he was found guilty of treason and sentenced to life in prison.

   But Lt. Gorman was not destined to serve his sentence, for on that very day in Egypt, a trio of archeologists made a startling discovery.  In a tomb that hadn't been opened for five thousand years, they found a modern aircraft (the XD-1), which had been entombed with the pharaoh as his "solar ship," with the intention that it would carry the pharaoh to the beyond after his death.

Comments: Created by Carl Wessler (writer) and Mort Drucker (artist).

Using real world history the pharao in this story could be Narmer or Hor-Aha of the First Dynasty.
--Markus Raymond

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Lt. Tom Gorman has no knownconnections to:

Na-Ni-Ma has no known connections to:

The unidentified pharaoh has no known connections to:

General Coleran has no known connections to:

The XD-1 has no known connections to:

Na-Ni-Ma

Living approximately 5000 in the past, she was the daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt.

When test-pilot Lt. Tom Gorman found himself transported to ancient Egypt while flying the XD-1 aircraft, he was brought before the pharaoh--Na-Ni-Ma saw Gorman and immediately took an interest in him.

The pharaoh ordered Gorman to be sacrificed for offending the gods, but Na-Ni-Ma was able to convince her father otherwise, because she wished to marry Gorman.

After spending several days with Gorman, Na-Ni-Ma seemed to pick up a few words of English.

At the end of three weeks, Na-Ni-Ma and Gorman were carried through the streets, past cheering throngs, to a temple.  But just as their wedding ceremony began, Na-Ni-Ma was left alone at the altar when Gorman faded away and returned to the 20th Century.

--Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3

Unidentified pharaoh

Living approximately 5000 years in the past, he was the ruler of Egypt, and the father of Na-Ni-Ma.

When test-pilot Lt. Tom Gorman found himself transported to ancient Egypt while flying the XD-1 aircraft, he was brought before the pharaoh; using sign-language, Gorman communicated with the pharaoh and explained that he flew in the XD-1.  But the pharaoh thought that such a craft could only belong to his gods, and that the mortal Gorman had offended the deities by using "their" craft.  The pharaoh decreed that Gorman had to be made a sacrificial offering to appease the angry gods.

But Na-Ni-Ma argued with her father, for she had taken an interest in Gorman and wished to marry him; she convinced the pharaoh to spare his life.

After Gorman faded away and returned to the 20th Century, the pharaoh would have the XD-1 entombed with him following his death, believing that the XD-1 would carry him into the beyond and to the gods.

--Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3

General Coleran

A commanding officer in the United States Air Force, Coleran was test-pilot Lt. Tom Gorman's superior.

Gorman mysteriously disappeared while flying the experimental XD-1 aircraft, then reappeared in Coleran's office.  Coleran demanded to know what had happened to the XD-1, but Gorman was unable to give him a satisfactory answer, so the general ordered for Gorman's court-martial.

General Coleran presided at the court-martial hearing, where Gorman testified that the XD-1 had carried him back in time to ancient Egypt.  Coleran considered Gorman's wild story to be an insult, and he believed that Gorman had really sold or given the XD-1 to some foreign enemy.

Coleran read the court-martial board's verdict, finding Gorman guilty of treason and sentencing him to life in prison.

(Although I have him designated as an enemy, there was no indication that the general held any personal animosity towards Tom Gorman beyond carrying out his duty.)

--Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3

XD-1

An advanced aircraft built for the Air Force, the XD-1 was predicted to give the United States virtual control of the sky for the next dozen years or more.

Its speed potential was unknown to its designers, but when test-pilot Lt. Tom Gorman took it up for its maiden-flight, he flew from California to New York City in less than a minute.  As Gorman barely opened the throttle to increase his speed, the XD-1 carried him back in time, and he found himself stranded 5000 years in the past, in ancient Egypt.

Lt. Gorman himself eventually faded back to the 20th Century, but the XD-1 remained in the past.

The pharaoh thought that the XD-1 was the property of his gods, so he had it entombed with him as his "solar ship," intending to have it carry him to the beyond after his death.

Five thousand years later, a trio of archaeologists (McGregor and Anderson named) discovered the XD-1 in the pharaoh's tomb.

--Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3

images: (without ads)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p1, pan1 (Main Image - Lt. Tom Gorman (in uniform) at court-martial hearing)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p3, pan4 (Headshot - Lt. Tom Gorman)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p2, pan7 (in ancient Egypt, pharaoh orders palace guards to seize Lt. Tom Gorman (in flight-suit))
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p4, pan1 (Lt. Tom Gorman (in flight-suit) reappears in General Coleran's office)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p3, pan6 (Na-Ni-Ma introduces herself to Lt. Tom Gorman (silhouette))
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p3, pan7 (in temple, Na-Ni-Ma (left), Lt. Tom Gorman begins to fade away to his own era)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p3, pan1 (unidentified pharaoh, Na-Ni-Ma, Lt. Tom Gorman, palace guards)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p3, pan3 (unidentified pharaoh speaks with Na-Ni-Ma)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p4, pan4 (General Coleran (standing between two other board members) renders verdict at Lt. Tom Gorman's court-martial hearing)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3. p2, pan2 (XD-1, flown by Lt. Tom Gorman)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3, p4, pan6 (XD-1 discovered in pharaoh's tomb by archaeologists)

Appearances:
Strange Tales of the Unusual#8/3 (February, 1957) - Carl Wessler (writer), Mort Drucker (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 12/29/2018
Last updated: 12/29/2018

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