KIGOR

Classification: Extraterrestrial non-humanoid hexapeds

Location/Base of Operations: Cancrius III

Known Members: None

Affiliations: It, the Living Colossus

Enemies: Human race (especially Bob O'Bryan, Boris Petrovski, Ivan Petrovski)

First Appearance: Tales of Suspense I#14 (February, 1961)

Powers/Abilities: The crustacean-like Kigor possessed six extremities. Though they could stand and move on two legs, they were faster crawling on all six. They could communicate verbally, but also telepathically. They were able to phase through solid objects and somehow alter matter in fantastic ways, which allowed them to increase the durability of objects or turn solid matter into a network of highly advanced psychokinetic nerve endings that enabled them to animate and control inanimate objects by sending their powerful thought impulses through the object.

Traits: The Kigor were a war-like extraterrestrial race, who warred even among each other. Though some had a peaceful attitude toward other races, others were extremely hostile. Policy changes under a new regime turned the Kigor into world conquerors.

   They were technologically highly advanced and capable of interstellar travel.

Type: Non-humanoid
Eyes: Two
Fingers: Five
Toes: Three
Skin color: Orange
Average height: Unrevealed (8'; by approximation)

History:
(Tales of Suspense I#20/1 (fb)) - For ages the Kigor maintained a peaceful attitude toward other planets.

(Tales of Suspense I#14/1 (fb)) - A Kigor crash-landed on Earth somewhere in Russia. His flying saucer opened and he stepped out. He encountered sculptor Boris Petrovski, who had followed the sound of the ship into the woods. Boris ran away in fear when he saw the crustacean-like creature, which crawled after him to the hall where Boris had been building a 100' tall stone colossus for his brother Ivan. Boris was sure the creature was going to kill him, but instead it told him telepathically about his situation. After crash-landing on Earth the Kigor needed to wait for another spaceship to rescue him. In the meantime the Kigor had to protect himself from harm by taking over a larger, stronger body. The Kigor made his way to the top of the stone colossus and phased his own body into the head of the statue. Boris watched in fear.

(Astonishing Tales I#22 (fb) - BTS) - The Kigor created special psychokinetic nerve endings in the head of the Living Colossus that allowed the Kigor to take control over the giant statue and move it around.

(Tales of Suspense I#14/1 (fb)) - After some time the colossus began to move as the Kigor's life impulses spread throughout the colossus' giant stone form. When Boris' brother Ivan and his men arrived to inspect the statue they were shocked to see it move and were sure that Boris had betrayed Russia by putting a mechanism inside the statue, which began to lash out at them.

(Tales of Suspense I#14/2 (fb)) - Under the Kigor's control the colossus began its rampage by destroying the foundry where the statue was built and then a fence charged with high voltage electricity. Ivan called in an artillery regiment to stop the Living Colossus, but it burrowed beneath them and easily destroyed the artillery. Boris didn't tell Ivan about the alien inside the statue, but instead claimed that he had heard a voice after building the colossus, which told him that it was time for power-mad rulers to be halted. The Living Colossus went into the bay where it was attacked by two submarines stationed there. The Kigor-controlled statue submerged and crushed one of the submarines while the other escaped. Ivan and his men fled when the Living Colossus came back for them. The area was evacuated and the war ministry dispatched a bomber to destroy the Living Colossus with a hydrogen bomb.

(Tales of Suspense I#14/3 (fb)) - Ivan left his brother, bound to a chair, behind at the destroyed foundry. A bomber, escorted by fighter jets, arrived and the Living Colossus took off into the sky under the influence of the Kigor. Boris could feel the Kigor's powerful thought impulses, which lifted the stone statue into the air. The Living Colossus was unfazed by the jets' rockets and destroyer several jets before catching the bomber and hurling it into outer space where it detonated.

   Boris watched as another Kigor spaceship arrived a short time later. The Kigor inside the Living Colossus left the statue and happily joined the other Kigor to leave Earth. Boris decided to never tell his brother about the aliens and instead claim that the now motionless statue would remain that way as long as their leaders changed their tyrannical ways.





(Tales of Suspense I#20/1) - A civil war between two hostile factions raged on Cancrius III. After the war a new regime took over and changed the policy toward other planets to a more aggressive one. From that moment on the Kigor sought to conquer other worlds.

   The Kigor that had been stranded on Earth some time ago was approached by the new leadership and asked about Earth's military strength and if the Kigor were powerful enough to defeat Earth in battle. The once stranded Kigor suggested weakening their confidence and moral first before conquering them. They came up with a plan to possess the Living Colossus once again and use it to cause havoc before launching the Kigor's major offensive against Earth.

   Russia sent the Living Colossus to an international fair in the United States on a ship, but the ship was intersected by a Kigor spaceship, which released some Kigor, who phased into the statue and took control over the Living Colossus once again. The giant statue stepped off the ship, plunged into the ocean and walked on the seafloor to California. Arriving on the shore it caused a panic.

(Tales of Suspense I#20/2) - The Living Colossus walked from the shore through Los Angeles, causing more panic. The Kigor inside the Living Colossus elated by the humans fleeing in fear from them and with each step more sure that their actions would soften Earth enough for their race to conquer them. While locals tried to stop the Living Colossus with guns, special effects artist Bob O'Bryan and his crew worked feverishly to construct a trap in the form of another monster made of plaster for the Kigor. The Living Colossus easily lifted up a whole hill to get rid of the armed men shooting at it and then continued his way through the city. In the evening the Living Colossus arrived at O'Bryan's workshop in Hollywood. O'Bryan threatened the Living Colossus to the surprise of the Kigor inside the stone statue. He showed his own giant creation to the Living Colossus and the Kigor quickly decided to take over the larger monster. They left the Living Colossus and phased into O'Bryan's monster only to be blown up moments later by O'Bryan, who had filled the hollow creation of his with explosives. The Kigor's mission to soften up Earth for their race had failed.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers.

In Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone (January, 2006) Bob O'Bryan mentioned in an interview with Matt O'Brien that the alien species that took over It, the Living Colossus twice were named Kigor. This was the first time AFAIK the species was identified by name. Before that we only knew the name of their home planet.

Dr. Karl Malus used the same process the Kigor used to animate the Living Colossus to mutate Coldfire (James Lucas Jr.)

Profile by Markus Raymond.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Kigor of Cancrius III have no known connections to:

Cancrius III

Cancrius III is the homeworld of the Kigor.

--Tales of Suspense I#20/1

spaceships

(Tales of Suspense I#14/1 (fb)) - One of these spaceships crash-landed somewhere in Russia nearby a foundry where the Living Colossus was built by sculptor Boris Petrovski, who heard the sound the spaceship made. It remained hidden behind some bushes where Boris found it and the spaceship's pilot, who followed him back to the foundry.

(Tales of Suspense I#14/3 (fb)) - Another Kigor spaceship later landed on Earth to pick up the crash-landed Kigor. The fate of the crash-landed spaceship remains a mystery.

(Tales of Suspense I#20/1) - A spaceship took a group of Kigor back to Earth (four were seen). After reaching the ship that was supposed to take the Living Colossus to the United States they were transported down to the Living Colossus with a tractor beam.

--Tales of Suspense I#14 (Tales of Suspense I#14/1 (fb), 14/3 (fb), 20/1

bombers

During a civil war among the Kigor these bombers were used.

--Tales of Suspense I#20/1

images: (without ads)
Tales of Suspense I#14, p4, pan3 (main)
Tales of Suspense I#14, p4, pan4 (on all fours)
Tales of Suspense I#14, p5, pan3-4 (phasing inside It)
Tales of Suspense I#14, p17, pan4 (leaving Earth)
Tales of Suspense I#20, p3, pan4 (on Cancrius III)
Tales of Suspense I#20, p3, pan5 (Cancrius III)
Tales of Suspense I#14, p17, pan2 (spaceship)
Tales of Suspense I#14, p4, pan2 (spaceship door opens)
Tales of Suspense I#20, p4, pan3 (red version)
Tales of Suspense I#20, p4, pan5 (tractor beam)
Tales of Suspense I#20, p3, pan2 (bombers on Cancrius III)

Appearances:
Tales of Suspense I#14 (February, 1961) - Stan Lee & Larry Lieber (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Tales of Suspense I#20 (August, 1961) - Stan Lee & Larry Lieber (writer), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Astonishing Tales I#22 (February, 1974) - Tony Isabella (writer), Dick Ayers (artist), Roy Thomas (editor)
Marvel Monsters: From the Files of Ulysses Bloodstone (January, 2006) - Michael Hoskin (head writer/coordinator), Madison Carter, Jeff Christiansen, Sean McQuaid, Stuart Vandal, Eric Moreels, Ronald Byrd & Barry Reese (writers), Jeof Vita (designer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)

First Posted: 01/17/2023
Last updated: 01/17/2023

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.!

Back to Races