KORILLA
Real Name: Korilla
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial ("Monster Men") humanoid
Occupation: Captain
Group Membership: "Monster Men" military
Affiliations: Members of his expeditionary
force
Enemies: Humankind, other races on his planet
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Planet in another galaxy
(names unrevealed)
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery
I#69/1 (June, 1961)
Powers/Abilities: Having similar attributes to
others
of his race, Korilla has superhuman strength and endurance. He is an
aggressive and heartless conqueror, and incredibly ruthless, yet also
boastful. He commands a spaceship capable of warp travel between
galaxies and instantaneous communication over such distance. Given his
immediate command of the English language, his race may have some form
of telepathy.
Height: 8'
(by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Ginger
History:
(Journey Into Mystery I#69/1 (fb)) - Korilla was a
Captain of a warrior race on a planet in a distant galaxy. He led some
of the fiercest warriors against the peaceful inhabitants of his
planet, forcing them into servitude. However, despite he and his
fellow
warriors' ruthless victories, underground movements formed against
them. The warrior race's leader commanded Korilla lead an expeditionary
force to find and conquer another suitable planet, should his people
need to flee due to an uprising from overwhelming numbers. Rapidly traveling to
the Milky Way Galaxy, he considered Earth an apt locale and landed his
spaceship at night; to avoid detection, it drilled underground next to
an old Victorian-style house on the outskirts of an American city. The
hooded scientist onboard prepared a dangerous self-replicating green
gas harmful only to humans that the warriors expected would force
humankind to surrender. Korilla had a scout go near the city.
(Journey Into Mystery I#69/1) - The scout hailed a
cab driver to take him back to the house, but his alien visage was seen
by the driver. Terrified, the driver managed to escape and alerted the
disbelieving police. The warriors pretended they were just in costume
for a party and the police left. But the cab driver remained
suspicious and returned to the house. Quickly captured by the "Monster
Men," he was taken
before Korilla. Stalling for time, the cab driver asked to know their
plans and, bemused, Korilla told him, also intending to shoot the cab
driver with his own gun to make it appear an accidental suicide. The
warriors mocked the cab driver and he took the chance to escape into
the dilapidated house. Korilla demanded he be found, but the driver
instead discovered a hidden passageway in the old house. He knocked out
the scientist preparing the gas and fooled Korilla and all his warriors
into entering a cellar room that he soon locked. The cab driver next
duped the warriors' leader on the home planet into thinking that
Korilla had admitted defeat. The leader passed a death sentence on
Korilla for his failure just as Korilla escaped the locked room and gas
was triggered that was lethal only to the alien invaders. The cab
driver left to alert the authorities but saw the dead aliens and their
equipment beamed into space, leaving no evidence of their presence.
Comments: Created by uncredited writer (see comments), Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers.
I can't help but feel that this story was moderated a
bit. The human race was meant to be knocked out instead of wiped out
(perhaps they enjoyed subjugating populations?) and the cab driver
was meant to have "accidentally" killed himself with a gun.
Grand Comics Database lists likely author credits as Stan Lee and/or Larry Lieber.
This profile was completed 09/05/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20th anniversary's celebratory event.
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS
:
Korilla has no known connections to:
Numbering millions, the "Monster Men" (dubbed so by their captive human) were a warrior race on a far distant planet. They were ruthless in their pursuit of war and subjugation, but remained in the minority on their planet. Their harsh treatment of others on their planet generated discord and underground movements of the oppressed formed against the warrior race. The leader of the "Monster Men" was sufficiently concerned that he sent one of his fiercest war captains Korilla on an expeditionary force to find and conquer another planet in another galaxy as a potential escape from overwhelming opposition. Korilla chanced upon Earth and landed his spaceship near an American city to investigate. Satisfied that the human race could be defeated using a gas harmful only to humans, he was ready to release it when a local cab driver intervened and resourcefully fooled them and the alien leader into thinking Earth was too powerful. The alien leader killed Korilla by remote and beamed all evidence away; any plan to conquer Earth by the menace of the "Monster Men" foiled.
Their civilization is very advanced with warp
intergalactic travel and instantaneous communication between galaxies.
They can quickly
tailor weapons of war against aliens, but also favor traditional forms
of combat, using steeds and swords riding into battle against peaceful
targets. They are ruthless conquerors and paranoid, yet over-confident
when they think they have weaker prey. Agile at leaping, they can still be
clumsy in close quarters. Having quickly learned the English language
on Earth, the race may have some form of telepathy. Lion-like in
appearance, some have "manes"; whether this has to do with gender, age,
rank, haircut preference or some other factor is unrevealed.
--Journey Into Mystery I#69/1
images:
(without ads)
Journey Into Mystery I#69/1, p7 (main image)
p1 (headshot)
p8, pan2 (riding into battle)
p10, pan4 (2 peekaboo heads)
p9, pan1 (scientist with gas)
Appearances:
Journey Into Mystery I#69/1 (June, 1961) - uncredited writer, Jack
Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First posted: 09/09/2021
Last updated:
09/07/2021
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.
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