Real Name: Unrevealed
Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (race unrevealed; pre-modern era (see comments))
Occupation: Unrevealed
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Unidentified hunters
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: Kunga (as called by African natives)
Base of Operations: Mobile in a jungle, somewhere in Africa; originally from another unidentified planet
First Appearance: Journey into Mystery I#81/3 (June, 1962)
Powers/Abilities: Resembling a gigantic gorilla, this extraterrestrial traveled to Earth in a spaceship. He likely had great strength (...although there were no particular instances where he actually demonstrated it), and despite his vast bulk, he was agile enough to dodge gunfire.
Apparently unable to speak any Earth languages, he seemed to attempt to communicate with humans by flailing his arms about (possibly some form of sign language?). Although he was actually an intelligent and peaceful being, humans misjudged his intentions and thought him to be a menacing monster because of his fearsome appearance.
Height: Unrevealed (20'; by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Brown
History:
(Journey into Mystery I#81/3 (fb) - BTS) -
Apparently on a peaceful mission, this extraterrestrial landed his
spaceship in Africa. Emerging from the jungle, he tried to make contact
with a nearby native village. But the frightened villagers fled in a
panic because they thought the giant was attacking them, so the
extraterrestrial visitor returned to the jungle.
(Journey into Mystery I#81/3) - Two hunters heard a native claim that his village was attacked by a giant gorilla, whom the native called "Kunga." The hunters figured that if it were true, then they could make a fortune by capturing the gargantuan beast, so they hired some other natives and organized a safari to find Kunga.
The next day, the hunters and natives began their expedition into the jungle, where they found proof that Kunga existed -- enormous footprints -- so they dug a deep pit in the pathway, to trap the gigantic primate when he next passed through. As night fell, they set up their campsite nearby, and tensely waited for a sign that their trap was successful. Suddenly, they heard monstrous roars coming from the location of the pit, so they all ran to it, only to find the trap empty when they got there -- the creature was obviously bigger than they thought, because the pit wasn't deep enough to hold it. Without letup, the hunters and natives continued to follow their quarry's path through the jungle, and as hours passed, dawn broke, then stretched into noon, and then into dusk.
As nightfall was approaching, they finally found Kunga -- the giant gorilla was sound asleep in a jungle clearing. The hunters and the natives began to bind Kunga with ropes, but the sleeping giant suddenly awoke and stood up to his full height. The natives fled in terror, and the hunters realized the two of them alone would never be able to capture Kunga alive; but they resolved that the scientific community would still pay plenty for the giant ape's body, so they took aim with their rifles and prepared to kill the mammoth creature. Then one of the hunters noticed that Kunga wasn't attacking them, for he only stood there and moved his arms about, as though he were trying to communicate with them. Regardless, both men still opened fire on the giant, although Kunga moved so quickly that they couldn't get a bead on him.
But rather than retaliate against the hunters, Kunga instead turned and fled back into the jungle, so the two men gave chase and followed -- they were stunned when they saw the giant gorilla enter a spaceship! The huge spacecraft then blasted-off and took flight, leaving Earth behind.
At that point, the two hunters were overwhelmed with regret and shame, for they now realized that Kunga was actually a visitor from another world; if they had only tried to understand him, rather than trying to capture or kill him, he might have stayed and taught them about his own world and the other wonders of the universe.
Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Gene Colan.
The second and fourth pages of this 5-page story had advertising blurbs for the Incredible Hulk, so possibly these events took place during the early days of the modern era.
Perhaps Kunga had some connection to the Superius Rexian race.
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Kunga has no known connection to:
The unidentified hunters have no known connection to:
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In a smoke-filled tavern on the outskirts of an African jungle, these two men were swapping stories of their hunting adventures. When a native came running in, claiming that his village was attacked by a giant gorilla (whom the native called "Kunga"), the hunters were intrigued, because they figured they could make a fortune if they captured the gargantuan beast. The hunters hired some natives and went on safari, in search of Kunga. After discovering enormous footprints of the giant creature, one of the hunters wondered aloud what could've caused a gorilla to grow so huge, and the other speculated that the ape was probably an atomic mutation, the result of all the radiation that was given off by nuclear testing. Later, when they actually found Kunga, the natives fled in terror at the sight of the giant gorilla, and the two hunters realized that they would never be able to capture Kunga alive; they resolved that the scientific community would still pay plenty for Kunga's body, so they took aim at the gargantuan beast with their rifles and prepared to kill it. But before they fired, one of the hunters noticed that rather than attacking them, Kunga seemed to be waving his arms around, as though he were trying to communicate with them. Regardless, both hunters still opened fire -- only Kunga's quickness saved him from being hit. The giant gorilla didn't retaliate against them, but only turned and fled back into the jungle, so the hunters followed him. After they caught up, the two men were stunned when they saw the giant enter a spacecraft and take flight -- they now realized that Kunga wasn't a gorilla, but actually an intelligent being from another planet. Upon learning this, they felt regret and shame, for the peaceful alien visitor could have taught them much about his world and the other wonders of the universe. --Journey into Mystery I#81/3 |
 
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An interstellar spacecraft built by an unidentified extraterrestrial race, it was proportionally large enough to accommodate a single pilot, who resembled a gigantic gorilla. The pilot landed on Earth, in an African jungle, apparently for a peaceful mission. But when the pilot (whom the natives of the region referred to as "Kunga") was met with hostile force by humans, he returned to the spaceship and left Earth. --Journey into Mystery I#81/3 |
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images: (without ads)
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p4, pan5 (Main Image - Kunga, fleeing from hunters' gunfire)
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p4, pan4 (Headshot - Kunga, dodging gunfire)
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p3, pan4 (Kunga, sleeping in jungle; hunters and natives (left))
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p2, pan3 (hunters begin search for Kunga; natives (background))
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p4, pan2 (hunters prepare to kill Kunga)
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p5, pan5 (hunters realize truth about Kunga)
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p5, pan1 (Kunga enters his spaceship; hunters (foreground))
Journey into Mystery I#81/3, p5, pan4 (Kunga's spaceship takes flight)
Appearances:
Journey into Mystery I#81/3 (June, 1962) - Stan Lee (plot/editor), Larry Lieber (script), Gene Colan (pencils/inks), Stan Goldberg (colors), Artie Simek (letters)
First posted: 09/24/2022
Last updated: 09/24/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
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