BORIS ZORREL

Real Name: Boris Zorrel

Identity/Class: Human (Post-World War II Era) magic user

Occupation: Sculptor

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Dexter Van Leeds

Enemies: Dexter's daughter

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, New York, USA

First Appearance: Uncanny Tales I#2 (August, 1952)

Powers/Abilities: Zorrel was a genius sculptor and had a ruthless mind. He possessed a pistol. He made a brief study of magic but was a novice at casting spells.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 185 lbs.)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Brown

History:
(Uncanny Tales I#2/2) - Boris Zorrel summoned the world-famous art critic Dexter Van Leeds to view some of the monstrous statues he had sculpted. Van Leeds brought along his daughter and although he admired Zorrel's work, the daughter found Zorrel's sculptures horrendous and wondered aloud why Zorrel didn't create anything beautiful. After Van Leeds and his daughter left, Zorrel slammed the door behind them, enraged. He became determined to prove that he could sculpt something beautiful.

Over the subsequent days, Zorrel threw himself into his work, creating a sculpture of a woman while ignoring even his dinner. When the statue was complete, he declared it a "goddess." Looking at the "gargoyles" he had sculpted in the past, he judged they were unfit to share a room with his goddess. Zorrel held an auction and sold all of his old sculptures, leaving only his "goddess" in his studio. When the movers came for the other sculptures, he kept the "goddess" hidden under a sheet, unwilling to share the sight of her with any other person.

Now alone in the studio with the "goddess," he gazed upon it and came upon the realization he had fallen in love with his statue, seeing in her only goodness, faithfulness and beauty: "You have only virtues -- no faults! I'll be your slave forever!" Van Leeds came by again to see Zorrel but Zorrel refused to let him into the studio. 

Zorrel resolved he would find a way so that he and the "goddess" could be together. He began a quest for a book of magic with the answer and poured through volumes in bookstores, libraries and museums. Finally, he found the book he needed in an antique dealer's shop. The dealer refused to sell the book so Zorrel shot him to death with a pistol and brought the book to his studio. Studying the book's pages on black magic, he found spells and curses related to statues. Forming a circle in chalk around the statue, he spoke magic words invoking the "woman of stone" and himself, "man of flesh," and requested "let them both be the same!!!" For a moment, he thought he saw the statue smile at him and heard her voice say "we'll be together always." However, the spell did not work in the manner which Zorrel expected -- he was transformed into a statue, now forever frozen in immobile stone next to the "goddess" he loved.

Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Bill Everett.

    Zorrel's story is a parody of sorts to the myth of Pygmalion, the sculptor whose statue Galatea was brought to life by the Greek gods.

Profile by Prime Eternal.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Boris Zorrel should not be confused with:

Dexter Van Leeds

Dexter Van Leeds was a world-famous art critic. He once came to view the sculptures in Boris Zorrel's studio accompanied by his daughter. Although Dexter admired the skill with which Zorrel put into his creations, his daughter found the statues repellent and wondered why he didn't sculpt anything beautiful. The daughter's cutting remark injured Zorrel's pride and led to him sculpting a woman which was so beautiful he fell in love with it. Van Leeds later returned to see Zorrel but Zorrel was enraptured by his statue and drove Van Leeds away.





--Uncanny Tales I#2/2

images: (without ads)
Uncanny Tales I#2/2, page 6, panel 2 (Zorrel, main)
Uncanny Tales I#2/2, page 2, panel 1 (Zorrel, face)
Uncanny Tales I#2/2, page 6, panel 7 (as statue)
Uncanny Tales I#2/2, page 2, panel 2 (Van Leeds and daughter)

Appearances:
Uncanny Tales I#2/2 (August, 1952) - unidentified writer, Bill Everett (artist), Stan Lee (editor)

First posted: 02/14/2023
Last updated: 02/14/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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