Gibbon (Marvel)
The Gibbon is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Martin Blank
From childhood, it was shown that other kids bullied him due to his appearance. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 18.HU) His simian features earned him mockery and contempt while growing up at an orphanage. He would be the happiest when the orphanage took him and the other kids to the zoo. When Martin was old enough, he was let go. Nobody ever tried to adopt him. Martin wished to get away from society and live in Africa, but he did not have the money. Ruling out the possibility of an ordinary job, he sought out a circus to put his acrobatic agility and strength to use. He was provided a fur costume to enhance his animal appearance, but the circus owner didn't want him outshining other performers, so he had Martin engage the audience like a clown. Martin was further tormented by the laughs of the public, and left after only one week. He moved to Manhattan, where he ended up living in a flophouse. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #110)
Martin jumped around a specific rooftop to unwind regularly. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #18.HU) One fateful day he encountered Spider-Man, and saved his camera after the wall-crawler tossed it away in a fit of frustration. They exchanged a few words, and Spider-Man tried to cheer him up. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #110) Martin became obsessed with Spider-Man, sensing familiarity with him due to his acrobatic skills. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #18.HU) The following day, Martin decided to put on his circus costume and intercept Spider-Man to offer him to become partners, adopting the alias of the Gibbon. However, Spider-Man laughed at the idea, causing Martin to lash out at him, unwittingly driving Spider-Man away after attacking him. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #110)
pider-Man's enemy, Kraven the Hunter, was planning his revenge on the web-slinger when he witnessed his brief encounter with Martin. Kraven approached Gibbon and convinced him to join him in his quest against Spider-Man, which Martin decided to use as an opportunity to show the hero and the world not to make fun of him. Kraven trained Gibbon and provided him with a herb broth that enhanced his powers, giving him the appearance that his costume mimicked. Martin was also consumed by an animal rage, and attacked Kraven. However, Kraven managed to fend him off and hypnotized Martin to become subservient. Kraven sent Gibbon after Spider-Man, and Martin almost killed him, but managed to snap out of Kraven's control, holding out to his humanity. Gibbon lost consciousness as a result, and Spider-Man saved him after falling off a rooftop. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #111) Spider-Man had a hunch that Gibbon was being manipulated, and carried him to a hospital. After leaving him, Spider-Man told a nurse to tell Martin he had no hard feelings. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #112)
When Zelda got hurt, Martin came to take a job and put her under his insurance as he came to look after her with the pair being married. She eventually made a fully recovery but she began to grow more distant with him and eventually divorced Martin after leaving with Live Wire. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #18.HU)
He was among the various animal-themed superbeings that were abducted by Kraven the Hunter who placed all of them in Arcade's specially created hunting ground. Within it, robotic hunters were piloted by the rich and wealthy who paid for the experience of hunting worthy prey. The Gibbon was attacked by the hunter killer robots but was saved by Spider-Man though the Vulture convinced Blank to turn his back on the Wall-Crawler as he claimed the hero would only see the Gibbon put in jail afterwards. Thus, the Gibbon accompanied the Vulture where Martin suggested that they team up and work together. However, Toomes simply pushed the Gibbon into the path of the hunter killers to provide a distraction allowing the Vulture to escape whilst Blank was swarmed by the machines. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #18) After surrounding them, they badly wounded him and were ready to kill Gibbon when the hunters were distracted by the Rhino. Martin looked to find shelter but in his wounded condition came upon a pair of hunters where they shot him in the head in an effort to put him out of his misery. Now fatally wounded, he was found by Spider-Man who cradled the Gibbon in his arms as Martin Blank seemingly passed away.(Amazing Spider-Man v5 18.HU)
Overview
Personality and attributes
The bullying he came to handle but the thing that hurt him the most was the laughter directed at him. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 18.HU)
He came to love Zelda but over time came to see that she did not love him. (Amazing Spider-Man v5 #18.HU)
Powers and abilities
Notes
- The Gibbon was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. where he made his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man v1 #110 (July, 1972).
Appearances
- Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1972)
- Amazing Spider-Man v5:
External Links
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