- Man-Ape
-
Not to be confused with Ape-Man.
Man-Ape 
Man-Ape
art by Sal VellutoPublication information Publisher Marvel Comics First appearance Avengers #62 (Mar 1969) Created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema In-story information Alter ego M'Baku Species Human mutate Team affiliations Lethal Legion
Masters of EvilPartnerships Grim Reaper
SaboteurNotable aliases White Gorilla Abilities Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility and durability Man-Ape is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, and frequent enemy of the Black Panther. He first appeared in Avengers #62 (March 1969)
Contents
Fictional character biography
M'Baku was born in Wakanda, in Africa. He became one of Wakanda's greatest warriors, second only to the Black Panther. He plotted to usurp the throne of Wakanda with the help of the outlawed rival White Gorilla Cult and return Wakanda to a primitive state. M'Baku became a renegade and gains his powers by bathing in white gorilla blood and eating white gorilla flesh, taking the alias of Man-Ape. He fought with the Black Panther and was believed to be dead when the Panther Totem that the Black Panther was bound to crumbled on him.[1] N'Gamo revives him and Man-Ape goes to America where the Black Panther is with the Avengers at the time.[2] He allies himself with the original Lethal Legion made up of Grim Reaper, Living Laser, Power Man, and Swordsman. He is the first member met by the Avengers. He attacks Captain America, but is beaten back by the rest of the Avengers. He then captures the Black Panther's girlfriend Monica Lynne, binding her hand and foot with metal clamps. The Black Panther is lured into a trap and knocked out by an exploding dummy of Monica. He is chained up and meets the other members. The Legion straps him and Monica to chairs before leaving, though he is able to escape and contact the other members, before the Grim Reaper defeats him. The Legion is defeated by the Avengers after Vision overcomes Power Man and frees the other members.[3] Man-Ape bests Black Panther again until he is defeated by Captain America.[4] Black Panther banishes Man-Ape from Wakanda on order of execution if he returns.[4]
Man-Ape later joins a new Lethal Legion (consisting of the Grim Reaper, Black Talon, Goliath (Erik Josten), Nekra, and Ultron-12) and battles Tigra.[5] He then abandons the Grim Reaper, accompanied by Black Talon.[6]
Man-Ape travels to uninhabited parts of the world before joining the seventh incarnation of the Masters of Evil which is defeated by the Thunderbolts.[7] Despite his rivalry with T'Challa, M'Baku was invited to the wedding of T'Challa and Ororo Munroe (also known as Storm of the X-Men), where he gets drunk on scotch and tries to pick a fight with Spider-Man.[volume & issue needed]
Man-Ape is next seen at the end of Heroes for Hire #6, teamed with Grim Reaper & Saboteur.[8]
Man-Ape is killed by Morlun, the Devourer of Totems while defending his people from Morlun's attack on the Man-Ape's kingdom. But before his death, he sends an envoy to Wakanda to warn them of the approaching danger.[9]
Powers and abilities
The Man-Ape gained superhuman powers by consuming the flesh of a sacred white gorilla, enchanting him through the mystical transference of the abilities of the rare Wakandan white gorilla. M'Baku's mystically augmented powers include superhuman strength, and the enhanced agility, stamina, and durability equal to that of the mystical Wakandan white gorilla.
He has extensive formal military training in hand-to-hand combat from the Wakandan Royal Militia.
Other versions
Ultimate M'Baku
In the Ultimate Marvel universe, M'Baku is the name of T'Challa's older brother. After the young T'Challa failed to complete the "Trial of the Black Panther", M'Baku derided him, saying that he should have taken the trial instead. Later, angry that his father had decided to share Wakanda’s technology in exchange for America’s help in saving T’Challa’s life, M'Baku left the kingdom.[10]
In other media
Television
- Man-Ape appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "Panther's Quest" voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. He challenges T'Chaka for the throne of Wakanda and manages to defeat him with some unseen help from Klaw. As Man-Ape takes the throne, T'Challa leaves and becomes Black Panther in order to prepare to take back Wakanda from Man-Ape. With Wakanda under their control, Man-Ape and Klaw have the Wakandans mine for Vibranium. In the episode "Panther's Quest," Man-Ape speaks with Grim Reaper about HYDRA's purchasing of the Vibranium. He tells Grim Reaper that if he and HYDRA double-cross him, he won't live to regret it. Black Panther and Captain America confront Man-Ape who sends the guards to fight them. Man-Ape ends up fighting Black Panther where Man-Ape uses a sound device given to him by Klaw. Black Panther manages to overcomes the sound device and takes down Man-Ape liberating Wakanda from Man-Ape's rule.
Video games
- Man-Ape appears as a boss for the Wakanda level in the PS2, PSP, NDS, and Wii versions of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. In a fashion similar to his comic book origin, M'Baku leads an attack on Wakanda in a bid to usurp the throne from T'Challa whilst the country is incapacitated by a wave of hostile nanite machines.
References
- ^ Avengers #62
- ^ Avengers #78 (July 1970)
- ^ Avengers #78 & 79 (July & August 1970)
- ^ a b Avengers #79 (August 1970)
- ^ West Coast Avengers #1-2
- ^ Vision and Scarlet Witch Vol. 2 #2
- ^ Thunderbolts #24 & 25 (March & April 1999)
- ^ Heroes for Hire #6
- ^ Black Panther Vol.4 #4
- ^ Ultimate Captain America Annual #1
External links
Categories:- Comics characters introduced in 1969
- Characters created by Roy Thomas
- Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
- Marvel Comics mutates
- Marvel Comics supervillains
- Gorilla characters in comics
- Wakandans
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