Congorilla (originally in human: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan) is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

appearing in

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

s published by

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

and

Vertigo Comics DC Vertigo, also known as Vertigo Comics or simply Vertigo, is an Imprint (trade name), imprint of the American comic book publisher DC Comics. Vertigo publishes comics with adult comics, adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and ...

. Originally co-created by writer

Whitney Ellsworth Frederick Whitney Ellsworth (November 27, 1908 – September 7, 1980) was an American comic book editor and sometime writer and artist for DC Comics during the period known to historians and fans as the Golden Age of Comic Books. He was also ...

and artist

George Papp George Edward Papp (January 20, 1916 – August 8, 1989) was an American comics artist best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running DC Comics series ''Superboy''. Papp also co-created Green Arrow with Mort Weisinger and Congo B ...

, he was later transformed into Congorilla by Robert Bernstein and Howard Sherman. The character first appeared in ''

More Fun Comics ''More Fun Comics'', originally titled ''New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine'',''New Fun'' #v1#1 (Feb. 1935 ...

'' #56 (June 1940).

Publication history

''Congo Bill'' was a long-running DC Comics adventure

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

, often reminiscent of

Alex Raymond Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. (October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American cartoonist and illustrator who was best known for creating the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip for King Features Syndicate in 1934. The strip was subsequently a ...

's ''

Jungle Jim Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle ...

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

strip. Originating in ''More Fun Comics'' #56, the strip was a moderate success and ran there until issue #67 (May 1941), after which it moved to ''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National ...

'' from issue #37 (June 1941). ''Action Comics'' #191 (April 1954) introduced

Janu the Jungle Boy Janu the Jungle Boy is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He is a young boy brought up in the jungle after his father has been killed by a tiger, and who appears as a sidekick to Congo Bill, who adopts him as his ward. Janu first appears ...

, a young boy brought up in the jungle after his father had been killed by a tiger. In 1954, DC gave Congo Bill a solo series, published on a bi-monthly schedule, which lasted for seven issues (August/September 1954 – August/September 1955). Congo Bill encountered the legendary golden gorilla in ''

'' #224 (January 1957). He also encountered the similarly named Kongorilla in ''

'' #228 (May 1957). In issue #248 (January 1959), Bill was transformed into Congorilla and the title of the strip was likewise changed. The ''Congorilla'' series ran in ''Action Comics'' until issue #261 (February 1960), after which it was transferred to ''

Adventure Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), ...

'' from issues #270 (March 1960) to #283 (April 1961). Since the demise of his series, Congorilla has mainly been seen as a guest star in other titles, including as part of the

Forgotten Heroes The Forgotten Heroes are a fictional superhero team in the DC Comics universe. The group is composed of originally unrelated superheroes introduced in DC publications in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Having faded from appearances in DC publication ...

. The character received a

mini-series In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...

of his own in 1992, where Janu betrays Bill, usurps the Congorilla identity, and partially blinds him. In 1999, DC Comics once again brought Congo Bill back for another four-issue

limited series In the field of comic books, and particularly in the United States, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined ...

under the company's mature readership Vertigo Comics imprint. Congorilla returned in the 2009 series ''

Cry for Justice Crying is the dropping of tears (or welling of tears in the eyes) in response to an emotional state or physical pain. Emotions that can lead to crying include sadness, anger, joy, and fear. Crying can also be caused by relief from a period ...

'', joining a proactive splinter faction of the

Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...

. Following that series, Congorilla became a main character in ''Justice League of America'' as a full-time member of the Justice League. He also starred in the ''Starman/Congorilla'' one-shot (March 2011) alongside close friend and teammate

Starman (Mikaal Tomas) Starman (Mikaal Tomas) is a fictional character in DC Comics and is one of the Starmen within the DC Universe. He is openly bisexual. Creation Writer Gerry Conway said he simply liked the name Starman and created the character as an homage, not ...

. Congo Bill appears in the ''Rebirth'' continuity as the warden of Monster Rock, where he trains the hero

Damage Damage is any change in a thing, often a physical object, that degrades it away from its initial state. It can broadly be defined as "changes introduced into a system that adversely affect its current or future performance".Farrar, C.R., Sohn, H., ...

in controlling his abilities.

Fictional character biography

William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan was born in 1898, the son of a Scottish gamekeeper. At one point he was a member of the IRA, and during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he served as soldier in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

in France 1916 and also Battle of Flanders Field in Passendale, Belgium. He worked his way up as a spy in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. He later became a globe-trotting adventurer, and for a time worked for the Worldwide Insurance Company, protecting policies they had written and saving the company from fraudulent payouts. Bill grew content to live in his adopted

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n home, swearing to protect it from harm. There he befriended a

witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor), or witchcraft doctor, is a kind of magical healer who treats ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is often misunderstood, and they could more accurately be called "anti-witch doctors ...

known as Chief Kawolo. When Kawolo was mortally injured in a fall, he summoned Bill to his bedside and offered him a magic ring. Kawolo told the skeptical Congo Bill that, by rubbing the ring, he could transfer his consciousness into the body of the legendary golden

gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...

. He accepted the ring to humor his friend's dying wish. Several weeks later, an earthquake trapped Bill in a deep cave. With no possible escape, Congo Bill hopelessly rubbed the magic ring. Instantly, his mind was transported into the body of the Golden Gorilla. Racing to the cave-in, he used his massive strength to clear the blocked entrance and wondering what had become of his body without him being "home". He realized that when his consciousness entered the body of the golden gorilla, the creature's consciousness entered his own body. Bill decides to use his new powers to fight crime in the jungle. He is later assisted by Janu, a young boy raised in the jungle. Years later, Bill (now known as ''Congorilla'') is trapped in his golden gorilla form due to the death of his human body. He becomes the protector of a band of gorillas as well as befriending the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n hero

Freedom Beast Freedom Beast (Dominic Mndawe) is a fictional comic book character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character made his live-action debut in the fourth season of the HBO Max series ''Titans'', portrayed by Nyambi N ...

. When the gorillas and Freedom Beast are slaughtered by hunters, Congorilla decides to seek justice. After the trail leads to the villain

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...

, Congorilla works with Starman and a splinter faction of the Justice League. After Prometheus's death, Congorilla and his new best friend Starman become full-time members of the Justice League. During his time with the League, Bill faces off against such foes as the rogue

Starheart A power ring is an object featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. The power ring first appeared in ''All-American Comics'' #16 on July 14, 1940. Green Lantern Corps The first appearance of a power ring was in ''All-American Co ...

and

Eclipso Eclipso () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Haney and Lee Elias, the character first appeared in '' House of Secrets'' #61 (August 1963). The character bears notable similarities to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. ...

. He is also part of a much larger makeshift Justice League squad when the return of Batman from a seeming death threatens to destroy time and space. After Batman Inc. appoints the vigilante Batwing as the official Batman of Africa, Congorilla realizes that the continent is too big for one hero to handle. He ultimately chooses to resign from the JLA to organize the superheroes of Africa into a more efficient team and find a worthy successor for Freedom Beast. In 2011, ''

The New 52 The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...

'' rebooted the DC universe. Congorilla appears as a potential member of

Justice League International Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...

. In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "

DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...

" which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". In contrast to the original continuity, the relaunch restored both Congo Bill's human version and the original Golden Gorilla. This change restores Congo Bill's need for the magic ring. Congo Bill is named the warden of Monster Rock and is

's mentor.

Powers and abilities

Before becoming Congorilla, Bill is a skilled hunter, explorer, and marksman. As Congorilla, Bill's

simian The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkey, Platyrrhini (New World mon ...

body granted him supernatural strength, stamina, durability, agility, reflexes, and senses, self-healing capabilities, the ability to grow in size, and virtual immortality. In order to become Congorilla, he originally rubs a magic ring, which would swap his consciousness with that of the golden gorilla.

Other versions

* An alternate universe variant of Congorilla makes a cameo appearance in '' JLA: The Nail'' as a prisoner of

Cadmus Labs This is a list of teams and organizations that appear in various DC Comics publications. Note: Please check :DC Comics superhero teams before adding any redundant entries for superhero teams to the page. 0-9 100 1,000 2000 Committee A ...

. * An alternate universe variant of Congorilla appears in '' Flashpoint''. * An alternate timeline variant of Congorilla appears in ''

Twilight of the Superheroes ''Twilight of the Superheroes'' is the title of a proposed comic book crossover that writer Alan Moore submitted to DC Comics in 1987 before his split with the company. Although various elements suggested by Moore later occurred in various comi ...

''. This version is a crime boss who remained in his gorilla body for decades after his human body became too fragile. Due to the gorilla's spirit proving immortal despite being in his body, Congorilla keeps him hidden in his apartment.

In other media

Television

* William Glenmorgan appears in the ''

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

'' episode "My Name Is Emiko Queen", portrayed by Edward Foy. This version is a human mercenary. * Congorilla appears in the ''

Creature Commandos The Creature Commandos are the name of several military special forces groups appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. Co-created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Pat Broderick, the team first appeared i ...

'' episode "Chasing Squirrels", voiced by Jason Konopisos. This version is an inmate of Belle Reve Penitentiary's Non-Human Interment Division who is later killed by the

Bride A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is a newlywed. When marrying, if the bride's future spouse is a man, he is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, ...

for bullying

Nina Mazursky Ma'alefa'ak Josephine MacDonald Josephine MacDonald, also known as Josie Mac, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #763 (December 2001) and was created by ...

Film

Congo Bill appears in a self-titled film serial, portrayed by Don McGuire.

Video games

Congorilla appears as a character summon in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.

Miscellaneous

* ''Adventure Comics'' #283 appears in ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...

'' episode "The Great Filling Station Robbery". * Congorilla appears in issue #19 of the ''

Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen T ...

'' tie-in comic book series. This version is a gorilla deity and member of

Solovar Solovar is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Solovar is a sapient gorilla and leader of a race of gorillas that first appeared as supporting characters of Flash. Solovar appears in ''The Flas ...

's troop who escaped being experimented on by the

Brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

and

Ultra-Humanite Ultra-Humanite (Gerard Shugel) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared as a recurring adversary of Superman, and was among the first villains faced by him. He was designed to be the polar oppos ...

years prior.

References

External links

Congo Bill
at DC Comics Wiki *
Congorilla
at DC Comics Wiki {{Justice League characters 1994 comics debuts 1999 comics debuts Adventure film characters American comics adapted into films Animal superheroes British superheroes Characters created by George Papp Characters created by Robert Bernstein Comics about anthropomorphic apes Comics about talking animals Comics characters introduced in 1940 DC Comics animals DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds DC Comics characters who use magic DC Comics characters with accelerated healing DC Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability DC Comics characters with superhuman senses DC Comics characters with superhuman strength DC Comics fantasy characters DC Comics immortals DC Comics shapeshifters DC Comics superheroes Fictional British spies Fictional characters from the 19th century Fictional characters who can change size Fictional characters with body or mind control abilities Fictional explorers Fictional gorillas Fictional hunters in comics Fictional Scottish people Fictional World War I veterans Golden Age superheroes Gorilla characters in comics Jungle (genre) comics Jungle men Jungle superheroes Vertigo Comics titles