Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a

supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...

appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

Publication history

The Grey Gargoyle first appeared in ''

Journey into Mystery ''Journey into Mystery'' is an American comic book series initially published by Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it changed to giant-monster and science fiction stories in the late 1950s ...

'' #107 (Aug. 1964) and was created by

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

and

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

Fictional character biography

Paul Pierre Duval is a French

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

whose right hand was transformed into stone following a chemical accident, granting the ability to petrify anything it touches. Duval, however, becomes bored and attempts to achieve

immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some species possess "biological immortality" due to an apparent lack of the Hayflick limit. From at least the time of the Ancient Mesopotamian religion, ancient Mesopotamians, there has been a con ...

by confronting

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

and stealing his hammer, Mjolnir. Thor is turned to stone in their first battle, but turns back to Donald Blake when he falls over and strikes the floor with his hammer. As Blake, he defeats the Gargoyle by luring him into the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, using a projection of Thor, leaving the villain buried at the bottom. The Grey Gargoyle eventually reappears after being hauled up from the river, whereupon he turns the two people examining him to stone. Believing that Blake can help him find Thor, the Grey Gargoyle goes after him. He pursues them through the streets, becoming angry at their escaping him and finally deciding to eliminate Blake. However he is delayed by an Asgardian blinding him with an arrow that gives off light, after which the Asgardian restores the Thunder God's power. The Grey Gargoyle is incapacitated by Thor once again as he uses his hammer to trap the Grey Gargoyle by tapping a lamppost as a power source and sending a bolt which fuses the Gargoyles limbs. Odin then fully restores Thor's power. The Grey Gargoyle appears in the title ''

Tales of Suspense ''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series, and two one-shot comics, all published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for s ...

'', attempting to steal an experimental device for use against Thor, but is stopped by his fellow

Avenger Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sa ...

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

. The character continues to play the role of industrial saboteur in the title ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

'', attempting to steal an experimental chemical called Element X before being stopped by

; the

Falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distrib ...

and

Nick Fury Colonel (United States), Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and ...

. An appearance in the title ''

Marvel Team-Up ''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...

'' against Captain America and fellow hero

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

ends with the Gargoyle being trapped in a rocket and launched into deep space. The character reappears in the title ''Thor'', and is revealed to have been rescued by the crew of the alien spaceship the Bird of Prey and nominated their captain. After a battle with Thor the character is lost in space once again. The Grey Gargoyle eventually returns to Earth in a meteorite in the title ''

Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

'', and battles briefly before being defeated and imprisoned. The character reappears in the title as part of

Helmut Zemo Helmut Zemo is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella and Sal Buscema, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Captain America (comic book), Captain America'' #16 ...

's incarnation of the

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in '' The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

. In an encounter with the Avenger the

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with ...

, the Gargoyle grasps the hero's enchanted sword and is reverted to human form, his power temporarily neutralized. In the title ''Iron Man'' the Gargoyle adopts the false identity of sculptor Paul St. Pierre, and intends to make a fortune in the art world by selling persons transformed to stone as authentic sculptures. The ruse, however, is discovered by Iron Man, who defeats the villain. During the ''

Acts of Vengeance "Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline running through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990. Publication history This company-wide fall crossover was centered on the Avengers and Fanta ...

'' storyline,

Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...

hires Grey Gargoyle to battle the

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

. However, Hulk resists the Gargoyle's power and then humiliates him by breaking his arm. The Gargoyle appears in the title ''

She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...

'' and in another title of ''Thor'' where he is summoned by Zarrko to fight the Thor Corps but was defeated by

Beta Ray Bill Beta Ray Bill is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the character was initially intended to be a surprise; an apparent monster who unexpectedly turns out ...

. He later appeared as the pawn of an alien

shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest exist ...

in the title ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...

''. The Gargoyle's power temporarily incapacitates Fantastic Four member the

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

, who recovers with the added benefit of being able to now transform between human form and his superstrong rock-like form. After another appearance in the title ''Thor'' and almost instant defeat by the god slaying entity Desak, the Gargoyle features in the title ''

New Avengers The New Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The title has been used for four American comic book series. The first two were written by Brian Michael Bendis and depicted a version of Ma ...

'' with other criminals attempting to escape the prison facility The Raft. After a brief appearance in the humorous title ''She-Hulk'', the Grey Gargoyle battles heroines

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew (and later impersonated by Veranke), the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third m ...

and Ms. Marvel in the title '' Civil War: The Initiative''; appears briefly in the fourth volume of the title ''

New Warriors The New Warriors are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They traditionally consisted of teenage and young adult heroes, and were often seen to serve as a junior counterpart to Avengers (comics) ...

'' and in the ''Spider-Man'' title published under the

Marvel Adventures ''Marvel Adventures'', formerly ''Marvel Age'', was an imprint of Marvel Comics intended for younger audiences, including small children. Unlike the standard comics published by Marvel, which often take place in story arcs spanning several issues ...

imprint. Grey Gargoyle is recruited to join a "crime army" formed by the villain the Hood in the title ''The New Avengers''. During the " Dark Reign" storyline, the

Grim Reaper The Grim Reaper is a popular personification of death in Western culture in the form of a hooded skeletal figure wearing a black robe and carrying a scythe.Lethal Legion The Lethal Legion is the name of seven teams of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The first version of the Lethal Legion appeared in '' The Avengers'' #78 (July 1970). The secon ...

, who oppose

Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...

. During the '' Heroic Age'' storyline, it is claimed that he has a discarded and disavowed daughter named Mortar who is a member of the Bastards of Evil. The Grey Gargoyle is later shown as an inmate of The Raft. When an EMP surge shuts down the Raft's defenses, the inmates attempt an escape.

Purple Man The Purple Man (Zebediah Killgrave) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Orlando, he first appeared in '' Daredevil'' #4 (October 1964). His body produces pher ...

compels the Grey Gargoyle to stop a door from closing by jamming his head into the mechanism. In '' Fear Itself'', Grey Gargoyle obtains one of the Serpent's hammers and becomes Mokk, the Breaker of Faith. Mokk transforms the entire population of Paris to stone. When Iron Man intervenes, Mokk damages his armor and energy supply, forcing him to flee, and also fends off attacks from Detroit Steel,

Sasha Hammer Haechi Haechi (Mark Sim) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Christopher Yost and Marcus To, he first appeared in ''New Warriors'' (vol. 5) #2 (March 2014). Sim is among the latent ...

, and

Rescue Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, removal from danger, liberation from restraint, or the urgent treatment of injury, injuries after an incident. It may be facilitated by a range of tools and equipm ...

. Mokk is reverted to Grey Gargoyle by the end of the storyline, and

Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...

returns those he affected to normal. In '' Avengers: Standoff!'', Grey Gargoyle appears as an inmate of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established by S.H.I.E.L.D. In '' Secret Empire'', Grey Gargoyle joins Helmut Zemo's Army of Evil. In a lead-up to the ''Sins Rising'' arc,

Count Nefaria Count Luchino Nefaria is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, the character first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #13 (February 1965). Count Nefaria is a socialite and crime ...

forms a new incarnation of the Lethal Legion, consisting of Grey Gargoyle,

Living Laser The Living Laser (Arthur Parks) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book a ...

, and

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow ( current) gradients. Whirlwinds can vary in size and last from a cou ...

in a plot to target the Catalyst. At

Empire State University Empire State University (SUNY Empire) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State University is a multi-site institution offering associate, bac ...

, Curt Connors reveals the Catalyst to the crowd when the Lethal Legion attacks. However, they are eventually defeated and imprisoned in Ravencroft. In '' Sinister War'', Grey Gargoyle is killed by the Sin-Eater, but is eventually resurrected and joins the Sinful Six. In '' The Immortal Thor'', Grey Gargoyle is hired by Dario Agger to assist Radioactive Man,

King Cobra The king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') is a species complex of snakes Endemism, endemic to Asia. With an average of and a record length of , it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus ''Ophiophagus'', i ...

, and Mister Hyde in attacking Thor. Grey Gargoyle petrifies Thor and Hyde shatters his body. However, Thor regenerates with Enchantress' help. With help from Enchantress, Sif, and Magni, Thor defeats the villains who are taken to Daedalus LLC, a subsidiary of Roxxon.''Immortal Thor'' #16 - 18 (December 2024 - February 2025)

Powers and abilities

The Grey Gargoyle can temporarily transform himself and whatever he touches into organic stone. He also has a master's degree in chemistry.

In other media

Television

* The Grey Gargoyle appears in the "Mighty Thor" segment of ''

The Marvel Super Heroes ''The Marvel Super Heroes'' is an American animated television series starring five comic book superheroes from Marvel Comics. The first TV series based on Marvel Comics, Marvel characters, it debuted in broadcast syndication, syndication on Amer ...

'', voiced by

Chris Wiggins Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was a Canadian actor. Career Wiggins was born January 13, 1931, in Blackpool, England. He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada ...

. * The Grey Gargoyle appears in ''

'', voiced by

Ed Gilbert Ed Gilbert (born Edmund Francis Giesbert, June 29, 1931 – May 8, 1999) was an American actor, with extensive credits in both live-action roles and voice work in animation, although he was better known for the latter. He is also credited, under ...

, with additional dialogue provided by

Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...

. * The Grey Gargoyle appears in the '' Iron Man: Armored Adventures'' episode "Doomsday" as a Makluan guardian created by the original Mandarin to guard one of his Makluan rings and test potential successors. However,

destroys the Grey Gargoyle off-screen and claims the ring before the Mandarin's successor, Gene Khan, can. * The Grey Gargoyle appears in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by

Troy Baker Troy Edward Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. He is known for his numerous roles in video games, including Yuri Lowell in ''Tales of Vesperia'' (2008), Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' franchise, Booker DeWi ...

. This version is a member of the

before being killed by the

Executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who effects a sentence of capital punishment on a condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorizing or ordering him to ...

Video games

* Grey Gargoyle appears in '' The Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge!''. * Grey Gargoyle appears as a boss in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'', voiced by

Tom Kane Tom Kane (born 1962) is an American former voice actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Career Kane began his voice acting career in 1977 when he was just 14 years old. Some of his ...

. This version is a former member of Doctor Doom's Masters of Evil who joined the Mandarin in leaving the group when the latter failed to take command. * Grey Gargoyle appears as a boss in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2'', voiced by Joe Roseto. * Grey Gargoyle appears as a boss in '' Marvel: Avengers Alliance''.

References

External links

Grey Gargoyle
at Marvel.com
''Grand Comics Database Projects article on the issue containing the Grey Gargoyle's debut
{{authority control Characters created by Jack Kirby Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1964 Fictional characters with earth or stone abilities Fictional chemists Fictional French people Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics male supervillains Marvel Comics mutates Marvel Comics scientists Thor (Marvel Comics)