| Congorilla | |
|---|---|
 Congorilla as seen in the promotional art forJustice League: Cry for Justice by Mauro Cascioli. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | More Fun Comics #56 (June 1940) |
| Created by | Whitney Ellsworth (writer) George Papp (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | William Glenmorgan |
| Species | Human (formerly) Enchanted goldengorilla (currently) |
| Team affiliations | Forgotten Heroes Justice League |
| Notable aliases | Congo Bill |
| Abilities |
|
Congorilla (originally in human:William "Congo Bill"Glenmorgan) is asuperhero appearing incomic books published byDC Comics andVertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writerWhitney Ellsworth and artistGeorge Papp, he was later transformed into Congorilla byRobert Bernstein and Howard Sherman. The character first appeared inMore Fun Comics #56 (June 1940).[1]
Congo Bill was a long-running DC Comics adventurecomic strip, often reminiscent ofAlex Raymond'sJungle Jimnewspaper strip. Originating inMore Fun Comics #56, the strip was a moderate success and ran there until issue #67 (May 1941), after which it moved toAction Comics from issue #37 (June 1941).
Action Comics #191 (April 1954) introducedJanu the Jungle Boy, 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 inAction Comics #224 (January 1957).[2] He also encountered the similarly namedKongorilla inAction Comics #228 (May 1957). In issue #248 (January 1959), Bill was transformed into Congorilla and the title of the strip was likewise changed.[3] TheCongorilla series ran inAction Comics until issue #261 (February 1960), after which it was transferred toAdventure Comics from issues #270 (March 1960) to #283 (April 1961).[4]
Since the demise of his series, Congorilla has mainly been seen as a guest star in other titles, including as part of theForgotten Heroes. The character received amini-series 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-issuelimited series under the company's mature readership Vertigo Comics imprint.
Congorilla returned in the 2009 seriesCry for Justice, joining a proactive splinter faction of theJustice League. Following that series, Congorilla became a main character inJustice League of America as a full-time member of the Justice League.[5] He also starred in theStarman/Congorilla one-shot (March 2011) alongside close friend and teammateStarman (Mikaal Tomas).
Congo Bill appears in theRebirth continuity as the warden of Monster Rock, where he trains the heroDamage in controlling his abilities.
William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan[6] was born in 1898, the son of a Scottish gamekeeper. At one point he was a member of theIRA,[7] and duringWorld War I he served as soldier in theBattle of the Somme in France 1916 and also Battle of Flanders Field in Passendale, Belgium. He worked his way up as a spy inAustria.[8] 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 adoptedAfrican home, swearing to protect it from harm. There he befriended awitch doctor 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 goldengorilla. 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.[9] 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 byJanu, a young boy raised in the jungle.[10]
Years later, Bill (now known asCongorilla) 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 theSouth African heroFreedom Beast. When the gorillas and Freedom Beast are slaughtered by hunters, Congorilla decides to seek justice.[11] After the trail leads to the villainPrometheus, Congorilla works withStarman 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 rogueStarheart[12] andEclipso. 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.[13] AfterBatman Inc. appoints the vigilanteBatwing 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.[14]
In 2011,The New 52 rebooted the DC universe. Congorilla appears as a potential member ofJustice League International.[15]
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth" 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 isDamage's mentor.[16]
Before becoming Congorilla, Bill is a skilled hunter, explorer, and marksman. As Congorilla, Bill'ssimian 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.[17]
Congo Bill appears in aself-titled film serial, portrayed byDon McGuire.
Congorilla appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[23]
