The Monstrefact: Marvel’s Mummies

While I'll get to some really well known entries, I'd like to begin in more obscure territory with a pair of rather different mummies. First up is Nikantu, the Living Mummy, created by Steve Gerber and Rich Buckler for supernatural thrillers back in nineteen seventy three. The story goes that Nikantu was a North African tribesman who, after capture by the Egyptians, led her a vault, but was ultimately embalmed, alive and

sealed in a tomb by an evil priest. Three thousand years later, he awakens in modern times, first as a rampaging monster and ultimately as a monstrous hero who fights alongside the likes of Morbius, the Living Vampire, Werewolf by Night Man, Than and others as part of the Legion

of Monsters. In addition to his mystic senses, the Living Mummy also boasts incredible strength, which isn't surprising given that Marvel dot Com lists him at a height of seven foot six or about two hundred and thirty two centimeters. That's two inches taller than Andre the Giant's build height. You might guess then that Nikantu's The Living Mummy is the tallest mummy in the Marvel universe, and you would

be dead wrong. Allow me to introduce you to Gomdola, who, like Nikantu, looks like your standard bandage rapped on dead horror movie mummy, only he's roughly the size of King Kong. Yes, Gomdola is a true giant mummy. He first rampaged in the pages of Journey into Mystery back in nineteen sixty and is credited by Marvel dot Com to the legendary Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers. One of the books I source for this series is Monsters creatures of the Marvel

Universe explored by Kelly Knox. Knox lists Gomdola at a height of up to sixty feet or eighteen meters, and describes his awakening in a modern Egyptian museum, his subsequent rampage, his pursuit by interpol is worshiped by cultists, and eventually his battles with the Fantastic Four. The secret to his great size, however, is that he's not a mummified human, but an evil robot from another planet that terrorized ancient Egypt before being deactivated and stuck away in a tomb.

Like a lot of classic curvy monsters, Gomdola isn't only big and physically powerful, he also has other crazy powers like levitation and telekinesis. So at this point you might be wondering, fine, given all of this, exactly how tall is the tallest mummy actually unearthed in real life? The answer would seem to be Third Dynasty Pharaoh Sonicate during

the third millennium BCE. By today's height standards, and certainly by Marvel Comics standards, he wasn't too terribly tall, only one hundred and eighty seven centimeters or about six foot one and a half, but for the time period, based on what we know from skeletal evidence, he was considerably taller than average. As discussed in the twenty seventeen paper Oldest Case of Gigantism Assessment of the alleged Remains of Sonicate, King of Ancient Egypt, published in The Lancet, he is

still the oldest known paleo pathological case of gigantism. The authors Galassi at All indicate that skull measurements, photos, bone data, and other measurements suggests gigantism and possibly acromagally in the facial features, though regressed through age. In analysis of his physical and royal stature, the authors write the following quote. The fact that he was buried with honors in an elite Mastaba tomb after reaching adulthood suggests that gigantism at

the time was probably not associated with social margination. While short people were much preferred in ancient Egypt, especially in the early Dynastic period, we have no records that very tall people had any special ste social preference or disadvantage.

Sonica was originally unearthed in nineteen oh one, so it seems possible that his discovery and subsequent writings about his discovery or treatments of this general theme and other works might have influenced the creation of these two Marvel mummies, but I couldn't find any definitive mention of it. And we also have to consider the influence of things like the widespread hoax of the Cardiff Giant mixed with just

a little good old fashioned mummy mania. Now, to come back to Nakantu, the Living Mummy and Gombdola, I have to point out that, as far as I can tell, these two never faced off against each other. Comic fans, if I'm wrong, please write in and let me know. Also, to date, neither Mummy has crossed over into the MCU or other Marvel movies, but we can only imagine that they are both out there waiting, sweeping, anticipating their release.

Tune in for additional episodisodes of The Monster Fact each week, and there will be more Marvel Monsters in the weeks to follow. As always, you can email us at contact at Stuff to Blow your Mind dot com.