King Kong in Comics

King Kong, the iconic giant gorilla, has been a staple in popular culture for nearly a century.

First appearing in the 1933 film directed by Merian C. Cooper, King Kong quickly became a cultural phenomenon and has since been featured in various forms of media, including comic books. With Dynamite's new series, Kong: The Great War, it felt like the perfect time to take a look back at the previous comic book adaptations of everyone's favorite gorilla.

One of the most notable comic book adaptations of King Kong is the oversized Treasury Edition, published in 1968 under the Whitman logo. This comic was commissioned by Merian C. Cooper himself and was based on the 1932 novelization of the film, which featured slight differences from the 1933 film. One notable difference is that in the comic, Kong jumps off the Empire State Building to grab an airplane, rather than being shot down by the planes.

Kong has also made multiple appearances in both Marvel and DC Comics. In 1969, a giant robot ape called "Kong" appeared in Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #2, drawn to resemble the famous movie monster. In 1986, Warlock from The New Mutants turned into King Kong during a rampage through New York City in Web of Spider-Man Annual No. 2. In 1999's Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man No. 1, Peter Parker is seen watching the film King Kong at a cinema alongside Quentin Beck. For DC, King Kong appeared via a poster in 1961's Adventure Comics #289. He also appeared as a statue in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane No. 73 in 1967 and as a robot brought to life to fight Superman in Adventures of Superman No. 475 in 1991.

In issue No. 226 of Superman in 1970, Clark Kent is seen watching the film King Kong at a Metropolis cinema and after being exposed to Red Kryptonite (as Superman) grows into a giant who rampages through the city in a story called "When Superman became King Kong!" In issue No. 120 of Weird War Tales from 1983, G.I. Robot encounters a giant female ape referred to as "Mrs. King Kong" on Dinosaur Island who saves him and his allies from a Tyrannosaurus. In 1985's Blue Devil No. 15, Blue Devil battles a giant robot King Kong that malfunctions at the "King Kong Attraction" located at the "Verner Bros" studio in Hollywood.

Recently, the character made a comeback with comics like Kong of Skull Island and Kong: God of Skull Island which were published by BOOM! Studios and Legendary Comics. These comics explored the origins story of Kong and his role as the protector of Skull Island. King Kong has also appeared in several crossover comics, teaming up with characters like Batman, the X-Men, and the Justice League. These comics have varied in tone and style, but they have all been true to the original character and have added new dimensions to the classic story. The enduring popularity of King Kong ensures that the character will continue to be featured in comics for many years to come.

With Dynamite's new series, Kong: The Great War, fans of the giant gorilla have yet another exciting comic to look forward to, adding to the rich legacy of King Kong in comics. The character of King Kong has been a favorite among the comic book lovers for decades and will continue to be in the future.