Grey Gargoyle


Grey Gargoyle

(pop culture)The Marvel supervillain the Grey Gargoyle first appeared in the Thor story in Journey into Mystery #107 (1964), scripted by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby. While working in the lab, French chemist Paul Pierre Duval accidentally encounters a substance that turns his hand to living stone. Duval soon learns that he can transform his entire body into the rock-like material simply by rubbing his hand over himself. Any matter he touches also turns to stone, although it is incapable of movement. (The Grey Gargoyle's transformations last for about an hour, after which time the objects revert to their normal state.) Duval decides to exploit his unique power for personal gain, and as the Grey Gargoyle embarks on a life of crime and hero bashing. A former ally of the evil organization A.I.M. (Advance Idea Mechanics), former captain of the starship Bird of Prey, and all-around bad guy, the Grey Gargoyle has fought such Marvel heroes as Thor, from whom he tried to wrest the secret of immortality; Captain America, the Falcon, and Nick Fury, as he attempted to capture the deadly compound “Element X”; the Hulk; the Avengers; and the Fantastic Four, whose member the Thing he attempted to turn into nonliving stone (were the Thing's woeful existence as a rock-skinned mutation not already bad enough). The 750-pound Grey Gargoyle possesses superhuman strength while in his rock-solid persona, with the ability to lift almost a dozen tons. Despite his weight and mass, his powerful legs enable him jump up to about 20 feet. The Gargoyle prevents unwanted use of his power by wearing a specially treated glove, which has a small area in the palm that is usually left open to allow the use of his power at any time. The Grey Gargoyle appeared in a “Thor” episode of the 1966 Marvel Super-Heroes animated TV series, as well as on the cartoon Iron Man (1994–1996).