Garokk (Earth-616)

Origin[]

Garokk's origins intertwine with the ancient history of the Savage Land, shrouded in the mists of time. Originally established as a primeval sanctuary by the Nuwali under the directive of the Beyonders, the Savage Land, along with its neighboring realm Pangea, became colonized by the inhabitants of the Lost Continents, flourishing before the cataclysmic upheaval during the Second Host of the Celestials submerged them beneath the waves. Despite his frequent bouts of madness, Garokk asserts himself as the very essence of the Savage Land, intricately bound to its people and its terrain, empathizing with their struggles as his own. According to some myths, Garokk's worship traces back over 20,000 years to the ancient civilizations of Atlantis, Lemuria, and Valusia, who settled in the Savage Land. Legend holds that prayers to the Sun God, offered by a devout priest, shielded the Savage Land from catastrophic inundation and the encroaching ice age triggered by the cataclysmic sinking of Atlantis, reshaping the world as known.^[1]

16th century[]

In the 16th century, a tempestuous voyage aboard the English ship HMS Drake, the vessel foundered in a storm and sank. Amidst the chaos, an unnamed sailor was ensnared in the currents swirling around Antarctica, ultimately drifting into the warmer climes of the Savage Land. Bewildered by the lush tropical landscape where an icy expanse should dominate, the disoriented sailor roamed until stumbling upon the temples dedicated to Garokk, meticulously maintained by the Empire of the Sun. Suffering from an agonizing thirst, he discovered a goblet at the foot of Garokk's effigy and, heedless of its contents, quenched his parched throat, only to be engulfed by searing agony as the liquid coursed through his veins. Driven away by the fervent worshippers of Garokk, the sailor miraculously found his way back to civilization in England.^[2]

Modern Age[]

As the years passed, the sailor realized that he did not age anymore, and after several centuries, his body transformed into stone. He later felt an inexorable pull back to the Savage Land. Zaladane, the militant priestess of the Sun People, interpreted prophetic signs as a pretext for waging war in the name of Garokk. Her bellicose "devotion" haunted the Petrified Man in his dreams, compelling him to intervene. Reaching out to Ka-Zar, the ruler of the Savage Land, during his sojourn in the outside world, the former sailor divulged his enigmatic origins and forewarned of impending conflict. Upon their return to the Savage Land the Petrified Man and Ka-Zar discovered Zaladane's aggression had already struck the Fall People and now threatened the Lizard Men of Vala-Kuri. While Ka-Zar and his ally Tongah rushed to defend the innocent, the Petrified Man found himself inexorably drawn to the statue of Garokk, the site of his transformative genesis centuries before. Communing with the statue, the Petrified Man inherited Garokk's full power and consciousness. Embracing the mantle of the Sun God, Garokk assumed an ethereal form and soared to Vala-Kuri, commanding Zaladane and the Sun People to halt their aggression in his name. However, within the confines of the Temple of the Sun, the burgeoning power within the Petrified Man precipitated instability. His yearning for peace warped into paranoia and madness, leading him to believe that only death could bring true tranquility to the Savage Land. Garokk turned on Tongah and Zabu until the entreaties of his priestess, Zaladane, lured him back to confront Ka-Zar at the temple. In a frenzied assault, the deranged Sun God attacked his former ally until Ka-Zar submerged Garokk into the molten fluid coursing beneath the temple, the same substance responsible for the sailor's initial transformation. As the essence of Garokk fled his body, the Englishman succumbed swiftly to his true age. Finding solace in his final moments, he made peace with himself and Ka-Zar, expressing gratitude to his friend for affording him the release of death. Unaware of his true identity, Ka-Zar bestowed upon the sailor the posthumous appellation "Lazarus" in tribute to his journey.^[3]

Garokk's Resurrection[]

Zaladane's relentless hunger for power remained unyielding despite past setbacks, and she seized an opportunity months later to resurrect Garokk, revitalizing the Empire of the Sun under her leadership. Employing the molten essences from beneath the Temple of the Sun, Zaladane conducted a ritual that transformed the outsider Kirk Marston into the reincarnated form of Garokk, known as the Petrified Man. Aligned with his priestess, Garokk addressed the threat she summoned him to face: a dimensional rift from the Sheenarian realm encroaching upon the Savage Land. With a single blast from his eyes, the Sun God unraveled the dimensional anomaly, banishing the Sheenarian dimension and its denizens back to their origin. Continuing his relentless pursuit of peace from his previous existence, Garokk, alongside the Empire of the Sun, enlisted slave labor to erect a colossal citadel atop the Savage Land's geothermal reservoirs. Intending it as a bastion of harmony for all Savage Land tribes, Garokk enforced his vision ruthlessly, decreeing destruction for any dissenters. Ka-Zar and the Fall People led resistance against Garokk's rule, soon joined by the X-Men. The peril escalated as Garokk's citadel, by draining the Savage Land's geothermal power, threatened to transform the region into the Antarctic climate. When Garokk's sky-riders captured several X-Men, he planned their execution in a sacrificial arena to enforce his message of peace or demise. The remaining X-Men intervened, sparking a tumultuous brawl. Weakened from his efforts in constructing the citadel, Garokk retreated to replenish his power from the Savage Land's core. Cyclops of the X-Men pursued, engaging Garokk in a fierce exchange of optic blasts. Amidst the chaos, Storm descended into the abyss to rescue Garokk, but as the darkness closed in, a momentary lapse in concentration caused her to miss his outstretched hand, and the Sun God plummeted into the abyss.^[4]

Kitty Pryde[]

Magneto intervened in Garokk's fall, halting his descent and rescuing the Sun God, but at a cost—Garokk was compelled into servitude. Tasked with safeguarding Magneto's Antarctic stronghold, a base the X-Men had fled earlier, Garokk's appearance bore the marks of his ordeal. The Savage Land's geothermal depths had left him grotesquely disfigured, his form divided between molten magma and crystalline solidity, his stature enlarged, and his mind further twisted. Blaming Storm for his plight and seeking vengeance, the Petrified Man harbored deep resentment towards her for not preventing his fall. During the X-Men's quest to locate Magneto, which led them back to Antarctica, Garokk seized the chance for retribution. Targeting Kitty Pryde, the youngest among them, he launched an assault and enticed Storm into a confrontation. Overpowering Storm momentarily, Garokk utilized his eye beams to recreate the abyss into which he had previously fallen, intending to dispatch Storm to her demise. In a courageous act, Kitty intervened, disrupting Garokk's balance, causing both him and Storm to plummet into the pit. With the support of her fellow X-Men, Kitty descended into the pit, searching for any sign of Storm's survival. Discovering Storm clinging to a precarious ledge, Kitty also encountered Garokk lurking in the shadows. Reacting impulsively, Garokk lunged at the intangible child, missing her entirely and continuing his descent into the depths of the bottomless pit.^[5]

Terminus[]

Under mysterious circumstances, Garokk endured yet another ordeal, finding himself compelled to don the armor of the Celestial-stalker, Terminus, joining a lineage of reluctant wearers. Engaging in combat alongside the X-Men and the High Evolutionary, he was liberated from the armor, reclaiming his mind. However, during Garokk's absence, the Savage Land had succumbed to destruction in an assault by the former Terminus, leaving behind a desolate expanse devoid of vitality. The High Evolutionary, gathering the necessary components for the land's restoration, enlisted Garokk's aid due to his unique bond with the Savage Land. Warned that the process would disperse his essence throughout the land, depriving him of his human form, Garokk willingly embraced the sacrifice, recognizing his history of death and resurrection. With Garokk serving as the living conduit, the High Evolutionary succeeded in rejuvenating the Savage Land, reinstating its lush, thriving ecosystem ravaged by Terminus's onslaught.^[6]

Death Cult[]

Garokk's essence found resurrection within one of his stone idols, plunging him once more into a period of madness. Aligning himself with a Death Cult faction stemming from his Sun People devotees, they prophesied an era of tumult and upheaval in the Savage Land. The cult's priestess aimed to revive Garokk in human form, using an outsider's body, to enact the land's destruction before its prophesied renewal into a paradise. Shanna, wife of Ka-Zar, was abducted to serve as their sacrificial offering. Ka-Zar intervened, rescuing his wife just before the appointed sacrifice, causing Garokk's statue and temple to be buried in a landslide.^[7] Garokk's physical manifestation later occurred independently, but the Savage Land faced increased instability due to the presence of outsiders. Seeking Garokk's aid in restoring stability, Ka-Zar discovered that Garokk's tie to the land led to his physical decay, mirroring the region's afflictions.^[8]

High Evolutionary[]

Over time, Garokk's demeanor softened, leading him to retire to the Temple of the Undying One atop the Lonely Mountain, a fitting sanctuary for a deity. His tie to the Savage Land rendered him attuned to shifts in his realm, and he sensed the arrival of Ex Nihilo's origin bomb from the Garden on Mars. Observing the emergence of the immortal Children of the Sun with keen interest, Garokk was troubled by the High Evolutionary's arrival, seeing it as exploitation. Respecting the cosmic order, Garokk promptly informed Captain Universe and her fellow Avengers of the whereabouts of their missing charges. The future holds uncertainty as to which facet of Garokk will manifest next in the Savage Land: sage, god, madman, or tyrant.^[9]

• Immortality: Garokk does not age and even when killed, he can be returned to life.
• Superhuman Durability: His petrified body is composed of an organic stone-like substance that makes him difficult to injure.^[10]
• Superhuman Stamina: Garokk's stamina is enhanced to superhuman levels.^[10]
• Optic Blasts: Garokk can fire beams of energy from his eyes. These beams can be heat, light or concussive force.^[10]
  • Remote Teleportation: Garokk's eye beams are capable of opening dimensional portals large enough to teleport entire cities.^[10]
• Energy Absorption: Garokk can replenish his energy reserves by absorbing other forms of energy.^[10]
• Energy Form: Garrok can transform into an energy form and back to his petrified form.^[10]
• Matter Manipulation: Garrok can manipulate matter on a sub-atomic scale, able to rearrange the very fabric of the Savage Land.
• Telepathy: Garokk has some mental connection to his followers and can learn their activities through his dreams.^[10]