Fictional character biography
Paul Pierre Duval is a French chemist who courtesy of a chemical accident gains the ability to turn anything to stone by touching it. Turning his entire body to stone, Duval dons a mask and cape and becomes a criminal with the alias the Grey Gargoyle. [5] Duval, however, becomes bored and attempts to achieve immortality by confronting Thor and stealing his hammer, Mjolnir. [6] Thor is turned to stone in their first battle, but turns back to Donald Blake when he falls over and strikes the floor with his hammer. As Blake, he defeats the Gargoyle by luring him into the Hudson River in New York City, using a projection of Thor, leaving the villain buried at the bottom. [7] The Grey Gargoyle eventually reappears after being hauled up from the river, whereupon he turns to stone two people examining him. Believing that Blake can help him find Thor, the Grey Gargoyle goes after him. He pursues them through the streets, becoming angry at their escaping him and finally deciding to eliminate Blake. However he is delayed by an Asgardian blinding him with an arrow that gives off light, after which the Asgardian restores the Thunder God's power. The Grey Gargoyle is incapacitated by Thor once again as he uses his hammer to trap the Grey Gargoyle by tapping a lamppost as a power source and sending a bolt which fuses the Gargoyles limbs. Odin then fully restores Thor's power. [8]
The Grey Gargoyle appears in the title Tales of Suspense , attempting to steal an experimental device for use against Thor, but is stopped by his fellow Avenger Iron Man. [9] The character continues to play the role of industrial saboteur in the title Captain America , attempting to steal an experimental chemical called Element X before being stopped by Captain America; the Falcon and Nick Fury. [10] An appearance in the title Marvel Team-Up against Captain America and fellow hero Spider-Man ends with the Gargoyle being trapped in a rocket and launched into deep space. [11]
The character reappears in the title Thor, and is revealed to have been rescued by the crew of the alien spaceship the Bird of Prey and nominated their captain. After a battle with Thor the character is lost in space once again. [12] The Grey Gargoyle eventually returns to Earth in a meteorite in the title Avengers, and battles briefly before being defeated and imprisoned. [13] The character reappears in the title as part of Baron Helmut Zemo's incarnation of the Masters of Evil. In an encounter with the Avenger the Black Knight, the Gargoyle grasps the hero's enchanted sword and is reverted to human form, his power temporarily neutralized. [14]
In the title Iron Man the Gargoyle adopts the false identity of sculptor Paul St. Pierre, and intends to make a fortune in the art world by selling persons transformed to stone as authentic sculptures. The ruse, however, is discovered by Iron Man, who defeats the villain. [15]
The character is recruited by arch villain Doctor Doom during the Acts of Vengeance storyline, and paid to neutralize the Hulk. The Hulk, however, resists the Gargoyle's power and then humiliates him by breaking his arm. [16]
The Gargoyle appears in the title She-Hulk [17] and in another title of Thor where he is summoned by Zarrko to fight the Thor Corps but was defeated by Beta Ray Bill. [18] He later appeared as the pawn of an alien shapeshifter in the title Fantastic Four . The Gargoyle's power temporarily incapacitates Fantastic Four member the Thing, who recovers with the added benefit of being able to now transform between human form and his superstrong rock-like form. [19] After another appearance in the title Thor and almost instant defeat by the god slaying entity Desak, [20] the Gargoyle features in the title New Avengers with other criminals attempting to escape the prison facility The Raft. [21]
After a brief appearance in the humorous title She-Hulk, [22] the Grey Gargoyle battles heroines Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel in the title Civil War: The Initiative ; [23] appears briefly in the fourth volume of the title New Warriors [24] and in the Spider-Man title published under the Marvel Adventures imprint. [25]
Grey Gargoyle is recruited to join a "crime army" formed by the villain the Hood in the title The New Avengers. [26] During the "Dark Reign" storyline, the Grim Reaper recruits Grey Gargoyle into a new incarnation of the Lethal Legion, who oppose Norman Osborn. [27]
During the Heroic Age storyline, it is claimed that he has a discarded and disavowed daughter named Mortar who is a member of the Bastards of Evil. [28]
The Grey Gargoyle is later shown as an inmate of The Raft. [29] When an EMP surge shuts down the Raft's defenses, the inmates attempt an escape. Purple Man compels the Grey Gargoyle to stop a door from closing by jamming his head into the mechanism. [30]
In Fear Itself , Grey Gargoyle obtains one of the Serpent's hammers and becomes Mokk, the Breaker of Faith. Mokk transforms the entire population of Paris to stone. When Iron Man intervenes, Mokk damages his armor and energy supply, forcing him to flee, and also fends off attacks from Detroit Steel, Sasha Hammer, and Rescue. [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] Mokk is reverted to Grey Gargoyle by the end of the storyline, and Odin returns those he affected to normal. [36]
In Avengers: Standoff! , Grey Gargoyle appears as an inmate of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established by S.H.I.E.L.D. [37]
In Secret Empire , Grey Gargoyle joins Helmut Zemo's Army of Evil. [38]
In a lead-up to the Sins Rising arc, Count Nefaria using a wheelchair later forms his latest incarnation of the Lethal Legion with Grey Gargoyle, Living Laser, and Whirlwind in a plot to target the Catalyst. [39] At Empire State University, Curt Connors reveals the Catalyst to the crowd when the Lethal Legion attacks. However, they are eventually defeated and imprisoned in Ravencroft. [40] [41]
In Sinister War , Kindred is possessed by one of Sin-Eater's demonic centipedes and joins the Sinful Six. [42]
