Comics are a place where lots of strange things happen. Aliens visit the Earth. People gain superpowers and start fighting crime. And another very weird, reoccurring them in comics is ape characters. Some of these apes are merely pets, while others have vast intellects and can talk.
Even more strangely, some of these primates fight alongside/ against superheroes. As weird as this may be, it fits right with the comic book world. Here are the five best, and five worst, apes in comics, ranked. One important point to note is that although there are many great monkey characters in comics, this list is reserved only for apes.
10 Best: Gorilla-Man (Kenneth Hale)
A well-trained mercenary, Kenneth Hale became Gorilla-Man after finding out about an ancient African legend. The legend stated that whoever killed the Gorilla-Man will become immortal. Hale found his immortality, but it came at a heavy cost; Kenneth himself became the new Gorilla-Man.
Gorilla-Man has become a big part of the Marvel comic universe. He's been on teams such as Agents of Atlas, the Howling Commandos, Mercs for Money, and the Agents of Wakanda. He continues to be an important hero fighting alongside other heroes against some of the worst evils out there.
9 Worst: Ghekre
The people of Wakanda worship an ancient African god who appears in the form of a black panther. This is what led to the kingdom's ruler and protector taking on the visage of a black panther himself. In spite of this, some members of the Wakandan population worship a different god.
Banished from the main population, the members of the White Gorilla cult worshiped an ancient god named Ghekre. Although this might seem like a cool idea, Ghekre has never done much and just seems like a gorilla knock-off of the panther god Bast.
8 Best: Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp is one of the more beloved animal characters in all of comics. The idea behind the character is so quirky and far out there that it could have only worked within the pages of a comic book.
In the DC Universe, Detective Chimp is an ape with the intelligence of a man that solves crimes working for an organization known as the Bureau of Amplified Animals. This lovable detective has worked alongside heroes such as Flash, Green Lantern, and even Batman.
7 Worst: Gorilla-Man
In Tales to Astonish #28, comic book audiences of the '60s were introduced to the first-ever iteration of the Gorilla-Man. Formerly scientist Franz Radzik, the Gorilla-Man was created when Radzik used an electromagnetic ray machine to transfer his bod into a gorilla's.
Written by Stan Lee, this story felt much like something you'd read in a '60s sci-fi magazine. In its own way, it was very effective storytelling, but compared to some of the other characters on this list, it simply didn't stand the test of time.
6 Best: Ultra-Humanite
One of the more prominent supervillains in DC lore, Ultra-Humanite has long plagued the heroes of DC with his devious, criminal master plans. Most commonly Ultra-Humanite can be found fighting DC's number one superhero, Superman.
Ultra-Humanite holds a rare place in comic history as the first supervillain that Superman ever fought. He was even Superman's arch-nemesis for a time until Lex Luthor entered the comic book scene. An incredibly intelligent supergenius, Ultra-Humanite was a man until he needed a new body. Then, he transferred his brain into that of an albino gorilla.
5 Worst: Ape-X
A superhero appearing in Marvel comics, Ape-X actually exists in an alternate reality reminiscent of Planet of The Apes where apes are the dominant, intelligent species on Earth. As one of the most respected heroes of that world, it's a wonder that Ape-X doesn't find himself a better costume.
In this Marvel Apes series of comics, Ape-X is actually a small monkey who, after donning a luchador Mexican wrestling mask, transforms into a giant gorilla. Marvel has had better ideas.
4 Best: King Solovar
King Solovar serves as a sort of foil to the evil supervillain Gorilla Grodd. Both characters gained their powers at the same time. While Grodd wanted to use them to take over the world, Solovar wished to use his newfound abilities to protect his fellow gorillas and do right by then.
As the ruler of Gorilla City, Solovar is just yet kind. Often times he can be found aiding the many heroes of DC, such as the Flash, especially if it means it will make his people and their city any safer.
3 Worst: Monsieur Mallah
First appearing as an enemy of the Doom Patrol, Monsieur Mallah is a superintelligent gorilla supervillain that serves at the behest of another supervillain named the Brain. These two make a deadly combination and have gone on to fight many heroes in addition to the Doom Patrol.
In addition to his incredible intellect, Mallah also has super strength, agility, speed, and reflexes. He's often found carrying a machine gun along with a few other high powered fire arms.
2 Best: Gorilla Grodd
The Flash's telepathic ape villain Grodd is by far the best ape in all of comics. Gorilla Grodd has a great story and formidable powers, making him one of the greatest villains Flash has ever gone toe to toe with.
Although he often wants to take over the world like any other supervillain, Grodd is often depicted in very sympathetic ways. As an evil genius, he is a refreshing change from the typical, bald mad scientists that are so common in superhero stories.
1 Worst: Jackanapes
After "adopting" a baby gorilla from the Gotham County Zoo, Joker decided to raise the animal as his own. Naming him Jackanapes, Joker made sure to teach the ape all of his villainous ways.
Jackanapes went on to become the Joker's most loyal henchmen. He turned out to have a very high intellect for an ape and was capable of inventing weapons to use in battle against heroes such as Batman. The only problem with Jackanapes was it just seemed a little far fetched that this normal ape would wind up being so formidable.