| Ape-Men | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Real Name |
N/A |
|
First Appearance |
Lost World (1912) |
|
Original Publisher |
Hodder & Stoughton |
|
Created by |
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
Origin[]
The ape man from the American film The Lost World (1925).
The Ape-Men are a race of vicious anthropoid primates native to the South American jungle and known to inhabit the enigmatic plateau known as the Maple White Land. They were discovered by the 1911 expedition led by Prof. George Edward Challenger to explore the prehistoric life forms which still thrive upon this bizarre formation.
The Ape-Men are powerfully-built, tail-less bipeds, entirely covered in shaggy red fur. While they make their cities on ground level, they are also excellent climbers, and often hang on trees - a habit which allows them to observe their enemies while remaining entirely unseen by them. They have prehensile hands and feet, which aid in their arboreal ventures.
Despite their agility while moving on trees, the Ape-Men usually find themselves at considerable disadvantage on open terrain, as their heavy, stout bodies and short legs make them considerably slower than humans.
The exact classification of the Ape-Men is a mystery, as Challenger points out that South America - while home to numerous monkeys - has never been colonized by apes. However, both he and Summerlee nevertheless believe them to represent some form of prehistoric anthropoid, with both professors disagreeing on the exact genus - citing either Dryopithecus or Pithecanthropus as likely candidates. In any case, Challenger speculates that they're probably not native to the plateau, but have settled on it at some point after its geological isolation and prior to human arrival.
The Ape-Man inhabit a village of about a thousand huts, made "of branches and leaves in a great grove of trees near the edge of the cliff". Their language appears to be mostly based on gestures, but also incorporates spoken words.
The Ape-Men engage in vicious war against the human tribes which inhabit the plateau. As hostile creatures, they seem to take much delight in capturing and executing human prisoners.
After Challenger's group was captured by the ape-men, they discover that a tribe of indigenous people, with whom the ape-men are at war, inhabit the other side of the plateau. Roxton escapes and together with Malone mounts a rescue, preventing the death of Summerlee and many tribe members, including a young indigenous man who is a prince of his tribe. The rescued indigenous people take the party to their village, then with the help of their firepower return to defeat the "ape-men".
Professor Challenger's life spared because of his resemblance to the king of the ape-men, illustration from French serial version, 1914.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Ape-Men from before January 1, 1931 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Lost World (1912)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Lost World (1925)