Grey Gargoyle

First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #107
Origin Issue: Journey Into Mystery #107 Real Name: Paul Pierre Duval Aliases: none Height: 5' 11" Weight:  175 lbs (stone form) 750 lbs Eyes:  Blue (stone form) white with no visible pupils Hair:  Black, (stone form) gray Distinguishing Features:  In his stone form, the Grey Gargoyle's body appears to be composed entirely of stone Occupation:  Professional criminal, sculptor, (former) chemist, captain of the starship Bird of Prey Citizenship:  France Place of Creation/Birth:  Fontainebleau, France Known Relatives:  None Known Allies:  (former) Screaming Mimi, Yellowjacket 2 Known Enemies:  Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk Fighting Skills:  Limited knowledge of hand-to-hand combat Special Skills/Abilities:  Expert knowledge of chemistry Superhuman physical powers:  Superhuman strength and durability; the ability to transform objects and/or persons into a granite-like stone substance by touching them with his permanently transformed right hand, up to maximum volume of 10 cubic feet per touch, for a period of about one hour; the ability to transform himself into granite-like "living stone" without losing his mobility (unlike other persons whom he transforms, who are immobilized by his touch) Superhuman Mental Powers: None Special Limitations: The Grey Gargoyle cannot control the extent of his transformation power; every time his hand touches something, it transforms the maximum amount of molecularly contiguous matter it can, up to the volume of 10 cubic feet Source of Superhuman Powers: Mutagenic reaction to exposure to an unknown chemical compound Personal Weaponry: none Other Accessories: none

History
French chemist Paul Pierre Duval was working as a lab assistant when he accidentally spilled a random chemical mixture on his hand, transforming in into a stone-like substance. he soon discovered that this hand's touch could turn people and objects to stone, and that he could become a being of living, mobile stone by applying this power to himself. Turning to crime, Duval accumulated a fortune but soon wearied of his new wealth and set a new goal: immortality. Duval terrorized New York as the Grey Gargoyle and sought to steal Thor's hammer, mistakenly assuming it was the source of Thor's longevity. He was twice defeated by Thor and once by the time-displaced Thor Corps. After Iron Man (Tony Stark) and SHIELD agent Jasper Sitwell foiled Duval's attempted theft of Tony Stark's new cobalt super-weapon, Duval sought the dangerous compound "Element X" but was shot into space through the combined efforts of Captain America (Steve Rogers), Falcon (Sam Wilson), and SHIELD director Nick Fury. Returning with the aid of new partners AIM (Advanced Idea Mechanics), Duval plotted world conquest; but a battle with Captain America and Spider-Man accidentally hurled Duval into space again. Rescued by the alien starship Bird of Prey, Duval soon rose to command the vessel but later turned against its crew alongside Thor, Sif, the Warriors Three and other captives in hopes of returning to Earth. Seemingly slain, Gargoyle survived and made his way home, where he fought Daredevil and the Avengers. Recaptured, he fought Iron Man during an abortive breakout at Ryker's Island, and was later freed and recruited by Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil. Teamed with Screaming Mimi, Duval freed the new Yellowjacket 2 (Rita DeMara) from prison to join the Masters; but during this mission, Duval and  Mimi were themselves captured by Wasp, Paladin and the Black Knight (Dane Whitman). Escaping again, Duval resurfaced as "artist" Paul St. Pierre, selling statues that were secretly petrified human victims sealed in a special polymer which preserved their transformation; but he was exposed by Iron Man and fled. Attacking the Hulk (Bruce Banner) on behalf of Doctor Doom, Duval was painfully defeated. Incarcerated at the Vault super-prison, Duval participated in a mass breakout foiled by the Avengers and Freedom Force. Later, he was part of the "Doom's Brigade" hired to protect Doctor Doom, though Captain America and Spider-Man penetrated their defenses. After attending an AIM weapons expo, Duval and Killer Shrike were unwittingly duped into helping the alien dragon-slayer Surge hoax the She-Hulk. Recaptured repeatedly by the likes of Fantastic Force, Daredevil and Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff), Duval was hired by the Gideon Trust to attack the Thing, but the Fantastic Four defeated him and the Thing regained his ability to resume human form as a side-effect of the attack. Influenced by the death of childhood friend Gary Lesgetti, Duval resumed his quest for immortality, savagely attacking female Thor equivalent Tarene ("Thor Girl") and stealing her mystical hammer, but a confrontation with the god-slayer Desak and a sound beating by Thor quashed Duval's delusions of godhood. Miniaturized and held in the Big House micro-prison (where a mass escape was foiled by She-Hulk), Duval was transferred to the Raft and escaped during its Electro-led breakout, only to be recaptured and incarcerated in the Fantastic Four's new Vault prison.