# The Monkey King in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing: Where else have I seen him? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014 "2009-06-17T01:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/1 "2009-06-17T01:19:55Z")
I’m reading Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and when I got to the story arc with the Monkey King he was extremely familiar. The way he looks, the way he eats fear, the way he licks that kid’s hand. All very, very familiar. Was he in Sandman, or Constantine? Or is he a popular legend? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/2 "2009-06-17T02:41:18Z")
Yes, I believe it’s popular. In fact, it was going to be an Indiana Jones movie at one point. [Indiana Jones and the Monkey King](http://indianajones.wikia.com/wiki/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Monkey_King) ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/3 "2009-06-17T03:06:14Z")
He’s a hugely popular figure in Asia. If you play video games, watch anime, or are into almost anything over there i can guarantee you you’ve seen him at least a few times there. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/4 "2009-06-17T05:01:42Z")
Born from an egg on a [mountain top](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMWy4hqAg)… ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/5 "2009-06-17T06:03:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Born from an egg on a [mountain top](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMWy4hqAg)… Monkey Magic! Masako Natsume, who played the monk Tripitaka, was[unbelieveably smoking hot.](http://www.themakeupgallery.org.uk/hair/nuns/monkey.htm) Sadly, she was only 27 when she died of leukemia. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/6 "2009-06-17T06:41:42Z")
I don’t think the Monkey King in Swamp Thing was related to the character from Indian mythology. The Indian Monkey king was a warrior god, the Moore Monkey king was a demon that fed on fear. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/7 "2009-06-17T15:46:15Z")
Jet Li did a wonderful role as the Monkey King in **The Forbidden Kingdom** , even stealing the slapstick and comedy spotlight from his screenmate Jackie Chan. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/8 "2009-06-18T01:11:14Z")
There was a Monkey King in an early issue (5?) of Jack Kirby’s **The Demon**. I forget if it’s the same one. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/9 "2009-06-18T03:37:46Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > I don’t think the Monkey King in Swamp Thing was related to the character from Indian mythology. The Indian Monkey king was a warrior god, the Moore Monkey king was a demon that fed on fear. No matter. It’s just nice to have a chance to talk about all things Monkey. And complain that, near as I’ve found, no English translation of [Journey to the West](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_west) is available online for free. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/10 "2009-06-18T06:41:24Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > There was a Monkey King in an early issue (5?) of Jack Kirby’s **The Demon**. I forget if it’s the same one. Likely. Moore did quite a bit with the Demon in his Swamp Thing run. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FlyingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRat)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/11 "2009-06-18T14:44:36Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Born from an egg on a [mountain top](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iUMWy4hqAg)… For a more recent homage to Sun Wukong, Pigsy, Sandy and Tripitaka, [check out the BBC’s series of advertisements for their coverage of the Beijing Olympics](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSNXi0ExKns&feature=PlayList&p=8E5E719BE7DF0C4C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11). (These were done by Damon Albarn, of Blur/Gorillaz fame, who also wrote [a full opera](http://www.monkeyjourneytothewest.com/the-opera/)based on the Monkey King story.) Seriously, though, \*Journey to the West \*is a really fun read, if you get the chance. There are a few good English translations out there. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/12 "2009-06-19T00:25:24Z")
Wow, that was brilliant! > [@FlyingRat](#): > > (These were done by Damon Albarn, of Blur/Gorillaz fame, who also wrote [a full opera](http://www.monkeyjourneytothewest.com/the-opera/)based on the Monkey King story.) I think you’ll find Jamie Hewlett’s contribution was somewhat significant. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-monkey-king-in-alan-moores-swamp-thing-where-else-have-i-seen-him/500014/13 "2009-06-19T02:01:59Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Likely. Moore did quite a bit with the Demon in his Swamp Thing run. Since the story I saw the monkey demon it also featured Etrigan, it’s pretty clear they are connected.