The Monkey King |2014|

Monkey King is a crime lord turned adventurer created by Nick Spencer and Ariel Olivetti, first appeared in Iron Man 2.0 #5 (July 2011). Within the context of the stories, Monkey King was a crime lord who modeled himself after the Monkey King of Chinese legend, Sun Wukong. The Monkey King is tricked by one of his rivals into attempting to steal Ruyi Jingu Bang, the staff of the original Wukong. In his quest, he comes across the spirit of the original Monkey King, who allows him to take the staff, provided his heart is pure. Agreeing, he takes the staff, but is judged impure and cast down to the Eighth City of Heaven, a prison that housed many demons, for fifteen years. During the events of Fear Itself, the Absorbing Man cracks the city wall, allowing the Monkey King and other beings trapped there to escape.