Eighth Wonder Expedition Company

Some members of the company. Kate McCaffrey (center).

The **Eighth Wonder Expedition Company** is a fictional business from the attraction *Skull Island: Reign of Kong*.

## Description

The *Eight Wonder Expedition Company* is an expedition company which was active around the early half of the 20th century. The group is composed of adventurers, archaeologists, zoologists, and anthropologists from various ages, races, nationalities and body-types. It conducted jeep expeditions on Skull Island in the Indian Ocean, and had a base inside of a temple which the Indigenous tribe used to worship King Kong. Their ship was known as the *Argo*.

### Members

* **Becky Callahan**: A cowgirl from west Texas who comes from a long line of pioneer women. She anticipated the dangers of Skull Island and was one of the jeep drivers for the company.
* **Charles "Doc" Jordan**: A black graduate student of palaeontology from Philadelphia, taking time off to explore the world. He was one of the jeep drivers.
* **Dr. Alonzo Sanchez**: A famed archaeologist and anthropologist who studied the native tribe and ruins while working as lead archaeologist for the company.
* **Frank "Jinks" Costanza**: A former criminal from New York City who is slightly worried about the mysteries behind Skull Island. They were one of the jeep drivers.
* **Joe Smith**: Received some packages for the company.
* **Kalana**: Kalana (meaning "Royal One") is ambassador between the Eighth Wonder Expedition Company and the Skull Island natives, but who originates from a tiny archipelago west of Skull Island. She was one of the jeep drivers. She wanted to discover more about the peoples from which she was descended, and particularly learn if their superstitions and routine sacrifices to, "Kong" were based in reality.
* **Kate McCaffrey**: One of the explorers. She is a zoologist adventurer who travelled the world collecting different animals.
* **Sir Robert Ashmore Wallace**: An English knight and explorer who was leader of the expedition to Skull Island.
* **Will Denham**: Nephew of filmmaker Carl Denham who was an average citizen that went out to gain experience and see the world. He was one of the jeep drivers, while dreaming to be a filmmaker in Hollywood like his uncle Carl.

#### Others

* **Dr. Marian Krillman**: A scientific advisor to the expedition company in palaeontology.

## History

The company made the first successful landing on Skull Island, after adventurer Sir Robert Ashmore Wallace flew over the island and reported its unique wildlife. The team was lead by Sir Wallace and embarked for the mysterious Skull island. Wallace ran the operation like a military expedition, and sent explorers to establish base-camps across the island. This expedition proved the existence of Skull Island to the rest of the world. On one of their flights over the island, they encountered giant bats which tried attacking the plane only to be warded off by the plane propeller. The company later classified the animal as, "Terapusmordax". A flight with Kate McCaffrey flew through one of the island's chasms, where they encountered the giant worm-like parasites later classified as Carnictis.

Many members and affiliates of the company were interviewed by Richard Armstrong of the *National Broadcasting Company*. A few months later, in 1931, various jeeps transporting guest explorers were attacked by the island fauna. The attackers were warded off by King Kong, who the jeeps then had a close encounter with before driving off. Will Denham planned to tell his uncle, filmmaker Carl Denham, about the adventures on the island as well as King Kong. This presumably lead to Carl's own expedition in 1933 where he captured King Kong, resulting in the gorilla's rampage and death in New York City.

## Appearances

The company was first referenced in the, "Myth Explorer" promotional web videos.

### Skull Island: Reign of Kong

In this attraction, guests ride on the jeeps of *Eight Wonder Expedition Company*.

## Trivia

* The organization gets its name from the expression, "The 8th Wonder of the World" which is what Carl Denham billed King Kong as in the original film.
* The expedition's leader Sir Robert Ashmore Wallace is a tribute to actor Robert Armstrong (1890-1973) who originally played Carl Denham, James Ashmore Creelman (1894-1941) who wrote the original 1933 King Kong film, and British writer Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) who created King Kong.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYLZBpH9\_M/
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va03ea2397E
3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oopl9CUh-5I
4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSy8I4ontAs