Hank Marlow

**Lieutenant Hank Marlow** is a character in the 2017 Legendary Pictures film, *Kong: Skull Island*.

A one-time WWII fighter pilot who crash-landed on Skull Island, Marlow has spent the last 28 years as a castaway in this strange land, surviving with the help of the indigenous Iwi tribe. Though wildly eccentric, the knowledge of its terrain and inhabitants becomes critical to the team’s survival.

## Personality

Hank Marlow initially came off as a lonely, somewhat paranoid man. This is understandable, as the only human contact he had for almost 30 years was the typically silent and stoic Iwi tribe. However, upon meeting James Conrad's group, he slowly unwinds and begins to bond with the soldiers over their shared martial careers. Having survived on Skull Island for decades, he has accumulated vast amounts of knowledge on the flora and fauna that inhabit the island. He seemed to have greatly respected the natural order of the island, as he was vehemently opposed to Preston Packard's quest to kill Kong.

## Relationships

### Kong

Upon crash landing on Skull Island, Hank Marlow first met Kong during a brief skirmish with the Japanese fighter pilot named Gunpei Ikari in 1944. At first, he was afraid of Kong because of his sheer size and strength that shows the intimidation of the titan. However, decades after being stranded on Skull Island and living with the Iwi inhabitants makes his view of Kong as being similar to how the tribe worships Kong like a god. He views Kong as a protector because he was saved by him once when Ikari tried to kill him in 1944. He would go as far as to save Kong from Preston Parkard who was trying to kill Kong as revenge for the deaths of his fellow soldiers.

### Gunpei Ikari

Hank first met Gunpei when he crashed landed on Skull Island in 1944. The latter were both enemies during World War 2, and fight to the death until Kong intervenes, scaring off Gunpei and leaving Hank to confront the Titan. Decades of being stranded on Skull Island and living with its inhabitants reforms Hank's view of Gunpei as his brother because they were the only ones who were left alive from the outside world.

After Gunpei was killed by a Skullcrawler to save Marlow's life, he buries his body and mourns for him every day until 1973 when the expedition team arrives. His relationship with Gunpei was so strong that he even took all of Gunpei's belongings and the katana as a memoir when he returned to the United States.

## History

Marlowe's parents supposedly met at the age of 17 and fell in love, conceiving Marlowe before either of them turned 18. Later in his life, Marlowe married a woman right before he joined the fight for World War II. Over the course of the war he ended up shooting down over 16 Japanese Zeros before his fateful final mission over Skull Island. On the same day of that final mission, he learned via telegram that his wife had birthed a son named Hank Junior.

### *Kong: Skull Island*

During World War II, Marlow and Gunpei Ikari were stranded on Skull Island when their planes crashed. They were initially hostile to each other and tried to kill one another, with Ikari nearly killing Marlow until the appearance of Kong scared him off. Eventually, they would encounter each other again and decided to discard their differences since they were no longer soldiers on opposite sides of a war, but two men stranded on an island and banded together to survive and they came to see each other as brothers. Ikari would eventually lose his life to save Marlow. Marlow erected a grave for Ikari and placed his sword there until the time came when Marlow needed his friend's sword.

Hank Marlow acted as a Lieutenant during the events of World War II, before being stranded on Skull Island. He then encountered James Conrad and his band of travelers during their expedition to the lost island, explaining who Kong is, while also speaking about the "devils" who lived below, also known as the Skullcrawlers. When Conrad told him there was an exfil coming to the north shore in three days and they could leave the island Marlow disregarded it as impossible. However, he remembered the boat that he and Ikari started building called "The Great Fox", which could bring them to the north shore within three days. Marlow, Conrad, Slivko, and Nieves started working on the Great Fox while informing Marlow of new wars starting and of changes and advances in society of the outside world.

### Reunion

Upon leaving Skull Island, Marlow (now clean-shaven and wearing a new military uniform) located his wife and son in Chicago. Upon knocking on the door, he was greeted by the sight of his son, now a grown man. Initially, he was confused at Marlow's presence, until his mother came along and, shocked at the sight of Marlow, slowly and tearfully embraced him; afterward, his son learned that Marlow was his dad, and gladly shook his hand while holding back tears of joy. Marlow was last seen enjoying a hot dog, chips, and a bottle of cold beer while watching a Cubs baseball game.

### Legacy

After spending time on Skull Island, he unintentionally helped the Iwi evolve; by teaching them English (in particular, to Ato's father), they passed on his teachings to their children and even developed their own language.

## Abilities

### Multilingualism

In addition to speaking English, Marlow can speak Japanese and can communicate in the silent manner the Iwi do.

### Swordsmanship

Marlow is very skilled with a sword, in particular, Gunpei's katana.