Skull Island: The Birth of Kong

More than two decades after the 1973 expedition, Aaron Brooks, son of Monarch researchers Houston Brooks and San Lin, leads a secret mission back to Skull Island in search of the truth about Kong. The expedition rapidly becomes a struggle for survival as the team encounters Psychovultures, Death Jackals and other deadly inhabitants of the island. Through the traditions of the Iwi and a series of mysterious visions, Aaron gradually uncovers Kong's tragic history: his birth during an ancient war for survival, the deaths of his parents at the hands of the Skullcrawlers and the circumstances that transformed the young ape into Skull Island's final great guardian.

Skull Island: The Birth of Kong originated as a four-issue Legendary Comics series in 2017 and was collected as a graphic novel released on December 12, 2017. Written by Arvid Nelson with primary artwork by Zid, the story functions simultaneously as a sequel to Kong: Skull Island and a prequel revealing major events from Kong's early life. The central narrative follows Aaron Brooks, the son of Monarch scientists Houston Brooks and San Lin, as he leads a covert Monarch expedition back to Skull Island during the 1990s. After Psychovultures attack their aircraft, the mission collapses into a dangerous trek through an ecosystem that remains largely unknown to humanity. The comic significantly expands MonsterVerse fauna by featuring creatures such as Death Jackals, Psychovultures, the island-like Sirenjaw and Swamp Locusts, while also incorporating Skullcrawlers, Mother Longlegs and other native species. Its most important contribution to MonsterVerse lore is the revelation of Kong's origin. His parents belonged to a population of giant apes locked in a brutal struggle with the Skullcrawlers, and their deaths left the infant Kong as the last known member of his kind. These events explain Kong's deep hostility toward Skullcrawlers, his connection with the Iwi and his instinctive role as protector of both the island and its human inhabitants.