Jessica Jones

Jessica Campbell Jones Cage^[1] is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos, and she first appeared in Alias #1 (November 2001), a Max imprint. Within the context of Marvel's shared universe, Jones is a former superhero who becomes the owner and sole employee of Alias Private Investigations. Bendis originally envisioned the series centered on Jessica Drew, and only decided to create Jones once he noticed that the main character had a distinct voice and background that differentiated her from Drew.

Jones has since starred in three ongoing series, Alias, The Pulse and Jessica Jones. Alias ran for 28 issues before ending in 2004, while The Pulse ran for 14 issues from April 2004 to May 2006. Jessica Jones debuted in October 2016. She became a member of the New Avengers, alongside her husband Luke Cage, during Marvel's 2010 Heroic Age campaign. At various points in her history, she has used various aliases, including Jewel, Knightress, and Power Woman. The character has been adapted into various forms of media outside of comic books; in 2015, she made her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Netflix television series Marvel's Jessica Jones, portrayed by Krysten Ritter, and Ritter is set to reprise her role in The Defenders.

Creation

Jessica Jones debuted in the Marvel MAX imprint series Alias, in November 2001. The character and series were created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos. Alias ran for 28 issues from 2001 to 2004, with most covers drawn by David W. Mack. After the end of the series, Jones and other characters from the series moved to Bendis' subsequent series, The Pulse. In a 2005 interview,^[2] Bendis claimed:

"Originally, Alias was going to star Jessica Drew, but it became something else entirely. Which is good, because had we used Jessica, it would have been off continuity and bad storytelling." Previously, Bendis commented, "I was at one time toying with doing Jessica Drew [in Alias] because she has the best hair of any superhero in comics, but this book is entirely different than what that idea was to be."^[3]

By the time Bendis was actively developing the title, Jones was his central character, one with a distinct background and voice from Drew's.^[4]

Jessica Jones appeared as a regular character throughout the 2010–2013 New Avengers series, from issue #1 (August 2010) through its final issue #34 (January 2013). In a Marvel Comics podcast, Bendis expressed his desire to incorporate Jones into the parallel universe Ultimate Marvel imprint.^[5] In Ultimate Spider-Man #106, she appears as a senior at Peter Parker's school.

Fictional character biography

Origin

Midtown High student Jessica Campbell goes to school with Peter Parker and is present when he is bitten by the irradiated spider which gives him his radioactive powers.^[6] Jessica's father receives tickets for Disney World from his boss Tony Stark. On the way home, their car collides with a military convoy carrying radioactive chemicals. Her family is killed, and she spends several months in a coma. Upon waking, she is placed in an orphanage and adopted by the Jones family.^[6] Jessica later discovers that her radiation exposure granted her super strength, limited invulnerability, and flight (which she never fully mastered during her superhero career). Jessica's adoptive parents re-enroll her at Midtown High, where she is ostracized by her classmates, especially Flash Thompson. Peter Parker (who has since become Spider-Man) senses in Jessica a kindred spirit—someone who has also lost her family due to a tragic circumstance. Jessica mistakes his kind attention for pity and lashes out at him.^[7] She later witnesses a fight between Spider-Man and the villain Sandman in her school. This inspires her to use her abilities for positive ends.^[8]

Early years

As Jewel, Jones has a fairly uneventful superhero career until she intervenes in a disturbance at a restaurant involving Zebediah Killgrave, the Purple Man. Killgrave uses his power of mind control to place Jones under his command, psychologically torturing her and forcing her to aid his criminal schemes.^[9] After Killgrave sends her to kill Daredevil at the Avengers Mansion, Jones is rescued by Carol Danvers, the only Avenger who actually knows her.^[10] Jones undergoes psychic therapy with Jean Grey of the X-Men, who places a special mental command in Jones's subconscious to protect her from further mind control.^[11] During this time, Jones developes a brief romantic relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clay Quartermain.^[10] Due to the traumatic violation of her mind by Killgrave, and the fact that she was barely noticed missing for eight months, a demoralized and depressed Jones gives up her costumed superhero life.^[12] She briefly adopts a darker identity as the Knightress and interrupts a crime meeting between the Owl and a mafioso, through which she meets up with fellow superhero Luke Cage. After defeating the Owl, she and Cage develop a lasting friendship.^[13] No longer a superhero, Jones opens a private detective agency. Longtime friend Carol Danvers sets Jones up with Scott Lang (the second Ant-Man), and the two date for several months. She also has an off-and-on affair with Cage.^[14] Killgrave, still obsessed with Jones, escapes from high-security incarceration, but with the mental defences Grey gave her, Jones breaks his control and subsequently beats him to death.^[11] Later, Cage and Jones admit their feelings for each other, and after she becomes pregnant with their child, they begin a committed relationship.^[15]

The Pulse and Young Avengers

Jones takes a leave from the detective business and joins the staff of the Daily Bugle as a superhero correspondent and consultant, becoming a main character of the comic book The Pulse, and a contributor to the same-name fictional newspaper supplement within. A pregnant Jones is attacked by the Green Goblin after the Bugle reported that he was secretly industrialist Norman Osborn. In response, Cage retaliates and Osborn is irrevocably exposed as the Goblin upon his defeat and incarceration. Jones quits her job with the Bugle after publisher J. Jonah Jameson uses the paper to smear the New Avengers. Jones and Cage are living together when she gives birth to their child, whom they name Danielle after Luke's best friend, Danny Rand.^[13] Cage and Jones marry in New Avengers Annual #1.^[16] Jones appears as a supporting character in Young Avengers until the series ended. She returns in Avengers: The Children's Crusade #6 in which she, Beast and Hawkeye attempted to defuse the situation between the Avengers and X-Men who were fighting over who was to punish the Scarlet Witch. She helps fight Doctor Doom and is present when Stature and the Vision are killed. She is seen hugging Hulkling in the final panel when the team is declared full-fledged Avengers by Captain America.

"Civil War", "Secret Invasion" and "Dark Reign"

In Marvel's 2006–2007 crossover storyline "Civil War", Jones and Cage reject Iron Man and Ms. Marvel's offer to join the Superhuman Registration Act. As part of the New Avengers, Jones moved into Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, but after an attack involving the demonic villain the Hood, Jones, shaken by the experience and desperate to protect her child, left the New Avengers and registered for the Superhuman Registration Act, ending her relationship with Luke Cage for the time being.^[17] Jones is among the heroes who emerge from the crashed Skrull ship wearing her Jewel costume, although it is later be revealed this Jones was a Skrull.^[18][19] The real Jessica Jones appears in Secret Invasion #7, in which she joins in the heroes' fight against the Skrulls and was able to be reunited with her husband. After the Skrull surrender, the Skrull impersonating Jarvis disappears with their daughter, leaving Jessica desperate.^[20]

Jessica is unaware that Luke has asked Norman Osborn for help in their search for Danielle.^[21] Osborn helped Luke recover Danielle, and Luke gave the baby back to Jessica.^[22] Spider-Man revealed himself as Peter Parker to the New Avengers, leaving Jones shocked to see that her former classmate is Spider-Man. She then tells Peter of her former crush on him, only to find out that he did not recognize her all this time, let alone remember her name, only remembering her as "Coma Girl", upsetting her.^[23] She later assists the Avengers in rescuing Clint after being captured by Norman Osborn.^[24] Jessica reveals that she was inspired to become a superheroine after witnessing an early battle between Spider-Man and the Sandman. Peter then tries to convince Jessica to return to the life of a superhero, suggesting that she could provide a better example for her daughter by going into action as a hero rather than simply telling her daughter about her old career.^[25][26]

Recent years

Jessica Jones as the titular character of her own comic book series. Artwork for the cover of Jessica Jones 1 (October 2016 Marvel Comics). Art by Alex Maleev. (Variant cover art)

During the storylines of Marvel's 2010 "Heroic Age" branding campaign, Jessica, returned to her costumed identity of Jewel, became a member of the New Avengers when the title relaunched in June 2010.^[27] She and Luke began searching for a nanny, interviewing characters featured from other comics set in the Marvel Universe. Ultimately, Squirrel Girl was chosen as Danielle's nanny.^[28] In New Avengers #8, Jessica took the name Power Woman to both honor her husband, Power Man (Luke Cage), and to be a role model for their daughter.^[29] However following several incidents revolving around Thule Society attacking Avengers Mansion,^[30] and Norman Osborn's threat,^[31] Jessica quit the team and went into hiding, realizing that it was too dangerous for Danielle to remain in Avengers Mansion due to the numerous potential threats.^[32]

Jessica later appeared as an ally to the Mighty Avengers team formed by Luke Cage. Jessica and Danielle lived in the apartment of the Gem Theater, which was serving as the Mighty Avenger's base of operations. She and Luke would later be confronted by the Superior Spider-Man and his Spider Robots, who offered her a place on a different type of Avengers team that was to be run by him. Jessica swiftly found a baby sitter for her child and refused before delivering a powerful punch to Spider-Man's face for his threat. The group was later backed up by She-Hulk and she and Jessica decided to go out for coffee. Jessica and Luke would later switch apartments with an old friend of Luke's named David Griffiths. While moving in, Jessica spoke to the Blue Marvel about what it's like to raise a child of superheroes and expressed both her support and annoyance at her husband's choice to start another team of Avengers.

In October 2016, a new ongoing series featuring the character, entitled 'Jessica Jones', began.

Powers and abilities

After coming into contact with experimental chemicals and spending some time in a coma, Jessica emerged with superhuman abilities. She possesses superhuman strength, as well as flight, and is known to block mind control because of her strength. She shows the capacity to lift a two-ton police car with little apparent effort. Her strength allowed her to lift up a giant-sized Goliath by the nostrils and toss him a short distance, break Atlas's nose, and render her fellow superheroine Jessica Drew unconscious with a single punch to the face. She later withstood being punched by a human on Mutant Growth Hormone and suffered only mild bruising and a bloody nose, and was able to recover in moments after being shocked by Jessica Drew's venom blasts. Despite this resistance to harm, Jessica suffered severe injuries, including a damaged spine and neck, a detached retina, and a broken nose after being attacked by both the Vision and Iron Man.^[10]

Jessica is also able to fly, and while she was able to fly quite well during her early years as a heroine, she has admitted that her flying ability degenerated while she was no longer an active hero. She has since displayed improved flying ability after joining the New Avengers.

After her ordeal at the hands of the Purple Man, Jessica was given a degree of psionic protection by Jean Grey of the X-Men. This psionic protection was sufficient to protect Jessica against a second attack by the Purple Man, though she had to "trigger" this resistance on her own.^[11]

In addition to her superhuman powers, Jessica is a skilled detective and investigative journalist.^[33]

Other versions

Ultimate Jessica Jones. Art by David Lafuente.

Multiple versions of Jessica Jones have appeared in Marvel's multiverse. In the 2005 "House of M" storyline, Jessica was apparently dating Scott Lang.^[34] In What If,^[35] Jones accepted Captain America's offer to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Perceiving that something was amiss with Wanda Maximoff (the Scarlet Witch), she alerted the other Avengers, ensuring that the catastrophic events depicted in "Avengers Disassembled" and "House of M" would never occur. Jessica married Captain America. In Ultimate Spider-Man,^[36] Jones appeared as a senior student in the school Peter Parker attended. She was the executive producer of the school's television network. She later became jealous of Mary Jane Watson's superior film skills. She attempted to deduce Spider-Man's secret identity for the school newspaper and may have been suspicious about Peter Parker. Later on after the events of Ultimatum, she claimed to have abandoned her attempts to figure out who Spider-Man was and instead wanted to focus on his heroics.^[36]

In other media

Television

Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones in the Netflix original series, Marvel's Jessica Jones.

On November 20, 2015, a live-action, eponymous series was released on Netflix, with the title character portrayed by Krysten Ritter as an adult^[37][38] and by Elizabeth Cappuccino as a teenager. During her earlier life, Jessica Jones was the survivor of a car accident that killed her parents and family. After coming out of a coma, Jessica was legally adopted by talent agent Dorothy Walker, therefore becoming the sister of Trish Walker. In her later life, Jones attempts to track down a man named Killgrave, a figure from her past. Her Jewel costume from the comics appears briefly in the fifth episode of season 1, "AKA: The Sandwich Saved Me", although she refuses to wear it and rejects Jewel as an alias, saying it sounds more like a stripper's name.^[39] Ritter is set to reprise her role in The Defenders, a crossover miniseries.^[40]

Film

In November 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that if Marvel's Netflix TV shows such as Jessica Jones become popular, "It's quite possible that they could become feature films".^[41]

Video games

• Jessica Jones appears in a series of Marvel mobile and video games, such as Marvel: War of Heroes,^[42] Marvel Contest of Champions,^[43] and Marvel: Future Fight. Her appearance in all of them is based off the Netflix version.^[43]
• A teenage version of Jones appears in Marvel Avengers Academy, where she is voiced by Michelle Phan. She initially resembles her Netflix counterpart, but gains the Jewel costume once she is upgraded.^[44]
• Jones appears in Marvel Heroes, where she is voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.^[45]
• Jones is also a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers, voiced by Tara Strong. This version is based on her Jewel variant. Her mission requires the player to find Mantis, She-Hulk, Squirrel Girl, and Echo, who have applied to be a potential nanny for Danielle.
• She also appears as a playable character in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.^[46]

References

External links

• Jessica Jones at Marvel.com
• Bendis Interview at Comic Book Resources (August 2005)
• Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed: Which Jessica for Alias?