Jean DeWolff

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Jean DeWolff
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMarvel Team-Up #48
(August 1976)
Created byBill Mantlo (writer)
Sal Buscema (artist)
In-story information
Full nameJean DeWolff
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliationsNew York City Police Department
New U Technologies
Supporting character ofPeter Parker / Spider-Man
Notable aliasesCaptain Jean DeWolff
Abilities
  • Marksmanship
  • Police training

Jean DeWolff is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema, the character first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #48 (August 1976).[1] Captain Jean DeWolff is a police detective from New York City.[2] She is depicted as tough and unrelenting, the result of her difficult childhood and teenage years. She is a supporting character of the superhero Peter Parker / Spider-Man,[3] for whom she secretly develops romantic feelings. She is also the sister of Wraith

The 1985 storyline "

Stanley Carter, who became the murderous vigilante
"Sin-Eater."

Publication history

Jean DeWolff debuted in Marvel Team-Up #48-51 (August–November 1976), created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.[4] She was one of the few supporting cast members in Marvel Team-Up.[5] DeWolff subsequently appeared in Marvel Team-Up #60-62 (August–October 1977), #65-66 (January–February 1978), #72 (August 1978), #88 (December 1979), Ms. Marvel #6-7 (June–July 1977), The Amazing Spider-Man #226 (March–April 1982), #239 (April 1983), and The Spectacular Spider-Man #103 (June 1985).

The character was

killed off in the storyline "The Death of Jean DeWolff",[6] spanning The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 (October 1985 – January 1986).[7]
She has since made posthumous appearances in The Sensational She-Hulk #53 (July 1993), Venom Super Special #1 (August 1995), and Spider-Man/Human Torch #4 (June 2005).

Jean DeWolff received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #17, and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man #1 (2005) and The Official Handbook of the Ultimate Marvel Universe: Fantastic Four and Spider-Man #1 (2005).

Fictional character biography

Early history

Jean DeWolff's first rejection comes as a child from her harsh and disapproving father Phillip DeWolff, an officer of the

NYPD,[8] who resents having a daughter rather than another son. Her mother Celia gets divorced from Phillip six months after Jean's birth, taking her older brother Brian DeWolff with her. Jean and Brian develop a close and loving relationship over the years despite their parents' separation. Four years after the divorce, Celia marries police patrolman Carl Weatherby, who gives Jean the love she never got from her real father. Inspired by Carl, Jean joins the police academy as an adult, but this breaks Celia's heart, as she views the police force as a source of stress and danger. It also angers her father, who is now the New York police commissioner; he dismisses Jean and other women as unfit for police duty while showering praise on Brian for joining the NYPD after graduating top of his class at the academy. Just before Jean graduates from the academy, witnesses see Brian shot in the line of duty, but the body disappears before police or rescue services arrive. Phillip retires as police commissioner soon afterward.[9]

Driven by resentment towards her disapproving parents and fueled by anger and grief over Brian's apparent death, DeWolff grows into a tough, unrelenting police officer. She quickly rises in the ranks, becoming a detective and then a sergeant, known for her no-nonsense attitude, as well as her vintage car and preference for 1930s-style clothing. Just over two years after her father's retirement, DeWolff is promoted by his successor to the rank of captain, running Manhattan's 5th precinct.[9]

While investigating bombings by a criminal known only as the Wraith, DeWolff discovers Spider-Man and Iron Man are also looking into the matter. While many in the NYPD don't care for super-powered vigilantes, Jean sees value in the web-slinger and the armored Avenger and openly asks them for assistance, going so far as to allow the two access to precinct files. The two heroes, along with Doctor Strange, help DeWolff discover that the Wraith is her psionically-powered brother who is alive but in a coma, his actions the result of her corrupt father's machinations. Doctor Strange's combination of magic and surgical skills restores Brian's mind. Phillip is sent to prison, and Jean welcomes her brother back as he rejoins the NYPD.[10]

The DeWolff siblings continue to aid superheroes on different occasions, with Jean developing a regular working relationship and friendship with Spider-Man, despite her acerbic attitude and the web-slinger's need to keep his identity and full life separate. On Spider-Man's request, DeWolff even draws up amnesty papers for the Black Cat so she can retire from crime and become Spider-Man's romantic partner and ally in crime-fighting.[11] When the Black Cat is later seriously injured and hospitalized, DeWolff personally assigns her a protection detail in case any enemies try to take advantage of the situation.[12]

Death

Jean later receives former

Stanley Carter as her partner, and the two develop a close bond, eventually becoming lovers. Unbeknownst to Jean, however, Carter has an obsession with punishing criminals, which is only worsened by his experiences as a cop, to the point where he decides all "sinners" need to die. Suffering a psychotic break, Carter, now calling himself the "Sin-Eater", embarks on a killing spree, resulting in DeWolff being shot dead in her home and Spider-Man embarking on a quest for revenge. Eventually, Spider-Man and Daredevil bring Sin-Eater to justice.[13]

Following Jean's death, Spider-Man discovers the woman kept a collection of news clippings, as well as a photo of Spider-Man with Black Cat that was cut to remove the latter from the image. Spider-Man is shocked by the implication that Jean had unspoken feelings for him over the years.

Venom symbiote as a costume, Jean spoke to Spider-Man about her feelings, saying the hero was the only other person she felt she could rely on and she loved him, not knowing that the alien symbiote was in control and lacked a full understanding of human behavior. When Spider-Man silently leaned in for a kiss (the alien symbiote believing this was the expected human response to words of love), DeWolff seemed to feel awkward and clarified that she loved him as a friend, adding that she would prefer never to speak about this conversation again.[15]

Jean's death also drives her family apart: Celia blames Carl for her daughter's death as Carl had inspired her to join the police force in the first place. Driven mad with grief over Sin-Eater's murder of his sister, Brian declares vengeance against the entire NYPD before being shot and killed with an explosive bullet by a lethal vigilante.[16]

Post-mortem

Years after Jean's death, her close friend

Chameleon under her Wraith costume, as both a means of hiding her true identity and frightening criminals into believing that the Wraith was Jean's vengeful spirit risen to continue fighting crime.[17]

A clone of Jean appears during the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy event. This clone, a "reanimate" with all of Jean's memories including her death, lives in a special facility called "Haven" and is created by a villain wishing to gain Spider-Man's cooperation by resurrecting all those whose deaths haunt the web-slinger. A machine connected to Haven is later activated that destabilizes the bodies of the reanimates, making them vulnerable to infection by the deadly Carrion virus dormant in their clone cells. Several reanimates attempt to escape, hoping their bodies will stabilize if they are far enough away from Haven. Realizing that fleeing means potentially transmitting the Carrion virus to innocent people outside of Haven, Jean's clone assists Spider-Man in stopping any clones from escaping. During her efforts, she succumbs to the virus and dies.[18]

When Spider-Man confronts Kindred during the "Last Remains" arc, he finds that the demon had dug up the bodies of Jean DeWolff, Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, George Stacy, Ned Leeds, J. Jonah Jameson Sr., and Marla Jameson and sat them around a dinner table.[19]

Reception

Benjamin Falbo of

CinemaBlend called Jean DeWolff the "James Gordon to Peter Parker’s Bruce Wayne" and a "sharp cop," hoping to see the character in a feature film.[21] Comics journalist Jonathan Miller described Jean DeWolff as a "secondary character that could facilitate a sense of continuity [in Marvel Team-Up], someone who knew only the costumed side of Peter's personality, and yet had a genuine relationship with him. Hard-edged and no-nonsense, DeWolff usually made her entrance in her vintage roadster, cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth, a modern, post-feminist take on the classic tough-guy heroes of Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane".[5]

Other versions

Spider-Gwen

Main article: List of Spider-Gwen characters § Jean DeWolff

In the Spider-Gwen reality, Jean DeWolff is partnered with Captain Frank Castle on the NYPD's Special Crimes Task Force.[22][23]

Spider-Man Noir

Crime Master. Initially skeptical of Spider-Man Noir's motives in crimefighting, Agent De Wolfe later comes to his aid. In keeping with the 1930s setting, this version of the character is male. Although Alaska P. Davidson was made a special agent with the FBI in 1922 along with two other women, none were active by 1929 and the FBI did not officially accept female agents again until 1972.[24]

Ultimate Marvel

In the

superheroes.[28] Jeanne is shot and killed by the Punisher when he discovers her corruption. Afterwards, Spider-Man learns she was in the Kingpin's employ, as well as a rumor that she was his lover. The Kingpin is later seen mourning her death, indicating that this was the case[29] Her position in the NYPD is filled by officer Frank Quaid.[30]

In other media

Television

  • Jean DeWolff appears in
    Stan Carter
    , with whom she shares a squad car, who is generally distrustful of Spider-Man despite Carter's enthusiasm for him.

Video games

References

  1. ^ Gramuglia, Anthony (August 7, 2020). "Spider-Man: How the Death of Jean DeWolff SHATTERED His World". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  2. Game Rant
    . Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  3. CinemaBlend
    . Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  4. ISBN 978-0756692360
    .
  5. ^ a b Miller, Jonathan (October 2010). "Spider-Man and Company: The Wide World of Marvel Team-Up". Back Issue! (44). TwoMorrows Publishing: 39.
  6. ^ Iacobucci, Jordan (August 8, 2023). "Spider-Man Comic Supporting Characters Who Don't Have Live-Action Appearances". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Iacobucci, Jordan (September 4, 2023). "10 Best Spider-Man Comics With Surprisingly Dark Endings, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Feyrer, Avery (June 1, 2023). "Spider-Man 2: Who Is Wraith?". TheGamer. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Marvel Team-Up #49 (1976). Marvel Comics.
  10. ^ Marvel Team-Up #48-51 (1976). Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #227 (1982). Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #239 (1983). Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 (1985). Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #108. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Venom Super Special #1 (1995). Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #278. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #663-664. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ The Clone Conspiracy #5. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 #51. Marvel Comics.
  20. Looper
    . Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  21. CinemaBlend
    . Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Jason Latour (w), Robbi Rodriguez (p), Robbi Rodriguez (i), Rico Renzi (col), VC's Clayton Cowles (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "Most Wanted? Part One" Spider-Gwen, vol. 1, no. 1 (25 February 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Jason Latour (w), Robbi Rodriguez (p), Robbi Rodriguez (i), Rico Renzi (col), VC's Clayton Cowles (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "Most Wanted? Part Two" Spider-Gwen, vol. 1, no. 2 (11 March 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face #1-4
  25. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #31-32
  26. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #60
  27. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #72-85
  28. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #85
  29. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #2
  30. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #110
  31. ^ "Voice Of Jean DeWolff – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  32. ^ "Voice Of Jean DeWolff – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  33. ^ "Voice Of Jean DeWolff – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  34. ^ "Voice Of Jean Dewolff – Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Check marks indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

External links

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