Spitfire (character)
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Spitfire (Lady Jacqueline Falsworth Crichton) is a fictional
Publication history
1970s publications
Thomas and Robbins continued to feature her in issues of Invaders, including; #12-13 (January–February 1977), which sees her joining the team on a rescue mission to the
Thomas and Robbins continued to feature her in issues of Invaders, including; #23 (December 1977) & #25 (February 1978), which sees her joining a mission to Egypt; and #26 (March 1978), in which she is introduced to the restored Aubrey in his role as the new Destroyer.
1980s publications
1990s publications
She makes a brief appearance in Fabian Nicieza and Kieron Dwyer's story "The Establishment" for Marvel Comics Presents Vol. 1 #42 (February 1990); in a flashback to events following her previous appearance she is shown to be reluctant to her son Kenneth's suggestion that Joey Chapman continues as Union Jack. While Scott Lobdell and Ian Akin featured her in "Ember When" for the Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special Vol 2. #4 (December 1990); the story sees her in wheelchair recovering from cancer until called upon to use her powers to save a young nurse from a mutant ex-boyfriend.
John Byrne featured her again in a fiftieth-anniversary celebration in
Dan Slott and Rita Fagiani featured her and her son Kenneth in "Young Blood" for Marvel Comics Presents Vol. 1 #89 (November 1991); the story is about an attempt to steal the secret of youth from her, in which she is depicted as slowly returning to a life of super-heroics and dating following her rejuvenation. While Ron Marz and Tom Raney featured her in "Good Girl" for Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual Vol. 1 #2 (July 1992); the story picks up on Namorita's attempts to update her style from Namor the Sub-Mariner #21 and sees her using her powers against a sleazy fashion photographer trying to trick her. She also makes a brief supporting appearance in Fabian Nicieza and Craig Brasfield's New Warriors Vol. 1 #35-36 (May–June 1993); the story sees her having a night out with Namorita and calling her in the morning to check up on her.
She appears as a supporting character in Nicholas Vince and Mark Buckingham's four-issue Mortigan Goth: Immortalis (September 1993-October 1994) mini-series for Marvel UK; the story is about a world-weary immortal and old family friend, who she hopes can cure the vampirism inflicted on another family friend by her long dead uncle.
She appears as a supporting character in
2000s publications
She appears as a supporting character in
She next appears as a supporting character in Chuck Austen and Scott Kolins' Avengers #82-84 (July–August 2004); the story sees the re-formation of the Invaders. Austen along with Allan Jacobsen and C.P. Smith concluded this story in New Invaders #0 (August 2004), which launched a new ongoing series featuring Spitfire as a regular character. During this run Jacobson and Smith featured her in a number of issues, including; #1-3 (October–December 2004), which reunites her with Jim Hammond and reveals her to be romantically involved with Joey Chapman; #4-5 (January–February 2005), which reveals a psychic connection between her and Hammond and the existence of a vampiric grandson born to her late son and Baroness Blood; and #7-9 (April–June 2005), which sees the dissolution of the team following Hammond's death.
Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting featured her and Joey Chapman in Captain America #18-21 (July–October 2006); in the story Captain America recruits the two heroes, who are no longer dating, to battle old enemy the Red Skull in London.
She briefly appears in Jeph Loeb’s Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #5 (June – August 2007) alongside Union Jack attending the public funeral of Captain America following his death in Civil War.
2010s publications
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2015) |
Paul Cornell and Elena Casagrande featured her in the Women of Marvel one-shot Spitfire (October 2010).
Fictional character biography
Birth and early life
Jacqueline "Jackie" Falsworth was born in
Life during World War II
As a teenager during World War II, she met the superhuman team the
With the Invaders, she parachuted into Nazi Germany. She was captured by the Nazis, and was about to be executed when she was rescued by Union Jack. She battled
Semi-retirement
After the war Lady Falsworth, her brother and her father assisted a secret organization called V-Battalion up until her brother's death in a car accident in 1953.[12] Around this time she married a British nobleman, Lord Crichton, and together they had a son, Kenneth Crichton. She also became the Chief-Executive-Officer of Falsworth Industries. During this period, her super-speed faded as she grew older
She was present during Captain America's final battle with the original Baron Blood at Falsworth Manor, during this battle her son's friend Joey Chapman took over the role as Union Jack.[13] Following the death of her father in the aftermath of the incident, she reluctantly agreed to allow Chapman to continue in the role of Union, formerly held by her father and brother.[14] Although she had dismissed the idea of putting on her costume to assist Captain America defeat Baron Blood, she was able to summon her super-speed for the first time in a decade to save a nurse at the hospital where she was receiving treatment from a mutant ex-boyfriend.[15]
Jacqueline later aided Namorita and Union Jack in a mission to rescue Namor from the original Master Man and Warrior Woman, during which she was shot. She received another life-saving blood transfusion from the Human Torch which not only restored her youth and powers, but also established a psychic link between her and the Torch.[16] After going public to explain her rejuvenation in the media, her son Kenneth was kidnapped by Selene, who wished to vivisect her to learn the secret of eternal youth; but as Spitfire she was able to rescue Kenneth just as the bomb he had been strapped to was triggered.[17]
While planning a Christmas party at Falsworth Manor,
Return to action with the New Invaders
She later joined the New Invaders, but resigned with most of the other members after the Torch's death.[volume & issue needed] She also had a brief relationship with Chapman, but they broke up due to the large age difference.[volume & issue needed]
She joins
In recent years she's realized that she has actually started to be able to use certain vampiric abilities, and that the fangs appear when she gets angry. But she feels no blood lust, and has no need to drink it, and it's all completely under her control.
— Paul Cornell[23]
Even Spitfire herself shows some reservations about using her vampiric powers, as seen in the aforementioned attack on the Super-Skrulls:
This is not how I am. But sometimes, this is how I have to be.
— [22]
When new MI13 recruit and vampire hunter
As part of the
Powers and abilities
Jacqueline received superhuman powers as a result of a mutagenic reaction to a vampiric bite by the original Baron Blood, and a subsequent transfusion of artificial blood from the original Human Torch. As Spitfire, she possesses the ability to run at lightning-fast speeds, with reflexes, reactions, coordination, agility, and endurance to match. When she runs, a trail of non-damaging fire appears behind her. She can create cyclones by running in circles, and can run up walls and across water. Her skin is also hardened to withstand the rigors of such speed, providing a type of body armor, and her costume is synthetic stretch fabric chemically treated for protection from friction and other hazards of superhuman speed.
In the years after World War II, as Spitfire aged she ceased the use of her superhuman speed. Due to a second transfusion of artificial blood from the original Human Torch, Spitfire today has the body of a teenage girl, although she is chronologically many decades older. Her hair was originally still white from age, but it began turning blonde again.
It is said by the mutant sorceress, Selene, that Spitfire seems to possess a mutant regenerative power triggered by her transfusion of synthetic blood. With intensive study of her metabolism, blood stream, and glandular system, Selene hoped to one day duplicate the process.[17]
She has some vampire abilities including fangs that appear when she is angry. However, she feels no blood lust and has no need to drink blood. She has shown superhuman strength sufficient enough to break a sword made out of titanium and also displayed a healing factor, as she was able to heal a broken back and ribs in a few panels.[volume & issue needed]
Spitfire is a trained airplane pilot and exceptional athlete and hand-to-hand combatant, utilizing her ability to move at superhuman speeds, due to training by the original
Reception
Accolades
- In 2018, CBR.com ranked Spitfire 22nd in their "25 Fastest Characters In The Marvel Universe" list.[30]
- In 2019, CBR.com ranked Spitfire 6th in their "Top 15 British Superheroes in the Marvel Universe" list.[31]
- In 2020, Scary Mommy included Spitfire in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.[32]
- In 2021, Screen Rant included Spitfire in their "10 Best British Heroes Fans Would Love To See In The MCU" list.[33]
- In 2021, CBR.com ranked Spitfire 14th in their "Marvel: The 20 Fastest Speedsters" list.[34]
In other media
- Spitfire appears as a playable character in Marvel Avengers Alliance.[35]
- Spitfire appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers.[36]
Collected editions
Spitfire's major appearances have been collected in a number of trade paperbacks:
- Invaders Classic (written by Roy Thomas, with pencils by Frank Robbins and inks by Vince Colletta/Frank Springer):
- Volume 1 (includes Invaders #1-9, July - October 1976, tpb, 248 pages, July 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2706-2)
- Volume 2 (includes Invaders #10-21, November 1976 - October 1977, tpb, 240 pages, July 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3120-5)
- Volume 1 (includes Invaders #1-9, July - October 1976, tpb, 248 pages, July 2007,
- ISBN 0-7851-2693-7)
- Union Jack (written by ISBN 0-7851-0934-X)
- ISBN 0-7851-1449-1)
- Captain America: Red Menace Volume 2 (written by ISBN 0-7851-2225-7)
- Spitfire (2010) #1 (October 2010) one-shot collected in Women of Marvel (Mighty Marvel) TPB that also collects X-23 (2010 3rd Series) #1 (November 2010) and the Women of Marvel one-shots Sif (2010) #1 (June 2010) Firestar (2010) #1 (June 2010) Rescue (2010) #1 (July 2010) Dazzler (2010) #1 (July 2010) Galacta: Daughter of Galactus (2010) #1 (July 2010) Namora (2010) #1 (August 2010) Lady Deadpool (2010) #1 (September 2010) Valkyrie (2010) #1 (November 2010) and Women of Marvel (2010) #1 - 2 (January - February 2011) 352 pages, February 2011, ISBN 0-7851-4953-8
References
- ^ "Spitfire". internationalhero.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ISBN 978-1465455505.
- ^ Invaders #7
- ^ Invaders #9
- ^ Invaders #11
- ^ Invaders #12
- ^ Invaders #18-21
- ^ Invaders #30
- ^ a b Invaders #34
- ^ Invaders #41
- ^ Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting #1
- ^ Captain America #253-254
- ^ Marvel Comics Presents Vol. 1 #42 (February 1990)
- ^ Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special Vol. 2 #4
- ^ Namor the Sub-Mariner #12
- ^ a b Marvel Comics Presents #89
- ^ Union Jack vol. 1 #1
- ^ Union Jack vol. 1 #2
- ^ Union Jack vol. 1 #3
- ^ Super Spy Weekend: Spitfire, Comic Book Resources, March 8, 2008
- ^ a b Captain Britain and MI13 #1
- ^ "Very British Vampires: Paul Cornell talks vampires and vampire hunters within the Marvel U’s newest super team" by Marc Strom. Posted 2008-06-17. marvel.com
- ^ Captain Britain and MI13 #5
- ^ Captain Britain and MI13 #6
- ^ Captain Britain and MI13 #9
- ^ Captain Britain and MI13 #10
- ^ Captain Britain and MI13 #13
- ^ Avengers Arena #5
- ^ C. B. R. Staff (2018-05-27). "The 25 Fastest Characters In The Marvel Universe, Officially Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ Troughton, James (2019-12-23). "Top 15 British Superheroes in the Marvel Universe". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic". Scary Mommy. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ Chrysostomou, George (2021-05-31). "10 Best British Heroes Fans Would Love To See In The MCU". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ Stanford, Jerry (2021-06-19). "Marvel: The 20 Fastest Speedsters, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ "Marvel News, Blog, Articles & Press Releases | Marvel".
- ^ "LEGO Marvel's Avengers Mega Guide: Cheat Codes, Unlockables, Collectibles And More". GamingBolt. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
External links
- Spitfire at Marvel.com
- Spitfire at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Spitfire at the International Catalogue of Superheroes