The Variants #2

[cyberghostface]

Comments

[melancholiahemlock]

Why is it, every damn story about Jessica Jones seems to have to revolve around this purple bastard? It's creepy and unpleasant. I realise it's because he's recognisable and associated with her, but.....It's not great to have a character's whole life, forever, apparently, revolve around a man who traumatised and abused her.

[deh_tommy]

I really liked the ending Bendis made for him, I know it’s comics but I think it’s a shame it didn’t stick.

[melancholiahemlock]

Well, it's more of a big two comics thing. Most of their problems are specific to them. Stories that actually end instead of regurgitating themselves over and over again for eternity don't have many problems killing off their villains.

[scelestus]

How did Bendis end him?

[deh_tommy]

From what I remember, it’s been a spell since I checked it out: Purple Man returns and shortly afterwards infiltrates Jessica’s life with a newfound power to directly possess people. He’s in the middle of a mid-life crisis, having grown tired of being selfish and getting everything he ever wants without much effort and everyone always obeying his every whim and his healing factor effectively preventing him from ever getting too injured or dying, so he’s decided he’ll try being more selfless and heroic and wants to partner with Jessica so she’ll keep him on the straight and narrow and they can make the world a better place together with his powers.

But she recognises he’s still being disingenuous even if he himself doesn’t realise it and that the minute this phase of his passes or whenever he gets bored or decides he’s done enough, he’ll fall right back into his old habits, and she tells him off for all the horrors he’s committed against her and everyone else he’s met. This time, she’s the one with power over him, and he’s promised to do whatever she says - she tells him that if he was truly sorry or if he actually recognised any of his faults and was even the least bit self-aware like he thinks he is, he’d actually listen to her instead of arguing with her again and just go. And, recognising the truth in her words, he does exactly that. He walks out into the middle of the street and wills himself to keel over and die right then and there.

Of course he didn’t stay dead for long, but he hasn’t really shown up as a villain since then and is treated more as a macguffin for people to create brainwashing tools. Heck, he only had one other story before Devil’s Reign killed him off again. Given this story seems to be about time travel or the multiverse, hopefully this is just *a* Purple Man and not *the* Purple Man.

[cyberghostface]

He actually didn’t die in Devil’s Reign. It looked like that in the first issue but Fisk just cut his arm open and he’s later seen bandaged up.

[windleopard2]

My guess is that writers feel she doesn't have any other interesting villains.

[cyberghostface]

She doesn’t but I was thinking someone like the Owl would be a good enemy for her. He’s not the Kingpin-levels of big and she already dealt with him indirectly during the MGH storyline.

[sabertoothlotus]

Isn't the Owl currently dead (not that it matters much, but still)?

[cyberghostface]

He’s died a few times but he’s alive atm.

[super_fly]

The question arises: does she need any? All the time she's been in comics has been her distancing herself as much as possible from the superhero lifestyle, including having an archnemesis.

[windleopard2]

She's been on at least two Avengers teams with her husband, was recently a Defender and frequently gets involved in superhero stuff, Devil's Reign being a recent example.

[angelophile]

I was about to say the same thing, 100%

Jess is a character who works in so many different genres and has an open book for the development of a rogue's gallery and instead it's recycle recycle.

[cyberghostface]

I do think its funny how some people here were going after Bendis for using him twice saying its proof he shouldn’t be writing her or something… and now every writer after him has used him.

I do think he’s an effective villain and David Tennant gave him a big boost in the show so its kind of like Batman and the Joker now. But yeah it might be more effective if he goes on a break.

[shakalooloo]

This story features him, but does not revolve around him.

[lordultimus]

Feels like we could have spent more times with the variants. You know, the ones the series are named after?

[blues32]

Why is Jen on the Fantastic Four again?

[cyberghostface]

She’s not, she tells Jessica she just had to put something on in a hurry.

[blues32]

Just kept that in the back of her closet, did she?

[shakalooloo]

Wouldn't you?

[blues32]

I absolutely would. I mean, the fact that it's made of unstable molecules alone would make it worth keeping.

[scorntx]

And it's machine washable.

[super_fly]

It's probably a question that's come up in the bedroom more than once.

Along with "Can you shout 'It's clobbering time!" during...?"

[shakalooloo]

Hmm, thinking about it, most superhero catchphrases can work in that context...

[cainofdreaming]

Avengers Assemble..?

[cainofdreaming]

Actually, "To me, my X-Men!" is probably worse.

[super_fly]

Not as bad as whatever causes someone to say "CURSE YOU RICHARDS!"

[super_fly]

"FLAME ON!"
"By The Hoary Hosts Of Hoggoth!"

[jlbarnett]

wonder if Ultimate Jessica Jones will show up

[super_fly]

Depends on whether anyone besides you remembers she existed before this point.

I thought I remembered seeing her in an Ultimate comic but it turned out I was thinking of Maria Hill.