Michael Van Patrick
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Ian Van Patrick is a fictional
comic book
character created by Dan Slott
and Stefano Caselli
. Although the character himself is deceased, and in fact died in the issue he first appeared in, the character is said to have been cloned after his death, with his clones continuing to play roles within the ongoing series.
Described by Slott as an archetypal "all-American boy", the character is introduced in the pages of Avengers: The Initiative
#1 as the great-grandson of Dr. Abraham Erskine, the inventor of the super soldier serum within Marvel Comics
' shared universe
the Marvel Universe
, before being subsequently killed at the end of that first issue.
The first clone replaced Michael, and was sent back to his parent's home to prevent them from learning of his death. The next three clones, named Michael, Van, and Patrick, originally worked as the Scarlet Spider
s, as part of the Black Ops group within The Initiative. They were revealed to be clones in Avengers: The Initiative #7. He was cloned once more, in the Killed in Action story arc when plans were made to fill some of the vacant positions in the Initiative teams with MVP clones.
The original Michael Van Patrick's only appearance outside the pages of Avengers: The Initiative was a brief cameo in an alternate reality
What If
comic. All that is known about the original character has been revealed throughout the ongoing series, with Van Patrick's (and the first sets of clones) origins being shown in the 2007 Avengers: The Initiative Annual. However, the Scarlet Spiders (Michael and Patrick) became the first clones to appear outside The Initiative when they appeared in New Warriors vol. 4 #14 (September 2008), with the first MVP clone appearing in the following issue of the New Warriors series.
serum, that changed a frail Steve Rogers into Timely Comics
's (Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor's) Captain America
, scientist "Dr. Josef Reinstein," later retroactively changed
to a code name for the scientist Abraham Erskine. On his death, Dr. Erskine left papers, which covered years of research and findings that the government had not seen fit to classify, to his grandson, Brian Van Patrick, who studied his grandfather's work, particularly regarding his work on growing, preparing and serving the most wholesome and nutritional foods, and an exceptionally challenging experimental program of isometric exercise
s he developed. Brian Van Patrick used the research during the early life and development of his son, Michael, helping him achieve his optimum potential.
The events of the 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover
, Civil War
, required all United States superpowered
individuals to register with the American government. Some of these individuals were sent to The Initiative's training camp, Camp Hammond. Given Michael Van Patrick's descent from the creator of the super soldier serum, many people came to suspect his athletic abilities to be superpower-related with a subsequent scandal resulting in Michael losing his scholarship
and Justice, an Initiative superhero, recruiting Michael for the Initiative program to train him into a superhero.
Michael Van Patrick joined the program, under the codename MVP, along with a selection of old and new characters to make up the cast of the Avengers: The Initiative. During the first day's training at Camp Hammond, MVP demonstrated extraordinary speed and agility as he broke the camp's obstacle course
record for users without superspeed on his first attempt.
During a combat simulator exercise, one of the Initiative trainees, Armory
goes out of control and fires blindly on the other recruits, and MVP has to save a fellow recruit Cloud 9
. While saving Cloud 9, MVP is shot in the head, killing him instantly.
Initiative scientist Dr. Baron Von Blitzschlag
, a former Nazi and supervillain
, performed the autopsy
on Michael's body. The autopsy revealed that MVP's extraordinary physical abilities were unconnected to the super-soldier serum, and were instead achieved by purely natural means. Von Blitzschlag advocated cloning MVP, much to chief administrator Yellowjacket
's disapproval. In Avengers: The Initiative #22, the members of New Warriors take possession of Michael's body; to return him home.
, who had ordered MVP's death remain secret, sanctioned the cloning. As Van Patrick is a non-altered human, Yellowjacket considered the cloning was comparatively easy.
Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1 reveals the clones creation and development. As the clone was grown to its original's age, all of his original's skills and abilities programmed into him with the help of a special suit with telemetry circuits and a video of MVP's training session and the photographic reflexes of Taskmaster
. The first clone is sent home to his family's organic
vegetable
farm in Liberty, Kentucky
, with a false story that he had failed the Initiative program because of his lack of powers. The clone, who was still coming to realize that his memories are not his own and that he will never be the real Michael Van Patrick, elects to stay with "his" family. He is warned however to never tell them that he is not their real son.
However, the clone's first appearance was a couple of months prior in a few panels of Avengers: The Initiative #4, where Justice and Cloud 9, not knowing of clone's replacing Michael, flew to the Van Patrick farm to inform MVP's parents of his death. On arriving, they are greeted at the door by the clone but are called off to deal with the events of World War Hulk
before they can ask how Michael was still alive and well. In a later issue, Justice again returns with Cloud 9 to the Van Patrick home, wishing to find out what information Gyrich and Yellowjacket were keeping from him. On arriving, they find the house boarded up and abandoned.
During the Killed In Action storyline, it is revealed that the clone has an imbedded tracking device and that the Van Patrick family had moved to Bulls Gap, Tennessee
. In the conclusion of this storyline, the clone then helps The Initiative stop KIA, and begins to further MVP's romantic interest in Cloud 9. In Avengers: The Initiative #12, the MVP clone, along with the surviving Scarlet Spiders and MVP's father, join with Justice's New Warriors as a Counter Initiative of underground registered heroes. MVP, as apart of Counter Force
, would go on to appear in New Warriors vol. 4 #14 and #15 (September & October 2008); in the character's first appearance outside of an Avengers: The Initiative title.
Three more clones, developed the same time as the first but with added genetic material from Baron Von Blitzschlage, were programmed via input from Taskmaster with not only MVP's skills and abilities but also those of Spider-Man
, Peter Parker. The three clones, Michael, Van, and Patrick (sometimes referred to as "Pat"), were each suited up in redesigned Iron Spider Stark armor which Spider-Man had worn during the early stages of the superhero Civil War.
During their first appearance, they identify themselves as "Red Team" and take down supervillains Shocker
, Boomerang
, and Hydro-Man
. Though War Machine
identifies them by their official name Scarlet Spiders when contacting them, they still identify themselves as Red Team One (Michael), Red Team Two (Van), and Red Team Three ("Pat" Patrick) in the field. They are later revealed to be part of a black ops group called the Shadow Initiative under the command of Henry Gyrich with Constrictor
, Mutant Zero, Bengal
and Trauma
.
The Scarlet Spiders were forced to expose themselves to the public in Avengers: The Initiative #7 after an attack on Baron Von Blitzschlage. The subsequent pursuit of three criminals wearing the Vulturions flying exosuits would lead the spiders into confronting an angry Peter Parker. Their appearance in battle against and alongside Parker has raised public doubts over whether Parker is the original and/or only Spider-Man, despite his having publicly revealing his dual identity in the early events of the Civil War.
Now public, the Scarlet Spiders join with the other initiative trainees in the next issue. An incident involving Dragon Man
leads one of the Spiders to save Cloud 9 in much the same fashion as the original MVP did at the time of his death. In Avengers: The Initiative #10, the Scarlet Spiders unmask themselves in an attempt to calm the enraged MVP clone, KIA, only to have him behead one of their number. The surviving (and still unmasked) Scarlet Spiders, Michael and Patrick, are later seen by the majority of the trainees, including Cloud 9. In Avengers: The Initiative #11, the remaining Scarlet Spiders make their way to Bulls Gap, Tennessee to aid in the capture of KIA.
In Avengers: The Initiative #12 after the defeat of KIA, the surviving Scarlet Spiders, along with the MVP clone and the real MVP's father, join with Justice's New Warriors as a Counter Initiative/Counter Force
of underground registered heroes who go on to appear in New Warriors Secret Invasion
tie-in story "Secrets and Skrull
s" where Counter Force would team up with the other team of New Warriors. Reappearing within the pages of Avengers: The Initiative #21, with Norman Osborn taking control of the 50-State Initiative, Counter Force were made wanted criminals. The team shows up at Camp Hammond, having retaken the name New Warriors, to battle a rampaging clone of Thor, Ragnarok
. In Avengers: The Initiative #22, Scarlet Spider Michael is killed by the clone of Thor. During the next issue, in the aftermath of the battle, Patrick, the last surviving Scarlet Spider, publicly unmasked himself, revealing to the media that the Initiative had secretly cloned MVP.
The results of the previous clonings impressed Initiative administrators enough to attempt to fill places within the Fifty-State Initiative with further clones of MVP. In Avengers: The Initiatives first multi-part story; Killed in Action (starting issue #8), a new Michael Van Patrick clone is fitted with the Tactigon, Armory's
former alien weapon and sets forth on a murderous rampage through Camp Hammond in an attempt to seek revenge for MVP's death.
In the second part, First Casualties, the clone, who is distinguished by his whited out eyes, is said to have had Armory's moves programmed into him in preparation to use the Omega-Level weapon that killed the original MVP. The Tactigon interfaces with this clone's mind activating latent memories of the real MVP's death. Hacking into the Initiative's computer, the clone learns of his "death" and gains a list of all those present at the time. The disturbed clone demolishes the cloning lab, attacking Baron Von Blitzschlag
while saying the term Killed in Action over and over again and carving the initials "KIA" into his chest. The clone continues its rampage through Camp Hammond, striking heavily those whose names are on his list and attacking anyone else who gets in the way.
At the end of the second part, the clone attempts to find the coma
tose Gauntlet
, the drill instructor
who sent MVP to the ill-fated combat training session. However, Gauntlet's weapon, taken from an alien that faced off against the alien who controlled the Tactigon in Gauntlet and Armory's origin stories
, seemingly takes control of Gauntlet's body forcing him to acquire the sword element of the alien's armor which he recovered when he originally bonded with the alien glove device. The two later battle and KIA brings Gauntlet out of his coma, in an effort to face the man rather than the gauntlet weapon.
In the concluding part of this storyline, Worst Case Scenario, KIA battles his way through the Initiative to follow trainees Cloud 9, Komodo
, and Hardball
to the location of MVP's first clone, Bulls Gap, Tennessee, where they are attempting to convince the first clone to download its memories into a device (and most likely leave himself braindead
) which could then upload them into KIA to reset his mind. After arriving at the location, KIA is met by the collective Initiative force of The Avengers, the remaining Scarlet Spiders, a rogue New Warriors group and the trainees. In the climax of the battle, the first clone used the device to download KIA memories leaving his body brain-dead. After the battle, Slapstick
is seen taking the device which reads "ready to transmit brain patters to new host body" leaving KIA's eventual fate open-ended
.
Many trainees and staff members were injured during KIA's rampage, but only Dragon Lord, Trauma
, Van (one of the Scarlet Spiders) and 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were killed. However in Avengers: The Initiative #12, Trauma came back to life.
refers to Michael Van Patrick as an "Übermensch
", a perfect human specimen, down to the cellular
level. This perfection is displayed in his mental and physical abilities being the highest possible standard for a human being to be without being considered superhuman, much like Captain America
. Yellowjacket
(actually the Skrull agent Criti Noll), one of the chief administrators at Camp Hammond, ironically referred to MVP as "Captain America, Jr.". in the first issue of Avengers: The Initiative. However, unlike Captain America, MVP's abilities were revealed in the Avengers: The Initiative Annual to have come as a result of the "revolutionary" diet and an "ultimate" isometric exercise regime he went through rather than Dr. Erskine's super-soldier serum.
The first clone has those same abilities, with the Scarlet Spiders additionally having the skills, reflexes/reactions and moves of Spider-Man programmed into them to the degree of regular human ability.
Michael, Van, and Patrick's Scarlet Spider suits, a redesign of Tony Stark's Iron Spider armor (previously used by Spider-Man), are supported by systems similar to that of Stark's classic Iron Man
design. In the Scarlet Spider's first appearance, Avengers: The Initiative #3, the suit is shown to feature several devices, including four mechanical spider-arms or "waldoes
" on each suit, one more than on the original, along with cloaking
devices, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system. In Avengers: The Initiative #7, the suits are shown to have the new feature of mechanical web-shooters and had retained the ability to change appearance to other versions of the Spider-Man costume or street clothes. In New Warriors vol. 4 #15 (October 2008), it was revealed the suits have had their StarkTech removed, which prevented the suits being affected when all StarkTech was made inoperable by Skrull invaders. However, this is seemingly retconned in a line spoken by one of the Spiders: "should be StarkTech like ours, but it's so alien", in Avengers: The Initiative #22, when the Spiders are shown to be able to interface with other technology.
Attached to the "KIA" Michael Van Patrick is Armory
's former weapon, known as Tactigon, which was detached when she was expelled from the Initiative program. It is a multi-dimensional alien device that is able to shift into an infinite number of weapons and tools with a built in safety designed to give the wearer exactly what she or he needs to get the job done.
reviewer considered MVP one of the "instantly likable characters" in the first issue, while a Comics Bulletin
reviewer expanded on this by saying MVP especially "could help carry this title". However, MVP's death at the end of the issue was met with concern "while shocking, [MVP's death] undermines the advancement of the rest of the issue". Despite concerns over writer Dan Slott being too cavalier with killing MVP, IGN reviewer stated that "having seen the emotional fallout of that incident, I can see why it was so important to do that. Clearly the death in the first issue added immeasurable weight to the situation".
collections of his appearances include:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character created by Dan Slott
Dan Slott
Dan Slott is an American comic book writer best known for The Amazing Spider-Man, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and She-Hulk. He is the current writer of the twice monthly The Amazing Spider-Man.-Early writing:...
and Stefano Caselli
Stefano Caselli
Stefano Caselli is an Italian comic book artist best known for his work on the Marvel Comics title Avengers: The Initiative, the mini-series Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways and Secret Warriors...
. Although the character himself is deceased, and in fact died in the issue he first appeared in, the character is said to have been cloned after his death, with his clones continuing to play roles within the ongoing series.
Described by Slott as an archetypal "all-American boy", the character is introduced in the pages of Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
#1 as the great-grandson of Dr. Abraham Erskine, the inventor of the super soldier serum within Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, before being subsequently killed at the end of that first issue.
The first clone replaced Michael, and was sent back to his parent's home to prevent them from learning of his death. The next three clones, named Michael, Van, and Patrick, originally worked as the Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider
Scarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
s, as part of the Black Ops group within The Initiative. They were revealed to be clones in Avengers: The Initiative #7. He was cloned once more, in the Killed in Action story arc when plans were made to fill some of the vacant positions in the Initiative teams with MVP clones.
The original Michael Van Patrick's only appearance outside the pages of Avengers: The Initiative was a brief cameo in an alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
What If
What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
comic. All that is known about the original character has been revealed throughout the ongoing series, with Van Patrick's (and the first sets of clones) origins being shown in the 2007 Avengers: The Initiative Annual. However, the Scarlet Spiders (Michael and Patrick) became the first clones to appear outside The Initiative when they appeared in New Warriors vol. 4 #14 (September 2008), with the first MVP clone appearing in the following issue of the New Warriors series.
Fictional character biography
Michael Van Patrick's origins are traced back to the developer of the Super-SoldierSupersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
serum, that changed a frail Steve Rogers into Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
's (Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor's) Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, scientist "Dr. Josef Reinstein," later retroactively changed
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
to a code name for the scientist Abraham Erskine. On his death, Dr. Erskine left papers, which covered years of research and findings that the government had not seen fit to classify, to his grandson, Brian Van Patrick, who studied his grandfather's work, particularly regarding his work on growing, preparing and serving the most wholesome and nutritional foods, and an exceptionally challenging experimental program of isometric exercise
Isometric exercise
Isometric exercise or isometrics are a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction...
s he developed. Brian Van Patrick used the research during the early life and development of his son, Michael, helping him achieve his optimum potential.
The events of the 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
, Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, required all United States superpowered
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
individuals to register with the American government. Some of these individuals were sent to The Initiative's training camp, Camp Hammond. Given Michael Van Patrick's descent from the creator of the super soldier serum, many people came to suspect his athletic abilities to be superpower-related with a subsequent scandal resulting in Michael losing his scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and Justice, an Initiative superhero, recruiting Michael for the Initiative program to train him into a superhero.
Obstacle course
An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
record for users without superspeed on his first attempt.
During a combat simulator exercise, one of the Initiative trainees, Armory
Armory (comics)
Armory is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. Armory was one of the new Initiative recruits that arrived at Camp Hammond with Cloud 9, Hardball, Komodo, MVP, Trauma and others.-Fictional character biography:...
goes out of control and fires blindly on the other recruits, and MVP has to save a fellow recruit Cloud 9
Cloud 9 (comics)
Cloud 9 is a fictional teenage comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. She was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, and first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #1 ....
. While saving Cloud 9, MVP is shot in the head, killing him instantly.
Initiative scientist Dr. Baron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Werner Von Blitzschlag is a comic book character in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, the Baron's last name is German for "Lightning-Strike."-Publication history:...
, a former Nazi and supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, performed the autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
on Michael's body. The autopsy revealed that MVP's extraordinary physical abilities were unconnected to the super-soldier serum, and were instead achieved by purely natural means. Von Blitzschlag advocated cloning MVP, much to chief administrator Yellowjacket
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
's disapproval. In Avengers: The Initiative #22, the members of New Warriors take possession of Michael's body; to return him home.
First clone
Though Yellowjacket disapproved the idea of cloning MVP, Secretary of the Superhuman Armed Forces Henry Peter GyrichHenry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
, who had ordered MVP's death remain secret, sanctioned the cloning. As Van Patrick is a non-altered human, Yellowjacket considered the cloning was comparatively easy.
Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1 reveals the clones creation and development. As the clone was grown to its original's age, all of his original's skills and abilities programmed into him with the help of a special suit with telemetry circuits and a video of MVP's training session and the photographic reflexes of Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
. The first clone is sent home to his family's organic
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
farm in Liberty, Kentucky
Liberty, Kentucky
Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Casey County, Kentucky, United States. It was established in 1806 by several Revolutionary War veterans and named for one of the values of their new country...
, with a false story that he had failed the Initiative program because of his lack of powers. The clone, who was still coming to realize that his memories are not his own and that he will never be the real Michael Van Patrick, elects to stay with "his" family. He is warned however to never tell them that he is not their real son.
However, the clone's first appearance was a couple of months prior in a few panels of Avengers: The Initiative #4, where Justice and Cloud 9, not knowing of clone's replacing Michael, flew to the Van Patrick farm to inform MVP's parents of his death. On arriving, they are greeted at the door by the clone but are called off to deal with the events of World War Hulk
World War Hulk
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk....
before they can ask how Michael was still alive and well. In a later issue, Justice again returns with Cloud 9 to the Van Patrick home, wishing to find out what information Gyrich and Yellowjacket were keeping from him. On arriving, they find the house boarded up and abandoned.
During the Killed In Action storyline, it is revealed that the clone has an imbedded tracking device and that the Van Patrick family had moved to Bulls Gap, Tennessee
Bulls Gap, Tennessee
Bulls Gap is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 714 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...
. In the conclusion of this storyline, the clone then helps The Initiative stop KIA, and begins to further MVP's romantic interest in Cloud 9. In Avengers: The Initiative #12, the MVP clone, along with the surviving Scarlet Spiders and MVP's father, join with Justice's New Warriors as a Counter Initiative of underground registered heroes. MVP, as apart of Counter Force
Counter Force (Marvel Comics)
This second team of New Warriors is a superhero team in the Marvel Comics continuity composed mostly of former members of the original team of New Warriors.-Fictional history:...
, would go on to appear in New Warriors vol. 4 #14 and #15 (September & October 2008); in the character's first appearance outside of an Avengers: The Initiative title.
Scarlet Spiders
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Peter Parker. The three clones, Michael, Van, and Patrick (sometimes referred to as "Pat"), were each suited up in redesigned Iron Spider Stark armor which Spider-Man had worn during the early stages of the superhero Civil War.
During their first appearance, they identify themselves as "Red Team" and take down supervillains Shocker
Shocker (comics)
The Shocker or just Shocker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #46 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr.-Fictional character biography:Herman Schultz was born in New York...
, Boomerang
Boomerang (comics)
Boomerang is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #81....
, and Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man, also spelled Hydro Man , is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics...
. Though War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
identifies them by their official name Scarlet Spiders when contacting them, they still identify themselves as Red Team One (Michael), Red Team Two (Van), and Red Team Three ("Pat" Patrick) in the field. They are later revealed to be part of a black ops group called the Shadow Initiative under the command of Henry Gyrich with Constrictor
Constrictor (comics)
Constrictor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain, but is often portrayed as a redeeming anti-hero. Constrictor first appeared in Incredible Hulk vol.1 #212 and was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema.-Publication history:Constrictor...
, Mutant Zero, Bengal
Bengal (comics)
Bengal is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe who first appeared in Daredevil #258 in September 1988. He was created by Fabian Nicieza and artist, Ron Lim.-Fictional character biography:...
and Trauma
Trauma (comics)
Trauma is a fictional comic book character. He is a teenage superhero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe...
.
The Scarlet Spiders were forced to expose themselves to the public in Avengers: The Initiative #7 after an attack on Baron Von Blitzschlage. The subsequent pursuit of three criminals wearing the Vulturions flying exosuits would lead the spiders into confronting an angry Peter Parker. Their appearance in battle against and alongside Parker has raised public doubts over whether Parker is the original and/or only Spider-Man, despite his having publicly revealing his dual identity in the early events of the Civil War.
Now public, the Scarlet Spiders join with the other initiative trainees in the next issue. An incident involving Dragon Man
Dragon Man
Dragon Man is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is an artificial dragon-like humanoid android who was animated via alchemy. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #35 ....
leads one of the Spiders to save Cloud 9 in much the same fashion as the original MVP did at the time of his death. In Avengers: The Initiative #10, the Scarlet Spiders unmask themselves in an attempt to calm the enraged MVP clone, KIA, only to have him behead one of their number. The surviving (and still unmasked) Scarlet Spiders, Michael and Patrick, are later seen by the majority of the trainees, including Cloud 9. In Avengers: The Initiative #11, the remaining Scarlet Spiders make their way to Bulls Gap, Tennessee to aid in the capture of KIA.
In Avengers: The Initiative #12 after the defeat of KIA, the surviving Scarlet Spiders, along with the MVP clone and the real MVP's father, join with Justice's New Warriors as a Counter Initiative/Counter Force
Counter Force (Marvel Comics)
This second team of New Warriors is a superhero team in the Marvel Comics continuity composed mostly of former members of the original team of New Warriors.-Fictional history:...
of underground registered heroes who go on to appear in New Warriors Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
tie-in story "Secrets and Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s" where Counter Force would team up with the other team of New Warriors. Reappearing within the pages of Avengers: The Initiative #21, with Norman Osborn taking control of the 50-State Initiative, Counter Force were made wanted criminals. The team shows up at Camp Hammond, having retaken the name New Warriors, to battle a rampaging clone of Thor, Ragnarok
Ragnarok (comics)
Ragnarok is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Civil War #3 , and was created by Mark Millar and Steve Mcniven.-Fictional character biography:...
. In Avengers: The Initiative #22, Scarlet Spider Michael is killed by the clone of Thor. During the next issue, in the aftermath of the battle, Patrick, the last surviving Scarlet Spider, publicly unmasked himself, revealing to the media that the Initiative had secretly cloned MVP.
KIA
Armory (comics)
Armory is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. Armory was one of the new Initiative recruits that arrived at Camp Hammond with Cloud 9, Hardball, Komodo, MVP, Trauma and others.-Fictional character biography:...
former alien weapon and sets forth on a murderous rampage through Camp Hammond in an attempt to seek revenge for MVP's death.
In the second part, First Casualties, the clone, who is distinguished by his whited out eyes, is said to have had Armory's moves programmed into him in preparation to use the Omega-Level weapon that killed the original MVP. The Tactigon interfaces with this clone's mind activating latent memories of the real MVP's death. Hacking into the Initiative's computer, the clone learns of his "death" and gains a list of all those present at the time. The disturbed clone demolishes the cloning lab, attacking Baron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Werner Von Blitzschlag is a comic book character in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, the Baron's last name is German for "Lightning-Strike."-Publication history:...
while saying the term Killed in Action over and over again and carving the initials "KIA" into his chest. The clone continues its rampage through Camp Hammond, striking heavily those whose names are on his list and attacking anyone else who gets in the way.
At the end of the second part, the clone attempts to find the coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose Gauntlet
Gauntlet (comics)
The Gauntlet , is a comic book superhero in the . Created by Dan Slott, he first appeared in She-Hulk #100.-Publication history:...
, the drill instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
who sent MVP to the ill-fated combat training session. However, Gauntlet's weapon, taken from an alien that faced off against the alien who controlled the Tactigon in Gauntlet and Armory's origin stories
Origin story
In comic book terminology, an origin story is an account or back-story revealing how a character or team gained their superpowers and/or the circumstances under which they became superheroes or supervillains....
, seemingly takes control of Gauntlet's body forcing him to acquire the sword element of the alien's armor which he recovered when he originally bonded with the alien glove device. The two later battle and KIA brings Gauntlet out of his coma, in an effort to face the man rather than the gauntlet weapon.
In the concluding part of this storyline, Worst Case Scenario, KIA battles his way through the Initiative to follow trainees Cloud 9, Komodo
Komodo (comics)
Komodo is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics Universe.-New Men:The first Komodo is one of the New Men, creatures evolved by the High Evolutionary from a lizard. He accompanied the Ani-Men on their clean-up mission at the Jackal's laboratory and fought the Scarlet Spider...
, and Hardball
Hardball (comics)
Hardball is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, and first appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #1 ....
to the location of MVP's first clone, Bulls Gap, Tennessee, where they are attempting to convince the first clone to download its memories into a device (and most likely leave himself braindead
Braindead
Braindead may refer to:*Brain death, medical condition defined as a complete and irreversible cessation of brain activity*Braindead , horror and zombie comedy directed by Peter Jackson...
) which could then upload them into KIA to reset his mind. After arriving at the location, KIA is met by the collective Initiative force of The Avengers, the remaining Scarlet Spiders, a rogue New Warriors group and the trainees. In the climax of the battle, the first clone used the device to download KIA memories leaving his body brain-dead. After the battle, Slapstick
Slapstick (comics)
Slapstick is a Marvel Comics superhero created in the early nineties. He debuted in Slapstick #1, November , created by Len Kaminski and James Fry...
is seen taking the device which reads "ready to transmit brain patters to new host body" leaving KIA's eventual fate open-ended
Open-ended
Open-ended may refer to:* "Open Ended," song by Sebadoh from their 1996 album Harmacy* Open-ended contract A contract with no definite time limit...
.
Many trainees and staff members were injured during KIA's rampage, but only Dragon Lord, Trauma
Trauma (comics)
Trauma is a fictional comic book character. He is a teenage superhero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe...
, Van (one of the Scarlet Spiders) and 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were killed. However in Avengers: The Initiative #12, Trauma came back to life.
Powers, abilities, and equipment
In Avengers: The Initiative #2, Dr. Baron Von BlitzschlagBaron Von Blitzschlag
Baron Werner Von Blitzschlag is a comic book character in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, the Baron's last name is German for "Lightning-Strike."-Publication history:...
refers to Michael Van Patrick as an "Übermensch
Übermensch
The Übermensch is a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche posited the Übermensch as a goal for humanity to set for itself in his 1883 book Thus Spoke Zarathustra ....
", a perfect human specimen, down to the cellular
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....
level. This perfection is displayed in his mental and physical abilities being the highest possible standard for a human being to be without being considered superhuman, much like Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. Yellowjacket
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
(actually the Skrull agent Criti Noll), one of the chief administrators at Camp Hammond, ironically referred to MVP as "Captain America, Jr.". in the first issue of Avengers: The Initiative. However, unlike Captain America, MVP's abilities were revealed in the Avengers: The Initiative Annual to have come as a result of the "revolutionary" diet and an "ultimate" isometric exercise regime he went through rather than Dr. Erskine's super-soldier serum.
The first clone has those same abilities, with the Scarlet Spiders additionally having the skills, reflexes/reactions and moves of Spider-Man programmed into them to the degree of regular human ability.
Michael, Van, and Patrick's Scarlet Spider suits, a redesign of Tony Stark's Iron Spider armor (previously used by Spider-Man), are supported by systems similar to that of Stark's classic Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
design. In the Scarlet Spider's first appearance, Avengers: The Initiative #3, the suit is shown to feature several devices, including four mechanical spider-arms or "waldoes
Remote manipulator
A remote manipulator, also known as a telefactor, telemanipulator, or waldo , is a device which, through electronic, hydraulic, or mechanical linkages, allows a hand-like mechanism to be controlled by a human operator...
" on each suit, one more than on the original, along with cloaking
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
devices, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system. In Avengers: The Initiative #7, the suits are shown to have the new feature of mechanical web-shooters and had retained the ability to change appearance to other versions of the Spider-Man costume or street clothes. In New Warriors vol. 4 #15 (October 2008), it was revealed the suits have had their StarkTech removed, which prevented the suits being affected when all StarkTech was made inoperable by Skrull invaders. However, this is seemingly retconned in a line spoken by one of the Spiders: "should be StarkTech like ours, but it's so alien", in Avengers: The Initiative #22, when the Spiders are shown to be able to interface with other technology.
Attached to the "KIA" Michael Van Patrick is Armory
Armory (comics)
Armory is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. Armory was one of the new Initiative recruits that arrived at Camp Hammond with Cloud 9, Hardball, Komodo, MVP, Trauma and others.-Fictional character biography:...
's former weapon, known as Tactigon, which was detached when she was expelled from the Initiative program. It is a multi-dimensional alien device that is able to shift into an infinite number of weapons and tools with a built in safety designed to give the wearer exactly what she or he needs to get the job done.
Reception
The IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer considered MVP one of the "instantly likable characters" in the first issue, while a Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
reviewer expanded on this by saying MVP especially "could help carry this title". However, MVP's death at the end of the issue was met with concern "while shocking, [MVP's death] undermines the advancement of the rest of the issue". Despite concerns over writer Dan Slott being too cavalier with killing MVP, IGN reviewer stated that "having seen the emotional fallout of that incident, I can see why it was so important to do that. Clearly the death in the first issue added immeasurable weight to the situation".
Collected editions
trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collections of his appearances include:
- Avengers: The Initiative, Vol. 1: Basic Training ISBN 0785121609; collects Avengers: The Initiative #1-6
See also
- Avengers: The InitiativeAvengers: The InitiativeAvengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
- Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
- Scarlet SpiderScarlet SpiderScarlet Spider is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Spider-Man. His costume was designed by Tom Lyle. The identity of the Scarlet Spider has been used by several characters: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker , Joe Wade , a group of three Michael Van Patrick clones working with...
External links
- MVP at Marvel.com Universe
- MVP at Marvel Database wiki
- Scarlet Spiders (Team Red) at Marvel Database wiki