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Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Mockingbird is a fiction
al character
, a superhero
in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar
story in Astonishing Tales
#6 (June 1971) written by Gerry Conway
and pencilled by Barry Smith
. The earliest story to be written and drawn (by Len Wein
and Neal Adams
) featuring the character was intended to appear in Savage Tales
#2 (July 1971), but the series was canceled (a #2 and subsequent series appeared much later) and new homes were found for the stories in the ensuing months.
In subsequent publications creators including Roy Thomas
, Len Wein
, Neal Adams
, Mike Friedrich
, Archie Goodwin
, George Evans, Steven Grant
, and Mark Gruenwald
made significant contributions to the development of the character.
"). Encountering the butler she exclaims "Lord Kevin Plunder where is he? I must speak with him! ‘tis a matter - - of the fate of worlds!". In a brief second appearance in the same issue the character claims "Lord Kevin Plunder and I have never met – and yet I feel that I know him …!", "You see, I can - - can 'feel' people in my mind! And I know that unless I speak with him - - Lord Kevin will die!".
Whatever writer Gerry Conway’s original ideas were for this character, subsequent creators developed her to such a degree that she is unrecognisable as this earlier figure. In particular, no later story makes reference to the psychic abilities that these quotes appear to allude to.
After this story Roy Thomas
took over writing the Ka-Zar strip and in his first story the as-yet-unnamed character makes another brief appearance. The butler at Ka-Zar’s estate informs her that his employer is currently in the Savage Land
. The girl then vows to "walk to the Savage Land" for “[Ka-Zar’s] sake and the sake of the world”.
In Astonishing Tales #8 (Oct. 1971) Thomas is joined by co-writer Gary Friedrich
and the character begins to develop – her hair color changes to blonde without explanation and her name is given as "Barbara". In this issue Ka-Zar comes upon the site of a plane crash in the Savage Land and encounters a survivor. This man explains that he and his fiancée Barbara flew to the Savage Land to seek Ka-Zar out. He mentions that Barbara learned of Ka-Zar’s whereabouts from the butler at the Plunder Estate, clearly indicating that Barbara is meant to be the same character as the brunette from the previous two issues. Barbara is shown later in the story; having parachuted from the plane before the crash she is rescued by a group of World War 2 veterans who have been trapped in the Savage Land for decades.
Gerry Conway briefly returned to co-write (with Roy Thomas) Barbara's next appearance where she finally meets Ka-Zar and is reunited with her fiancé (whose name is revealed as "Paul"). In the following issue (written by Thomas alone) Ka-Zar leads the two characters through the dangerous Savage Land.
Astonishing Tales #12 (June 1972) is a key early appearance for the character, due in part to Marvel’s decision to feature Man-Thing
in this issue. At this point Man-Thing had made only one previous appearance, in the 1971 black-and-white magazine Savage Tales
#1. A follow-up 7–page Man-Thing story by writer Len Wein
and artist Neal Adams
was commissioned for a version of Savage Tales #2 that was ultimately never published. Finally seeing print in Astonishing Tales #12 the sequence is presented as a flashback and an interlude between the main action of the book.
One of the characters in the Wein/Adams story is a blonde female scientist called "Dr. Barbara Morse". Morse is working on a research project in the Florida Everglades called Project: Gladiator, which is an attempt to replicate the Super-Soldier serum which was used to create Captain America
. This is the same research which Ted Sallis had previously been working on when a flawed serum transformed him into the Man-Thing. In the story Morse is abducted by AIM
thugs and is later liberated through the intervention of the Man-Thing.
Framing the flashback is a sequence of newer material by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema
in which Barbara (now revealed to be "Dr. Barbara Morse" and thus the character from the Wein/Adams Man-Thing story) and Paul (now "Dr. Paul Allen") accompany Ka-Zar back to the United States and explain that they sought him out so that he could help them deal with the problems surrounding the appearance of the Man-Thing in Florida.
In the next issue the storyline is wrapped up and Paul reveals he is a double agent
working for A.I.M.
It is also revealed for the first time that Barbara has connections with S.H.I.E.L.D.
; the spy agency asked her to pretend to love Allen to "learn what [she] could" about his activities with AIM. At the story’s end Paul dies at the hands of the Man-Thing and Barbara expresses the hope that she can "go back to just being a scientist again".
took over from Roy Thomas to become writer of Astonishing Tales with #15 (Dec. 1972). He introduces a new status-quo in which Ka-Zar is living in New York and "lady biologist" and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Barbara (who now prefers to be called "Bobbi") Morse is his constant companion.
Friedrich remained the writer of the various color Ka-Zar series for the next two years and for most of that period he continued to feature Morse as Ka-Zar’s sidekick and occasional love interest. In these stories she is depicted as a fully trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Contemptuous of his jungle origins, she is Ka-Zar’s escort to the city and modern life. Together she and Ka-Zar tackle threats such as the Pusher, Gemini
, Victorius
, Gog
, and the Plunderer
. As the series progresses she begins to wear a regular costume of tinted-glasses, a red one-piece, and boots. Her S.H.I.E.L.D. designation of "Agent 19" is revealed and she and Ka-Zar finally kiss.
In 1974 the color Ka-Zar series left Astonishing Tales and was relaunched in the Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden Jungle title. The strip is set once again in the Savage Land and Morse is absent for the first story. She returns in the third issue – explaining that Nick Fury
had sent her on a S.H.I.E.L.D. assignment to look into "El Tigre
", a subversive who is exploiting the energy crisis
in South America. This leads her to reluctantly travel back to the Savage Land, where she and Ka-Zar defeat El Tigre and his ally Man-God together.
The introduction of Shanna the She-Devil
into Ka-Zar’s supporting cast changes Morse’s role in the stories of this period. Ka-Zar expresses clear attraction to the more jungle-friendly Shanna from the outset and Morse is cast as the secondary love interest. This dynamic is most notable in Morse’s lone appearance in the Ka-Zar strip in the black-and-white magazine Savage Tales
(#8; Jan. 1975). Written by Gerry Conway, the story depicts Morse leading Shanna and a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into the Savage Land where they work with Ka-Zar to neutralise a threat to world security. During the course of the adventure Morse realises that Ka-Zar’s affections lie with Shanna. This story, first published in late-1974, is the last in which Morse appears as a Ka-Zar supporting character.
In a text piece in Marvel Super Action #1 editor Archie Goodwin
explained how Morse came to be used for this story
Marvel Super Action was originally designed as a bi-monthly publication, but the economic recession of the mid-1970s
forced Marvel to scale back their plans and the magazine was published as a one-off. This meant that the plot of Huntress, originally planned as a two-parter, had to be condensed before publication and no follow-up stories by the same creators were ever produced.
Morse's next published appearance was Marvel Team-Up
#95 (July, 1980) in which she dons a new costume and finally takes on the alias "Mockingbird". This story explains that she has continued to look into corruption in S.H.I.E.L.D. and in doing so has come to be hunted by the organisation which mistakes her for a criminal. Teaming up with Spider-Man
(and with assistance from S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury) Mockingbird confronts Carl Delanden, a corrupt S.H.I.E.L.D. branch director. In the ensuing battle she is shot by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who are following a previous order to subdue her at any cost. The story ends with an unconscious, badly injured but exonerated Mockingbird left in the care of Nick Fury.
In the letter’s column of that issue the series’ then assistant editor Mark Gruenwald
explained the creative origins of this new iteration of Bobbi Morse:
The reference to the “why we abandoned the "'Huntress' moniker" is a nod to the fact that Marvel’s rival DC Comics
had debuted a character with the same name
in the interim between Marvel Super Action #1 and Marvel Team-Up #95. DC's “Huntress”, originally the superhero daughter of the Batman
and Catwoman
of Earth-Two
, debuted in All Star Comics
#69 and DC Super-Stars #17 (both Dec. 1977).
miniseries. Fully recovered from her injuries, Mockingbird investigates corruption at Cross Technological Enterprises
, where Clint Barton/Hawkeye works as security chief. Though the two initially come into conflict with each other, they end up co-operating to fight the villain Crossfire
and by the series end they are shown to be seriously romantically involved, having eloped together to the Pocono Mountains and apparently married.
The miniseries reveals how Morse originally became involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. recounting how she left her biology studies at Georgia Tech
to follow her "favorite prof" Wilma Calvin on the government's Project: Gladiator. The research project was partly sponsored by S.H.I.E.L.D. which led Morse to enroll in their spy school and graduate at the top of her class. It is also revealed that she spent six months convalescing in a private hospital after the injuries she suffered in Marvel Team-Up #95.
Gruenwald was editor of the Avengers
title in late 1983 when writer Roger Stern
began to feature Hawkeye and Mockingbird as members of the series supporting cast. In a short period Mockingbird moves back into Avengers Mansion
with Barton as he returns to active duty, she is formally introduced to the team as his wife, the Vision
then proposes that Hawkeye and Mockingbird establish a second Avengers team on the west coast, and the two move out to Los Angeles.
limited series, also written by Stern and edited by Gruenwald. In this series Mockingbird becomes a full-fledged Avenger as she assists her husband in setting up a new branch of the organization.
West Coast Avengers became a regular series in 1985 and Steve Englehart
, the series writer for its first 42 issues, featured Mockingbird heavily as one of the main cast members of the book. A year into the series Mockingbird begins to wear a modified version of her original costume, designed by series artist Al Milgrom
.
Over the latter course of his run, Englehart developed a storyline in which the relationship between Hawkeye and Mockingbird is put under serious strain. When the West Coast Avengers are transported to the old west of 1876 the Phantom Rider
(Lincoln Slade) abducts, drugs, and brainwashes Mockingbird into forgetting her original life and convinces her she is in love with Slade (and by implication, raping her). After breaking free of his control, Mockingbird seeks revenge on the Rider, and is shown allowing him to plunge to his death off of a cliff.
Hawkeye learns that Mockingbird let the Phantom Rider die, and harshly disapproves of her actions which leads Mockingbird to leave both Hawkeye and the Avengers. For a time she and ex-Avengers Tigra
and Moon Knight
operate as a small fighting unit and together they have various adventures including a battle with the High Evolutionary
and an encounter with the modern-day Phantom Rider who is possessed by his 19th century ancestor. In one story Mockingbird’s arrest of the Digger
causes a rift between the West Coast Avengers and the Night Shift
. Mockingbird later reconciles with the no-longer-possessed Phantom Rider.
John Byrne became writer and artist of West Coast Avengers in 1989 and in his first story Mockingbird returns and admits to inadvertently betraying the team. She later explains that she was duped by a group who claimed to be connected to S.H.I.E.L.D. into revealing security information about their headquarters for a "contingency" plan to neutralise the Vision in the event that he should try to take over the world once again. In fact the plan is put into operation immediately and when Mockingbird realises this she rushes to the West Coast Avenger’s headquarters only to arrive too late, the group having already abducted and dismantled the android. The group is revealed to be a consortium of international security services and though the Vision is eventually restored his memory and personality are erased.
Later Mockingbird tracks down Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and makes an attempt at reconciliation, admitting that she still loves him. During their discussion Barton reveals that they had previously decided to divorce. Hawkeye and Mockingbird then travel to Milwaukee to look in to the appearance of a group calling themselves the "Great Lakes Avengers
". Upon investigation the couple decides to stay in Milwaukee to train the amateur superhero group and work on their relationship.
Mockingbird’s next regular appearances are as a supporting character in the Hawkeye strip in Avengers Spotlight
, in a storyline written by Steve Gerber
in which she aids her husband as he takes on the Los Angeles Asian crime lord Lotus.
became co-writers of the rechristened Avengers West Coast title in 1990. Mockingbird first makes a brief reappearance in the title when she attends an Avengers West Coast team meeting and stands for election to return to the team, being voted in as an "alternate member" (effectively a reserve member). Hawkeye (who is already a full member, having returned to the series a year earlier) admits he did not vote for her and describes her as his "estranged wife". Mockingbird then returns to Detroit.
In a later storyline Morse contacts Barton and states that she is returning to Los Angeles from Detroit to discuss matters with him. She is then reunited with her husband while he is in the field as Hawkeye, joining him and the Avengers West Coast on a mission after which Mockingbird begins to once again make regular appearances as a cast member of the book. Mockingbird later reveals to Hawkeye that their divorce is almost final and Ultron abducts her and uses her thought patterns and personality to create his second robotic 'wife' Alkhema
, the two rekindling their romance after she is liberated.
However, the originally intended interpretation of some of these events is changed by a story that is published 17 years later. New Avengers: The Reunion #2 (May 2009) asserts that just prior to her abduction by Ultron, Mockingbird was replaced by a Skrull
impersonator, and thus the "Mockingbird" who appears between Avengers West Coast vol. 1, #89/90 (Dec. 1992/Jan. 1993) and Secret Invasion #8 (Jan. 2009) should no longer be considered the genuine article.
The reconciliation between Hawkeye and Mockingbird is short-lived as in late 1993 Thomas has the character sacrifice her life to save her husband from Mephisto
in the centennial issue of Avengers West Coast.
The Avengers West Coast title was canceled two issues later. The storyline depicted how the team, reeling from the events surrounding Mockingbird's death, is ultimately forced to disband.
briefly revived the character in the Avengers volume 3 series where she appears as a reanimated corpse, a member of the Legion of the Unliving
, part of the Grim Reaper
's plot to destroy the Avengers.
In 1999’s Thunderbolts Annual 2000 writers Busiek and Fabian Nicieza
have Mockingbird send a message from the afterlife which results in the resurrection of Hellcat. In the subsequent Hellcat limited series by writer Steve Englehart Mockingbird is depicted fighting endless battles in Hell. Her reasons for being in Hell are unclear, though she denies it is due to her previous refusal to save the Phantom Rider, hinting that her presence in Hell is serving some purpose.
The character next appears is in the tongue-in-cheek 2006 X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl
miniseries by writer Peter Milligan
. In this series she is depicted as residing in Heaven where she is an active member of a book club that also includes Dead Girl
, Gwen Stacy
, and Moira MacTaggert
. She is recruited by Doctor Strange
and Dead Girl to help defeat Mr. Pitiful and his group of resurrected supervillains. She returns to Heaven at the series conclusion and no reference is made to her previous appearances in Hell.
revealed how the decision to resurrect Mockingbird was made creatively:
Bendis first teases at Mockingbird's return when at the beginning of Secret Invasion a spaceship crash-lands in the Savage Land and a large group of superheroes emerges from the wreckage, among whom is a character who looks exactly like Mockingbird. All the members of this group present themselves as the genuine article - they claim that at some point in the past they were each abducted and replaced by Skrull
imposters, the Skrulls being a race of alien shape-shifters. Clint Barton, who is present at the scene (and at this point goes by the code name "Ronin") believes this "Mockingbird"'s claims to be his wife because she is able to tell him the significance of the date "October 12" to their relationship. The date would have been the birthday of the couple’s (previously unmentioned) miscarried child, which - it is explained - was conceived at some point during their joint career as Avengers. Barton initially defends this "Mockingbird" from the suspicions of other superheroes, but when she is revealed to be a Skrull imposter he kills her in a fit of rage.
Later in the series Iron Man
finds a Skrull ship in orbit which genuinely contains various individuals who had been abducted and replaced by the Skrulls. The real Mockingbird is revealed to be among them and she tearfully reunites with Barton.
In a subsequent issue of Avengers: The Initiative writers Christos Gage
and Dan Slott
include Mockingbird among a group of Skrull abductees who attend a support meeting about their experience.
's gang of super-villains, learns Spider-Man’s true identity, and battles Dormammu
.
Mockingbird gains a new costume in 2009’s New Avengers: The Reunion miniseries, which was pencilled by David Lopez
and Jo Chen
and written by the editor and writer who had previously advocated for Morse's return: Jim McCann. The plot of the series involves Mockingbird and Clint Barton/Ronin teaming-up to take on A.I.M. Scientist Supreme Monica Rappaccini
. During the story Morse reveals that she and a group of fellow former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were also Skrull abductees have formed a new espionage organisation – the "World Counter-terrorism Agency" or "W.C.A." (the abbreviation being a nod to Barton and Morse’s former "West Coast Avengers" team).
This series also reveals that Mockingbird was replaced by a Skrull just prior to her abduction by Ultron. This is a plot-point in the series as it establishes that prior to her abduction Barton and Morse were in the process of being divorced and so she is technically no longer married to him. By the story’s conclusion they rekindle their relationship, though they decide to remain unmarried.
In one subsequent New Avengers storyline Mockingbird is the only member left standing when a device invented by Jonas Harrow
inhibits the rest of her teammates superpowers. Morse is forced to fight the entire Wrecking Crew
alone in Times Square
and is eventually defeated by them. However she later returns to the scene with an Avengers Quinjet to rescue her colleagues.
Another plotline involves Clint Barton/Ronin vowing to kill Norman Osborn. Morse and the other New Avengers object to the idea so Barton attempts the assassination alone and in secret. He ultimately fails and is captured by the Dark Avengers
leading Mockingbird to mount a rescue mission with her New Avengers colleagues Spider-Woman, Jewel
, and Ms. Marvel
which eventually successfully liberates Barton.
In March 2010 Marvel announced that a new Hawkeye & Mockingbird
ongoing series
would be launched in June 2010. The title will be produced by the New Avengers: The Reunion creative team of writer Jim McCann and artist David Lopez. Promotional interviews have revealed that the premise of the series involves her and Clint Barton (who has once again taken the code-name "Hawkeye") working together as agents of the World Counter-terrorism Agency
. They are both also still members of the New Avengers, although Barton soon leaves the team because he prefers to work on the main Avengers team, saying that he was only with the New Avengers to spend time with his wife.
During a raid on a warehouse that is revealed to be the location of H.A.M.M.E.R.'s attempt to reorganize after the defeat of Norman Osborn, Bobbi is mortally injured in a shooting despite Spider-Man's attempts to save her, forcing her teammates to evacuate her to the hospital. While Mockingbird lies in hospital in critical condition, Nick Fury contacts the team and gives her a top secret serum that was created by the Germans in 1959 and has recently been rediscovered by the H.A.M.M.E.R. agents; a combination of the Super Soldier Serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America, and the Infinity Formula that retarded Fury's aging. The Formula saves her life, but Nick warns the New Avengers that he cannot predict the consequences of turning Mockingbird into a combination of himself and Rogers.
After being injected with the Formula during the Fear Itself
storyline, Mockingbird makes a quick and complete recovery from her injury, and now exhibits powers similar to Steve Rogers
. She is quite relieved and happy to be alive, and fights the Serpent's forces in New York with vigor. However, after she witnesses Avengers Tower fall, her feelings of happiness are sobered, and she vows to defeat Sin.
which can be combined to form a single bō-staff
in combat, weapons which she has been shown to be an expert with. She also possesses a PhD in biology.
To cope with a mortal injury she sustained in a mission, Mockingbird was injected with an experimental serum combining the Super Soldier Serum that gave Captain America his strength and the Infinity Formula that has retarded Nick Fury's aging. The obvious consequence of this was that her injuries were healed, but Fury admitted his uncertainty about the formula's long-term consequences on her biology. Thus far, however, she has exhibited greatly enhanced physical strength and agility.
incarnation Mockingbird has had been depicted in other fictional universes. Some of these include:
’s 1995 miniseries The Last Avengers Story depicts Mockingbird as an embittered retiree who cares for her blinded husband Clint Barton. At the story’s conclusion Mockingbird and Hawkeye return to duty and help the Avengers defeat Ultron
, Grim Reaper, and Kang
.
: Big Town. Set in a world where the technological advances of Reed Richards
have filtered down throughout society the series shows Mockingbird and Hawkeye as newlyweds and members of the Manhattan-based Avengers. Their relationship comes under familiar strain when Mockingbird kills an assailant in defence of her husband and Hawkeye disapproves of her actions, questioning their necessity. Later in the story Mockingbird refrains from killing Quicksilver
who then goes on to kill Hawkeye. At the story’s end the Avengers consider reviving Barton by placing his brain patterns in the body of the android Vision
.
's Human Resistance group nicknamed the "Avengers" in writer Christos Gage’s miniseries House of M: Avengers. In this story, set in the House of M
world, Morse is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was phased out from the organization when mutants became the dominant species. She becomes a costumed vigilante and is romantically involved with Clint Barton/Hawkeye. In the penultimate issue of the series the character leaves to seek asylum in Wakanda
while Hawkeye stays behind.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
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...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar
Ka-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
story in Astonishing Tales
Astonishing Tales
Astonishing Tales is an American anthology comic book series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1970-1976. Its sister publication was Amazing Adventures vol. 2...
#6 (June 1971) written by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
and pencilled by Barry Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
. The earliest story to be written and drawn (by Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
and Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
) featuring the character was intended to appear in Savage Tales
Savage Tales
Savage Tales is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics , and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.-Marvel/Curtis:The first of the two volumes of Savage Tales ran 11 issues, with...
#2 (July 1971), but the series was canceled (a #2 and subsequent series appeared much later) and new homes were found for the stories in the ensuing months.
In subsequent publications creators including Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
, Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
, Mike Friedrich
Mike Friedrich
Mike Friedrich is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series Star*Reach, one of the first independent comics...
, Archie Goodwin
Archie Goodwin (comics)
Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work...
, George Evans, Steven Grant
Steven Grant
Steven Grant is an American comic-book writer best known for his 1985-1986 Marvel Comics mini-series Punisher, with artist Mike Zeck and for his creator-owned character Whisper.-Biography:...
, and Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
made significant contributions to the development of the character.
First appearances
The character who later becomes Mockingbird first appears in a short sequence in Astonishing Tales #6 (June 1971) in which a frantic young brunette arrives at the English country estate of Lord Kevin Plunder (who is also known as "Ka-ZarKa-Zar
Ka-Zar is the name of two jungle-dwelling comics fictional characters published in the United States. The first appeared in pulp magazines of the 1930s, and was adapted for his second iteration, as a comic book character for Timely Comics, the 1930s and 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics...
"). Encountering the butler she exclaims "Lord Kevin Plunder where is he? I must speak with him! ‘tis a matter - - of the fate of worlds!". In a brief second appearance in the same issue the character claims "Lord Kevin Plunder and I have never met – and yet I feel that I know him …!", "You see, I can - - can 'feel' people in my mind! And I know that unless I speak with him - - Lord Kevin will die!".
Whatever writer Gerry Conway’s original ideas were for this character, subsequent creators developed her to such a degree that she is unrecognisable as this earlier figure. In particular, no later story makes reference to the psychic abilities that these quotes appear to allude to.
After this story Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
took over writing the Ka-Zar strip and in his first story the as-yet-unnamed character makes another brief appearance. The butler at Ka-Zar’s estate informs her that his employer is currently in the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
. The girl then vows to "walk to the Savage Land" for “[Ka-Zar’s] sake and the sake of the world”.
In Astonishing Tales #8 (Oct. 1971) Thomas is joined by co-writer Gary Friedrich
Gary Friedrich
Gary Friedrich . is an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics' Sgt...
and the character begins to develop – her hair color changes to blonde without explanation and her name is given as "Barbara". In this issue Ka-Zar comes upon the site of a plane crash in the Savage Land and encounters a survivor. This man explains that he and his fiancée Barbara flew to the Savage Land to seek Ka-Zar out. He mentions that Barbara learned of Ka-Zar’s whereabouts from the butler at the Plunder Estate, clearly indicating that Barbara is meant to be the same character as the brunette from the previous two issues. Barbara is shown later in the story; having parachuted from the plane before the crash she is rescued by a group of World War 2 veterans who have been trapped in the Savage Land for decades.
Gerry Conway briefly returned to co-write (with Roy Thomas) Barbara's next appearance where she finally meets Ka-Zar and is reunited with her fiancé (whose name is revealed as "Paul"). In the following issue (written by Thomas alone) Ka-Zar leads the two characters through the dangerous Savage Land.
Astonishing Tales #12 (June 1972) is a key early appearance for the character, due in part to Marvel’s decision to feature Man-Thing
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing is a fictional character, a monster in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in Savage Tales #1 , and went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series, including...
in this issue. At this point Man-Thing had made only one previous appearance, in the 1971 black-and-white magazine Savage Tales
Savage Tales
Savage Tales is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics , and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.-Marvel/Curtis:The first of the two volumes of Savage Tales ran 11 issues, with...
#1. A follow-up 7–page Man-Thing story by writer Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
and artist Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
was commissioned for a version of Savage Tales #2 that was ultimately never published. Finally seeing print in Astonishing Tales #12 the sequence is presented as a flashback and an interlude between the main action of the book.
One of the characters in the Wein/Adams story is a blonde female scientist called "Dr. Barbara Morse". Morse is working on a research project in the Florida Everglades called Project: Gladiator, which is an attempt to replicate the Super-Soldier serum which was used to create 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...
. This is the same research which Ted Sallis had previously been working on when a flawed serum transformed him into the Man-Thing. In the story Morse is abducted by AIM
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
thugs and is later liberated through the intervention of the Man-Thing.
Framing the flashback is a sequence of newer material by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
in which Barbara (now revealed to be "Dr. Barbara Morse" and thus the character from the Wein/Adams Man-Thing story) and Paul (now "Dr. Paul Allen") accompany Ka-Zar back to the United States and explain that they sought him out so that he could help them deal with the problems surrounding the appearance of the Man-Thing in Florida.
In the next issue the storyline is wrapped up and Paul reveals he is a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
working for A.I.M.
Advanced Idea Mechanics
A.I.M. is a fictional terrorist organization in the . The organization first appeared in Strange Tales #146 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
It is also revealed for the first time that Barbara has connections with S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
; the spy agency asked her to pretend to love Allen to "learn what [she] could" about his activities with AIM. At the story’s end Paul dies at the hands of the Man-Thing and Barbara expresses the hope that she can "go back to just being a scientist again".
Bobbi Morse, Agent 19 of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mike FriedrichMike Friedrich
Mike Friedrich is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series Star*Reach, one of the first independent comics...
took over from Roy Thomas to become writer of Astonishing Tales with #15 (Dec. 1972). He introduces a new status-quo in which Ka-Zar is living in New York and "lady biologist" and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Barbara (who now prefers to be called "Bobbi") Morse is his constant companion.
Friedrich remained the writer of the various color Ka-Zar series for the next two years and for most of that period he continued to feature Morse as Ka-Zar’s sidekick and occasional love interest. In these stories she is depicted as a fully trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Contemptuous of his jungle origins, she is Ka-Zar’s escort to the city and modern life. Together she and Ka-Zar tackle threats such as the Pusher, Gemini
Gemini (Marvel Comics)
Gemini is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The original Gemini first appeared in Avengers #72 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema....
, Victorius
Victorius (comics)
Victorius is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.Victor Conrad was a scientist working for A.I.M. who succeeded in duplicating the Super-Soldier Serum which had transformed Steve Rogers into Captain America. Conrad drank the serum himself and became a physically perfect human being. ...
, Gog
Gog (Marvel Comics)
Gog is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the . Created by writer Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, the character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #103....
, and the Plunderer
Plunderer
The Plunderer is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
. As the series progresses she begins to wear a regular costume of tinted-glasses, a red one-piece, and boots. Her S.H.I.E.L.D. designation of "Agent 19" is revealed and she and Ka-Zar finally kiss.
In 1974 the color Ka-Zar series left Astonishing Tales and was relaunched in the Ka-Zar, Lord of the Hidden Jungle title. The strip is set once again in the Savage Land and Morse is absent for the first story. She returns in the third issue – explaining that Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
had sent her on a S.H.I.E.L.D. assignment to look into "El Tigre
Kukulcan (comics)
Kukulcan is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:El Tigre first appeared in X-Men #25-26 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Werner Roth....
", a subversive who is exploiting the energy crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
in South America. This leads her to reluctantly travel back to the Savage Land, where she and Ka-Zar defeat El Tigre and his ally Man-God together.
The introduction of Shanna the She-Devil
Shanna the She-Devil
Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Carole Seuling and penciler George Tuska, she made her first appearance in Shanna the She-Devil #1 Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in comic books published by...
into Ka-Zar’s supporting cast changes Morse’s role in the stories of this period. Ka-Zar expresses clear attraction to the more jungle-friendly Shanna from the outset and Morse is cast as the secondary love interest. This dynamic is most notable in Morse’s lone appearance in the Ka-Zar strip in the black-and-white magazine Savage Tales
Savage Tales
Savage Tales is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics , and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.-Marvel/Curtis:The first of the two volumes of Savage Tales ran 11 issues, with...
(#8; Jan. 1975). Written by Gerry Conway, the story depicts Morse leading Shanna and a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into the Savage Land where they work with Ka-Zar to neutralise a threat to world security. During the course of the adventure Morse realises that Ka-Zar’s affections lie with Shanna. This story, first published in late-1974, is the last in which Morse appears as a Ka-Zar supporting character.
Huntress to Mockingbird
A year later Mike Friedrich returned to the character in a 20-page story with art by George Evans. Published in the one-shot black-and-white magazine Marvel Super Action #1 (Jan. 1976) the story is the first in which Morse appears as a costumed super heroine and lead protagonist. While operating as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent she is recruited by a United States Senator to look into corruption in a Latin American branch of the espionage organisation. To complete her mission she "drops out" of S.H.I.E.L.D. and takes on the superhero identity of the "Huntress".In a text piece in Marvel Super Action #1 editor Archie Goodwin
Archie Goodwin (comics)
Archie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work...
explained how Morse came to be used for this story
Marvel Super Action was originally designed as a bi-monthly publication, but the economic recession of the mid-1970s
1973–75 recession
The 1973–75 recession in the United States or 1970s recession was a period of economic stagnation in much of the Western world during the 1970s, putting an end to the general post-World War II economic boom. It differed from many previous recessions as being a stagflation, where high unemployment...
forced Marvel to scale back their plans and the magazine was published as a one-off. This meant that the plot of Huntress, originally planned as a two-parter, had to be condensed before publication and no follow-up stories by the same creators were ever produced.
Morse's next published appearance was Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
#95 (July, 1980) in which she dons a new costume and finally takes on the alias "Mockingbird". This story explains that she has continued to look into corruption in S.H.I.E.L.D. and in doing so has come to be hunted by the organisation which mistakes her for a criminal. Teaming up with Spider-Man
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...
(and with assistance from S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury) Mockingbird confronts Carl Delanden, a corrupt S.H.I.E.L.D. branch director. In the ensuing battle she is shot by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who are following a previous order to subdue her at any cost. The story ends with an unconscious, badly injured but exonerated Mockingbird left in the care of Nick Fury.
In the letter’s column of that issue the series’ then assistant editor Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
explained the creative origins of this new iteration of Bobbi Morse:
The reference to the “why we abandoned the "'Huntress' moniker" is a nod to the fact that Marvel’s rival DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
had debuted a character with the same name
Huntress (Helena Wayne)
The Bronze Age Huntress was Helena Wayne, the daughter of the Batman and Catwoman of Earth-Two, an alternate universe established in the early 1960s as the world where the Golden Age stories took place...
in the interim between Marvel Super Action #1 and Marvel Team-Up #95. DC's “Huntress”, originally the superhero daughter of the Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
of Earth-Two
Earth-Two
Earth-Two is a fictional universe appearing in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 , Earth-Two was created to explain how Silver-Age versions of characters such as the Flash could appear in stories with their Golden Age counterparts...
, debuted in All Star Comics
All Star Comics
All Star Comics is a 1940s comic book series from All-American Publications, one of the early companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. With the exception of the first two issues, All Star Comics primarily told stories about the adventures of the...
#69 and DC Super-Stars #17 (both Dec. 1977).
Mockingbird and Hawkeye
The character next appeared in Gruenwald’s 1983 4-issue HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
miniseries. Fully recovered from her injuries, Mockingbird investigates corruption at Cross Technological Enterprises
Cross Technological Enterprises
Cross Technological Enterprises is a fictional corporation in the Marvel Comics universe...
, where Clint Barton/Hawkeye works as security chief. Though the two initially come into conflict with each other, they end up co-operating to fight the villain Crossfire
Crossfire (comics)
Crossfire is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by writer Steven Grant and artist Jim Craig in Marvel Two-in-One #52...
and by the series end they are shown to be seriously romantically involved, having eloped together to the Pocono Mountains and apparently married.
The miniseries reveals how Morse originally became involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. recounting how she left her biology studies at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
to follow her "favorite prof" Wilma Calvin on the government's Project: Gladiator. The research project was partly sponsored by S.H.I.E.L.D. which led Morse to enroll in their spy school and graduate at the top of her class. It is also revealed that she spent six months convalescing in a private hospital after the injuries she suffered in Marvel Team-Up #95.
Gruenwald was editor of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
title in late 1983 when writer Roger Stern
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
began to feature Hawkeye and Mockingbird as members of the series supporting cast. In a short period Mockingbird moves back into Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
with Barton as he returns to active duty, she is formally introduced to the team as his wife, the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
then proposes that Hawkeye and Mockingbird establish a second Avengers team on the west coast, and the two move out to Los Angeles.
West Coast Avengers
This leads in to the 1984 4-issue West Coast AvengersWest Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
limited series, also written by Stern and edited by Gruenwald. In this series Mockingbird becomes a full-fledged Avenger as she assists her husband in setting up a new branch of the organization.
West Coast Avengers became a regular series in 1985 and Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart is an American novelist. In his earlier career he was a comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s...
, the series writer for its first 42 issues, featured Mockingbird heavily as one of the main cast members of the book. A year into the series Mockingbird begins to wear a modified version of her original costume, designed by series artist Al Milgrom
Al Milgrom
Allen "Al" Milgrom is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of Marvel Fanfare; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man; his four-year tenure as West...
.
Over the latter course of his run, Englehart developed a storyline in which the relationship between Hawkeye and Mockingbird is put under serious strain. When the West Coast Avengers are transported to the old west of 1876 the Phantom Rider
Phantom Rider
The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional characters, Old West heroic gunfighters appearing in comic books in the Marvel Comics universe...
(Lincoln Slade) abducts, drugs, and brainwashes Mockingbird into forgetting her original life and convinces her she is in love with Slade (and by implication, raping her). After breaking free of his control, Mockingbird seeks revenge on the Rider, and is shown allowing him to plunge to his death off of a cliff.
Hawkeye learns that Mockingbird let the Phantom Rider die, and harshly disapproves of her actions which leads Mockingbird to leave both Hawkeye and the Avengers. For a time she and ex-Avengers Tigra
Tigra
Tigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
and Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
operate as a small fighting unit and together they have various adventures including a battle with the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and an encounter with the modern-day Phantom Rider who is possessed by his 19th century ancestor. In one story Mockingbird’s arrest of the Digger
Digger (comics)
Digger is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared as a story narrator/host in the horror anthology series Tower of Shadows #1 Digger (Roderick Krupp) is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared as a story...
causes a rift between the West Coast Avengers and the Night Shift
Night Shift (comics)
The Night Shift is a fictional group of criminals in the Marvel Comics universe that first appeared in Captain America #330 .-Publication history:...
. Mockingbird later reconciles with the no-longer-possessed Phantom Rider.
John Byrne became writer and artist of West Coast Avengers in 1989 and in his first story Mockingbird returns and admits to inadvertently betraying the team. She later explains that she was duped by a group who claimed to be connected to S.H.I.E.L.D. into revealing security information about their headquarters for a "contingency" plan to neutralise the Vision in the event that he should try to take over the world once again. In fact the plan is put into operation immediately and when Mockingbird realises this she rushes to the West Coast Avenger’s headquarters only to arrive too late, the group having already abducted and dismantled the android. The group is revealed to be a consortium of international security services and though the Vision is eventually restored his memory and personality are erased.
Later Mockingbird tracks down Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and makes an attempt at reconciliation, admitting that she still loves him. During their discussion Barton reveals that they had previously decided to divorce. Hawkeye and Mockingbird then travel to Milwaukee to look in to the appearance of a group calling themselves the "Great Lakes Avengers
Great Lakes Avengers
The Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
". Upon investigation the couple decides to stay in Milwaukee to train the amateur superhero group and work on their relationship.
Mockingbird’s next regular appearances are as a supporting character in the Hawkeye strip in Avengers Spotlight
Solo Avengers
Solo Avengers was an American comic book series, published by Marvel Comics, and was a spin-off from the company's superhero team title Avengers. It ran for 20 issues until it was renamed Avengers Spotlight with issue 21...
, in a storyline written by Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
in which she aids her husband as he takes on the Los Angeles Asian crime lord Lotus.
Avengers West Coast
Roy Thomas returned to writing the character when he and his wife DannDann Thomas
Danette "Dann" Thomas is a comic book writer, the wife of comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with Thomas on All-Star Squadron, Arak, Son of Thunder, the Crimson Avenger miniseries and Avengers West Coast.She married Roy Thomas in May 1981 and legally changed her...
became co-writers of the rechristened Avengers West Coast title in 1990. Mockingbird first makes a brief reappearance in the title when she attends an Avengers West Coast team meeting and stands for election to return to the team, being voted in as an "alternate member" (effectively a reserve member). Hawkeye (who is already a full member, having returned to the series a year earlier) admits he did not vote for her and describes her as his "estranged wife". Mockingbird then returns to Detroit.
In a later storyline Morse contacts Barton and states that she is returning to Los Angeles from Detroit to discuss matters with him. She is then reunited with her husband while he is in the field as Hawkeye, joining him and the Avengers West Coast on a mission after which Mockingbird begins to once again make regular appearances as a cast member of the book. Mockingbird later reveals to Hawkeye that their divorce is almost final and Ultron abducts her and uses her thought patterns and personality to create his second robotic 'wife' Alkhema
Alkhema
Alkhema is a fictional robot supervillain in the Marvel Universe. Also known as War Toy, she first appeared in Avengers West Coast #90 in January 1993.-Fictional character biography:...
, the two rekindling their romance after she is liberated.
However, the originally intended interpretation of some of these events is changed by a story that is published 17 years later. New Avengers: The Reunion #2 (May 2009) asserts that just prior to her abduction by Ultron, Mockingbird was replaced by a 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....
impersonator, and thus the "Mockingbird" who appears between Avengers West Coast vol. 1, #89/90 (Dec. 1992/Jan. 1993) and Secret Invasion #8 (Jan. 2009) should no longer be considered the genuine article.
The reconciliation between Hawkeye and Mockingbird is short-lived as in late 1993 Thomas has the character sacrifice her life to save her husband from Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
in the centennial issue of Avengers West Coast.
The Avengers West Coast title was canceled two issues later. The storyline depicted how the team, reeling from the events surrounding Mockingbird's death, is ultimately forced to disband.
Post-death
In 1998 writer Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
briefly revived the character in the Avengers volume 3 series where she appears as a reanimated corpse, a member of the Legion of the Unliving
Legion of the Unliving
The Legion of the Unliving is the name of five groups of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The five versions first appear in Avengers #131 ; Avengers Annual #16 ; Avengers West Coast #61 ; Avengers #353 and Avengers vol. 3, #10 respectively...
, part of the Grim Reaper
Grim Reaper (comics)
Grim Reaper is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in The Avengers #52 May , by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.-Fictional character biography:...
's plot to destroy the Avengers.
In 1999’s Thunderbolts Annual 2000 writers Busiek and Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
have Mockingbird send a message from the afterlife which results in the resurrection of Hellcat. In the subsequent Hellcat limited series by writer Steve Englehart Mockingbird is depicted fighting endless battles in Hell. Her reasons for being in Hell are unclear, though she denies it is due to her previous refusal to save the Phantom Rider, hinting that her presence in Hell is serving some purpose.
The character next appears is in the tongue-in-cheek 2006 X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl
X-Statix
X-Statix was a fictional team of mutant superheroes in Marvel Comics, specifically designed to be media superstars. The team, created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred, first appears in X-Force #116 and originally assumed the moniker X-Force, taking the name of the more traditional superhero team,...
miniseries by writer Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
. In this series she is depicted as residing in Heaven where she is an active member of a book club that also includes Dead Girl
Dead Girl
Dead Girl is a fictional character, a mutant superheroine in Marvel Comics' X-Statix series. She is a mixture of ghost and zombie...
, Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
, and Moira MacTaggert
Moira MacTaggert
Dr. Moira Kinross MacTaggert is a fictional character appearing in X-Men stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She works as a geneticist and is an expert in mutant affairs. Olivia Williams played a minor role of Dr. Moira MacTaggert in X-Men: The Last Stand...
. She is recruited by Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
and Dead Girl to help defeat Mr. Pitiful and his group of resurrected supervillains. She returns to Heaven at the series conclusion and no reference is made to her previous appearances in Hell.
Return
In a 2009 interview Marvel editor and writer Jim McCannJim McCann (writer)
James Andrew "Jim" McCann, II is an American writer of comic books, theater and television programs. Jim has worked on several films and music videos before entering the ABC Daytime Writer Development Program, during which time he wrote for the popular ABC daytime drama One Life to Live...
revealed how the decision to resurrect Mockingbird was made creatively:
Bendis first teases at Mockingbird's return when at the beginning of Secret Invasion a spaceship crash-lands in the Savage Land and a large group of superheroes emerges from the wreckage, among whom is a character who looks exactly like Mockingbird. All the members of this group present themselves as the genuine article - they claim that at some point in the past they were each abducted and replaced by 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....
imposters, the Skrulls being a race of alien shape-shifters. Clint Barton, who is present at the scene (and at this point goes by the code name "Ronin") believes this "Mockingbird"'s claims to be his wife because she is able to tell him the significance of the date "October 12" to their relationship. The date would have been the birthday of the couple’s (previously unmentioned) miscarried child, which - it is explained - was conceived at some point during their joint career as Avengers. Barton initially defends this "Mockingbird" from the suspicions of other superheroes, but when she is revealed to be a Skrull imposter he kills her in a fit of rage.
Later in the series 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,...
finds a Skrull ship in orbit which genuinely contains various individuals who had been abducted and replaced by the Skrulls. The real Mockingbird is revealed to be among them and she tearfully reunites with Barton.
In a subsequent issue of Avengers: The Initiative writers Christos Gage
Christos Gage
Christos N. "Chris" Gage is an American comic book writer and screenwriter.-Early life:Gage is the son of author and journalist Nicholas Gage. He was born in New York, and grew up in Athens, Greece, and then North Grafton, Massachusetts...
and 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:...
include Mockingbird among a group of Skrull abductees who attend a support meeting about their experience.
Back in action
After the character’s return in Secret Invasion, Bendis began to use Mockingbird regularly in the New Avengers title. She joins the team (in which her husband, still using the code-name "Ronin", is also a member), and with them she fights the HoodHood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
's gang of super-villains, learns Spider-Man’s true identity, and battles Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
.
Mockingbird gains a new costume in 2009’s New Avengers: The Reunion miniseries, which was pencilled by David Lopez
David Lopez (artist)
David López is a Spanish comic book artist.-Biography:López started his comics career in the Spanish fanzine before moving on to work on Espiral and finally, in 2002, making the jump to the American comic book market.He is best known for co-creating and illustrating the first volume of the...
and Jo Chen
Jo Chen
Jo Chen is a female comic book artist and writer best known for her highly detailed painted comic book covers.-Biography:Chen was born in Taipei, Taiwan and emigrated to the United States in late 1994. Working professionally in the Asian comic book industry since age fourteen, she burst suddenly...
and written by the editor and writer who had previously advocated for Morse's return: Jim McCann. The plot of the series involves Mockingbird and Clint Barton/Ronin teaming-up to take on A.I.M. Scientist Supreme Monica Rappaccini
Monica Rappaccini
Monica Rappaccini is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. She first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #7 , created by Fred Van Lente and Leonard Kirk...
. During the story Morse reveals that she and a group of fellow former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who were also Skrull abductees have formed a new espionage organisation – the "World Counter-terrorism Agency" or "W.C.A." (the abbreviation being a nod to Barton and Morse’s former "West Coast Avengers" team).
This series also reveals that Mockingbird was replaced by a Skrull just prior to her abduction by Ultron. This is a plot-point in the series as it establishes that prior to her abduction Barton and Morse were in the process of being divorced and so she is technically no longer married to him. By the story’s conclusion they rekindle their relationship, though they decide to remain unmarried.
In one subsequent New Avengers storyline Mockingbird is the only member left standing when a device invented by Jonas Harrow
Jonas Harrow
Jonas Harrow is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, in which he is an enemy of Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
inhibits the rest of her teammates superpowers. Morse is forced to fight the entire Wrecking Crew
Wrecking Crew (comics)
The Wrecking Crew is a team of four fictional supervillains — Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, and the Wrecker — that appears in Marvel Comics. While not featured on the cover, the Wrecking Crew's first appearance is in Defenders vol. 1, #17 in November 1974.-Fictional biography:The Wrecking...
alone in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
and is eventually defeated by them. However she later returns to the scene with an Avengers Quinjet to rescue her colleagues.
Another plotline involves Clint Barton/Ronin vowing to kill Norman Osborn. Morse and the other New Avengers object to the idea so Barton attempts the assassination alone and in secret. He ultimately fails and is captured by the Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
leading Mockingbird to mount a rescue mission with her New Avengers colleagues Spider-Woman, Jewel
Jessica Jones
Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos. Jones debuted in the series Alias as an embittered former superheroine who had used the aliases Jewel, Knightress, and currently Power Woman...
, and Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 and as Ms. Marvel—a...
which eventually successfully liberates Barton.
In March 2010 Marvel announced that a new Hawkeye & Mockingbird
Hawkeye & Mockingbird
Hawkeye & Mockingbird is a comic book ongoing series published by Marvel Comics starring superheroes Hawkeye and Mockingbird.-Publication history:...
ongoing series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
would be launched in June 2010. The title will be produced by the New Avengers: The Reunion creative team of writer Jim McCann and artist David Lopez. Promotional interviews have revealed that the premise of the series involves her and Clint Barton (who has once again taken the code-name "Hawkeye") working together as agents of the World Counter-terrorism Agency
World Counter-terrorism Agency
The World Counter-terrorism Agency is a fictional anti-terrorist organization in the Marvel Comics universe. The organization first appeared in New Avengers: The Reunion #1 and was created by Jim McCann and David Lopez. The acronym W.C.A...
. They are both also still members of the New Avengers, although Barton soon leaves the team because he prefers to work on the main Avengers team, saying that he was only with the New Avengers to spend time with his wife.
During a raid on a warehouse that is revealed to be the location of H.A.M.M.E.R.'s attempt to reorganize after the defeat of Norman Osborn, Bobbi is mortally injured in a shooting despite Spider-Man's attempts to save her, forcing her teammates to evacuate her to the hospital. While Mockingbird lies in hospital in critical condition, Nick Fury contacts the team and gives her a top secret serum that was created by the Germans in 1959 and has recently been rediscovered by the H.A.M.M.E.R. agents; a combination of the Super Soldier Serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America, and the Infinity Formula that retarded Fury's aging. The Formula saves her life, but Nick warns the New Avengers that he cannot predict the consequences of turning Mockingbird into a combination of himself and Rogers.
After being injected with the Formula during the Fear Itself
Fear Itself (comics)
"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...
storyline, Mockingbird makes a quick and complete recovery from her injury, and now exhibits powers similar to Steve Rogers
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...
. She is quite relieved and happy to be alive, and fights the Serpent's forces in New York with vigor. However, after she witnesses Avengers Tower fall, her feelings of happiness are sobered, and she vows to defeat Sin.
Abilities and equipment
While she has no superpowers, Mockingbird is a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who graduated at the top of her class and as such she can be expected to be proficient in several forms of hand-to-hand combat and familiar with a wide range of weapons. The character usually uses a pair of batonsBaton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
which can be combined to form a single bō-staff
Bo
-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
in combat, weapons which she has been shown to be an expert with. She also possesses a PhD in biology.
To cope with a mortal injury she sustained in a mission, Mockingbird was injected with an experimental serum combining the Super Soldier Serum that gave Captain America his strength and the Infinity Formula that has retarded Nick Fury's aging. The obvious consequence of this was that her injuries were healed, but Fury admitted his uncertainty about the formula's long-term consequences on her biology. Thus far, however, she has exhibited greatly enhanced physical strength and agility.
Other versions
In addition to her mainstreamMarvel 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...
incarnation Mockingbird has had been depicted in other fictional universes. Some of these include:
The Last Avengers Story
Set in a distant possible future, writer Peter DavidPeter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
’s 1995 miniseries The Last Avengers Story depicts Mockingbird as an embittered retiree who cares for her blinded husband Clint Barton. At the story’s conclusion Mockingbird and Hawkeye return to duty and help the Avengers defeat Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
, Grim Reaper, and Kang
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
.
Fantastic Four: Big Town
Writer Steve Englehart revisited the Mockingbird and Hawkeye marriage in the 2001 miniseries Fantastic FourFantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
: Big Town. Set in a world where the technological advances of Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
have filtered down throughout society the series shows Mockingbird and Hawkeye as newlyweds and members of the Manhattan-based Avengers. Their relationship comes under familiar strain when Mockingbird kills an assailant in defence of her husband and Hawkeye disapproves of her actions, questioning their necessity. Later in the story Mockingbird refrains from killing Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
who then goes on to kill Hawkeye. At the story’s end the Avengers consider reviving Barton by placing his brain patterns in the body of the android Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
.
"House of M"
Bobbi Morse appears as a member of Luke CageLuke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
's Human Resistance group nicknamed the "Avengers" in writer Christos Gage’s miniseries House of M: Avengers. In this story, set in the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
world, Morse is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was phased out from the organization when mutants became the dominant species. She becomes a costumed vigilante and is romantically involved with Clint Barton/Hawkeye. In the penultimate issue of the series the character leaves to seek asylum in Wakanda
Wakanda (comics)
Wakanda is a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is located in Northeastern Africa, although its exact location has varied throughout the nation's publication history: some sources place Wakanda in...
while Hawkeye stays behind.
Television
- Mockingbird appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
, voiced by Elizabeth DailyElizabeth DailyElizabeth Ann Guttman , better known by her stage names of Elizabeth Daily and E.G. Daily, is an American voice actress, actress, singer-songwriter, and musician...
. Here, she is portrayed as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. In the episode "Hulk vs the World," Barbara accompanies Hawkeye and Black Widow during their mission to capture the Hulk acting as the pilot for their prison transport. After the ship is damaged by falling debris, the Hulk saves Barbara's life by catching the transport before it can crash into the ground. This action ultimately leads Hawkeye to believe that the Hulk isn't the monster that he appears to be. Following that cameo, the character makes her first major appearance in the actual series in the episode "Widow's Sting", where she is seen in her second Mockingbird costume. She partners with Hawkeye, 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...
and Black PantherBlack Panther (comics)The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
on a mission to track down HYDRAHYDRAHYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
and capture Black Widow, and is stated to have been sent to keep an eye on the team by SHIELD higher-ups. Believing it to be the best way to infiltrate HYDRA, Hawkeye and Mockingbird allow themelves to be captured and are brought bound and gagged before Black Widow and her cohorts, including Madame HydraViper (Madame Hydra)Viper, formerly known as Madame Hydra, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe who is a foe of the Avengers and the X-Men...
and Baron StruckerBaron StruckerBaron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
. After freeing herself and helping her comrades defeat and capture Grim Reaper and Madame Hydra, Mockingbird is shown aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier examining Madame Hydra with Nick FuryNick FuryColonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
where it was discovered that Madame Hydra was a Skrull. - Jeph LoebJeph LoebJoseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
announced at the Comic-Con International in San Diego that a TV series about the character is in development for ABC FamilyABC FamilyABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
, with Bobbi Morse as a freshman in college that is recruited by a spy organization.
Film
- Barbara and Clint's son Francis Barton is featured in Next Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowNext Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowNext Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow is a direct-to-video animated film. It is fifth in a series of animated films from Marvel Animation, based on Marvel Comics by Lions Gate Entertainment. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 2, 2008. The project was originally announced under the title...
.
Video games
- Mockingbird appears in Hawkeye's ending in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. After the events of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disrupted the development schedule for downloadable content for the original game, the additional content was made into a...
as a member of his West Coast Avengers.
External links
- Mockingbird at the Marvel Universe
- Mockingbird at the Marvel Database Project