Liz Allan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the writer with a similar name, see Liz Allen.
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Elizabeth Allan, who usually goes by the name Liz Allan (commonly misspelled, even in the published comics themselves, as Liz Allen), is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe, part of the supporting cast of Spider-Man (Peter Parker). She was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
In the character's earliest appearances, she was an attractive, popular girl at the high school of the nerdy Peter Parker, who is secretly Spider-Man. She was an early love interest of Peter but differences in their levels of social acceptance kept them apart. Since then, she has been seen semi-frequently in various Spider-Man series and has had ties to his adversaries the Green Goblin and Molten Man.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Liz Allan was a high school classmate of Peter Parker when they attended Midtown High School together, and a minor love interest of Parker and Flash Thompson.
An unnamed blonde female high school student in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) appears to be Liz Allan. Liz Allan is first named in Amazing Spider-Man #4 (September 1963), the same issue in which Betty Brant first appears. Initially, Peter likes Liz. However, she is the girlfriend of Flash Thompson and considers Peter Parker to be too much of a geek and nerd for her to really associate with. Over time, however, she begins to admire Peter's intelligence and developing courage and develops a crush on him (Specifically, after Peter was unmasked while fighting Doctor Octopus, but due to a flu virus his powers were so weakened that they assumed Peter had just pretended to be Spider-Man to allow the others time to escape). By this time, however, Peter is already seriously dating Betty. Betty and Liz clash several times over Peter; Betty thinks of Liz as a blonde tramp.
In Amazing Spider-Man #28 (September 1965), Peter and Liz graduate from high school. At the graduation ceremony, Liz admits her feelings to Peter, but tells him that they cannot be together and left shortly afterwards. In the same issue, Spider-Man battled the Molten Man, who in later issues is revealed to be Liz's step-brother Mark Raxton.
She does not reappear in the comics for a few years, during which time Peter developed relationships with Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson.
When Liz returns, she dates then marries Harry Osborn, who she met at Betty Brant's wedding to Ned Leeds, becoming Liz Allan Osborn. The couple have a son, Normie Osborn. Their family history turns tragic, however, after Harry Osborn becomes the Green Goblin and later dies.
In the graphic novel Spider-Man: Legacy of Evil, Harry's father, Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin, attempts to pass the legacy of the Green Goblin down to Normie Osborn but fails due to the efforts of Spider-Man and Ben Urich.
Later, Liz Allan dates lawyer Foggy Nelson, the legal partner of Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil. The couple breaks up after Mysterio manipulates Foggy into having an affair in a plot to drive Daredevil insane. Like so many of the men in her life, Liz feels like Foggy has let her down and ends their relationship.
She has recently been seen to be extremely upset when Spider-Man unmasked, blaming Peter for bringing so much death into their lives.
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] Ultimate Liz Allen
In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Liz Allan goes to the same high school with Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. She is close friends with Mary Jane. In Ultimate Spider-Man #4 (February 2001), a drunk Liz attempts to make out with Peter, who refuses her advances when Mary Jane sees them. They later have a very personal moment when both students are called to talk about The Green Goblin's attack on the school. Otherwise, there is no instance of any relationship between Peter and Liz. Liz had an uncle who was a mutant, and this led to his death, though what exactly happened has not been explained. (The Official Handbook of the Ultimate Marvel Universe suggested that her uncle may have been killed in Magneto's attacks during Ultimate X-Men, but Bendis has never commented on it.) As a result of this, Liz has a phobia of mutants and super-powered beings, and it has been suggested by other characters that she worries that she herself is a mutant. When Johnny Storm joined her school briefly, she became extremely attracted to him and they shared a happy date - until he accidentally lit himself on fire, revealing himself as The Human Torch. Due to her Phobia, she refused to see him ever again, and he left the school.
[edit] Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Liz Allan is portrayed as Mary Jane Watson's ditzy and fiesty best friend. Liz is a cheerleader and has recently reconciled with her boyfriend Flash Thompson after breaking up with him because he declared that he loved Mary Jane at homecoming.
[edit] MC2
In the MC2 continuity, Liz Allen married Foggy Nelson after the death of Harry Osborn. She developed a fatal illness (of a non-specified nature), which contributed to her son Normie's breakdown and finally choosing to adopt the mantle of the Green Goblin.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Novels
- According to the novelization, Liz Allan appears in a small scene in Spider-Man, played by Sally Livingstone. At the beginning of the movie, Peter Parker attempts to share a seat on a bus with a girl with thick glasses, to which the girl (Liz) responds, "Don't even think about it."
[edit] Television
- Liz appears briefly in the 90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series as a friend and confidant of Mary Jane Watson. By her last appearance in the episode The Wedding, Liz attended Peter Parker and Mary Jane's wedding. But during it, it was being threatened by Harry Osborn who became the second Green Goblin and he said if he didn't mary MJ, then he would blow up the church they were in, along with everyone else in it. Liz then appealed to Harry that his friends do love him and Harry listened.
