Jackal (Marvel Comics)
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| Jackal | |
 Panel from Amazing Spider-Man #146 (July 1975). Pencils by Ross Andru. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | As Miles Warren: Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Dec 1965) As the Jackal: Amazing Spider-Man #129 (Feb. 1974) |
| Created by | Miles Warren: Stan Lee Steve Ditko Jackal Gerry Conway Ross Andru |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Miles Warren |
| Team affiliations | Empire State University |
| Partnerships | Punisher Grizzly Tarantula |
| Abilities |
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The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #129 (Feb. 1974), and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. In Amazing Spider-Man #148 (Sep. 1975), the identity of the Jackal was revealed to be Professor Miles Warren, a supporting character of Spider-Man, who first appears in Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Dec. 1965), and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko.
The character is the main antagonist of the popular 1990s story arc, the Clone Saga.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
Miles Warren was a professor of biology at Empire State University. There, he met Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy.[1] Warren secretly fell in love with the much younger Stacy, and after she was killed by the original Green Goblin, Warren swore vengeance on Spider-Man, falsely believing it was he who caused her death. After his lab assistant, Anthony Serba, revealed that he had successfully cloned a frog, Warren gave Serba tissue samples taken from Gwen, telling him that they were rat cells. Sometime later, Serba confronts Warren, telling him that the clones are human and have to be destroyed immediately. Panicking, Warren covers Serba's mouth to shut him up, accidentally suffocated him. Unable to accept responsibility for his action, Warren creates an alter ego he calls "The Jackal", which he took after overhearing a professor describing a jackal as a "cowardly predator". Warren further develops his alter ego by fashioning a green suit and training himself athletically.
The Jackal harasses Spider-Man numerous times, setting him against various other adversaries. He allied himself with the Punisher against Spider-Man, but his alliance with the Punisher was quickly dissolved.[2] He then attempts to incite a gang war between Hammerhead and Doctor Octopus.[3] The Jackal equipped wrestler Maxwell Markham with the costume and powerful exoskeleton of the Grizzly and sent him to assassinate newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson.[4] The Jackal then held Peter Parker hostage in a scheme to trap Spider-Man.[5]
Meanwhile, his cloning experiments had varying results; out of three Spider-Man clones he created, only one was a perfect copy of the original. He also created two clones of himself, one a direct copy, the other a modified clone harboring a powerful virus. His most prized creation however was a perfect copy of Gwen Stacy. Realizing the end of his plan was near, the Jackal went out against Spider-Man. With the assistance of the Tarantula, the Jackal beat Spider-Man unconscious and transported him to Shea Stadium, along with the Spider-Man clone.[6] The two Spider-Men fought, until the Gwen Stacy clone tore off the Jackal's mask and confronted him on his crimes.[7] A subsequent explosion of a bomb the Jackal had placed killed the Jackal including the Spider-Man clone.[8]
It was much later revealed that the clone of Peter had survived the explosion and gone into hiding. In addition, Warren had made a clone of himself before he died, who went into hibernation for several years. However, in subsequent years another clone of Miles Warren ("Warren Miles") appeared, and actually married the Gwen Stacy clone. The Jackal's research was also used to create the several incarnations of the villain Carrion, one of whom was thought to be a failed clone of the Jackal. He also uses his experiments to mutate his own DNA and give himself attributes of an actual Jackal; prior to these events, the Jackal's physical abilities had merely been the result of training rather than any superhuman powers. The Peter Parker clone, unaware that the Jackal is alive, takes the name Ben Reilly, and goes into exile. He returns years later to New York City, allied himself with Spider-Man, and became the Scarlet Spider. The Jackal returned at this point [9] and, to help Osborn with his master plan, convinced both Parker and Reilly that Reilly was the real Peter Parker and that the other man was the clone, and created a number of other Peter Parker clones who came into conflict with Spider-Man, the Scarlet Spider, and Kaine. Ultimately, the Jackal, in the process of attempting to kill and replace millions of people with clones he could control, was killed falling off a tall building while trying to save the Gwen clone. [10]
However, another clone of Miles Warren has appeared, who was even further genetically altered to the point where he frequently displays animalistic tendencies and his body is always cold, causing him to wear a thick fur coat even in the hottest weather. He became a crime-lord calling himself "The Professor" and allied himself with Hammerhead, but the two of them eventually went to jail.[11]
[edit] Other versions
[edit] Ultimate Marvel
Miles Warren was Harry Osborn's hypnotherapist that helped him repress memories about his father, The Green Goblin. Later in the Deadpool story arc of Ultimate Spider-Man, he was revealed to be dating Aunt May. However, as of now, he had no involvement in the Clone Saga in this continuity and has yet to make any more appearances. His last appearance was a cameo in Ultimate Spider-Man #114, when Aunt May tried to introduce him to Peter, but they had to leave town because of Norman Osborn and he had a patient to handle.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
- Miles Warren appears in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, voiced by Jonathan Harris. Here, Warren is a scientist whose cloning experiments were banned the government but he continued his experiments in secret, with help from the crime lord Silvermane. Warren's clones however, were unsuccessful, their cells would not hold together, and they disintegrated into nothing. Interested in Hydro-Man and his ability to change his molecules into water, Warren finds a sample of Hydro-Man's DNA and creates a clone of the latter. But like the real Hydro-Man, the clone loved Mary Jane Watson, who was believed dead, and demanded that Warren creates a clone of her. In the end, the clones of Hydro-Man and Mary Jane Watson degenerates, though, Warren is able to steal a sample of Spider-Man's DNA, with interest to clone him. In an alternate universe, Warren has managed to create a Spider-Man clone, which had escaped and became Ben Reilly.
- In The Spectacular Spider-Man, Mr. Warren is Midtown's biology teacher. He considers Peter and Gwen to be his brightest students and recommended them for the internship positions with Dr. Connors at Empire State University. So far, he has not become the Jackal just yet.
[edit] References
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #31
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #129
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #130
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #139
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #140
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #147
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #148
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #149
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #399, March, 1995
- ^ Maximum Clonage Omega, July, 1995
- ^ Daredevil Vs. Punisher
