OZ (Ultimate Marvel)
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OZ is a fictitious artificial mutagen responsible for the creation of the Ultimate Marvel Universe's Spider-Man, and many other characters.
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[edit] Origins
The OZ formula was created previous to Ultimate Spider-Man #1 by Norman Osborn, or, more precisely, OsCorp Industries. The formula created to reproduce the Super Soldier drug for SHIELD, although it had yet to be perfected. Despite this, Norman Osborn was garnering much interest in OZ, while not revealing what it actually was. The company appeared to be prosperous, but was failing due to Osborn's hastily announcing the "miracle drug OZ" without being able to release it due to its unfinished status. As of Ultimate Spider-Man #1 animal testing had begun, with the Spider No.00 showing "interesting developments". This same spider is misplaced as Osborn is distracted by a phone call.
[edit] Peter Parker AKA Ultimate Spider-Man
While on a science field trip to Osborn Industries Norman Osborn's son Harry Osborn's friend Peter Parker is bitten by the escaped spider No.00, and passes out after vomiting. He later passes out at school and taken to the hospital. Here his blood is taken, but swapped out by Osborn's henchman. This leads Norman Osborn's head scientist Otto Octavius to conclude, after some tests, that the OZ is killing him. Osborn decides that "he's going to die anyway" and arranges for him to be killed by his henchman Shaw instead. He is unsuccessful due to Peter Parker's emerging powers. The effects of the OZ treated spider venom manifest as:
- Enhanced Strength
- Enhanced Agility
- Enhanced Reflexes
- Enhanced Stamina
- Enhanced Durability
- Wall-Crawling
- "Spider-Sense", warning him of danger.
This leads Osborn to hypothesise that the OZ gave him the enhanced abilities of a spider, then a serum of his own blood in an OZ solution would give him the enhanced abilities of himself. He then plans to reproduce the accident in experimental conditions.
[edit] The OZ Explosion
In the experiment of empowering Norman Osborn, there is an explosion which seems to make the OZ either gaseous or actually sprays the OZ onto several people who were never intended to be exposed to it. The victims of the accident include the following three individuals.
[edit] Norman Osborn AKA The Green Goblin
The only person who was intentionally affected by the OZ (in this instance), Norman Osborn had it injected into his mainline as a solution of his blood. He may have caused the explosion with his new abilities. The effects of the OZ treated blood manifest as:
- Ability to change to Goblin Form at will (discovered in the Ultimate Six limited series. Prior to this OZ injections were used mainline)
- Greatly Enhanced Strength while in Goblin Form
- Enhanced Durability while in Goblin Form
- Enhanced Reflexes while in Goblin Form
- Enhanced Stamina while in Goblin Form
- Super-Leaping while in Goblin Form
- Can throw Fire-balls while in Goblin Form
- Schizophrenia/Sociopathy
He is the first super-villain faced by Spider-Man, and the most dangerous of his foes. His Green Goblin persona appears as a green, slightly draconic goblin. He is originally only green in the face, but later "evolves" and gains full green coloration. He also appears to continue his mutation, becoming more in control as time passes, as well as increasingly lethal. The Goblin has been solicited to break out of Prison in Ultimate Spider-Man during the "Death of a Goblin" Arc. [1]
[edit] Otto Octavius AKA Doctor Octopus AKA Doc Ock
Norman Osborn's head scientist who used a set of mechanical arms for multi-tasking and handling hazardous substances. He was also an industrial spy for Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries. In the initial explosion these arms are fused to his body. It is first thought that he controls only the arms, but that was later disproven. The effects of the OZ explosion manifest as:
- Ability to control metal (possibly only metal affected by the OZ explosion, unconfirmed)
- Sociopathy (Although he has been wronged, this has become something of a habit.)
- Enhanced intellect
Although featured early in the series, seven other villains/groups fought Spider-Man first, and the battle against Doc Ock was televised widely due to the villain calling a press conference. In the 616 Universe, the glasses worn by Octavius are to correct his vision, but in the Ultimate Universe they are used to protect his sensitive eyes from bright light.
[edit] Harry Osborn AKA The Hobgoblin
The son of Norman Osborn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was caught in the explosion and throttled by his freshly mutated father. There has not been confirmation of the OZ mutation being caused by the explosion, or during the Hobgoblin arc when he is led to a bunker containing OZ, or both. The effects of the OZ exposure manifest as:
- Ability to change to Hobgoblin Form at will
- Greatly Enhanced Strength while in Hobgoblin Form
- Enhanced Durability while in Hobgoblin Form
- Enhanced Reflexes while in Hobgoblin Form
- Enhanced Stamina while in Hobgoblin Form
- Bullet-proof exoskeleton while in Hobgoblin Form
- Advanced Healing Factor while in Hobgoblin Form
- Super-Leaping while in Hobgoblin Form
- Can use limited pyrokinesis while in Hobgoblin Form, eg: self immolation and fire projection
- Schizophrenia (Less severe than his father)
The appearance of his Hobgobin persona is somewhat similar to his father's Goblin persona, but is orange in coloration and far more demonic. In addition, his Schizophrenia is not a result of exposure to OZ, but a Hypnotic implant arranged by his Father and created by Miles Warren; the personality takes the form of Shaw, one of Osborn's hitmen, who is focused primaily on the goal of getting Norman Osborn out of jail via Harry, and in the event of an emergency on forcing Harry to become the Hobgoblin and/or commit Suicide. After his first tenure, the Hobgoblin is gunned down by the S.H.I.E.L.D Hulkbuster Unit, but survives in captivity. If exposed to OZ further, his mutation will most likely continue, like his father's.
[edit] Peter Parker's Clones
During the Ultimate version of the Clone Saga there were several clones of Peter Parker created, most of whom had the same basic powers. Notably Ultimate Spider-Woman AKA Jessica Drew, a female clone of Parker created through chromosomal manipulation, can create organic webbing from her fingertips. This could be an example of sexual dimorphism. All of these clones possessed at least some of Peter Parker's memories, perhaps a form of genetic memory. As all of these desired to protect Mary Jane Watson from harm, a horribly disfigured clone of Parker, evocative of the 616 Kaine, even kidnapped her in order to "help her to defend herself". What this clone is referring to is in fact the OZ empowerment process. The clones are:
[edit] Ultimate Scorpion
The first clone Peter met, it instead wears a Scorpion set of armor with a long metal tail. This is apparently attached to the spine, as Susan Storm refers to it as an illegal biograft. He also possesses acid shooters on his forearms, similar to Spider-man's web shooters. It appears to have 94.7% of Peter's DNA and vague memories as it repeats quotes from Peter's past including "Who are you, masked mystery man? Reveal yourself [Spider-Man] to the crowd!" which Peter was addressed as in Ultimate Spider-Man #3. Nick Fury has told one of his operatives to "Get to Work" on the Scorpion and Gwen Stacy clones, thus far the only ones held in stasis. He first appeared in Ultimate Spider-Man #97.
[edit] Scarred Clone
A homage to the first 616 Clone of Peter Parker, Kaine, this version of Peter wears a version of his costume that vageuly resembles a sweater and jeans, and has a half-scarred/melted face and demented personality, likely due to having not been fully completed when Carnage helped break him and his fellows out. He proved this insanity by kidnapping Mary Jane and injecting her with OZ, intending to help her protect herself...only to turn her into a maddened red beast. When she changed back, the Clone tried to stop S.H.I.E.L.D. from taking Mary Jane away from him but was shot down. Mary Jane has since hallucinated that she sees him when she sees Peter in the mirror. He first appeared in Ultimate Spider-Man #97.
[edit] Ultimate Spider-Woman
Playing the possible role of the Scarlet Spider from the 616 universe, this clones chromosomes were manipulated to make her female. She woke up in a hospital in front of Ben Reilly and Madame Web who intended to erase her memories of being Peter and re-name her Jessica Drew. However, the Stacy Project got loose and gave her time to obtain a costume similar to Peter's version of Ultimate Symbiote only scarlet in color, with room for her hair and white fingertips. She first fought Peter in a warehouse that he and Mary Jane used to hang out and later rescued him from S.H.I.E.L.D. and told him about her origins. They both then saved Mary Jane and "Jessica Drew" escaped New York to embrace her new identity. She also has the ability to produce organic webbing from her fingertips. She first appeared in Ultimate Spider-Man #98
[edit] Unnamed, Black-Suited Clone
A six-armed version of Spider-Man with a black suit and a logo nigh identical to one used by the 616 Tarantula, it tried to stop Kaine from experimenting on Mary Jane and fought it. However, Kaine won against it. He was then killed by Doctor Octopus. When his mask was pulled off, it was similar to Peter only with fur all over his body, 4 black eyes and sharp teeth, resembling the 616 "Man-Spider". He first appeared in the 100th issue of Ultimate Spider-Man.
[edit] Mary Jane Watson (Nicknamed 'The Demogoblin' unofficially)
After the exposure to an unspecified quantity of the OZ formula Mary Jane has become a similar being to the Osborns, except for long red hair all over her body. The process has left her with post-traumatic stress, so severe she sometimes hallucinates the deformed Peter clone in place of the original. The Effects of the OZ infusion manifest as:
- Ability to change to Demogoblin Form when suffering from severe anger, stress or panic.
- Greatly Enhanced Strength while in Demogoblin Form
- Enhanced Durability while in Demogoblin Form
- Enhanced Reflexes while in Demogoblin Form
- Enhanced Stamina while in Demogoblin Form
- Powerful Claws while in Demogoblin Form
After a short fight with the disfigured clone Mary Jane is calmed by the sight of the real Peter Parker's face. She is then taken to the Baxter Building by the Ultimate Fantastic Four and supposedly "cured', but only after another few transformations, reversed by the Scorpion clone's face. As of issue 107 the "cure" (similar to Norman Osborn's own Anti-OZ injections) appears to be wearing off, as her fingernails turned to claws when witnessing Peter confront Kitty Pryde about their breakup. Perhaps due to the cure's reaction to the OZ in her system, her mutations will probably continue, as with the other Goblins. It is probable that the transformations were not cured, merely controlled. All of the Previously mentioned Goblin creatures may feature in the upcoming "Death of a Goblin Arc", the first illustrated by Stuart Immonen.
