Will O' The Wisp (comics)
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| Will o' the Wisp | |
 Will o' the Wisp. Art by Angel Medina. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #167 (Apr 1977) |
| Created by | Len Wein Ross Andru |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Jackson Arvad |
| Team affiliations | Exterminators[1] |
| Abilities | Scientific genius Density control Flight Hypnosis |
Will o' the Wisp is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He is a physicist who gained control over the electromagnetic attraction between his body's molecules, allowing him to adjust his density (like the Vision). He is most often a foe of Spider-Man.
[edit] Fictional character biography
Jackson Arvad was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. A former employee at Roxxon Oil, he worked in the division dedicated to electromagnetic research. Under constant pressure of being fired, Arvad spent lots of time furthering his work on electromagnetism, getting little sleep in the process. He eventually ended up falling asleep on the job, unable to save himself from a laboratory accident that would change his life.
He ended up being caught in the electromagnetic field of a device he was working on, the device weakening the electromagnetic attraction between the molecules in his body, threatening his life. When his boss learned of the accident, he decided to let Arvad die, but not before he demanded any scientific applications the device would've had.
However, Arvad was able to save himself when he learned he was suddenly able to control the level of attraction between his body's molecules.
He attempted to kill his employer, Jonas Harrow multiple times but was stopped each time by either Spider-Man or inadvertently by Tarantula. Finally, he opted to simply hypnotize the man into confessing his crimes to the police.
[edit] Civil War
Years later, Will o' the Wisp would show up in league with the Scarecrow and later the Molten Man as part of the Chameleon's plot to get revenge on Peter Parker after unmasking during Civil War.
He was recently seen among an army of supervillains organized by Hammerhead that was captured by Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
In The Punisher War Journal (2nd series) #4, the Punisher blew up a bar where Will o' the Wisp was attending a wake for Stilt-Man, after poisoning the guests. It was later mentioned in She-Hulk (volume 2) #17 that "they all had to get their stomachs pumped and be treated for third-degree burns."
