Michele Gonzales

Michele Gonzales
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man #592 (May, 2009)
Created by	Mark Waid Mike McKone

Michele Gonzales is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. She first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #592 as the sister of Vin Gonzales who went to represent her brother in court. Later she becomes Peter Parker's roommate and a potential love interest. She is a criminal defense lawyer and is known for her volcanic temper. She is a student of Muay Thai and Tae Bo Kickboxing and also has a shotgun in her bedroom.

Fictional character biography

First meeting

When Michele's brother, NYPD officer Vin Gonzales, was arrested and sent to prison for his part in the spider-tracer killings, after she helped him secure a plea bargain for a reduced sentence,^[1] she moved into his apartment - of which she was signed up as the co-tenant - to look after the place. Peter had been gone for two months and was unaware that she had moved in, and their first meeting does not paint him in a good light.^[2]

After living with him for a little bit, she softened towards him and accompanied him to the wedding of Aunt May. When Peter's ex-girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson showed up, he began drinking in excess and woke up the next morning in bed with Michele.^[3]

Love and rage

When Peter called her MJ, Michele was furious and threw him out of the house. She later left out a tray of cookies for him as a peace offering when she calmed down, but padlocked the fridge so that he couldn't get any milk.^[4]

When The Chameleon kidnapped Peter in order to infiltrate the office of Mayor J. Jonah Jameson, he and Michele sleep together, with her believing it to be Peter. When Peter escapes, he finds that Michele now believes them to be boyfriend and girlfriend and has imposed a lot of new rules, such as when to be home and when to go to bed. Unable to take her demands any longer, Peter tells her that it was the Chameleon, and not he that she slept with. Michele is enraged, believing it to be a lie and punches him in the face, sending him to the floor.^[5]

Michele gets even angrier when Peter's co-worker from Front Line, Norah Winters, comes to the house. Norah calls Michele old and fat, and makes some jokes at Michele's expense. She also leads Michele to believe that Peter has been intimate with Norah.^[6] Michele ends up being so angry that she divides a line down the apartment and destroys any of Peter's things that wind up on "her" side.

Michele's anger continues to boil for some time. During "The Gauntlet" Electro gains an upgrade in powers thanks to Sasha Kravinoff and her family. He campaigns against corporate tyrants such as Dexter Bennett and gets quite a lot of momentum going for his cause. While working on a way to defeat Electro, Peter short circuits the apartment, sending Michele into an ever-fouler mood than she was previously.^[7]

Reconciliation

Peter eventually gets to know her softer side when she brings home one of her clients. Michele has been defending him for years, and trying to help him get his life back on track. Peter falsely believes the client to be her new boyfriend, and when his spider-sense goes off in the man's presence, he follows him to find that he is involved with criminal gang-leader The Hood. Michele also followed him and the client reveals his guilt and attempts to hurt Michele when Peter saves her. She confides in him how she thought she could make a difference. Peter tells her that she is a good person and the two reach an understanding and decide to be friends, her fury temporarily subsided.^[8] However, Michele is later seen selling Peter's clothes to pay for his part of their rent.^[9]

Back to Chicago

Michele had arranged for Peter to come with her to pick up her brother, Vin, from prison. Peter got delayed by his duties as Spider-Man which made Michele angry. She was shocked and even angrier when he beat her to Vin, despite telling her he would be late. He was able to get there faster as Spider-Man. Vin remarks how their bickering reminds him of a couple, but Michele claims that she is "over" Peter.

She goes to Harry's farewell party with Peter and Vin, but leaves New York soon after. With Peter now dating Carlie Cooper and Vin's legal troubles over, she is free to go back to her law firm in Chicago. As she locks their apartment one final time, she wishes Peter well with his life and tells him he's not a bad guy.^[10]

References