Jean DeWolff

Jean DeWolff is a fictional police detective appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She functions as a supporting character in particular titles featuring Spider-Man.

Jean DeWolff
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceMarvel Team-Up #48 (August 1976)
Created byBill Mantlo and Sal Buscema
In-story information
Full nameCaptain Jean DeWolff
Team affiliationsNew York City Police Department
Supporting character ofSpider-Man

Publication history

Jean DeWolff first appeared in Marvel Team-Up #48-51 (August–November 1976), and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.[1] She was one of the few supporting cast members in Marvel Team-Up.[2]

Comics journalist Jonathan Miller described Jean DeWolff as "a secondary character that could facilitate a sense of continuity [in Marvel Team-Up], someone who knew only the costumed side of Peter's personality, and yet had a genuine relationship with him. Hard-edged and no-nonsense, DeWolff usually made her entrance in her vintage roadster, cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth, a modern, post-feminist take on the classic tough-guy heroes of Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane".[2]

The character subsequently appeared in Marvel Team-Up #60-62 (August–October 1977), #65-66 (January–February 1978), #72 (August 1978), #88 (December 1979), Ms. Marvel #6-7 (June–July 1977), The Amazing Spider-Man #226 (March–April 1982), #239 (April 1983), The Spectacular Spider-Man #103 (June 1985), and #107 (October 1985). The character made posthumous appearances in The Sensational She-Hulk #53 (July 1993), Venom Super Special #1 (August 1995), and Spider-Man/Human Torch #4 (June 2005).

Jean DeWolff received an entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #17, and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man #1 (2005) and The Official Handbook of the Ultimate Marvel Universe: Fantastic Four and Spider-Man #1 (2005).

Fictional character biography

As a child, Jean DeWolff's first rejection comes from her harsh and disapproving father Phillip DeWolff of the NYPD, who resents having a daughter rather than another son. Phillip divorces his wife Celia six months after Jean's birth, taking Jean's older brother Brian DeWolff with him. Over the years, Jean and Brian develop a close and loving relationship despite their parents' separation. Four years after her divorce, Celia marries police patrolman Carl Weatherby, who loves Jean very much. Inspired by Carl, Jean joins the police academy as an adult but this breaks Celia's heart as she sees the police force as a source of stress and danger. It also angers Phillip, who is now the NYPD police commissioner and believes women have no place in the police force. In contrast, he is immensely proud his son Brian joins the police force after graduating top of his class at the academy. Just before Jean graduates from the academy, witnesses see Officer Brian DeWolff shot in the line of duty, but the body is missing before police or rescue services arrive. Phillip DeWolff retires from his post as police commissioner soon afterward.[3]

Driven by resentment towards her disapproving parents and fueled by anger and grief over Brian's apparent death, Jean DeWolff grows into a tough, unrelenting police officer. She quickly rises in the ranks, becoming a detective and then sergeant well known for her no-nonsense attitude, as well as a preference for 1930s clothing styles and cars. Just over two years after her father's retirement, Jean DeWolff is handpicked by the new police commissioner to be a new captain of the NYPD, running Manhattan's 5th precinct.[4]

Investigating bombings by a criminal later called the Wraith, DeWolff discovers Spider-Man and Iron Man are also looking into the matter. While many in the NYPD don't care for super-powered vigilantes, Jean sees value in the web-slinger and the armored Avenger and openly asks them for assistance, going so far as to allow them access to precinct files. The two heroes, along with Doctor Strange, help DeWolff discover that the Wraith is her psionically-powered brother Brian, who is alive but in a coma, his body and actions controlled by their corrupt father Phillip. Dr. Strange uses a combination of his magic and surgical skills to restore Brian's mind. Phillip is taken to prison, now convinced both of his children have betrayed him, and Jean welcomes back her brother.[5]

The DeWolff siblings continue to aid superheroes on different occasions, with Jean developing a regular working relationship and friendship with Spider-Man, despite her acerbic attitude and the web-slinger's need to keep his identity and full life secret. On Spider-Man's request, Captain DeWolff even draws up amnesty papers for the notorious thief the Black Cat who decides to end her criminal ways to become the hero's lover and partner in crime-fighting.[6] When the Black Cat is later seriously injured and hospitalized, Captain DeWolff personally assigns protection for her in case any enemies try to take advantage of the situation.[7]

Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Stan Carter joins the NYPD and becomes a detective. Working closely with Jean DeWolff, they become lovers. Unknown to Jean, Stan Carter becomes increasingly obsessed with punishing criminals, eventually deciding all "sinners" need to die. Suffering a psychotic break, Carter becomes "Sin-Eater" and embarks on a killing spree, leading to The Death of Jean DeWolff. The NYPD finds Captain DeWolff shot dead in her home and Spider-Man embarks on a quest for revenge. Eventually, he and Daredevil bring Stan Carter to justice. These events also help lead Eddie Brock to become Venom, one of Spider-Man's most formidable enemies.[8]

Following Jean's death, Spider-Man discovers the woman kept a collection of his news clippings, as well as a photo of him with the Black Cat that was cut to remove the latter from the image. Spider-Man is shocked by the implication Jean had unspoken feelings for him over the years.[9] It is later revealed that when Spider-Man temporarily used the Venom symbiote as his costume, Jean spoke to him about her feelings, saying the hero was the only other person she felt she could rely on and she loved him. Unknown to her, this was during one of several times when the alien symbiote animated the hero's body while he was unconscious. When "Spider-Man" silently leaned in for a kiss in response (the symbiote believing this was the expected human response to words of love), DeWolff seemed to feel awkward about the action and clarified that she loved him as a best friend, adding she would prefer not to speak about this conversation again.[10]

Post-Mortem Legacy

Jean's mother Celia blames her second husband Carl for Jean's death, as he had inspired her to join the police force in the first place. Driven mad with grief over Jean's death at the hands of another member of the NYPD, Brian declares vengeance against all New York police. He is then shot and killed with an explosive bullet by the lethal vigilante called Scourge of the Underworld.[11] Years later, the name "Wraith" is briefly adopted by mutant Hector Rendoza and then used by the alien warrior Zak-Del. Later still, Jean Dewolff's close friend Yuri Watanabe becomes a new captain in the NYPD and another ally to Spider-Man. Yuri herself adopts the Wraith identity while targeting Mister Negative's criminal syndicate. For a time, Yuri uses one of the Chameleon's face masks so she can look like Jean DeWolff under her Wraith mask, misleading some to believe she is the vengeful ghost of the fallen police captain.[12]

A clone of Jean DeWolff appears during the Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy event. This clone, a "reanimate" with all of Jean's memories including her death, lives in a special facility called Haven and is created by a villain wishing to gain Spider-Man's cooperation by resurrecting all those whose deaths haunt him. A machine connected to Haven is later activated that destabilizes the bodies of the reanimates, making them vulnerable to infection by the deadly Carrion virus dormant in their clone cells. Several reanimates attempt to escape, hoping their bodies will stabilize if they are far enough away. Realizing that fleeing means potentially transmitting the Carrion virus to innocent people outside of Haven, the Jean DeWolff reanimate assists Spider-Man in stopping any clones from escaping. During her efforts, she succumbs to the virus and dies.[13]

Other versions

Spider-Gwen

In the Spider-Gwen reality, Jean DeWolff is partnered with Captain Frank Castle on the NYPD's Special Crimes Task Force.[14][15]

Spider-Man Noir

Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face features FBI Agent Jean De Wolfe, who is trying to track down The Crime Master. Initially skeptical of Spider-Man Noir's motives in crimefighting, Agent De Wolfe later comes to his aid. In keeping with the 1930s setting, this version of the character is male. Although Alaska P. Davidson was made a special agent with the FBI in 1922 along with two other women, none were active by 1929 and the FBI did not officially accept women agents again until 1972.[16]

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel depiction is a tough and unrelenting character. Writer Brian Michael Bendis changed her name to Jeanne De Wolfe as her morality is in question. In her first appearance (where her name was written akin to the regular Marvel Universe), she is shown outside a bank being robbed by an impersonator of Spider-Man who killed Captain John Stacy until the real Spider-Man arrives and nearly killed the imposter in a rage but instead webs up the imposter for the police.[17] Her next appearance (where this version's spelling is introduced) is following a fight between Spider-Man and Gladiator. She is the first police officer not to shoot Spider-Man on sight, and orders others in her squad not to arrest.[18] Spider-Man is pleased to have an ally in official law enforcement, and she continues to help during the "Hobgoblin" and "Warriors" storylines.[19] However, it is later revealed that Jeanne is employed by Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin as a spy to obtain insider information about police actions, Spider-Man and other superheroes.[20] Jeanne is shot and killed by the Punisher. Afterwards Spider-Man learns she was in the Kingpin's employ, and a rumor that she was the Kingpin's lover. The Kingpin was later seen mourning her death, indicating this may definitely be true.[21] Her position is succeeded by Frank Quaid.[22]

In other media

Television
  • Jean DeWolff appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series, voiced by Irene Bedard.[23] This depiction is Native American and shown to be partnered with Stan Carter - they are uniformed patrol officers sharing a squad car. Unlike Carter, DeWolff doesn't share enthusiasm for Spider-Man.

Video games
  • The character renamed Jean DeWolfe appears in Spider-Man 3 video game (on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC), voiced by Vanessa Marshall. This iteration is an African-American and (in the Nintendo DS version) has long blonde hair. She appears as a detective who enlists Spider-Man to help crack down on gun running and crooked cops, although she also shares information about the Mad Bomber case. The nature of these missions tend to include Spidey taking evidence photos for DeWolfe before fighting. The climax of the DeWolfe arc hints at the building friendship between the two, although she gruffly makes it clear that they're not friends. In the Nintendo DS version, she tells Spider-Man about events involving gangs, including the Apocalypse Gang and the Dragon-tail Brotherhood.
  • Jean DeWolff appears in Marvel Heroes voiced by Mary Faber. While investigating, she witnesses the Enforcers almost killing the hero Speedball. Without thinking or hesitating, Jean kills the Enforcers in self-defense and rescues Speedball. However, the Kingpin caught this on camera and bribed Jean to work otherwise images of her actions would released and it would mean the end of her career as a police officer. Her double life was discovered by befriended reporter Ben Urich (who mentioned it to the other heroes). After helping defeat Bullseye, Jean had a change of heart and decided to turn herself in.
  • Jean DeWolff's murder is referenced in a newspaper in Spider-Man: Edge of Time.
  • Jean DeWolff appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, voiced by Misty Lee. Photographs taken of police computers provide Spider-Man with access to her files on various criminal gang leaders active in New York at this time, including Mister Negative, Hammerhead, and Hood.

References
  1. Cowsill, Alan; Manning, Matthew K. (2012). Spider-Man Chronicle: Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. DK Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 978-0756692360.
  2. Miller, Jonathan (October 2010). "Spider-Man and Company: The Wide World of Marvel Team-Up". Back Issue!. TwoMorrows Publishing (44): 39.
  3. Marvel Team-Up #49, 1976
  4. Marvel Team-Up #49, 1976
  5. Marvel Team-Up #48-51, 1976
  6. Amazing Spider-Man #227, 1982
  7. Amazing Spider-Man #239, 1983
  8. The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, 1985
  9. The Spectacular Spider-Man #108
  10. Venom Super Special #1, 1995
  11. Amazing Spider-Man #278
  12. The Amazing Spider-Man #663-664
  13. The Clone Conspiracy #5
  14. Jason Latour (w), Robbi Rodriguez (p), Robbi Rodriguez (i), Rico Renzi (col), VC's Clayton Cowles (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "Most Wanted? Part One" Spider-Gwen #1 (25 February 2015), United States: Marvel Comics
  15. Jason Latour (w), Robbi Rodriguez (p), Robbi Rodriguez (i), Rico Renzi (col), VC's Clayton Cowles (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "Most Wanted? Part Two" Spider-Gwen #2 (11 March 2015), United States: Marvel Comics
  16. Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face #1-4
  17. Ultimate Spider-Man #31-32
  18. Ultimate Spider-Man #60
  19. Ultimate Spider-Man #72-85
  20. Ultimate Spider-Man #85
  21. Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #2
  22. Ultimate Spider-Man #110
  23. Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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