| John Jameson | |
|---|---|
 John Jameson as depicted inWeb of Spider-Man Annual #3 (October 1987). Art by Don Perlin (pencils), Keith Wilson (inks), and Paul Becton (colors). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963) |
| Created by | John Jameson: Stan Lee (writer) Steve Ditko (artist) Man-Wolf: Gerry Conway (writer) Roy Thomas (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | John Jonah Jameson III |
| Species | Human (normal form) Werewolf (Man-Wolf and Stargod form) |
| Place of origin | New York City |
| Team affiliations | Agents of Wakanda Symbiote Task Force |
| Supporting character of | Spider-Man Captain America She-Hulk |
| Notable aliases | Colonel Jupiter Man-Wolf Stargod Carnage |
| Abilities |
As Colonel Jupiter:
As the Man-Wolf:
As the Stargod:
|
John Jonah Jameson III (also known asColonel Jupiter, theMan-Wolf and theStargod) is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The character is depicted as the son ofJ. Jonah Jameson, and a friend toPeter Parker. He has also been portrayed as the husband ofJennifer Walters / She-Hulk.
John Jameson debuted inThe Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963), and was created byStan Lee andSteve Ditko.[1] This first story introduces the character as a prominentastronaut.
During his lengthy stint onThe Amazing Spider-Man during the 1970s, writerGerry Conway had Jameson turned into awerewolf, with the new alias "the Man-Wolf". Conway explained:
I'd wanted to do something with [John Jameson] for a long time. I felt like he was a character who'd gotten lost over the years. Also, at this point, it's 1973, John Jameson is an astronaut, andwe've been to the moon, so I asked myself, "What would we do with that in Spider-Man's world?" And that was how it played out. It also added another layer of tension to Spider-Man's relationship with J. Jonah Jameson. As a writer, you always want to find a way to increase the pressure on the main character, to increase the involvement of other characters with that character. Consequently, anything that could make Jonah's hatred of Spider-Man more intense and at the same time more understandable was a useful device dramatically.[2]
As the Man-Wolf, Jameson was the lead feature inCreatures on the Loose #30–37 (July 1974 – September 1975).[3]
Born inNew York City, John Jonah Jameson III is the son ofTheDaily Bugle's irascible, gruff publisherJ. Jonah Jameson Jr. andJoan and the grandson of J. Jonah Jameson Sr. Jonah is immensely proud of his son, whom he sees as a true hero. Initially an astronaut, John is first seen being saved bySpider-Man when his craft malfunctions on re-entry.[1][4]
Jameson is sent byNASA to evaluate the possibility of recruiting Spider-Man for the space program. This leads to him witnessing the new superhero team 'the Spacemen', who claim to be astronauts who were exposed to cosmic energy during a mission and are hunting Spider-Man for thefts. Spider-Man soon proves that the Spacemen are the real criminals and were actually astronaut washouts who acquired their powers by stealing from NASA. Jameson concludes that Spider-Man would not be a good fit for the space program, as his superhuman physiology meant that any data found from testing him would not be applicable to anyone else.[5]
On a later mission, Jameson is infected with spores that give him superhuman strength, but strain his body and mind. He is forced to wear a strength-restraining Jupiter suit and battles Spider-Man at his father's urging before recovering and calling himself "Colonel Jupiter". His father convinces him to go after Spider-Man, who had been seen apparently robbing a bank. Spider-Man saves him, and Jameson soon learns that Spider-Man had been saving the bank from a bomb. However, Jameson does not care about the misunderstanding and is really out for revenge. Spider-Man neutralizes the spores with electricity, returning Jameson to normal.[6][7]
While on the Moon, Jameson discovers the Godstone, a mystical other-dimensionalruby.[8] The jewel grafts itself to his throat and transforms him into a white-furredwerewolf known as the Man-Wolf after being exposed to moonlight.[9][10] Spider-Man removes the ruby, but it is reattached by Morbius sometime later.[11][12]
Later, Jameson is transported to the dimension known as the Other Realm, from which the Godstone originated. It is revealed that the ruby was created by the dying Stargod to pass on his powers to someone else. While on Earth, Jameson could only partially transform, resulting in his bestial form,[13] while in the Other Realm he could fully transform, retaining his human intelligence and capability of speech. He takes up the mantle of the Stargod, acting as the champion of the Other Realm, and gains new powers such as telepathy and energy manipulation. As the Stargod, Jameson wields a sword, dagger, and longbow.[14]
Jameson opts to return to Earth, resulting in him losing the ability to fully transform and losing all memory of his time as the Stargod. He becomes the Man-Wolf again during this period and briefly reassumes the Stargod name, teaming up withShe-Hulk andHellcat.[15][16][17] Jameson later allows himself to be subjected to a procedure that destroys the Godstone.[18][19]
Jameson becomes the pilot ofCaptain America's personalQuinjet for a period, using the call-sign of "Skywolf". During this time, he is temporarily transformed into the Man-Wolf byDredmund the Druid, who wants the Stargod's power for himself. Jameson leaves Captain America's employ due to his attraction toDiamondback (Captain America's then-girlfriend).[20]
Jameson remains friends with Spider-Man and often tries to convince his father to "let up on [Spider-Man]". He spends some time asRavencroft's head of security and briefly dates its director,Ashley Kafka. TheCarnagesymbiote briefly overwhelms Jameson, using him to commit further murders before leaving him to bond withBen Reilly. Both Jameson and Kafka are fired by a director who was angry about theChameleon's escape and subsequent wounding byKraven the Hunter.
Jameson begins dating She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) and the two live together for some time before eloping.[21][22] However, Jameson is forced into becoming the Man-Wolf once more after being injected with a mysterious substance. After a brief rampage, Jameson stops fighting his situation and becomes the Stargod again.[23] He now retains his intelligence as the Man-Wolf, has the Stargod's powers, and can apparently transform forms at will.[24] However, Jameson does not want to be the Stargod anymore because he feels that having the powers of a god made him arrogant and savage. Jameson and She-Hulk separate after She-Hulk discovers that her feelings for Jameson were influenced prior to their marriage byStarfox.[25] Jameson attempts to reconcile with She-Hulk, but ultimately agrees toannul their marriage.[26]
Jameson comes to work in the military, testing anti-symbiote technology for the U.S. Armed Forces.[27] Jameson initially believed that, with the Godstone destroyed, he would not transform into the Man-Wolf again.[28] Due to the regenerative nature of both it and its powers, his body would continually regrow a new jewel, which continued his transformations.[29]
Jameson as the Man-Wolf joins theAgents of Wakanda.[30] After being taken over by Carnage, Jameson is forced to lay a trap for Venom and Spider-Man at Ravencroft, killing several Ravencroft guards in the process. Jameson eventually throws off Carnage's control and the symbiote is purged from his body.[31]
Traumatized by his actions while mind-controlled, Jameson finds it harder to change into the Man-Wolf. He became a security consultant at Ravencroft. During a prison riot that threatens to destroy the facility, Jameson overcomes his traumas and regains his Man-Wolf form.[32] WhenNorman Osborn becomes the director of Ravencroft, he dismisses Jameson and several other staff members, who may interfere with his plans for the facility.[33]
Investigating an anomaly on the Moon, the Agents of Wakanda are attacked by Entea, an intelligent plant that had taken root there. Jameson becomes the Stargod again and the conflict with Entea ends once the Agents of Wakanda realize that she was starving due to a lack of sustenance. Jameson opens a portal to the Other Realm for Entea to feed there, only to discover that an unknown disaster has reduced it to a wasteland devoid of life. Entea uses the remaining nutrients in the soil to take root and bring life back to the Other Realm.[34]
John Jameson is a skilled pilot and astronaut and is experienced in hand-to-hand combat and the use of a variety of weapons. During his space flight to Jupiter, alien spores found on the planet had attracted to and clung onto John on his return trip home. These spores changed his anatomical physiology, causing him to enlarge and become physically denser than normal; he also ran the risk of cardiovascular and neurological complications without use of a specially designed weighted suit which monitored his bio-readings. Also, using his powers increased psychological instability, causing him to become increasingly more violent and aggressive whenever his emotions ran away with him.[6]
While Jameson was doing search and rescue missions in the Middle East, the American military discovered that another Godstone had grown within his body, the original having altered his physiology to the point that he now spawns replacement gems.[29]
Due to alien spore infection, which was garnered during his space mission to Jupiter, Jameson had developed a supernormal physiology accommodating to the higher gravity and harsher atmospheric conditions of the planet. Doubling his original size and physical strength, particularly in his lower body which allows for jumping and leaping great distances at a time, even being able to move fast enough to intercept Spider-Man with relative ease. Colonel Jupiter also boasts increased skin, bone and muscle density; enough to resist blows from Spider-Man, as well as dish out enough force to rupture steel or shatter masonry.
As the Man-Wolf, Jameson possessed superhuman strength, agility, speed and durability, an accelerated healing factor and heightened senses. The Man-Wolf's levels of strength and intelligence vary according to the phases of the moon. Jameson does not retain his human personality or intelligence while in his Man-Wolf form; though the bestial side is capable of speech, it does not talk often.[28] He was not a traditional supernatural werewolf and was thus invulnerable not only to silver, but to weapons in general.
While in the Other Realm, Jameson retains his human intelligence and capability of speech while transformed and gains cosmic and telepathic powers. Jameson, eventually learning to utilize the Stargod power by force of will, could transform at will, fly across interstellar distances, survive in the depths of space unprotected, and teleport between dimensions. He wears scale mail armor and uses a broadsword, a dagger, and a longbow with arrows as weapons.
OnEarth X, Jameson lives on the Moon and is the father of Jay Jameson. He first appeared inEarth X #0.
In theHouse of M universe, Jameson participates in the spaceflight that would have given theFantastic Four their powers, taking the place ofJohnny Storm. He,Reed Richards, andSusan Storm are killed, leavingBen Grimm the sole survivor.[volume & issue needed]
In thealternative universe ofMC2, Jameson married Dr. Ashley Kafka and they had a son, Jack. Jack became the costumed adventurer known as theBuzz.
In the alternate world ofnewuniversal, Lieutenant General John Jameson is assistant to theChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GeneralThad Ross, and is involved in arranging an airstrike to killKen Connell. The attempt is unsuccessful.[35]
On Earth-65, the setting ofSpider-Gwen, Jameson as the Man-Wolf is a crime boss operating in New York. When he starts targetingSpider-Woman (Gwen Stacy) and her friends, she defeats him and has him arrested.[36] Shortly after his arrest, his father, Mayor J. Jonah Jameson, has him released, claiming he "wasn't in the right mind" during his time as the Man-Wolf.
In "What If the Radioactive Spider Had Bitten Someone Else?", John Jameson is one of three candidates - along withBetty Brant andFlash Thompson - who is bitten by the radioactive spider which gaveSpider-Man his powers. Equipped with a rocket pack, and upon his father's relentless prompting for the sake of his paper's publicity, John begins to fight crime as "Spider-Jameson". However, when he attempts to save an astronaut from his crashing capsule, his rocket pack runs out of fuel. John sacrifices himself by using his own body to cushion the capsule's impact. The death of his son makes Jonah Jameson re-think his relentless attitudes, and he subsequently dedicatesThe Daily Bugle to the promotion of superheroes rather than their persecution.[37]
The Man-Wolf was ranked #21 onDen of Geek's listing of Marvel Comics' monster characters in 2015.[42]
In 2022,Screen Rant included Man-Wolf in their "10 Spider-Man Villains That Are Smarter Than They Seem" list.[43]
[The Amazing Spider-Man #1] introduced readers toThe Daily Bugle publisher and anti-Spider-Man activist J. Jonah Jameson, as Spidey saved his astronaut son, John, from a space mission gone awry.
Man-Wolf was also right at home in straight up superhero tales as he took on Spider-Man and or in Gothic driven Bronze Age awesomeness in the pages of one of the million Marvel creature features.
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