| Jackpot | |
|---|---|
.png) The Mary Jane Watson incarnation of Jackpot as depicted inThe Amazing Spider-Man vol. 6 #31 (August 2023). Art byHumberto Ramos. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance |
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| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Sara Ehret/Alana Jobson II Alana Jobson I Mary Jane "MJ" Watson |
| Species | Humanmutate |
| Team affiliations | The Initiative |
| Partnerships | |
| Abilities | Sara Ehret/Alana Jobson II:
Alana Jobson:
Mary Jane Watson:
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Jackpot is the name of threesuperheroes appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The first incarnation of Jackpot,Sara Ehret, first appeared in the storyline "Swing Shift" inFCBD: Spider-Man #1 (May 2007), and was created by writerDan Slott and artistPhil Jimenez. The second incarnation,Alana Jobson, debuted inThe Amazing Spider-Man #545 (January 2008), having bought the Jackpot identity from Sara, whom she was in love with. Following Alana's death, Sara reclaims the mantle of Jackpot, renaming herselfAlana Jobson II in Alana's honor. In the 2023 storylineArmed and Dangerous,Mary Jane "MJ"Watson takes up the mantle as the third Jackpot.
Sara Ehret debuted in the storyline "Swing Shift" inFCBD: Spider-Man #1 (May 2007), created by writerDan Slott and artistPhil Jimenez. She appeared in the 2010Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot series (published initially simply asSpider-Man Presents: Jackpot), her first solocomic book series, byMarc Guggenheim, retaking the Jackpot name after the death of her successor Alana Jobson, ultimately renaming herself Alana Jobson II.[1]
Alana Jobson debuted as Jackpot inThe Amazing Spider-Man #545 (January 2008), created by writerDan Slott and artistPhil Jimenez.
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson took up the mantle of Jackpot inThe Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #31 (August 2023), byZeb Wells,John Romita Jr., Emilio Laiso, and Ze Carlos, starring in theone-shotJackpot #1 (January 2024) followed by the four-issueminiseriesJackpot & Black Cat (March–June 2024) and the ongoing seriesAll-New Venom (December 2024–present), in which Jackpot acquires theVenom symbiote.
Sara Ehret, a pregnant scientist at Phelcorp (a subsidiary ofOscorp) works on gene therapy to cure Parkinson's disease when she is accidentally exposed to "Lot 777". The virus rewrote the DNA in her cells leaving her in a coma for 4 months. Coming out of her coma Ehret went on to have her child Madeline with no complications, however when her family came under threat by falling debris she displayed superhuman strength to save them.[2]
Taking the name "Jackpot" and designing her costume after the catchphrase of her favouritesoap opera character, played by actressMary Jane Watson,[3] Jackpot went on to train and become a government sanctionedInitiative superhero forNew York City.[4] Though she served as a crimefighter for a while,[5] Sara Ehret had no desire to remain one, preferring her normal life and family.[6] When another woman, Alana Jobson, recognized Sara and showed genuine enthusiasm at paying her for the use of Sara's Jackpot identity and license, Sara took the offer and gave up costumed crime fighting.[citation needed]
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Alana buys Sara's identity, and while the latter goes in hiding, the former starts using a cocktail of enhancement drugs, including Mutant Growth Hormone to grant herself the powers of super-strength, stamina, and invulnerability associated with the Jackpot identity. In denial of her own sexuality, Alana developed a crush onSpider-Man, whom she emulated. She later was revealed to be alesbian. She had been attracted to Sara but never revealed this to her.[5]
Alana/Jackpot teams up with Spider-Man on a search for the villainMenace. They eventually find her after she attacks a council meeting and kidnaps a councilwoman. Jackpot interferes with the fight between Spider-Man and Menace, pulling Menace from her glider. However, as a result of this action, the glider slams into the rescued councilwoman, killing her. Menace blames Spider-Man for the woman's death and escapes. Jackpot blames herself, as does Spider-Man, as seen in his internal monologue. Still, he attempts to comfort her but Jackpot, who is distraught and angered by the experience, takes it all out on Spider-Man by pushing him away and storming off.[citation needed]
During the 2008 "Secret Invasion" storyline, Jackpot islibelled byDexter Bennett, current owner of theDaily Bugle and endorser of a series of slanderous articles about her activity as a superhero after she accidentally attacks a meeting of pharmaceutical sales executives whose company has connections to Walter Declun.[citation needed]
Jackpot is furious when she discovers the articles and goes to theDaily Bugle, along with a publicity representative supplied by theInitiative. While there, the newspaper is attacked by aSuper-Skrull, who is searching for Spider-Man, and who harbors all of the superhuman abilities of Spider-Man's adversariesthe Lizard,Rhino,Electro,Hydro-Man,Sandman, andVenom,[7] Jackpot battles the Super-Skrull to allow theBugle staff to escape, but she is then attacked byMenace.[8] All three combatants are injured by the impact of Jackpot's personal glider vehicle, before Menace escapes. Jackpot defeats the Super-Skrull by freezing him to death inside a freezer.[9]
While fighting Commanda and Blindside, Alana is pumped with theblindness serum used by Blindside to defeat his enemies. Spider-Man arrives and administers an antidote to Alana, restoring her vision, but the serum's interaction with the drugs that gave her superhuman powers, results in a fatal side effect in Alana, who dies shortly thereafter.[6]
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Investigating Jackpot's identity, Spider-Man goes to what he believes is Jackpot's house only to find Sara Ehret, who tells him she is not the superheroine Jackpot (Alana Jobson), and sends Spider-Man away, saying he "really should keep out of this."[6]
Later, Spider-Man, having already discovered the whole truth about Alana and Sara, goes to notify Sara about Alana's death, blaming Sara for evading her responsibilities and allowing the otherwise powerless and untrained Alana to go to her doom. Sara is left clutching Jackpot's costume, while Spider-Man walks away, after telling her that people with powers do not have a choice of giving up their responsibilities.[6]
Distraught, Sara reclaims her heroic identity and later comes into conflict withBoomerang and, a newRose, who learn her identity. Under Rose's orders, Boomerang tracks Sara down at her house and murders her husband in front of her and her daughter. Though Sara gets her revenge by defeating and unmasking Rose, she realizes that her old life is gone for good. To protect her daughter and give her the chance to have a normal life, Sara vanishes once again and later resurfaces as a civilian using the name "Alana Jobson".[2][volume & issue needed]
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson became Jackpot duringZeb Wells' run onThe Amazing Spider-Man. After Mary Jane andPeter Parker got sent to an alternate Earth that had been devastated by the god Wayep, the duo was rescued byPaul Rabin, a resident of the alternate Earth and the son of that dimension's Benjamin Rabin, Wayep's Emissary. The group was able to send Peter back to the main Earth, leaving Mary Jane and Paul stranded on this alternate Earth. MJ survived with Paul and they developed a Power Slots device, which worked as a slot machine for superpowers. MJ could activate the device and a random superpower would be bequeathed unto her. This device did come with a risk: if MJ's spin landed on three skulls, she could die.
Mary Jane and Paul were able to escape to the main Earth, bringing along with them two children they adopted from Paul's Earth. After the children were revealed to be magic constructs created by the Emissary of the main Earth and eventually ceased to exist, Mary Jane took up theJackpot mantle to cope with their "deaths", later bonding withVenom.
Sara Ehret possesses superhuman strength. Her power is derived from a virus she was exposed to while she was pregnant.[10] Alana Jobson possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability, and stamina. Her powers are derived from drugs that she took for physical enhancement.[11]
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson wields a technologic bracelet which allows her to tap into special abilities, with the caveat that her abilities can be random.[citation needed]
The identity of the character was kept secret and became part of her storyline during the year following after her first appearance. She shared many characteristics with the Spider-Man supporting characterMary Jane Watson; long red hair, and a tendency to use the pet term "Tiger", a nickname used by Watson forPeter Parker (Spider-Man) and others on many occasions. Parker himself suspects Jackpot may be Mary Jane[12] and even the name "Jackpot" itself echoes Mary Jane Watson's classic line, spoken in her first full appearance: "Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot".[13]
Jackpot (Alana Jobson) also used money from a modeling shoot (Watson was a model) to pay for a police scanner to use in her heroic persona,[4] though she strictly denies it, telling him her real name is "Sara Ehret".[14]
Sara Ehret would eventually be revealed to be Jackpot's original identity.[6] but not before approaching Mary Jane at an airport for an autograph. Sara claims to be "a huge fan" of Mary Jane and mentions her famous "jackpot" line, which Mary Jane has since made famous by saying it in asoap opera. The two women are shown side by side and despite different hair styles, have very similar faces.[15]
Originally sporting adisco-era costume, Jackpot wore a green jumpsuit withbell bottoms, gold cuffs, a silver stripe running down the front, and a gold mask that covers her eyes, side of her face, and apparently wraps behind her head. She also wore a belt with the numbers 777 on it, referring to the substance that gave her powers. Though not initially considered as a part of her costume, Jackpot's long red hair is revealed to be a wig.[5]
She later changes the costume to a red and black version and the Jackpot name is then associated with the substance that gave her powers ("We thought we'd hit the Jackpot").[2]
Deidre Kaye ofScary Mommy included Sara Ehret and Alana Jobson in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list.[16]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot #1 was the 105th best-selling comic book in January 2010.[17][18]Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot #2 was the 115th best selling comic book in February 2010.[19][20]
In 2018,Sony announced that aJackpot film was in development as part ofSony's Spider-Man Universe.[21][22] In 2020,Marc Guggenheim, who had previously written the character's comics, was hired as screenwriter for the project and may direct as well.[23][24] Following the financial failures ofMadame Web andKraven the Hunter, and the underperformance ofVenom: The Last Dance, it was announced that Sony would cease making spin-off films that did not feature Spider-Man, most likely including this film.[25][26]
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot | Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot #1–3 and material fromAmazing Spider-Man Family #6 | July 2010 | 978-0785144847 |
| Jackpot & Black Cat | Jackpot #1 andJackpot & Black Cat #1–4 | November 2024 | 978-1302957544 |
| All-New Venom | All-New Venom #1–5 | August 2025 | 978-1302961978 |
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