| Jubilee | |
|---|---|
 Textless variant cover ofRise of the Powers of X #4 (April 2024). Art by Derrick Chew. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Uncanny X-Men #244 (May 1989) |
| Created by | Chris Claremont Marc Silvestri |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jubilation Lee |
| Species | Human mutant |
| Team affiliations |
|
| Notable aliases | Wondra |
| Abilities |
|
Jubilee (JubilationLee) is asuperhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerChris Claremont and artistMarc Silvestri, the character first appeared inUncanny X-Men #244 (May 1989).[1] Jubilee is a member of the human subspecies known asmutants, born with superhuman abilities. She can generate pyrotechnic energy blasts from her hands. Introduced as an orphaned "mall rat" from Beverly Hills, Jubilee joined the X-Men in the early 1990s, becoming the team's youngest member and often playing asidekick role to her father-figure,Wolverine.
Jubilee eventually joined the junior teamGeneration X, and was a prominent character in the 1990sX-Men animated series. In late 2004, Marvel launched a self-titled six-part limited series for Jubilee set in Los Angeles, written byRobert Kirkman. In early 2011, she appeared in the four-part limited seriesWolverine and Jubilee, written byKathryn Immonen.
Jubilee was one of many mutants who lost their powers in the 2005 storyline "Decimation"; she later reappeared using technology-based powers, using the aliasWondra, in theNew Warriors comic book series. During the 2010 "Curse of the Mutants" storyline, she was turned into avampire. She became asingle mother after adopting a son, Shogo, in a 2013 storyline. She was eventually, in 2019, cured of her vampirism and had her mutant powers restored by a shard of thePhoenix Force.
Jubilee is one of the most prominentAsian American superheroes. Outside of comics, Jubilee has appeared in a variety of media. Her most prominent role was inX-Men: The Animated Series (1992–97), where she was voiced byAlyson Court. This incarnation of the character returns in the revival seriesX-Men '97 (2024–present), voiced by Holly Chou.
Jubilee was created by writerChris Claremont and artistMarc Silvestri and first appeared inThe Uncanny X-Men #244 (May 1989). Claremont had earlier introduced a "Jubilee" of sorts inThe New Mutants Annual #2 (1986). In that story, Darla of the Fat Boys, after being mentally and biologically warped, uses identical powers to those of the later Jubilation Lee and introduces herself as "Jubilee! Whose every move is a celebration!" In her first appearance, Jubilation Lee gives a similar self-introduction: "Actually, my name is Jubilee! 'Cause with me, every day's a celebration!" Darla is returned to normal by the end ofThe New Mutants Annual #2, and no in-story connection between the characters is ever established.
Jubilee appeared regularly as anX-Men team member inThe Uncanny X-Men through issue #280 (Sept. 1991), and later was a staple ofX-Men (1991) as a member of the X-Men's Blue Team.[2] During the same timeframe, she also served asWolverine's sidekick inWolverine vol. 2 #40–75 (1991–1993).
After thePhalanx Covenant storyline inX-Men #16–17 andThe Uncanny X-Men #316–317, Jubilee, who was then a teenager, was transferred to the X-Men trainee squadGeneration X and starred in the entire run ofGeneration X #1–75 (1994–2001). After the dissolution of Generation X, Jubilee returned to the pages ofThe Uncanny X-Men, first as a member of the X-Corporation (#403–406, 2002), and later as a team member in her own right (#423–437, 2003–2004). Jubilee had a six-issue self-titled limited series in 2004 written byRobert Kirkman, but loses her mutant powers inHouse of M – The Day After #1 (Jan. 2006). She then adopts the alias Wondra and joins the reconstitutedNew Warriors inNew Warriors vol. 4 #1–20 (2007–2009).
Jubilee is affected with vampirism during the "Curse of the Mutants" inX-Men vol. 3 #1 (July 2010) and remained a sporadic character on that title through issue #27 (April 2012), as well as a supporting character inX-23 vol. 3 (2010–2011). In 2011, she saw print in her second four issue limited series,Wolverine and Jubilee written byKathryn Immonen and drawn byPhil Noto, as an aftermath follow-up to theCurse of the Mutants storyline. Jubilee later featured as a regular character in the all-femaleX-Men vol. 4 #1–25 (2013–2015), and as a supporting character inPatsy Walker, a.k.a. Hellcat! (2016). She returned as a main cast member inGeneration X vol. 2 #1-9, #85-87 (2017-2018) as the adult mentor to the new teenage main characters, during which she was cured of vampirism and had her mutant powers restored.
The daughter of two prosperous Chinese immigrants, Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee was born inBeverly Hills, California, where she lived with her wealthy parents. An immensely talentedgymnast, she was believed to have the potential to participate in theOlympic Games. This life was destroyed when her parents were murdered by thehitmen Reno and Molokai.
Jubilee was sent to anorphanage but ran away and hid in the Hollywood Mall, stealing food to survive. She discovered her mutant power to generate blinding and explosive energy blasts (herself referring to them as "fireworks") while running away from mall security. The stress of fleeing security guards caused Jubilee to emit a large light energy blast in a back alley. This disoriented the men and allowed her to escape. Learning about her mutant ability, she realized she could earn money by using it to entertain customers in the mall.
The mall security attempted to put an end to her unauthorized performances, but she continued to elude them. They hired the M-Squad, a company of professional mutant hunters, to capture her. Jubilee was rescued byX-Men membersDazzler,Psylocke,Rogue, andStorm. Curious about the women, she tracked them to the portal leading back to their base in theOutback and stepped through.[3]
Jubilee stays hidden in the base, never having heard of the X-Men and has no idea how they might react to her presence.[4] She steals food and borrows clothes from several of the X-Men to create a makeshift costume for herself. She is attacked by a cybernetic dog, and forced to use her powers in self-defense by blowing up the beast. This is the first time Jubilee learns her powers can do real damage, although a laterretcon has her first manifestation causing destruction on a similar scale.[volume & issue needed]
While sneaking around the caverns in the Outback base, Jubilee witnesses the X-ManWolverine being captured and tortured by theReavers. Jubilee is terrified of the Reavers, but unable to convince herself to abandon a fellow human being to such suffering. During a respite from the torture sessions, Jubilee helps Wolverine back to her hiding spot in the complex, where she nurses him back to health. Before entirely recovered, Wolverine and Jubilee are forced to abandon their sanctuary when the Reavers hunt them down.[5] The pair make their way toMadripoor where they battle theMandarin andMatsu'o Tsurayaba'sHand. Jubilee holds her own against the Hand, and blows up part of the Mandarin's castle with her powers when she, along with Wolverine and Psylocke, is taken prisoner.[6]
Afterward, Jubilee teams up with Wolverine on several of his missions throughout the world. She does not handle traveling well, as she desires American food and luxuries. She helps Wolverine in battle when he becomes involved with well-intentioned but violent mercenaries.
Alongside Wolverine and Psylocke, Jubilee battlesHardcase and the Harriers.[7] She also meets theBlack Widow[8] and participates in a mission to rescue several kidnappedNew Mutants fromGenosha. Against her protests, Wolverine places her in charge of looking afterBoom Boom andRictor and meeting up withX-Factor.[9] The three survive on the streets of the island nation before meeting up with the other X-Men.[10] After meeting the X-Men, she travels with them to theShi'ar Empire, but is captured by theWarskrulls.[11] She briefly falls under the control of theShadow King, along with the X-Men and numerous others.[12][13]
Wolverine brings Jubilee toProfessor Xavier at theX-Mansion, who welcomes the girl with open arms. She and Wolverine develop a close father-daughter relationship with one another. Due to this relationship, Jubilee is referred to as Wolverine's unofficial sidekick.[14]
Jubilee finds a home with the X-Men and joins the X-Men Blue Team.[15] She aids her fellow mutants in battles againstOmega Red, the Shi'ar Empire, Skrulls, and theBrood, among others. With the last three, she holds her own against many powerful entities, often being the vital factor in saving fellow X-Men or innocent civilians. She forms close bonds with many of the team members, taking piggyback rides withBeast as she enjoys his leaping abilities. When Professor Xavier temporarily regains the use of his legs, she takes him rollerblading.[16] She has the chance to talk about Wolverine withShadowcat, who had been in her sidekick role before, and bonds with the youngerIllyana Rasputin. Jubilee later mourns the loss of Illyana with the rest of the X-Men, especiallyJean Grey.[17]
Alongside the X-Men, Jubilee is captured by Omega Red, Matsu'o Tsuryaba, andFenris. She also fightsSabretooth during this encounter.[18] Alongside Wolverine, she then clashes withMojo (seeAbscissa), and is arrested in Tokyo for speeding and driving without a license.[19] There she meetsYukio, and teams with her againstCylla Markham.[20] She aids the X-Men andGhost Rider against the Brood.[21] Jubilee then journeys with the X-Men to Mojoworld.[22]
During one adventure, Jubilee falls halfway through a time portal and witnesses the moment when hitmen arrived at her home to kill her parents. Knowing the names and faces of her parents' murderers for the first time, Jubilee sets out to kill them, but Wolverine talks her out of it.[23] Shortly after, Wolverine leaves the X-Men. He does not give Jubilee the option to come with him, instead leaving her a note which repeatedly emphasizes that she should stick with Professor Xavier and not go out on her own again.[24] Though she maintains her usual spunky demeanor in the ensuing weeks, the other X-Men notice that she feels somewhat abandoned by Wolverine's leaving.[25]
Jubilee leaves the X-Men to join a new group of teenage mutants known asGeneration X.[26] The team is led byBanshee andEmma Frost, and is initially composed of Jubilee,Husk,Synch,M, andSkin, withChamber,[27]Penance,[28]Mondo,[29] andGaia[30] joining as the series progresses. The team also becomes a safe haven for three young wards during their adventures:Artie Maddicks,Leech,[31] and temporarily,Franklin Richards.[32]
Both Banshee and Emma Frost educate the teenagers in school subjects as well as combat and field skills (with occasional assistance from visiting instructors such as Wolverine and Beast).[33][34] Jubilee and the other mutant teens hone their unique abilities and occasionally battle foes such as theJuggernaut, Omega Red,[35] and their archrivalEmplate. Time after time, Jubilee uses her experience with the X-Men to help her teammates outsmart their enemies. On more than one occasion, Jubilee is solely responsible for the defeat of Emplate. She uses sarcasm when Emplate siphons her powers so that he will become enraged enough to not have control over them, causing him to blast himself with Jubilee's energy blasts.[36] During the team's last encounter with Emplate, Jubilee uses her power to blow up Proudstar Hall to defeat him. Her teammates survive the explosion becauseIceman covers them with an ice shield.[37]
During her stay at theMassachusetts Academy, Jubilee is kidnapped and held hostage byBastion duringOperation: Zero Tolerance.[38] She manages to resist his mental probes for a good amount of time, hiding valuable information about the X-Men.[39] Jubilee stages an escape early on, knocking several armed soldiers unconscious with a large plasma volley. However, she is recaptured when she stops to give CPR to one of the guards she injured.[40] She eventually escapes with the help of Bastion's assistant, Daria.[41] While wandering the desert after her getaway, she is attacked by aPrime Sentinel and holds her own by blasting his vision receptors. She is saved at the last minute by Wolverine, who reunites her with the X-Men. After discovering Bastion has planted a nano-explosive insideCyclops, the X-Men return home, dropping Jubilee off at Massachusetts Academy on the way.[42]
One of the most important episodes of her stay with Generation X comes when she discovers the true killer of her parents, Hunter Brawn. She stages an operation, using her mutant powers, and innate skills and abilities to track down Brawn. With the help of her friends and teammates, she manages to defeat him. Enraged at how he destroyed her family, Jubilee's powers flare to a massive level, but instead of killing the man, she takes out her aggression by blowing up his warehouse, leaving him to be arrested by local authorities.[43]
After Generation X disbands, Jubilee moves to Los Angeles with her former teammate Skin to pursue an acting career.[44] She is cast in nothing but stereotypical Asian roles, and after her agent tries to seduce her, she hits him with a powerful energy blast.[45]
Around the same time, Jubilee is offered a position on Banshee's militaristicX-Corps team, alongside former teammates Husk and M. The three young women hesitantly join Banshee to keep an eye on him. During her run with the X-Corps, Jubilee holds off an uprising in Paris by blinding hostile enemies. Jubilee and Husk, with the help ofStacy X, also manage to take down theBlob and rescue Banshee fromMystique.[46]
After her time in the X-Corps, Jubilee returns to Los Angeles with Skin, but the two (along withMagma and other mutants) are kidnapped and crucified on the front lawn of the X-Mansion by theChurch of Humanity. Jubilee, Magma, and the others recover from the attack thanks toAngel's healing blood, but Skin is unable to be healed and dies.[47] Jubilee becomes depressed due to the loss of her friend, and reunites with Husk. The two, along with Angel, attend Skin's funeral. Since the gravekeeper would not allow a mutant to be buried in his cemetery, he has Skin cremated and gives Jubilee his ashes. Afterward, Jubilee goes on a few missions withNightcrawler andHavok's Uncanny X-Men team,[48] but is taken off the active roster when Cyclops decides she needs a mental break.[49]
While inactive, Jubilee is contacted by a long lost relative, her aunt Hope. Hope decides to adopt Jubilee and take her into her home in Los Angeles, which gives Jubilee a much-needed break from X-Mansion life.[50] Jubilee attends Payton Noble High School and becomes a peer advisor. She gets into a few fights at school, and is reprimanded because of her power display. She also befriends a mutant named Shane Shooter, and helps him take down a gang leader. Unfortunately for Jubilee, her aunt is caught in a crime ring, as she was an assassin. While Wolverine is visiting Jubilee, the two of them – along with Hope (and her butler Brad) – get into a battle with Hope's former boss. Hope is caught in a violent explosion and seemingly dies (she is later revealed to have been thrown afar by the explosion, revealing her cybernetic nature), causing a distraught Jubilee to move back to the X-Mansion with Wolverine,[51] where she is seen celebrating Christmas.[52]
Jubilee is revealed to have lost her powers onM-Day,[53] due to the reality-altering powers of theScarlet Witch. She returns to New York shortly after running a half-way house for depowered mutants inQueens, New York,[54] and is kidnapped by Omega Red and his henchmen while Wolverine is sidetracked during the battle. She is taken to Berlin as a hostage. Wolverine manages to useS.H.I.E.L.D. to find Jubilee, but she is beaten and badly injured. Logan trades his freedom from S.H.I.E.L.D. for Jubilee's safety and well-being. She is carried away in a medical unit by S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives.[55]
Jubilee next resurfaces as Wondra,[56] the second-in-command of one of the incarnations of theNew Warriors. She uses technologically based super-strength (supplied by what appears to be a variation ofWizard's "Wonder Gauntlets") capable of lifting a locomotive engine over her head.[57] Recruited as the first member, Jubilee takes a more serious attitude to her role as Wondra and serves alongside fellow X-Men and former teammatesDecibel and Stacy X. Jubilee distrustsNight Thrasher and uncovers evidence that he is using the team for less than noble reasons, and after a trip to the future, the former mutants leave the team in the hands of ex-members ofthe Initiative (Slapstick,Justice,Ultra Girl, et al.).[58]
After leaving the New Warriors, she returns to San Francisco and meets with a group of young mutants her age, who tell her about Utopia, the island home for mutants. Jubilee reaffirms her identity as a mutant, despite being depowered, but still declines to join the X-Men on Utopia.[59]
Cyclops sendsPixie to check on Jubilee, and while the girls are chatting, Jubilee is one of many individuals to be mass-infected with a bio-engineered virus by a vampire suicide bomber. Jubilee is taken to the X-Men's headquarters, where they run tests on her, confirming that the virus is slowly but surely transforming her into a vampire, making her less and less able to handle sunlight. Meanwhile, others infected by the virus quickly turn into full vampires and begin enacting the plans of the mysterious "Lord of Vampires".[60]
Later, while talking toDoctor Nemesis (James Bradley), Jubilee reveals that something is calling for her, to which Doctor Nemesis tells her to fight it back. Jubilee eventually tells him that she does not want to fight. Much later, while the X-Men gather to discuss the death ofDracula and learn who the new Lord of Vampires is,Kavita Rao is seen checking on her, only to be attacked.[61] Wolverine then feeds her some of his blood, since his healing factor keeps her from becoming savage.[62] It is also revealed thatRockslide has a crush on Jubilee and follows her and Wolverine to Siberia to save her from a vampire cult.[63]
Jubilee leaves Utopia to go seeXarus, who bites her. It is also revealed that Xarus only wants Jubilee so the X-Men can come to rescue her and fall into a trap, especially Wolverine.[64] Jubilee is successfully transformed into a vampire and temporarily does the same to Wolverine after he comes to rescue her.[65] She remains a vampire and is detained in a holding cell beneath Utopia for observation, with Cyclops and Wolverine both rejectingBlade's suggestion that killing her is the only solution.[66]
AtGambit's behest, Wolverine travels to Paris, taking Jubilee with him. The tensions between Jubilee andX-23 (who is traveling with Gambit) flare up. Meanwhile, Gambit talks to Wolverine about the difference between how he treats Jubilee and X-23, both of whom see him as a father-figure.[67] Jubilee soon starts to develop a friendship with X-23 due to their similar circumstances, with the latter helping her deal with her urges to kill, while Jubilee in turn helps Laura learn how to be a "normal" girl.[68] She is later taken in by a group of vampires called the Forgiven, who have learned to move beyond their need for blood and can move about in the day, as a student.[69]
Jubilee returns to the X-Men with an orphaned baby, whom she names Shogo, who was infected with Arkea.[70] During theBattle of the Atom event,Sentinel X (a member of the future X-Men) is revealed to be a fully grown Shogo. The two spend some quality time together after the death of the future Jubilee and the defeat of theBrotherhood of Mutants.[71] Afterward, Storm informs her that the adoption papers have gone through, legally making Jubilee the mother of Shogo.[72]
Jubilee becomes a teacher at the newly-renamed Xavier Institute,[73] mentoring students deemed unsuited to become either X-Men or mutant ambassadors to humanity.[74] Students under her supervision includeQuentin Quire, Bling!,Nature Girl,Eye-Boy, Morph (Benjamin Deeds), andNathaniel Carver.[volume & issue needed]
AfterMonet falls under the influence of her brotherEmplate and attacks the school, she fights Jubilee and takes away the medallion she uses as protection from sunlight. Quentin Quire sacrifices his shard of the Phoenix Force to save Jubilee, curing her of her vampirism and restoring her mutant powers.[75]
Shortly afterProfessor X established theKrakoan Era, Jubilee joins withBetsy Braddock,Captain Britain, Rogue, Gambit, and Apocalypse to form a new iteration of Excalibur. Jubilee helps the team with the investigation of the Otherworld, which gained connection to the island-nation through a magical gate.[76][77][78]
As amutant, Jubilee has the power to generate pyrotechnic energy plasmoids from her hands, referred to as "fireworks."[79][80] The plasmoids obey her mental control, travel where she directed them, arrange themselves in various shapes, and explode on her command. The strength of the blasts vary in degrees of power and intensity, and range from a multitude of colorful sparkles capable of temporarily blinding a person to a powerful detonation capable of smashing objects and destroying property. She can also detonate a precision burst inside a human brain to simulate the effects of a massive stroke. Jubilee can also absorb this energy back into her own body without harm.[79]
While training in Generation X, Emma Frost described Jubilee as having the untapped ability to detonate matter at a subatomic level, which in theory is the equivalent of anuclear fusion bomb.[81] Her moral stance on taking a life was observed by Emma during thePhalanx Covenant, when Jubilee explained her fear of killing someone should her powers ever flare up again, as they did during theActs of Vengeance storyline inTheUncanny X-Men (she destroyed theMandarin's mansion in a massive explosion, out of grief after believing that Wolverine had been killed).[82] Emma stated that Jubilee had unlimited potential and was one of the most powerful mutants she had ever encountered, being able to detonate matter at a sub-atomic level.[83] Jubilee'sAge of Apocalypse alternate had few qualms about using her powers, and made liberal use of her full ability. InX-Terminators, Jubilee makes good on all of Emma's speculations as she releases an Atom Bomb attack that completely destroys the Collector's spaceship (while also vaporizing her own clothes and all of the hair on her body).[84]
Jubilee also displayed an immunity totelepathy, allowing her to remain "invisible" to telepaths.[85] She had, on occasion, used this ability to hide herself from telepathic scans and to block mental probes fromSentinels.[39]
In the aftermath ofHouse of M, Jubilee was one of the many mutants to be depowered, but she has since regained her powers.
Jubilee was among the mutants depowered by M-Day. She fell into a deep depression following the loss of her powers, going through several jobs before joining the New Warriors. During this time, she was known by the alias "Wondra".
Upon joining the post-Civil War New Warriors team, Wondra gained highly advanced technology fromNight Thrasher to replace her mutant abilities, giving her superhuman strength. While the upper limits of this power were not explored, the technology allowed Wondra to lift the engine of a freight train over her head. Wondra's power suit and gauntlets also enhanced her with limited invulnerability, as well as the ability to fly with hover discs.[56]
Jubilee gained the powers of a vampire from her transformation by the bite of Xarus, the son ofDracula. They include superhuman strength and speed, and turning into vapor. It is possible that she can heal much faster than a human. As a vampire, Jubilee now possesses all of the weaknesses of a vampire. She uses a medallion created by Xarus which allows all vampires to endure the sunlight. Quentin Quire later apparently cured Jubilee from her vampiric status after using a shard of the Phoenix Force he carried to save her from certain death, restoring her mutant powers in the process.[75]
Jubilee is a talented gymnast and in-line skater. While living on her own, she used her skills to evade capture while stealing to survive, first from the various shops in the mall and later at the X-Men's Australian base. She has also displayed above averagehand-to-hand combat skills, having learned street-fighting techniques while in Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall, and being coached further by Wolverine. Her skills are sufficient to survive combat with the Hand. She also demonstrated strong leadership abilities, often being placed in a field commander role by Banshee during her closing time with Generation X, and acting as a drill-sergeant figure for the most recent New Warriors team.
In an issue of theWolverine comic series, it was stated that Jubilee hasdyscalculia.[86]
Andy Quach ofMovieWeb included Jubilee in their "Asian Comic Book Characters that Need to Hit the MCU and DCU" list and called her one of the "most storied Asian heroes in all comic book history," writing, "Her character has been through plenty of thrilling storylines in theX-Men comics, any of which could make for an entertaining origin story centered around her."[87]
George Marston ofNewsarama included Jubilee in their "20 X-Men characters that should make the jump from Marvel comics to the MCU" list.[88] John Grimaldi ofCollider included Jubilee in their "10 Strongest Superhero Sidekicks in Marvel Comics" list.[89] Darren Franich ofEntertainment Weekly ranked Jubilee 25th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list.[90] Matthew Perpetua ofBuzzFeed ranked Jubilee 28th in their "95 X-Men Members Ranked From Worst To Best" list.[91]CBR.com ranked Jubilee 9th in their "10 Smartest Marvel Sidekicks" list,[92] and ranked her 20th in their "20 Most Powerful Mutants From The '80s" list.[93]
According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Jubilee #1 was the 80th-best-selling comic book in September 2004.[94][95]
According to Marvel Comics,Wolverine and Jubilee #1 sold out.[96][97] According toDiamond Comic Distributors,Wolverine and Jubilee #1 was the 70th-best-selling comic book in January 2011.[98][99]
Greg McElhatton ofCBR.com calledWolverine and Jubilee #1 a "smart-looking book," writing, "I'm curious to see where Immonen and Noto are going to take it from here. There's a lot of set-up in this first issue, but it's such a pleasant set-up that you barely even notice until it's over. So far, my only real complaint is that we're getting this as a mini-series. Of all the 9000 other X-Men spin-offs out there, one with this creative team would sure be nice."[100]
Jubilee appears in the novelization forX2.[citation needed] Amidst William Stryker's raid of the Xavier Institute, she absorbs electricity from a taser and blasts one of Stryker's men through a wall, but is ultimately captured. While in captivity, she rallies her fellow captured students before they are rescued.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jubilee by Robert Kirkman | Jubilee #1-6 | January 4, 2012 | 978-0785158615 |
| Wolverine and Jubilee:Curse of the Mutants | Wolverine and Jubilee #1-4,Uncanny X-Men #244 | June 29, 2011 | 978-0785157755 |
