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| Marlo Chandler | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #347 (September 1988) |
| Created by | Peter David (writer/artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Full name | Marlo Chandler Jones |
| Supporting character of | Hulk Captain Marvel |
| Notable aliases | Harpy "Death Substitute" |
| Abilities | Expert gymnast and swimmer however in extreme circumstances such as in chaos war she is able to rekindle her connection with death and access the powers of Mistress Death As Harpy: Superhuman strength and durability Flight Energy bolt projection Formerly: Reality manipulation via "death wish" power. |
Marlo Chandler is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerPeter David, she first appeared inThe Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #347 (September 1988) and became an ongoing supporting character,[1] first in the above mentioned book and later in theCaptain Marvel series published between 1999 – 2004. She is married toRick Jones (a perennial sidekick to theHulk) and was a best friend toBetty Ross, the wife of Hulk's alter ego Bruce Banner. Marlo is also depicted as the human host ofLady Death.
In keeping with her introduction during a storyline in which the Hulk was involved with organized crime, Marlo's name combines the surnames of fictional detectivePhilip Marlowe (with the spelling changed toMarlo, a top-1000 name for girls born in the 1960s and 1970s) and his creatorRaymond Chandler.
The fictional character Marlo first appears as anaerobics andswimming instructor and as a love interest for thecasino security enforcer "Joe Fixit", who was in reality the believed-dead Hulk livingincognito. His true identity was unknown to Marlo.[2] She leaves him after seeing him appearing to have committed a brutal murder[3] but, after the Hulk reaches out to her in a rare display of emotion, their relationship ends in a more amicable way.[4]
As the comic book progresses, Marlo makes an appearance as the girlfriend ofRick Jones, who is Hulk's sidekick and best friend to the Hulk's alter ego Bruce Banner.[5] She had met Rick while he was on a book tour promoting his memoir,Sidekick. It is only when Rick, not knowing of Marlo's previous relationship with the Hulk, introduces her to Banner andBetty, that Marlo discovers that Joe Fixit was really the Hulk, and that Banner is not merely Fixit's friend but his alter ego.[6]
Shortly after this introduction,Doc Samson integrates the three personalities of the Hulk (green, gray, and Banner), resulting in a being that possesses a Hulk body with Banner's intelligence. When Betty expresses skepticism of a continued relationship with this new version of her husband, she moves in with Marlo, with whom she becomes best friends.[7]
Marlo is stabbed to death by Jackie Shorr, a deranged woman who claims to be Rick's biological mother.[8] Rick eventually revives Marlo using the technology of theLeader.[9] She does not come back all the way at first, and spends some time in a near vegetative state, only snapping out of it and regaining some form of consciousness when her brothers try to issue a court order to take her into care.[10]
Rick and Marlo marry, although the wedding is nearly called off. At hisbachelor party, Rick discovers asoft porn film that featured Marlo stripping nude at the beach, which was one of several such films she appeared in just after she had finished high school,[11] but the couple reconciles thanks to the Hulk's intervention. Every supervillain fromKree toMephisto appears at their wedding, due to the machinations of theImpossible Man.[12] The two even become famous while hosting a successfultalk show calledKeeping up with the Joneses. During this time, they make occasional appearances in the Hulk series; Marlo andBetty Ross become close friends and live together for a while until Betty's death.[13]
Marlo and Rick separate for a time, and she occupies herself with running the couple'sLos Angeles-area comic book store.[14] She and Rick reunite shortly after he is bonded withGenis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell).[15] Soon after, Marlo is menaced by theWendigo, a cannibalistic monster. She is saved by the Hulk.[16] During theCaptain Marvel series, Marlo becomes possessed bythe personification of Death. The large amount of cosmic powers leave her with a literal death wish, which manifests itself as reality changing to suit her desires.[17] Later, after coming to understand the situation, this talent goes away when she wishes for it to be gone.[18] The comic store itself often had stories featuring real-life incidents happening to Marlo and Rick. Marlo spends much of the time annoyed by a chain-smoking, female ghost only she can see and hear. This is the spirit of the girl killed during the Wendigo debacle. Marlo plays a major role in theCaptain Marvel series.
At one point she develops an attraction for the superheroineMoondragon which surprises the pair. At first both were unsure of what to do and before they can explore the possibility Marlo is whisked away by her husband.[19] When the truth eventually comes out Rick stands aside to let Marlo and Heather figure out their feelings. After some time passes Marlo and Heather break up when Marlo realizes that whatever feelings she had, they are stronger towards Rick. Heather, brokenheartedly, states she must have subconsciously used her telepathy to enamor Marlo. This is not true, just Heather trying to make the split easier for Marlo.[20]
As theCaptain Marvel series ended, Rick, now separated from Captain Marvel, and Marlo are last seen happily in love and giving their marriage a second chance.[volume & issue needed]
Marlo goes missing for some time and is revealed to have been kidnapped by the Leader, who turns her into a new version of the Harpy. Using his telepathy as a mental leash, the Leader sends her to battle Bruce Banner andSkaar. Afterwards when she recognizes Rick in his A-Bomb form, she returns to normal and reunites with Rick.[21]
During theWorld War Hulks storyline, Marlo turns herself back into Harpy to help A-Bomb fight a drunkenUlik after averting a disaster on the train tracks he destroyed. When Ulik starts to choke Marlo, A-Bomb beats him into unconsciousness.[22]
During theChaos War storyline,Doctor Strange reveals to the Hulk and his allies that Marlo is now a crucial factor in the war. Due to her time as a host of Death, Marlo could serve as a "Death substitute" if she is discovered which would result in everyone currently merely immobilized by Hell being killed by the hellfire.[23] Marlo uses her connection to Death to bring Doc Samson,Jarella,Hiroim, andRebecca Banner back from the dead to help the Hulks in their fight against a resurrectedAbomination, aZom-possessed Doctor Strange, and the forces ofAmatsu-Mikaboshi.[24] Marlo later uses her connection to Death to free Strange from Zom and send Abomination back to the afterlife.[25]
Marlo apparently reappears in Las Vegas some years later.[26] to talk withBen Reilly, the clone ofSpider-Man, recently brought back to life and having spent time acting as the newJackal, but it is soon revealed that this is actually Death, using Marlo's body to talk with Reilly due to their prior bond.[27]
Marlo Chandler is an expert gymnast and swimmer.[volume & issue needed]
For a time, Marlo possesses a "death wish" power after her time serving as host to the cosmic being known as Death, which results in her being able to unconsciously shape reality when she makes wishes, although this power only works if she is not consciously trying to use it. She eventually erases this power after she wishes that she no longer had it. It has been revealed the connection with Death can be rekindled under extreme circumstances, allowing her to access the powers of the cosmic being Mistress Death herself.
As theHarpy, Marlo has superhuman strength and durability as well as the ability to fly and fire energy bolts from her hands.[volume & issue needed]
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