| Screwball | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Amazing Spider-Man #559 (July 2008) |
| Created by | Dan Slott (writer) Marcos Martín (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Deadpool Inc. |
| Notable aliases | Screwball |
| Abilities |
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Screwball is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created by writerDan Slott and artistMarcos Martín, the characterfirst appeared inAmazing Spider-Man #559. Screwball is depicted as the first "live-streaming supervillain",[1] aninfluencer who records her crimes and battles in an attempt to gain internet fame as a recurring antagonist of thesuperheroPeter Parker / Spider-Man.[2][3]
Natalie Lander voices an original incarnation of Screwball,Liz Allan, in the 2017 animated seriesSpider-Man, whileStephanie Lemelin voices an adaptation of the anonymous comic-book Screwball in the 2018 video gameSpider-Man and its DLCThe City That Never Sleeps.[4]
Screwball debuted inAmazing Spider-Man #559, created by writerDan Slott and artistMarcos Martín.[5] She subsequently appeared in several Marvel series, includingSuperior Spider-Man (2013),[6][7]Marvel Action: Spider-Man (2021),[8]Spider-Man: Fake Red (2021),[9] andAmazing Spider-Man (2022).[10]
Not much is known about Screwball's past. She is an Internet personality who seeks attention, to the point that she commits infractions to gain followers and fame. Screwball commits crimes while a film crew filmed her so that she can get more hits on her videos by havingSpider-Man appear on it. She first encounters Spider-Man while he is tracing the "Spider-Tracer Killer".[11]
Screwball later poses as Spider-Man to help Bookie, with the two filming Spider-Man fighting the villain Basher. The fight is uploaded onYouTube and watched by the patrons of the Bar with No Name. TheEnforcers recognize what is happening and attack Bookie, only for him to be rescued when the real Spider-Man appears.[12] During a later fight with Screwball, Spider-Man is humiliated, causingBen Reilly to refuse to buy Peter Parker's photos.[13]
Following the "Gang War" storyline, Screwball uses drones to pull off a pique to gain more followers. These drones end up attackingSpider-Woman andSpider-Boy. Screwball later speaks through the drones, who combine into a giant robot. When the robot is defeated, Spider-Woman and Spider-Boy use one of the drones to track down Screwball. They defeat Screwball and leave her for the police.[14]
Screwball is a skilled gymnast with extensive parkour training, enabling her to navigate environments with ease. Her abilities are typically centered around her parkour expertise, which she uses to her advantage in maneuvering through New York City's urban landscape.[15] She also manages a team of cameramen and technicians who capture footage and maintain her website. While relying on her crew to document her exploits, Screwball also keeps an additional camera in her helmet.[16]
Joshua Kristian McCoy ofGame Rant described Screwball as an ideal character for a "meta-comedy film about filmmaking or social media."[17] Leah Bernstein ofComic Book Resources characterized Screwball as having an irritating charm, similar to the Riddler in theBatman: Arkham series of games. She noted that Screwball's confident yet abrasive personality fits her role as a thrill-seeking influencer wannabe, making her unlikable in a way that is refreshingly different from some of the literal monsters Spider-Man face.[18]
An alternate universe version of Screwball from Earth-19759 appears inSpider-Man: Fake Red.[19] When Screwball threatens to bomb a building, Yu pushes himself to his physical limits to pursue her, nearly dying from exhaustion as he swings several stories above the ground before finally confronting her face-to-face.[9]
Screwball appears inSpider-Man (2018),[24][25] voiced byStephanie Lemelin.[26][27] Screwball tasks Spider-Man with combat and stealth challenges to boost her live-stream views.[28] She returns in theCity That Never Sleeps DLC.[29]
In 2017,Diamond Select Toys released a Screwballaction figure inspired by Liz Allan's incarnation of the character.[30][31]
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