The Lang Family Tree *Updated*

While digging for another family to highlight, I hit upon the Lang Family. Initially, this seemed like a bigger challenge due to the fairly extensive list of relatives I discovered for Scott Lang. As it turned out, the list of relatives pre-MC2 is really quite small.

Obviously, the reason for this entry in the MC2 Family Tree is one Cassandra 'Cassie' Lang aka Stinger of the Avengers. Cassie is the daughter of Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man, who I'm sure most are now at least somewhat aware of thanks to the titular movie. Scott made his first appearance in Avengers (vol. 1) #181 and stole the Ant-Man identity in Marvel Premiere #47. Cassie also makes her first appearance in the latter title, along with her Aunt Ruth and (I'm assuming they're married) Uncle Carl.



There's really only a few tidbits to address. Despite my initial belief that Cassie's mother ( Peggy Rae) was a fairly long-established character, I discovered that she makes her first appearance well after the MC2 branching point in Avengers (vol. 3) #62.


*As a result, Peggy wasn't initially identified by name in the Family Tree above. However, more recently I discovered that Peggy is named in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (vol. 1) #1 published back in 1983. As a result, I've corrected the Family Tree above.*

With the increase in audience recognition for the Scott Lang iteration of Ant-Man arising from the recent movie, the character has been the subject of a few solo titles which have introduced several new members to the Lang extended family....all of whom are not included for the same reasons I've mentioned previously. So with all that said, I think that's a wrap, people.


Until I run out of ideas or get something terribly wrong and collapse into a puddle of shame, I remain



frogoat

The Wakandan Royal Family Tree

I take it all back. The X-Men and their confusing and muddled family relationships and connections are nothing- NOTHING-compared to the insanity that is the Wakandan Royal Family Tree. So, after two weeks of painful riffling through various comics, I've managed to piece together what I consider to be a complete MC2 Family Tree. Wait....the Black Panther movie hasn't been and gone yet, has it? I haven't missed it, have I?!
Speaking of the upcoming film, it looks to be integrating more recent additions to the Black Panther's family. I often wonder if anyone stumbles upon this series of blog posts not knowing that it's tailored to the world of the MC2, and leaves muttering about absent family members and errors? Maybe I should append a notice to each one of these posts? Anyway, here goes!

First and most certainly most importantly, let's talk about T'Challa, the King of Wakanda himself. The Black Panther first appeared in the Fantastic Four #52 and has since gone on to become one of the most successful and influential characters of African descent ever to grace comics. T'Challa's father T'Chaka is introduced in the very next issue (Fantastic Four #53) where we learn he died at the hands of Ulysses Klaue aka the villainous Klaw. 

Black Panther (vol. 1) #7 introduces us to Bashenga, the very first Black Panther and apparently T'Challa's ancestor. You'll notice I've split the family tree this time around. This is mainly because, as you'll see, there are several relatives with unclear familiar connections to the main Royal Family. A perfect example of this would be The Black Musketeers. Also first appearing in Black Panther (vol. 7) #7 is Dr Joshua Itobo, a cousin of T'Challa who is called upon to defend Wakanda in his absence. The very next issue we are introduced to three more of T'Challa's cousins who fill out the so-called The Black Musketeers: Ishanta, Khanata and Zuni. 

Over in Avengers (vol. 1) #77 T'Challa talks about his uncle N'Baza who organised for him to attend the finest school in Europe and America. In Avengers (vol. 1) #87 we learn that N'Baza is the witch doctor who became the Regent of Wakanda following T'Chaka's death. It was from him that T'Challa claimed the Black Panther title. Presumably, this makes N'Baza the same witch doctor seen in Fantastic Four #53 who held a young T'Challa back when his father was murdered. N'Baza's own son, B'Tumba also first appears in Avengers (vol. 1) #87 wherein we learn he accompanied T'Challa abroad and eventually betrayed Wakanda to AIM. Curiously, the father and son are never referred to as family anywhere else.

We learn that T'Chaka had a second wife from another tribe, with whom he had a son named Jakarra, T'Challa's half-brother (Black Panther (vol. 1) #6). Jakarra was born frail and small in stature and grew up in foreign military schools, only to return and live in T'Challa's shadow. Staging a military coup, exposing himself to Vibranium which turned him into a mutated creature and rampaging through the country, Jakarra was finally defeated and killed thanks to the efforts of the aforementioned cousins and T'Challa himself before his proximity to the Vibranium mound could trigger a destructive explosion.

It's important to note that Jakarra's mother was identified as a different woman to that of T'Challa's own mother. While I'm not certain if she was ever stated to have died prior to Marvel Comics Presents #13, T'Challa is surprised to learn that Ramonda may be alive at the beginning of this story. Through the course of the twenty-five part 'Panther's Quest' story we learn that Ramonda returned to her native South Africa for the funeral of her father Lungile, only to be abducted, held captive and abused for several years by a white supremacist named Anton Pretorius(Marvel Comics Presents #37). Pretorius anonymously spread rumours and sent photo's to King T'Chaka, leading the King to conclude his wife had left him for another man. T'Chaka would thereafter rarely mention his lost wife to his son, leading T'Challa to believe his mother had died. At the story's conclusion, mother and son are reunited at last.

Oddly enough, we learn of another of T'Challa's cousin's in Daredevil #245. M'Koni (apparently taking the name 'Mary' in America) married a member of the Wakanda Flying Patrol named Wheeler, the two moved to New York and had a son named Billy. Wheeler led the family to ruin after his gambling addiction left them with no money and mobsters looking for payment. Following an encounter with both Daredevil and the Black Panther, Wheeler cleaned up his act and made a fresh start.

A back-up story in Fantastic Four Unlimited #1 gives us a story about T'Chaka's father and mother, Chanda and Nanali. The story is told through a book left by N'Baza to T'Challa and claims that Chanda befriended by Fritz Klaue, (identified as the father of Ulysses Klaue) a Nazi officer who crashed in Wakanda during a mission. After being nursed back to health, Fritz -obsessed with the Vibranium mound- convinced some of the Wakandans to worship the Panther Totem as God in contradiction to their prior beliefs. When Chanda refused, Fritz killed Nanali. Nearly dead, Chanda escaped only to return rejuvenated by eating of the heart-shaped herbs and having killed a Black Panther which offered itself to him, driving out Klaue and restoring the status quo of his people. Annoyingly, this story makes the claim that Chanda was the first Black Panther despite the previous story about Bashenga over a decade prior.

There aren't any new additions to the Wakandan Royal Family Tree until the publication of Black Panther (vol. 3) #1, cover dated November 1998. As the MC2 first appeared several months prior in What If #105 (cover dated February 1998) any stories and characters published after this point should be considered non-canon unless otherwise referenced within MC2 comics. For completeness sake I will give a brief account of later additions and changes to the Royal Family.



The aforementioned Black Panther (vol. 3) #1 retcons Ramonda as T'Challa's step-mother and states that his biological mother was a woman named N'Yami who died giving birth to T'Challa.



Hunter aka White Wolf was a Caucasian boy adopted by T'Chaka after his parents died in a plane crash in Wakanda (Black Panther (vol. 3) #4). After T'Challa was born, he grew jealous and resentful of his sibling.


Azzuri the Wise was implied and later official retconned as the father of T'Chaka, fighting against and alongside Captain America during WWII (Black Panther (vol. 4) #1, Black Panther/Captain America: Flags of Our Fathers #1).


A previously unseen daughter of Ramonda and T'Chaka, Shuri was first introduced in Black Panther (vol. 4) #2. She later took up the mantle of the Black Panther, becoming the first female ever to do so.


Also first appearing in Black Panther (vol. 4) #2, S'Yan is the previously unseen brother of T'Chaka. Upon T'Chaka's death, S'Yan takes up the mantle of Black Panther as King of Wakanda until his nephew claimed the throne through trial of combat.


Again in Black Panther (vol. 4) #2 we are introduced to T'Shan who is the son of S'Yan and was jealous of his cousin T'Challa.


T'Challa also marries the X-Man Storm aka Ororo Monroe in Black Panther (vol. 4) #18. As is often the case in modern comics, the two later separate.


Kwezi Dzana is identified as a nephew of T'Challa's in Ms. Marvel (vol. 4) #16.

As you can probably tell, many of these new characters fill much the same roles as previously established characters, and in some cases actually supplant the earlier characters. You could simplify this by splitting the Wakandan Royal Family history into two separate canons....as I've done here. But for different reasons.



Now, onto the MC2 proper! First appearing in A-Next #4, T'Chaka aka Coal Tiger is the son of T'Challa, King of Wakanda. While visiting America for a trade agreement, T'Chaka was attacked and briefly kidnapped by the hate group Soldiers of the Serpent. It's at this point we learn that T'Chaka has the ability to transform into a humanoid cat-like being resembling a Black Panther.

It's also in this issue that T'Chaka refers to N'Kano ( aka the Wakandan hero Vibraxas) as his uncle. I was unsure if this was a term of endearment or an actual familial connection, as non had been established prior. Additionally, I can't determine on which side of the family he might fall without further information. As such, I've omitted him from this family tree for now.

Next time I won't pick such a complicated family to delve into for this MC2 Family Tree series. Until then, I remain




frogoat

The Wyngarde Family Tree

I honestly have no idea what's wrong with me. Why did I pick another X-Men related family?! WHY? Without further ado, here is the Wyngarde Family Tree for the MC2.

I learnt a few interesting tidbits while researching the X-Men villain Mastermind aka Jason Wyngarde. For starters Mastermind first appeared way back in Uncanny X-Men #4 as a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It wasn't until Uncanny X-Men #122 that his real name of Jason Wyngarde was uttered. It was unclear at the time whether this was intended as Mastermind's real name or if it was simply an alias he created along with his illusions.Apparently the behind the scenes situation was just as confused with writer Chris Claremont referring to it as though it was both an alias and his real name (see link). Either way, the name stuck. Unfortunately, Wyngarde would contract the Legacy Virus and eventually died in the pages of  Uncanny X-Men Annual #17.  Fortunately, that's not the end of the story.

In Wolverine/Gambit: Victims #2 we meet a woman named Martinique Jason who, it transpires, is the Mastermind's illegitimate daughter. Martinique not only inherited her father's illusionary abilities, but also has some telepathic powers. Adopting her father's villainous identity as Mastermind, Martinique is manipulated by Arcade into framing Wolverine for several murders in London. After discovering the manipulation, Martinique turns on Aracade, leaving him trapped in his own mental prison, before escaping. The only other strictly MC2-relevant appearance featuring Martinique Jason is in Daredevil #352 in which she takes possession of Arcade's extensive files on various super heroes. Later appearances refer to this character as 'Martinique Wyngarde' but given these are later retcons (or honest mistakes?) and she's never called 'Wyngarde' in these early appearances prior to the divergence of the 616 and MC2 I've gone with the surname Jason.

It's again worth pointing out that more recent main Marvel Universe stories establish Jason Wyngarde has other daughters, but these are not part of the purview of this MC2 family tree. No need to tell me I forgot them, okay?

Apparently Jason Wyngarde had a sibling because, as we learn in J2 #2, he also has a niece who follows in his criminal footsteps. All we know about Enthralla is that she had prior run-ins with the X-People before encountering J2 in her first appearance. She later teams with Sabreclaw in a ploy to lure Magneta into a trap. Unfortunately for Enthralla, Magneta was accompanied by Wild Thing and J2, which leads to her defeat (J2 #8). Enthralla encountered Spider-Girl and Wild Thing while attempting to break-out Sabreclaw following his defeat at the hands of the Avengers before surrendering when faced with the Fantastic Five. Having checked through all of these appearances, I can't find a definitive mention of Wyngarde as her surname, but both The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 7 identify her as 'Enthralla (Wyngarde)' so that's good enough for me.

Well, that's it. While it looks fairly straight forward, a few naming inconsistences and relatives did throw a wrench into the works for me.

Until I stop covering X-Men characters, I remain

frogoat

The Forest Family Tree

A quick but tangentially relevant family tree, given the season.

 Betty Forest aka Bitter Frost made her first and to-date only appearance in Amazing Spider-Girl #3 (which incidentally has one of my favourite covers of all time) where we also learn her tragic origins. Betty came to the attention of social worker Caitlan Leiber after being abused by her boyfriend, Wayne. At the time new to the job, Caitlan learned that not only was Betty in an abusive relationship, her home life was no better. Betty's father, Mr Forest (first name unknown) was a widowed alcoholic with a temper. After repeated attempts to convince Betty to make a new start by leaving 'Mr Wonderful' aka Wayne, Caitlan turned her attention to those who were accepting of her help.

Sometime later, Wayne severely beat Betty, causing her to run away and seek refuge in a deserted factory. The leaky old chemical containers stored within gave Betty ice abilities. Betty, considering her herself dead and now transformed into 'Bitter Frost' sought revenge. Beginning by killing her abusive father, Frost then confronted Caitlan Leiber for letting her slip through the cracks in the system. The arrival of Mayday stopped Frost from killing Caitlan, after which Frost turned her attention toward killing Wayne. Due to the intervention of Caitlan, Spider-Girl and Detective Drasco, Wayne is spared and flees and Bitter Frost reverts back into Betty Forest after exposure to the intense heat of a fire.

I would assume 'Betty' is short for Elizabeth but as there is nothing to confirm this, I've stuck with what's on the page. I find Betty's story both tragic and far to real and would love to see her make a return someday. Not only would it be interesting to see these real world themes explored more, her power-set and victimhood despite her murder of her father also makes for an interesting dramatic foil.


Until I run out of family trees in the MC2 to explore, I remain

frogoat

A Merry MC2 Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Logan Family Tree

This one was an eye opener. I now understand why X-Men fans tear their hair out. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the combined kin of Natchios and Logan...with a few asterisks.

Wolverine has presented me with a conundrum. For the purposes of these family trees, I accept that MC2 characters share their published history (up to a point) with their 616/Main Marvel Universe counterparts. I make exceptions for any retcons implemented after the point the MC2 diverges from the 616 and in cases where it's explicitly or implicitly different (Aunt May really died) or when a writer later introduces a previously unheard of relative (the Lang family and likely the Pym family) who is never mentioned, seen or heard of in the MC2. With the last exception, I would add them to the family tree in later updates should they be mentioned in MC2 material at any point.

Wolverine presents a new case of a previously unresolved plot point (his true name and origin) being resolved post-MC2 but due to it being a long standing pre-MC2 mystery and it not at face value contradicting elements of the MC2. So, information revealed in the Origin mini-series can be accepted as MC2 canon also. I personally feel I need only list James Howlett as his real name and leave out his family members, at least for now. If later MC2 works utilize these story elements, I'll add them.

As for post-Origin relatives of Wolverine, including potential offspring such as X-23 and Daken and his half-dozen other kids from one storyline who die, I have decided that these are all later retcons not directly affiliated with his MC2 counterpart. Further, the Wolverine: Origins ongoing series apparently revealed that several significant characters throughout Wolverine's past were related to him, specifically by his mother's own extended family. Character's such as the Professor involved with the Weapon X program (Professor Andre Thorton) were retroactively made Wolverine's long lost relatives-the Hudson's- despite some of these characters having established names. I will not be referring to these characters in the family as they were later retconned relatives, not pre-established.

With all of that out of the way, let's start in earnest. Logan aka the mutant known as Wolverine first appeared in the final panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 with his first full appearance the following issue in The Incredible Hulk #181.  For decades, Logan's true name and origin was a mystery. It wasn't until the mini series Origin that we got the answers that had been long teased. We learn that the man we know as Logan was born 'James Howlett' as a result of an affair between Elizabeth Howlett and Thomas Logan, the grounds-keeper on the Howlett's estate. Thomas Logan had another son, 'Dog' Logan, making him James' half-brother. As stated above, I have decided to leave them off this MC2-centric family tree for now.


During an adventure in the Savage Land, seen in Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure, Logan find's spends a period of time with the leader of Tribe of Fire, a woman named Gahck. At the conclusion of the story, she is seen holding an infant. Logan's status as the child's father and the child's name (Erista) were only implied, at least until being confirmed in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2004.

Logan also adopted a young girl named Amiko Kobayashi following her mother's death during a giant monster attack in Tokyo in Uncanny X-Men #181. Amiko was eventually left in the care of a woman named Yukio, which led to an encounter with the assassin Elektra, which is as good a transition as any to the other half of this family tree.


Elektra Natchios is another character with a somewhat convoluted family history. First appearing in Daredevil #168, Elektra was reportedly intended as a one-off character, but proved popular enough to make regular appearances in the series until her first death in Daredevil #181. Elektra returned from the dead soon after and has gone onto be a consistent fan favourite character.

Elektra's first appearance in Daredevil #168 is also her father's first appearance and death, as he is shot to during a terrorist hostage situation. It's not until the Elektra Assassin mini that we learn his name is Hugo Natchios. Through the story, Elektra attempts to recall her past by revisiting memory fragments, some of which seem to be partially imagined, such as her recollection of her own birth during her mother Christina's assassination as depicted in Elektra Assassin #1.

Christina Natchios proves to be an interesting case of multiple characters providing differing accounts of her personality, character and even the events surrounding her death. A later mini-series called Elektra: Root of Evil features Hugo telling a young Elektra his version of the events of Christina's death and Elektra's birth. According to Hugo, his wife openly had affairs, embarrassing the newly appointed ambassador. When Christina became pregnant, Hugo drunkenly shared his shame with his son Orestez (more on him later) who -enraged- organised the assassination which injured his father and killed his mother who gave birth to Elektra as she died (Elektra: Root of Evil #2). When Hugo learned Elektra was in-fact his daughter by blood, he threw himself into raising her.

Alternatively, as recounted in Elektra (vol. 1) #18, we are given an entirely different account of Christina by a man named Stavros who knew the Natchios family well. He tells an adult Elektra that as a teenager Christina used to work for a resistance cell led by Hugo, showing cold determination and kindness. While eight months pregnant Christina was shot during a hostage situation, but managed to disarm the shooter and prevented him from being killed by the angry crowd before she dying as Elektra was born. While it's perhaps possible that parts of Stavros' story could be true (how Hugo and Christina met) it's impossible to reconcile the two different series of events leading to Christina's death. As such, I'm inclined to go with the earlier telling of events given they connect to much of Elektra's family history, including Orestez, who goes completed unmentioned in this new telling.

Orestez Natchios is the older brother of Elektra, and son to Hugo and Christina who first appeared in flashbacks in Elektra: Root of Evil #2. As mentioned above, a drunken and disgraced Hugo tells Orestez of his mother's infidelity and the likelihood of her current pregnancy being to another man. Orestez hires mercenaries to kill his mother as punishment while she vacationed, unaware his father had joined her. When Orestez learns his beloved father was injured during the attack, he left the family out of guilt. Years later, Orestez saved his young sister Elektra from an attack and returned her home to their father, telling him she needed to learn to protect herself, choosing to remain in his self-imposed exile.

Finally, we arrive at the MC2 section of this write-up! Rina Logan aka Wild Thing, daughter to Logan and Elektra first appeared in J2 #5. Seeking out the titular character for information about his father the previous Juggernaut, Rina battled J2 until Wolverine put a stop to the fight. Though young, Rina is frequently depicted as adventuring far and wide, even sending her parents letters from her travels. At some point in her past, Rina was brutally attacked and left to die on a mountain top by her half-brother, Hudson.

The animalistic Hudson aka Sabreclaw first appeared in J2 #8, working alongside the villainous Enthralla against the combined efforts of J2, Magneta and his half-sister Wild Thing. Following his initial appearance, Sabreclaw would join various teams, including The Revengers and The Savage Six before finally seeing the light and joining The Avengers. There is no information on the identity of Sabreclaw's mother.

It's not immediately clear whether Hudson is Sabreclaw's first or last name, nor if he shares the surname 'Logan' with his half-sister. The only name we are given in-story is simply 'Hudson' in his first appearance so that leaves secondary sources, so let's explore those. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 identifies Sabreclaw as 'Hudson Logan', while the following year's All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12 Wild Thing profile back-tracks to 'Hudson (surname unrevealed)'. The All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #3 (2007) features a Sabreclaw profile entry in which his real name is given as 'Hudson (full name unrevealed)', suggesting the name could be either his given name or surname whereas The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 7 refers to him as Hudson Logan. However, the Wild Thing profile published in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 13 (2010) reverts to 'Hudson (surname unrevealed)'. Personally, I'd assume Hudson is Sabreclaw's first name, based on the context of it's usage in J2 #8 and it's debatable whether Logan is his surname.

This entry took a lot of time and effort to research and I am still uncertain if I've done it justice. Hopefully my rationale regarding the use of family members and names discussed at the top makes sense and holds up to your scrutiny. I've given this a lot of thought.

Until I take up a nice relaxing hobby like bee-keeping, I remain

frogoat

The Dillon Family Tree

Here's another family tree I was inspired to pump out after completed my last post: The Dillon Family Tree! Electro is one of Spider-Man's most iconic enemies and has always been a personal favourite of mine. So, as you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised when not only did we get an Electro-themed MC2 character, but we also learned she was indeed related to the original.

Maxwell 'Max' Dillon first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #9 but we didn't get much insight into his life or personal history until Amazing Spider-Man #422. It's in this issue that we learn pretty much everything we could want to know about what makes Max the man he is: a man with great potential who never really tried to push himself. Max was born in Endicott, New York but his father Jonathan Dillon made them move frequently as result of being fired often. Jonathan was a tightly wound man prone to violent outbursts who abandoned his young family when Max was around 8 years old. This event caused Max's mother, Anita Dillon to become overprotective of her son, actively discouraging him from taking risks even when he reached adulthood. When Max announced his plans to go to college to pursue a career as a scientist or electrical engineer, Anita discouraged him, insisting he lacked the intelligence and discipline. Clearly, Max never stood a chance.

Just three weeks before Max's twenty-fifth birthday, Anita passed away. Six months later, Max married Norma Lynn, a secretary he met working at the local electric company. Max went from job to job until he became a lineman, and rather than pursue a management position or his dream of being an engineer, he stayed where he felt safe. Refusing to settle for a man with no ambition, Norma left Max who threw himself into his work-the only thing he had left. It was while (selfishly) doing his lineman job that Max would gain his electrical powers.

Fast forward to the MC2 and an unnamed female villain clad in an Electro-inspired costume makes an appearance in Spider-Girl #51. This particular issue has the distinction of being the only one written by someone other than Tom Defalco and the gang. Written by Sean McKeever with art by Casey Jones, the issue was commissioned as a fill-in issue in the event a deadline couldn't be met but after sometime, it was published regardless. While this issue was published directly after the big anniversary issue #50, it obviously does not follow these events with the collected digests placing the story between Spider-Girl #35 and #36. None of this is strictly relevant, but I felt a little context might help. The aforementioned Electro-styled villainess who briefly appears goes unnamed, though Spider-Girl does point out the apparent connections to Electro and jokingly refers to her opponent as 'Electra', quipping that it's already taken.

We wouldn't learn anymore about this character until she was re-visited by Tom and Ron in Spider-Girl #81 in what has to be one of the best stand-alone issues of the series. We learn that years ago Max fell in love with a woman named Marilyn, though the two never married. They had a daughter together named Allison Dillon who was born with similar electrical powers. Sadly, Max and Allison were never able to make physical contact due to their 'electrical auras' causing one another extreme pain. Marilyn told Max to stay out of Allison's life and he obliged, later winding up in prison. While there, Marilyn died, leaving Allison to be shuffled between foster homes, eventually donning a costume and starting a life of crime like her father before her. Only recently learning of Allison's situation, and apparently having served his time, Max reaches out to the Avengers to obtain help from his old enemy Spider-Man. With Spider-Man and Spider-Girl's help, father and daughter are reunited and fight through the pain of their electrical auras, finally overcoming the barrier between them.

As a sidenote, I found references to Max having a sister but this seems to ignore established continuity.As near as I can tell this 'sister' only appears in the Spider-Man: Web of Shadows video game.The last thing left to mention is the unusual instance of Allison being mistakenly referred to as Samantha Dillon in Spider-Girl #100. Or maybe Samantha is her middle name?!

That's about it for this one. Hopefully we'll see more of this electrified family someday. Until I can maintain a regular schedule for this blog, I remain

frogoat

The Robertson Family Tree

After a bit of break, the Family Tree's are back! A personal favourite fictional family: The Robertson's! Since the introduction of Joseph 'Robbie' Robertson way back when, the Robertson's have been a consistent and stable feature of the Spidey titles.

Despite the insistence of several reputable sources which tell me Joe Robertson first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #51, I'm not entirely convinced. But I can definitely agree that Robbie appears in the very next issue Amazing Spider-Man #52, as he's identified by name. While we learn a lot of Robbie's past through flashbacks in Spectacular Spider-Man #139, including his unfortunate relationship with Tombstone, we never do learn how he met his dear wife. Martha Eleanor Robertson makes her first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #71, though she does make a small appearance in a photo beforehand in Amazing Spider-Man #68. Martha and Joe are the proud parents of Randolph 'Randy' Robertson, who first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #67.  

While I can't find a primary source for their names, Joe's parents are identified as Alice and Samuel Robertson in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 9, both deceased at some point prior to meeting Martha, as Robbie recounts in Amazing Spider-Man #196. It is also in ASM #196 where we learn Robbie and Martha's first child Patrick Henry Robertson tragically died at only six months old. The enormity of this event stills affects them to this day.

After moving away to Pittsburg, Robbie met and married a Jewish woman named Amanda 'Mandy' Batavides, as we learn in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #112. While I can't find a reference for Amanda Robertson's surname pre-marriage in primary sources, it is given in the OHOTMU Vol. 9. Randy neglected to tell his parents of his hasty marriage, leading to some initial misgivings from Robbie. 

And now comes the part of the post where I discuss divergent timelines and bore you all to death. Or I could just show you this scene from the post-reboot Peter Parker: Spider-Man (vol. 2) #17: 

As this occurs in a comic outside of the MC2's established timeline, we can assume Randy and Amanda are either still happily married or worked through there problems and reconciled. Now, why did I bring this plot point up? 

Because in The Buzz #1 we meet Richie Robertson, son of Randy and grandson of Joe Robertson. I reached out to Richie's co-creator, consummate professional and all-round-good-guy Mr Ron Frenz for some behind the scenes information and he confirmed that 'Richie' is short for Richard. Additionally, Ron also revealed that he and Tom Defalco didn't have anyone in particular in mind for Richie's mother. They've kindly given me permission to indulge myself by putting Amanda in this role. Thank you, gentlemen! 

Sadly when we catch up with Richie, we learn that the Robertson's suffered a terrible loss not long after Spider-Man finally hung up his webs. Joe Robertson was murdered by Doctor Octopus during an attack on Bugle. We also learn that Richie's father, Randy works for the New York City Council, while Richie put his considerable intellect to use working on Project: Human Fly along side Dr Marla Jameson and the treacherous Dr Sonja Jade. The project was the brainchild of J Jonah Jameson following Joe's murder, largely to ensure there was a hero who could be controlled and accountable for their actions.

Richie goes on to become The Buzz's closest ally in his fight for justice, despite their sometimes prickly relationship. When confronted with the man who killed his grandfather, Richie insists JJ aka The Buzz brings him in to face justice, but when given the choice between proving Dr Jade's involvement and saving Doc Ock, he was more than happy for The Buzz to leave Ock to die. 

Richie is honestly one of the most interesting supporting characters in the MC2 and I would love to have seen more of him and the Robertson's. The impact the family has on the mythos can't be understated. 

Special thanks to Mr Ron Frenz, Josh Bertone and Alex Evangeli for their help with this one.

Until I start working on theses family tree's more regularly again, I remain

frogoat

The Morgan Family Tree

I'm surprised I haven't covered this family before! Here's a look at the Morgan Family Tree. Ladyhawk is the crime-fighting identity shared by identical twin sisters Rosetta and Regina Morgan, who first appeared in Spider-Girl #6.

A recurring crime boss who often had run ins with the Falcon, 'Boss' Morgan first appeared in Captain America (vol. 1) #152 and would go on to hold a grudge against the winged crime-fighter. At some point, Morgan (who's first name is still unrevealed) married and had twin daughters, Rosetta and Regina. What little we do know of the sisters childhood is revealed in Spider-Girl #60. When their parents divorced as a result of Morgan's temper, the two sister were separated, with Regina going to live with her mother and Rosetta with her father. Despite his criminal career and temper, Rosetta describes her father treating her like a little princess-a warrior princess.

Supposedly, 'Boss' Morgan died in a shoot-out while Rosetta and Regina were still in high school, with a later police investigation revealing he was responsible for the death of the Falcon. When the sisters were reunited, they set about using their father's estate to fund their war on crime as. Or...at least that's what Rosetta tells Spider-Girl.

But it would seem the reports of Mr Morgan's demise were greatly exaggerated because he appears in Amazing Spider-Girl #7, very much alive and still in charge of his criminal organisation. So what gives? I think, either we can chalk it up to Rosetta not feeling comfortable to share certain details with Spider-Girl or Morgan faked his own demise. Based on Rosetta's reaction to hearing mention of her father's name and their tense interaction later in the issue, I'm inclined to believe Rosetta was not aware, or there's more going unsaid than we know about.

I have not been able to find a name for Rosetta and Regina's mother, but Rosetta tell's Spider-Girl that their mother died a few years prior. If anyone has a suggestion as to her name or identity, feel free to send me a message and let me know. I've always wanted to see the Ladyhawks' get their own mini-series at the least because there is a lot of fertile territory to explore both with the pair's superhero lives and the nature of their own familial relationships.

Until I stop enjoying this series of posts, I remain

frogoat

The Drew Family Tree

This time around I thought I'd shine a little 'spotlight' on the first Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew and her family. The best part about doing these little projects is it gives me the chance to read and discover new facets of the Marvel Universe. In delving into the family history of Jessica Drew, I discovered that her mother and father (Meriem and Jonathan Drew) are deeply entrenched in other areas of Marvel lore.

Jessica first obtains her powers as a result of exposure to radiation when she was a child living with her parents on Wundagore Mountain. The reason her parents were there? Jonathan Drew was a scientist specializing in arthropods who partnered with the man who would become the High Evolutionary. Together, they moved to the nation of Transia onto land inherited by Meriem Drew from her maternal Uncle and, after discovering a vast deposit of Uranium, build a futuristic scientific laboratory to further their research. When Jessica is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation, she is placed into cryogenic stasis and injected with a serum derived from Jonathan's spider research.

Oh, and then Meriem is killed by a Werewolf (who just so happens to be the father of Jack Russell) and Jonathan eventually becomes possessed by the sorcerer Magnus due to exposure to the Elder God Chthon before later becoming involved with a group called the Pyrotechnics who brainwashed and later killed him on the orders of a Congressmen. So yeah, pretty well connected, and that's not even mentioning Jessica's connection to the Puppet Master. Seriously, look into it.

On the MC2 side of things, it appears that following a loss of her powers, Jessica pursued her private investigator career before marrying an old boyfriend (apparently Gerald 'Jerry' Hunt, a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent she encountered early in her costumed days). Two years later, Jess gave birth to her son Gerald 'Gerry' Drew who was soon diagnosed with a rare and apparently fatal blood disease. Hunt blamed Jessica for Gerry's condition and abandoned his family but Jessica never gave up on her son, using her own father's old research to recreate the process that saved her I hopes of saving Gerry.

The process was painful and long, so to distract Gerry, Jessica would entertain him with stories of various heroes including Spider-Man, who would become Gerry's favourite. Gerry emerged from the treatment with spider-powers and become obsessed with replicating his hero Spider-Man. Despite giving him superhuman abilities, the process had not cured him of his blood disease and Gerry was still, in fact, dying.

A few tidbits that don't really fit anywhere: Jessica's mother's name is spelt various different ways including Meriem, Merriam and Miriam, sometimes in the same story. I've gone with Meriem for the family tree, as that is the original spelling from Spider-Woman #1. Also, you may have noticed I mention that Meriem inherited land from her maternal Uncle, despite not including him in the Family Tree above. I am aware. Curiously, there is a slight discrepancy regarding the timeline of events surrounding when Jerry Hunt abandoned his family, as he is seen in a recounting of Gerry's treatment, but absent in another telling. Considering both are told by people who either weren't present (Julia Carpenter) or were too young to remember (Gerry himself), it's unclear whether Jerry left before or after his son began the experimental treatment. Spider-Girl #42 gives Gerry his full first name of Gerald and also mentions that his surname was legally changed after his mother  divorced his father. So, Gerry was formerly Gerald Hunt, after his father.

Until I find a more succinct and streamlined method of pawing through Marvel Minutia, I remain

frogoat

The Lang Family Tree

While digging for another family to highlight, I hit upon the Lang Family. Initially, this seemed like a bigger challenge due to the fairly extensive list of relatives I discovered for Scott Lang. As it turned out, the list of relatives pre-MC2 is really quite small.

Obviously, the reason for this entry in the MC2 Family Tree is one Cassandra 'Cassie' Lang aka Stinger of the Avengers. Cassie is the daughter of Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man, who I'm sure most are now at least somewhat aware of thanks to the titular movie. Scott made his first appearance in Avengers (vol. 1) #181 and stole the Ant-Man identity in Marvel Premiere #47. Cassie also makes her first appearance in the latter title, along with her Aunt Ruth and (I'm assuming they're married) Uncle Carl.

There's really only a few tidbits to address. Despite my initial belief that Cassie's mother ( Peggy Rae) was a fairly long-established character, I discovered that she makes her first appearance well after the MC2 branching point in Avengers (vol. 3) #62. As a result, Peggy is not identified by name in the Family Tree above.

With the increase in audience recognition for the Scott Lang iteration of Ant-Man arising from the recent movie, the character has been the subject of a few solo titles which have introduced several new members to the Lang extended family....all of whom are not included for the same reasons I've mentioned previously. So with all that said, I think that's a wrap, people.

Until I run out of ideas or get something terribly wrong and collapse into a puddle of shame, I remain

frogoat