Jennifer Murphy (comics)
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Murphy, currently Jennifer Dragon and sometimes using the codename Smasher, is a recurring fictional character in Erik Larsen
's Savage Dragon
comic book
series. She officially debuted in the first issue of The Savage Dragon: Sex & Violence
mini-series, though she had a one-panel cameo prior to that in Savage Dragon issue 40.
to the current Savage Dragon series. In Graphic Fantasy, a self-published title by Larsen and two friends, The Dragon was a widower, with his wife Liz being shown in flashback in both issues. Liz looked almost identical to Jennifer and was killed in the same way. A similar character appeared in Megaton, again being identical in looks and possessing the same powers as Jennifer. The character also had a baby girl. In the letter column
of Savage Dragon #37 Erik Larsen confirmed that these characters were Jennifer, albeit with different names, in response to a rumor about a new love interest appearing in an upcoming Savage Dragon annual. (The annual became the Sex and Violence mini-series.)
Jennifer had married her high school sweetheart Kevin Murphy after they graduated and had a baby girl called Angel. Kevin was abusive
and their marriage was unhappy. One night Jennifer strikes Kevin to defend Angel causing his head to explode due to the mutant powers she had developed. The Dragon responded to the domestic violence call, meeting Jennifer. Jennifer found herself framed for a spre of vicious murders taking place. The Dragon clears her name by apprehending the real killer, a disgruntled stripper
.
At this time, Rob Liefeld
departed Image Comics
and the Mars Attacks Image and Shattered Image
events were used to phase out his characters from the collective 'Image Universe' including Youngblood
. In The Savage Dragon, Erik Larsen has the US Government proposition him about making a replacement team for Youngblood which he eventually forms from most of the series' super-powered/costumed support cast and names "Special Operations Strikeforce" (S.O.S). Jennifer is one of the characters who accepts a position, codenamed 'Smasher' and quickly ascends the ranks of the team to Level One.
Jennifer is one of the S.O.S members sent to Darkworld to stop its despot ruler Darklord from swapping his dying planet (later revealed as another Earth) with the S.O.S's. She was separated from the group along with Dragon after attacking Darklord and the two did not take part in the dictator's defeat. Stuck on a dying planet, they were able to escape using a Martian space ship that was at the bottom of that world's Lake Michigan
and the two spent months lost in space along with the Darkworld version of The Dragon's old girlfriend Debbie Harris eventually crashing on Godworld, where the offspring of the various Gods and Deities of mythology had been banished. There Thor
wanted to take Jennifer for his own. During the ensuing battle between Thor, Hercules
and The Dragon, Jennifer was knocked unconscious. Eventually All-God (an all powerful 'god of gods') intervenes to send Jennifer and Dragon home where she is reunited with her daughter. Shortly after The Dragon appears to die in battle.
Dragon had in fact been bonded with Detective William Johnson. Jennifer is present when Dragon is fully resurrected during a battle with the sorcerer Abnver Cadavar. The two finally begin to date eventually moving in together in Chicago
. Dragon is unhappy with her decision to join the Chicago branch of the S.O.S he proposes and Jennifer accepts however before the wedding, an underground organization The Covenant of the Sword kidnap Jennifer and the villain Imposter takes her place. At the wedding, Imposter is killed by the new Overlord, who is completely unaware of the impersonator. The Dragon was also unaware of the switch, and believes Jennifer to be dead.
While in the Covenant's possession Jennifer is brainwashed. By the time The Dragon and Dart
, nowMighty Man
, attack the organization she is totally under their control. Jennifer defeats her former lover as part of the lead up to the switch in Earths. She was freed from the Covenant's control. Years later she is still working for the S.O.S and is in a relationship with Hercules was stranded on Earth. This Jennifer is killed when Universo (a pastiche of Marvel villain Galactus
) destroyed the Earth from the first 75 issues. Her daughter Angel survived and was rescued by She-Dragon
from Dimension X, where she fell shortly before the Earth was destroyed.
Damian Darklord he created a parallel Earth where Darklord's meddling never happened. During the creation, Dragon became stuck in this Earth, which is the current setting for the savage Dragon series. Jennifer's life on this Earth was much the same as it had on the previous Earth. She had been in a solid relationship with The Dragon of that Earth but instead of being replaced by the Covenant of The Sword (who never existed as they were formed by Damian Darklord), she left the Dragon and Chicago after constant attacks on him by Super Villains and old enemies made her fear for Angel's safety. After Dragon arrived on the new earth, he discovered his family home had been destroyed and he believed Jennifer was dead. After The Dragon overthrows Sebastian Khan (known on the previous Earth as Cyberface), Jennifer returns.
The Dragon tells Jennifer the truth about their situation with the new Earth. The couple overcome their difficulties and marry. They settle in Chicago, with both being active members of The Liberty League, which also includes Superpatriot
and Mighty Man. Dragon and Jennifer experience many adventures, with Angel often tagging along against her mother's wishes.
Dragon accidentally brings back the alien criminal Ba-Goom from Dimension X. Jennifer is instantly skeptical and wary of the alien. Ba-Goom becomes her daughter's 'pet' and is named Mr. Glum. Glum is constantly trying to kill The Dragon or take over the world, though his plans always come to naught often with comical results. The Dragon thinks he's harmless and mischievous and dismisses his wife's worries about him. Jennifer is eventually proved right when Ba-Goom comes into possession of the God Gun and takes over the planet with Angel at his side.
Jennifer is currently missing after being rendered powerless during a battle with Negate. She was badly injured and hospitalized after an experiment of Glum's caused Angel to grow to gigantic proportions and destroy Jennifer and Dragon's house. Jennifer was furious with the Dragon for not listening to her about Mr. Glum. She disappeared from hospital during the months Dragon and Vanguard
spent trying to overthrow Glum.
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
's Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series. She officially debuted in the first issue of The Savage Dragon: Sex & Violence
The Savage Dragon: Sex & Violence
The Savage Dragon: Sex & Violence was a two-issue limited comic book series starring the Savage Dragon, created by Erik Larsen. It ran from August to September 1997...
mini-series, though she had a one-panel cameo prior to that in Savage Dragon issue 40.
Before The Savage Dragon
The Savage Dragon characters appeared in two series prior to Image Comics' founding, but neither are canonCanon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
to the current Savage Dragon series. In Graphic Fantasy, a self-published title by Larsen and two friends, The Dragon was a widower, with his wife Liz being shown in flashback in both issues. Liz looked almost identical to Jennifer and was killed in the same way. A similar character appeared in Megaton, again being identical in looks and possessing the same powers as Jennifer. The character also had a baby girl. In the letter column
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
of Savage Dragon #37 Erik Larsen confirmed that these characters were Jennifer, albeit with different names, in response to a rumor about a new love interest appearing in an upcoming Savage Dragon annual. (The annual became the Sex and Violence mini-series.)
Original Jennifer Murphy
Prior to issue 75 of The Savage Dragon, stories were set on a different Earth to the ones they are now and with few exceptions all of the characters featured in the series today are not those that appeared in the series prior to that issue, including Jennifer Murphy.Jennifer had married her high school sweetheart Kevin Murphy after they graduated and had a baby girl called Angel. Kevin was abusive
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and their marriage was unhappy. One night Jennifer strikes Kevin to defend Angel causing his head to explode due to the mutant powers she had developed. The Dragon responded to the domestic violence call, meeting Jennifer. Jennifer found herself framed for a spre of vicious murders taking place. The Dragon clears her name by apprehending the real killer, a disgruntled stripper
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
.
At this time, Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
departed Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
and the Mars Attacks Image and Shattered Image
Shattered Image
Shattered Image is a thriller drama film written by Duane Poole and directed by Raoul Ruiz. It stars William Baldwin, Anne Parillaud and Lisanne Falk.-Plot:...
events were used to phase out his characters from the collective 'Image Universe' including Youngblood
Youngblood (comics)
Youngblood is a superhero team that starred in their self-titled comic book, created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld. The team made its debut as a backup feature in the 1987 one-shot Megaton: Explosion before later appearing in its own ongoing series in 1992 as the flagship publication for Image Comics...
. In The Savage Dragon, Erik Larsen has the US Government proposition him about making a replacement team for Youngblood which he eventually forms from most of the series' super-powered/costumed support cast and names "Special Operations Strikeforce" (S.O.S). Jennifer is one of the characters who accepts a position, codenamed 'Smasher' and quickly ascends the ranks of the team to Level One.
Jennifer is one of the S.O.S members sent to Darkworld to stop its despot ruler Darklord from swapping his dying planet (later revealed as another Earth) with the S.O.S's. She was separated from the group along with Dragon after attacking Darklord and the two did not take part in the dictator's defeat. Stuck on a dying planet, they were able to escape using a Martian space ship that was at the bottom of that world's Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
and the two spent months lost in space along with the Darkworld version of The Dragon's old girlfriend Debbie Harris eventually crashing on Godworld, where the offspring of the various Gods and Deities of mythology had been banished. There Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
wanted to take Jennifer for his own. During the ensuing battle between Thor, Hercules
Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
and The Dragon, Jennifer was knocked unconscious. Eventually All-God (an all powerful 'god of gods') intervenes to send Jennifer and Dragon home where she is reunited with her daughter. Shortly after The Dragon appears to die in battle.
Dragon had in fact been bonded with Detective William Johnson. Jennifer is present when Dragon is fully resurrected during a battle with the sorcerer Abnver Cadavar. The two finally begin to date eventually moving in together in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Dragon is unhappy with her decision to join the Chicago branch of the S.O.S he proposes and Jennifer accepts however before the wedding, an underground organization The Covenant of the Sword kidnap Jennifer and the villain Imposter takes her place. At the wedding, Imposter is killed by the new Overlord, who is completely unaware of the impersonator. The Dragon was also unaware of the switch, and believes Jennifer to be dead.
While in the Covenant's possession Jennifer is brainwashed. By the time The Dragon and Dart
Dart (comics)
Dart is a fictional Image Comics superhero. Created by Erik Larsen, she first appeared in 1992, in Savage Dragon #2 .-Publication history:...
, nowMighty Man
Mighty Man
Mighty Man is a fictional hero created by Erik Larsen some years before he began drawing professional comics, possibly in his adolescence. He has been a major character in Larsen's self-created title Savage Dragon and its spin-off Freak Force, as well as in Gary Carlson's Big Bang Comics series...
, attack the organization she is totally under their control. Jennifer defeats her former lover as part of the lead up to the switch in Earths. She was freed from the Covenant's control. Years later she is still working for the S.O.S and is in a relationship with Hercules was stranded on Earth. This Jennifer is killed when Universo (a pastiche of Marvel villain Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
) destroyed the Earth from the first 75 issues. Her daughter Angel survived and was rescued by She-Dragon
She-Dragon
Amy Belcher, also known as Sensation and mostly as She-Dragon is a fictional 'superfreak' and later police officer created by Erik Larsen for his series Savage Dragon as a She-Hulk like female counterpart for the series' main character The Dragon....
from Dimension X, where she fell shortly before the Earth was destroyed.
Second Jennifer Murphy
When Dragon killed the time travelerTime travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
Damian Darklord he created a parallel Earth where Darklord's meddling never happened. During the creation, Dragon became stuck in this Earth, which is the current setting for the savage Dragon series. Jennifer's life on this Earth was much the same as it had on the previous Earth. She had been in a solid relationship with The Dragon of that Earth but instead of being replaced by the Covenant of The Sword (who never existed as they were formed by Damian Darklord), she left the Dragon and Chicago after constant attacks on him by Super Villains and old enemies made her fear for Angel's safety. After Dragon arrived on the new earth, he discovered his family home had been destroyed and he believed Jennifer was dead. After The Dragon overthrows Sebastian Khan (known on the previous Earth as Cyberface), Jennifer returns.
The Dragon tells Jennifer the truth about their situation with the new Earth. The couple overcome their difficulties and marry. They settle in Chicago, with both being active members of The Liberty League, which also includes Superpatriot
SuperPatriot
SuperPatriot is an Image Comics superhero created by Erik Larsen in 1992. SuperPatriot has had regular appearances in Erik Larsen's titles, whether in his own mini-series or as a supporting character and is currently a member of the Liberty League....
and Mighty Man. Dragon and Jennifer experience many adventures, with Angel often tagging along against her mother's wishes.
Dragon accidentally brings back the alien criminal Ba-Goom from Dimension X. Jennifer is instantly skeptical and wary of the alien. Ba-Goom becomes her daughter's 'pet' and is named Mr. Glum. Glum is constantly trying to kill The Dragon or take over the world, though his plans always come to naught often with comical results. The Dragon thinks he's harmless and mischievous and dismisses his wife's worries about him. Jennifer is eventually proved right when Ba-Goom comes into possession of the God Gun and takes over the planet with Angel at his side.
Jennifer is currently missing after being rendered powerless during a battle with Negate. She was badly injured and hospitalized after an experiment of Glum's caused Angel to grow to gigantic proportions and destroy Jennifer and Dragon's house. Jennifer was furious with the Dragon for not listening to her about Mr. Glum. She disappeared from hospital during the months Dragon and Vanguard
Vanguard (Image Comics)
Vanguard is a fictional alien hero created by Gary Carlson and Erik Larsen for Carlson's self-published anthology Megaton. Vanguard is a white alien with small antennae who has been given the unenviable job of guarding Earth, which is viewed by the aliens as boring with little chance of anything...
spent trying to overthrow Glum.