Jimmy Woo
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Woo is a fictional
, Chinese-American secret agent
in the Marvel Comics
comic-book universe
. Created by EC Comics great Al Feldstein
and artist Joe Maneely
, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw
#1 (Oct. 1956) from Atlas Comics
, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.
series Yellow Claw
, named for his antagonist
, a "yellow peril
" Communist mandarin
. While the short-lived series named after that villain ran only four issues (Oct. 1956 - April 1957), it featured art by industry legends Maneely, Jack Kirby
, and John Severin
.
Kirby took over as writer-artist with issue #2 — inking
his own pencil art
there and in the following issue, representing two of the very rare occasions on which he did so. On the final issue, Kirby's bold lines and dynamic compositions were given uncharacteristic grittiness by the scratchy inks of Western
- and war-comics veteran Severin. Also unusually for a Kirby book, other artists drew the covers: Severin on #2 and #4, Bill Everett
on #3.
Well regarded for its relatively mature storyline and in particular for Maneely's exquisitely atmospheric art, the book nevertheless failed to find an audience. Its influence rippled as the Yellow Claw, Woo and other characters from it were brought into the Marvel universe a decade later, beginning with the "S.H.I.E.L.D.
" story in Strange Tales
#160 (Sept. 1967). Woo went on to join that espionage agency in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 (July 1968).
Woo went on to be featured in the 1977-1979 Marvel series Godzilla
and the 2006-07 Marvel series Agents of Atlas
. Before the cancellation of the 1990s alternate universe
Marvel imprint Razorline
, as produced but unpublished titles of its various series were preparing to blend the Razorline into primary Marvel continuity, Woo as well as Nick Fury
and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guest-starred in Wraitheart #5.
Woo starred as the leader of a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives code-named Agents of Atlas
, in the 2006-2007 series of that name.
James Woo is an Asian-American FBI agent assigned primarily to investigate and apprehend the Chinese
-national mandarin known as the Yellow Claw, a Fu Manchu
manqué
. (Indeed, author Sax Rohmer
had a Fu Manchu novel titled The Yellow Claw.) The Yellow Claw, who attempts world domination, claimed in 2000s comics that his American rubric is a mistransliteration of the Chinese characters for "Golden Claw". Complicating matters, the Claw's grandniece, Suwan, was in love with Woo in the 1950s series.
In retcon
stories, Woo is the FBI agent assigned in 1958 to oversee the 1950s superhero team the Avengers
, a short-lived predecessor of the later, more established team of that name.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Woo went on to join its "Godzilla Squad
" to hunt down the giant monster Godzilla
(the character from the long-running series of films from the Japan
ese movie studio
Toho
). This unit, led by Dum Dum Dugan
, employed such weapons as a giant robot
called Red Ronin
(for which Woo was shortlisted as a pilot candidate), and was headquartered in a smaller version of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
, known as the Behemoth.
Woo was temporarily replaced by a Life Model Decoy
(a form of artificial human utilized by S.H.I.E.L.D.) of the self-aware, renegade "Deltan" class, and went through five such bodies before dying with other repentant LMDs. Woo reemerged from stasis, along with other high-ranking officers that had been taken and replaced. At some point he becomes a high-ranking agent within the S.H.I.E.L.D. Directorate.
In 2006-2007 stories, Woo attempted a secret raid of a group identified as The Atlas Foundation
. Going AWOL and taking several other willing agents with him, he infiltrated an Atlas Foundation location, resulting in all the recruits being killed. Woo was critically burned and lost higher brain function. The former 1950s Avenger Gorilla-Man
, by now also a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, gave the organization a classified record of the 1950s team, of which S.H.I.E.L.D. had no prior knowledge. Gorilla-Man rescues Woo with the aid of fellow 1950s teammates M-11
and Marvel Boy
, who restores Woo to his 1958 self.
Along with his fellow teammates he follows the Atlas Foundation all over the world, unlocking secrets about his teammates former lives, restoring Namora
to life, and eventually confronting Yellow Claw, who reveals that the whole ordeal was only a test. As Woo passed it flawlessly, he commits suicide
, ending his long life and granting to Jimmy Woo his role as Head of the Atlas Foundation, and Suwan's hand. Woo later surfaces in New York, where he and Spider-Man
shut down a rebellious cell of the Atlas Foundation.
, Jimmy Woo is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., partnered with Sharon Carter
. He was introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man
#16, in which he and Carter are trying to capture Doctor Octopus
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, Chinese-American secret agent
Secret Agent
Secret Agent is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on two stories in Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham. The film starred John Gielgud, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll, and Robert Young...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic-book universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Created by EC Comics great Al Feldstein
Al Feldstein
Albert B. Feldstein is an American writer, editor, and artist, best known for his work at EC Comics and, from 1956 to 1985, as the editor of the satirical magazine Mad. Since retiring from Mad, Feldstein has concentrated on American paintings of Western wildlife...
and artist Joe Maneely
Joe Maneely
Joseph "Joe" Maneely is an American comic book artist best known for his work at Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics, where he co-created the Marvel characters the Black Knight, the Ringo Kid, the Yellow Claw, and Jimmy Woo.An exquisite draftsman whose delicate yet solid, fine-line...
, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw
Yellow Claw
The Yellow Claw is a fictional comic book supervillain in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw #1 , published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.-Publication history:While the...
#1 (Oct. 1956) from Atlas Comics
Atlas Comics (1950s)
Atlas Comics is the term used to describe the 1950s comic book publishing company that would evolve into Marvel Comics. Magazine and paperback novel publisher Martin Goodman, whose business strategy involved having a multitude of corporate entities, used Atlas as the umbrella name for his comic...
, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.
Publication history
Jimmy Woo was the hero of an espionageSpy fiction
Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...
series Yellow Claw
Yellow Claw
The Yellow Claw is a fictional comic book supervillain in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the character first appeared in Yellow Claw #1 , published by Atlas Comics, the 1950s predecessor of Marvel.-Publication history:While the...
, named for his antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, a "yellow peril
Yellow Peril
Yellow Peril was a colour metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with immigration of Chinese laborers to various Western countries, notably the United States, and later associated with the Japanese during the mid 20th century, due to Japanese military expansion.The term...
" Communist mandarin
Mandarin (bureaucrat)
A mandarin was a bureaucrat in imperial China, and also in the monarchist days of Vietnam where the system of Imperial examinations and scholar-bureaucrats was adopted under Chinese influence.-History and use of the term:...
. While the short-lived series named after that villain ran only four issues (Oct. 1956 - April 1957), it featured art by industry legends Maneely, Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
, and John Severin
John Severin
John Powers Severin is an American comic book artist noted for his distinctive work with EC Comics, primarily on the war comics Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat; for Marvel Comics, primarily on its war and Western comics; and for the satiric magazine Cracked...
.
Kirby took over as writer-artist with issue #2 — inking
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
his own pencil art
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
there and in the following issue, representing two of the very rare occasions on which he did so. On the final issue, Kirby's bold lines and dynamic compositions were given uncharacteristic grittiness by the scratchy inks of Western
Western fiction
Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
- and war-comics veteran Severin. Also unusually for a Kirby book, other artists drew the covers: Severin on #2 and #4, Bill Everett
Bill Everett
William Blake "Bill" Everett, also known as William Blake and Everett Blake was a comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner and co-creating Daredevil for Marvel Comics...
on #3.
Well regarded for its relatively mature storyline and in particular for Maneely's exquisitely atmospheric art, the book nevertheless failed to find an audience. Its influence rippled as the Yellow Claw, Woo and other characters from it were brought into the Marvel universe a decade later, beginning with the "S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
" story in Strange Tales
Strange Tales
Strange Tales is the name of several comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It introduced the features "Doctor Strange" and "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.", and was a showcase for the science fiction/suspense stories of artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and for the...
#160 (Sept. 1967). Woo went on to join that espionage agency in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 (July 1968).
Woo went on to be featured in the 1977-1979 Marvel series Godzilla
Godzilla (comics)
Godzilla has appeared in a range of comic books that have been published in Japan and the United States.-Japanese Godzilla comics:In his native Japan, Godzilla has been featured in various comic books since his inception in 1954. These comics for the most part were black and white publications...
and the 2006-07 Marvel series Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is composed of characters originally appearing in unrelated stories published in the 1950s by Marvel's predecessor company, Atlas Comics....
. Before the cancellation of the 1990s alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
Marvel imprint Razorline
Razorline
Razorline was an imprint of American comic book company Marvel Comics that ran from 1993-1995. It was created by filmmaker and horror/fantasy novelist Clive Barker, with its characters existing in one of the many alternate universes outside the mainstream continuity known as the Marvel...
, as produced but unpublished titles of its various series were preparing to blend the Razorline into primary Marvel continuity, Woo as well as Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guest-starred in Wraitheart #5.
Woo starred as the leader of a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives code-named Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas
Agents of Atlas is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is composed of characters originally appearing in unrelated stories published in the 1950s by Marvel's predecessor company, Atlas Comics....
, in the 2006-2007 series of that name.
Fictional character biography
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
-national mandarin known as the Yellow Claw, a Fu Manchu
Fu Manchu
Dr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...
manqué
Manqué
Manqué is a term used in reference to a person who has failed to live up to a specific expectation or ambition. It is usually used in combination with a profession: for example, a career civil servant with political prowess who nonetheless never attained political office might be described as a...
. (Indeed, author Sax Rohmer
Sax Rohmer
Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward , better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr...
had a Fu Manchu novel titled The Yellow Claw.) The Yellow Claw, who attempts world domination, claimed in 2000s comics that his American rubric is a mistransliteration of the Chinese characters for "Golden Claw". Complicating matters, the Claw's grandniece, Suwan, was in love with Woo in the 1950s series.
In retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
stories, Woo is the FBI agent assigned in 1958 to oversee the 1950s superhero team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, a short-lived predecessor of the later, more established team of that name.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Woo went on to join its "Godzilla Squad
Godzilla Squad
The Godzilla Squad was a fictional organization in the Marvel Comics universe. Its purpose was to study Godzilla, ideally by capturing him, and preventing injury both to and by him. It was funded and partially controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D., with technology -- such as the Red Ronin mecha --...
" to hunt down the giant monster Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
(the character from the long-running series of films from the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
). This unit, led by Dum Dum Dugan
Dum Dum Dugan
Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan is a fictional character in the . He is an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most experienced members of Nick Fury's team, known for his marksmanship with rifles and for his impressive physique...
, employed such weapons as a giant robot
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
called Red Ronin
Red Ronin
Red Ronin is a gigantic humanoid robotic construct in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally created by writer Doug Moench and artist Herb Trimpe as a foil for Godzilla, the robot went on to be a menace to other Marvel characters such as the Avengers and Wolverine.-Publication history:Red Ronin's...
(for which Woo was shortlisted as a pilot candidate), and was headquartered in a smaller version of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier specifically designed to be capable of independent powered flight in addition to the conventional functions of aircraft carriers...
, known as the Behemoth.
Woo was temporarily replaced by a Life Model Decoy
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy is fictional android appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is designed to function as an exact body double for VIPs...
(a form of artificial human utilized by S.H.I.E.L.D.) of the self-aware, renegade "Deltan" class, and went through five such bodies before dying with other repentant LMDs. Woo reemerged from stasis, along with other high-ranking officers that had been taken and replaced. At some point he becomes a high-ranking agent within the S.H.I.E.L.D. Directorate.
In 2006-2007 stories, Woo attempted a secret raid of a group identified as The Atlas Foundation
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth, but there are atlases of the other planets in the Solar System. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats...
. Going AWOL and taking several other willing agents with him, he infiltrated an Atlas Foundation location, resulting in all the recruits being killed. Woo was critically burned and lost higher brain function. The former 1950s Avenger Gorilla-Man
Gorilla-Man
Gorilla-Man is the name of three fictional characters appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. Ken Hale first appeared in Men's Adventures #26 , while Arthur Nagan first appeared in Mystery Tales #21 , and Franz Radzik first appeared in Tales to Astonish #28 .-Ken Hale:200px|thumb|left|Cover art...
, by now also a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, gave the organization a classified record of the 1950s team, of which S.H.I.E.L.D. had no prior knowledge. Gorilla-Man rescues Woo with the aid of fellow 1950s teammates M-11
M-11 (comics)
M-11 is a fictional robot in the Marvel Comics universe. Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 Agents of Atlas miniseries as an allusion to its first appearance in Menace #11 from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics.-Publication...
and Marvel Boy
Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson)
Marvel Boy , also known as The Uranian, is a fictional character, a superhero in the , one of several to use the name Marvel Boy. He was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Russ Heath, and first appeared in Marvel Boy #1 Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson), also known as The Uranian, is a...
, who restores Woo to his 1958 self.
Along with his fellow teammates he follows the Atlas Foundation all over the world, unlocking secrets about his teammates former lives, restoring Namora
Namora
Namora is a fictional character, a superhero in the . She is from Atlantis and is the daughter of an Atlantean father and a human mother. She is the cousin of Namor the Sub-Mariner.-Publication history:...
to life, and eventually confronting Yellow Claw, who reveals that the whole ordeal was only a test. As Woo passed it flawlessly, he commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, ending his long life and granting to Jimmy Woo his role as Head of the Atlas Foundation, and Suwan's hand. Woo later surfaces in New York, where he and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
shut down a rebellious cell of the Atlas Foundation.
Ultimate Universe
In Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
, Jimmy Woo is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., partnered with Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter, alias Agent 13, is a fictional character, a secret agent in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an ex-field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D...
. He was introduced in Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
#16, in which he and Carter are trying to capture Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus
Doctor Octopus is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics since 1963. A highly intelligent mad scientist, Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes...
.
Television
- Jimmy Woo appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest HeroesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. The show debuted on Disney XD in Fall 2010 starting with a 20 part micro-series. A second season has been...
episode "Iron Man is Born", voiced by Nolan NorthNolan NorthNolan Ramsey North is an American actor and voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as "the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man."-Biography:...
.