Titania (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Titania is a supervillain
ess in the Marvel Comics
universe
, notable for being Marvel's strongest human female with the possible exception of the She-Hulk
, and the wife of the Absorbing Man
. She was created by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter
, in the successful company-wide crossover known as Secret Wars
. An aspiring bully, Titania became a significant threat and the main rival of the She-Hulk
. She is also well known for having a long lasting fear of Spider-Man
.
According to writer/editor Christopher J. Priest, Mary MacPherran is a tuckerized
version of Mary McPherson, a production assistant at Marvel.
MacPherran is the second supervillainess to use the name. The first Titania
was a female wrestler (a member of The Grapplers
) who was assassinated by the Scourge of the Underworld
; upon her resurrection, her powers were expanded and she took the name Lascivious.
MacPherran as Titania was introduced in Secret Wars
#3.
, Mary MacPherran grew up scrawny and short-statured, inspiring a popular girl at school, Vanessa Ashwood, to nickname her "Skeeter" (a slang word for mosquito). As a high school senior, she worked as a salesclerk alongside her only other friend, an often shy, overweight girl named Marsha Rosenberg
. Consistently and sadistically mocked and humiliated since childhood by the wealthy, popular, conceited, and immensely spoiled Vanessa and her social clique, while personally eventually being forced to take menial jobs just to survive, Mary grew resentful and bitter over her lack of any quality of existence, and fantasized about gaining superpowers to become admired, and exact retribution on her tormentors.
After the second Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) makes one of her early appearances in their town, Marsha remarks that the new superheroine's reddish-blonde hair color matches Mary's. Mary then falsely confides to her friend that she is secretly Spider-Woman. Shortly afterward, Mary was invited to a fancy party at Vanessa's house, where she was surprised to find that her newfound popularity is due to Marsha spreading around the false Spider-Woman rumor.
However, in the middle of the party, their section of Denver was torn from Earth
and became part of the composite planet Battleworld, created by the Beyonder
as a stage for a selected group of superheroes and supervillains to battle each other. When the real Spider-Woman arrives on the scene to save the guests from a collapsing structure, the now-enraged Vanessa and her guests turn on Mary and Marsha, chasing them into the forests of Battleworld.
Scared and exhausted, the two girls are found by Doctor Doom
, who was in need of further metahuman operatives to further his ambitions. Mary and Marsha both agree to Doom's offer of power in exchange for serving in his army of supervillains.
) received a fiery form composed of ionized plasma, MacPherran gained powers in diametric opposition to her previous incarnation - where once she had been "the scrawny one who got her face rubbed in the dirt", she was now far taller, muscular, and buxom than average.
The changes were not only physical, but mental in nature. Where Mary MacPherran had been small and timid, the newly-named Titania, so called because of strength like a titan
, was proud, and confident, perhaps to extremes. No sooner had Volcana melted machinery into a large pile of red-hot slag
, than Titania picked it up, boldly ignoring the slight possibility of injury, and hurled it through the wall; soon after, she challenged Carl "Crusher" Creel, the Absorbing Man
, to a fight which he refused, reasoning that he had "nothing to prove...to a dame."
Titania began to work for Doom in earnest, and was one of the criminals ordered by Doom to attack the superheroes. She battled Thor
, and then battled Rogue
and Wolverine
. She then battled the X-Men
, but her most impressive conquest was Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk
, getting the best of her during a gang beating; she did not know it, but this would be the beginning of a long rivalry.
Yet, when the heroes later stormed Doombase to rescue She-Hulk, Titania tried to face up against veteran superhero Spider-Man
. She started the fight extremely confident due to her massive strength and durability advantages, but panicked upon realizing that Spider-Man's vastly superior speed, agility, reflexes, and years of experience against more powerful foes allowed him to not only easily avoid her, but also attack her with complete impunity. The fight ended when Spider-Man beat her into the ground, then picked her up and disdainfully tossed her through an exterior wall. During this fight, Titania's attitude and newfound arrogance quickly evaporated, giving way to what Spider-Man mockingly called the "whining little wimp-ette" — it was clear that the arrogance could only last while Titania had the upper hand, otherwise a reversion to her previous character would occur. Mindful of this beating, Titania avoided coming into contact with Spider-Man while on Battleworld, and would harbor a fear of Spider-Man for some time after returning to Earth.
After her run-in with Spider-Man, a previously hinted-at relationship between the Absorbing Man and Titania began; Titania seemed fairly dependent on Creel at this point. Once Owen Reece, the Molecule Man
, managed to seal off the chunk of Denver, and begin to navigate it back to Earth, Creel and MacPherran revealed that they were done with Doom and his war, and simply wanted to go home.
. Their first assignment was to recruit the powerful Moonstone
into the group, which also prevented them from joining the main group in the assault on Avengers Mansion
. To kill time, Titania robbed a jewelry store, only to come to the attention of Spider-Man; too afraid to fight, she ran from combat, only to encounter him again in LaGuardia Airport. There, once more, Titania tried not to fight, having Creel do so on her behalf; yet the sight of his near-defeat at Spider-Man's hands was enough for Titania to temporarily overcome her arachnophobia, charging into combat. It was a moot point, though, since Creel ended the fight by threatening to destroy a plane full of innocents if Spider-Man refused to leave the scene, which he (Spider-Man) reluctantly did.
The villain couple received another assignment from the Masters: to kill Hercules
, who had been gravely injured previously by the Masters, and was in the hospital. Yet despite a guard of only Scott Lang (Ant-Man), and Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp
), Hercules survived; with Creel stung by insects in human form, and Titania shrunk to the size of Wasp, the villains were easily subdued, with Titania taken to the Vault
, a superhuman penitentiary.
Her stay in the Vault was not to last long, however. When Tony Stark, Iron Man
, began the Armor Wars, the battle to destroy or disable all enhanced armor types based on stolen Iron Man designs, this inevitably led him to the Guardsmen, The Vault's wardens. The ensuing conflict, while successful from his point of view, created a power failure, allowing Titania and Mister Hyde
to escape. While Captain America
managed to subdue and capture Mister Hyde, his colleague D-Man
was unsuccessful in apprehending Titania; when allowed the opportunity for a rematch, D-Man simply let the villainess escape.
Using her newfound freedom, Titania traveled to Washington D.C; losing a succession of battles with She-Hulk, Titania promised to never attack her again, and to return to jail.
Broken out yet again, Titania joined with the Wizard
, Klaw, and Hydro-Man
, to become the new Frightful Four
, to exact vengeance upon the Fantastic Four
. Battling the Fantastic Four, with Titania taking on the Thing
and Ms. Marvel, the team only won due to help from Professor Gregson Gilbert's creation Dragon Man
, and Aron, the Renegade Watcher
; in the rematch, the Fantastic Four prevailed, only to have both Fours imprisoned by Aron in suspended animation, using clones of the Fantastic Four to act out adventures he wished to witness. When both teams were freed, Aron chose to witness the dreams of his clones instead, transporting the Frightful Four back to The Vault, as a service to the Fantastic Four.
However, this stay in The Vault was as permanent as earlier ones - a conspiracy between Loki
and the Wizard saw Titania free once more, in Loki's Acts of Vengeance
plan. Teaming supervillains to fight enemies not usually their own, Titania was dismayed when Doctor Doom, her partner, told her she would face not She-Hulk, but Spider-Man. Yet Doom managed to stoke her pride and anger, allowing her to overcome her fear and engage Spider-Man; it was unfortunate that at this time, Spider-Man had temporarily bonded with the Uni-Power
, making him Captain Universe. This granted him the power to render Titania unconscious in one massive energy discharge; the only benefit of the situation was that Titania lost her fear of Spider-Man. She also encountered the Puma
during this episode.
This time, Titania did not even make it back to the Vault; she was freed on the way to the Vault by Graviton
, who also collected the Trapster
and the Brothers Grimm
. All had been humiliated by Spider-Man in the Captain Universe guise, and along with Chameleon
and Goliath, they attempted to take revenge with a promised reward from the Chameleon, only to fail. Titania, humiliatingly, was defeated by a collision with a speeding bus.
's Femizons
, as foes of Captain America
and the Paladin
. This did not work out, however, and so Titania resolved to track down her old flame - the Absorbing Man. Finding him battling the Eric Masterson
Thor; when she appeared injured by a blow from Mjolnir, Creel admitted his love for her, which she gladly reciprocated. Seeing this, Thor allowed them to leave.
While Creel made an attempt to live a normal life, Titania went back to robbing jewelry stores; concerned, Creel attempted to "scare her straight", collaborating with Thor in a ploy involving a Guggenheim exhibit. While the appearance of Spider-Man and special police unit Code: Blue complicated matters, ultimately Titania remembered her love for Creel.
Creel continues to get mad at Mary for not managing to stay legal and violating their parole. In order to alleviate her stress he arranges an official bout with the She-Hulk, but Titania nonetheless decides to cheat.
Once this was done, Titania came to her senses somewhat, asking Creel to marry her. The wedding was attended by many supervillains; while the Avengers interrupted the ceremony, they left the couple alone. Titania quickly grows bored with her law-abiding reform, and after Absorbing Man tries to buy her a Valentine's present but is nonetheless attacked by the police, they accept having to live a life on the run from the law.
In need of funds the pair assumes the guises of Thunder Girl and Lightning Bolt in order to hunt Spider-Man for the reward offered by Norman Osborn
.
Despite Titania briefly contracting severe skin burns as a result of this escapade, the pair remains unable to reform, and commit more robberies. Titania also continues to clash with the She-Hulk.
During Christopher Priest's run on Deadpool
, Titania appeared as a roommate of Deadpool and the supervillain Constrictor
, but was later revealed to be the shapeshifter Copycat. However, she was indeed originally intended to be the real Titania, but the Copycat explanation was meant to resolve the continuity conflict with Dan Jurgens' cancer storyline simultaneously occurring in Thor.
However, Titania proved unable to stay away from She-Hulk, and after she recuperated from the illness, underwent an intense physical regimen to boost her abilities. However, She-Hulk had done so more efficiently, briefly reaching levels almost approaching those of the Hulk
himself. Battered and inadvertently humiliated by her, Titania was offered the chance at revenge after obtaining the Power Gem, one of the legendary Infinity Gems
, from its former owner, the former Champion of the Universe
, now known as the Fallen One because of his own defeat at the She-Hulk's hands. The Fallen One had agreed to cease using the Power Gem as a condition of his defeat, but was free to gain his own revenge by proxy
through Titania. After an initial defeat by the newly-empowered Titania, She-Hulk tricked her into believing that she had killed the Jade Giantess in a second battle; Titania's initial rush of triumph suddenly melted into uncertainty, as she realized that her life now had no meaning or focus without the object of her obsessive hatred. She-Hulk (in her normal form as Jennifer Walters) then took advantage of Titania's confusion to pluck the Power Gem from the criminal's forehead, and proceeded to use the Gem's power to knock Titania out with a single punch.
Titania was incarcerated in the Lang Memorial Penitentiary, a.k.a. the Pym
Experimental Prison #2, a prison in which superhuman inmates are shrunk with Pym particles to less than an inch in height, to reduce both their chances of escape and their threat to guards and the public if they do escape, since inmates can only be returned to their full size by prison technicians or the few others who have access to Pym particles.
In Fantastic Four #547, Titania appears as a member of The Wizard
's Frightful Four, battling the Fantastic Four on Saturn's moon, Titan
. In She-Hulk (vol. 2) #21, she is shown having been returned to the Pym Experimental Prison. In the next issue, having escaped (though still shrunken to diminutive size), she is reunited with the Absorbing Man, and clashes again with She-Hulk. Titania is last seen being thrown into the mouth of a shark.
Thanks to her body's resistance, she survived this as Madrox and his team were later seen following Titania, whose husband, the Absorbing Man, suspects of adultery.
She apparently returns to her usual life of crime as at the dawn of the Heroic Age
, she's back in the female section of the Raft, where, apparently oblivious of Creel, is shown actively commenting along with other female inmates the prowess of the new warden Luke Cage
. However, Luke Cage agrees to induct only Moonstone
in his new team of Thunderbolts leaving Titania behind.
" storyline, one of the seven Hammers of the Worthy lands near Titania. When she lifts it, she becomes Skirn: Breaker of Men. She then helps Creel find his own hammer in the capital of hell. When they find his hammer, they come across a well known thief who has a personal history with Titania's alter ego Skirn. The thief tries to take the hammer as his own, but Skirn quickly defeats him. War Machine
, Iron Fist, and their allies appear and try unsuccessfully to keep the hammer from Creel, who becomes Greithoth when he grasps it.
, but later increased after performing rigorous prolonged weight-lifting training, and rivals her arch-nemesis, She-Hulk
.
Titania's muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins than the muscles of an ordinary human, granting her superhuman levels of stamina.
Titania's body is also highly resistant to physical injury. She can withstand high caliber bullets, temperature extremes, falls from great heights, and severe blunt force trauma without sustaining injury.
Titania also possesses extensive experience in street-fighting
techniques.
, Titania is combined with Big Barda
to form Big Titania.
, in an attempt to calm down a rampaging Absorbing Man in the climatic battle
gang. She was the only survivor of the Red Guard's attack against the Hood's super-villain team that chosen to defy Magneto's House of M.
.
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
ess 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...
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...
, notable for being Marvel's strongest human female with the possible exception of the She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
, and the wife of the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
. She was created by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, in the successful company-wide crossover known as Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
. An aspiring bully, Titania became a significant threat and the main rival of the She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
. She is also well known for having a long lasting fear of 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...
.
According to writer/editor Christopher J. Priest, Mary MacPherran is a tuckerized
Tuckerization
Tuckerization is the act of using a person's name in an original story as an in-joke. The term is derived from Wilson Tucker, a pioneering American science fiction writer and fanzine editor, who made a practice of using his friends' names for minor characters in his stories...
version of Mary McPherson, a production assistant at Marvel.
MacPherran is the second supervillainess to use the name. The first Titania
Titania (Grapplers)
Davida DeVito, now known as Lascivious and formerly known as Titania, is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
was a female wrestler (a member of The Grapplers
Grapplers (comics)
The Grapplers are a fictional organization in the Marvel Comics universe. It was a loosely-organized band of female wrestlers, most of whom gained superhuman strength after their first published appearances, through the group known as Power Broker, Inc....
) who was assassinated by the Scourge of the Underworld
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
; upon her resurrection, her powers were expanded and she took the name Lascivious.
MacPherran as Titania was introduced in Secret Wars
Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
#3.
Fictional character biography
Born prematurely in a suburb of Denver, ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Mary MacPherran grew up scrawny and short-statured, inspiring a popular girl at school, Vanessa Ashwood, to nickname her "Skeeter" (a slang word for mosquito). As a high school senior, she worked as a salesclerk alongside her only other friend, an often shy, overweight girl named Marsha Rosenberg
Volcana (Marvel Comics)
Volcana is a fictional character featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics who first appeared in Secret Wars #3 . She was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck....
. Consistently and sadistically mocked and humiliated since childhood by the wealthy, popular, conceited, and immensely spoiled Vanessa and her social clique, while personally eventually being forced to take menial jobs just to survive, Mary grew resentful and bitter over her lack of any quality of existence, and fantasized about gaining superpowers to become admired, and exact retribution on her tormentors.
After the second Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) makes one of her early appearances in their town, Marsha remarks that the new superheroine's reddish-blonde hair color matches Mary's. Mary then falsely confides to her friend that she is secretly Spider-Woman. Shortly afterward, Mary was invited to a fancy party at Vanessa's house, where she was surprised to find that her newfound popularity is due to Marsha spreading around the false Spider-Woman rumor.
However, in the middle of the party, their section of Denver was torn from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and became part of the composite planet Battleworld, created by the Beyonder
Beyonder
The Beyonder is a fictional character in . Created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck, the immensely powerful Beyonder first appeared in Secret Wars vol. 1 #1 as an unseen force. He reappears in Secret Wars II #1 , which was created by Jim Shooter and Al Milgrom.-Publication history:The Beyonder was a...
as a stage for a selected group of superheroes and supervillains to battle each other. When the real Spider-Woman arrives on the scene to save the guests from a collapsing structure, the now-enraged Vanessa and her guests turn on Mary and Marsha, chasing them into the forests of Battleworld.
Scared and exhausted, the two girls are found by Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, who was in need of further metahuman operatives to further his ambitions. Mary and Marsha both agree to Doom's offer of power in exchange for serving in his army of supervillains.
Secret Wars
Using the highly advanced alien technologies found in Doombase, the appropriately-named villain headquarters, powered by immense energies from the ferocious alien storm outside, Doom recreates both women; able to use the technology entirely as he desired, Doom induced high-level metahuman abilities of specific and particular design. While Rosenberg (now known as VolcanaVolcana (Marvel Comics)
Volcana is a fictional character featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics who first appeared in Secret Wars #3 . She was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck....
) received a fiery form composed of ionized plasma, MacPherran gained powers in diametric opposition to her previous incarnation - where once she had been "the scrawny one who got her face rubbed in the dirt", she was now far taller, muscular, and buxom than average.
The changes were not only physical, but mental in nature. Where Mary MacPherran had been small and timid, the newly-named Titania, so called because of strength like a titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
, was proud, and confident, perhaps to extremes. No sooner had Volcana melted machinery into a large pile of red-hot slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
, than Titania picked it up, boldly ignoring the slight possibility of injury, and hurled it through the wall; soon after, she challenged Carl "Crusher" Creel, the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
, to a fight which he refused, reasoning that he had "nothing to prove...to a dame."
Titania began to work for Doom in earnest, and was one of the criminals ordered by Doom to attack the superheroes. She battled Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, and then battled Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. She then battled the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, but her most impressive conquest was Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
, getting the best of her during a gang beating; she did not know it, but this would be the beginning of a long rivalry.
Yet, when the heroes later stormed Doombase to rescue She-Hulk, Titania tried to face up against veteran superhero 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...
. She started the fight extremely confident due to her massive strength and durability advantages, but panicked upon realizing that Spider-Man's vastly superior speed, agility, reflexes, and years of experience against more powerful foes allowed him to not only easily avoid her, but also attack her with complete impunity. The fight ended when Spider-Man beat her into the ground, then picked her up and disdainfully tossed her through an exterior wall. During this fight, Titania's attitude and newfound arrogance quickly evaporated, giving way to what Spider-Man mockingly called the "whining little wimp-ette" — it was clear that the arrogance could only last while Titania had the upper hand, otherwise a reversion to her previous character would occur. Mindful of this beating, Titania avoided coming into contact with Spider-Man while on Battleworld, and would harbor a fear of Spider-Man for some time after returning to Earth.
After her run-in with Spider-Man, a previously hinted-at relationship between the Absorbing Man and Titania began; Titania seemed fairly dependent on Creel at this point. Once Owen Reece, the Molecule Man
Molecule Man
Molecule Man is a fictional character, a supervillain or reluctant hero in the Marvel Comics universe, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four vol. 1, #20.-1960s:...
, managed to seal off the chunk of Denver, and begin to navigate it back to Earth, Creel and MacPherran revealed that they were done with Doom and his war, and simply wanted to go home.
Back to Earth
Once back on Earth, however, the pair did not settle down to the quiet life, instead continuing to work as professional criminals and joining Baron Zemo, and his latest incarnation of the Masters of EvilMasters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
. Their first assignment was to recruit the powerful Moonstone
Moonstone (comics)
Moonstone is a fictional character, both a supervillain and superheroine in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
into the group, which also prevented them from joining the main group in the assault on Avengers Mansion
Avengers Mansion
In the fictional Marvel Comics universe, Avengers Mansion has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.-Creative origin:...
. To kill time, Titania robbed a jewelry store, only to come to the attention of Spider-Man; too afraid to fight, she ran from combat, only to encounter him again in LaGuardia Airport. There, once more, Titania tried not to fight, having Creel do so on her behalf; yet the sight of his near-defeat at Spider-Man's hands was enough for Titania to temporarily overcome her arachnophobia, charging into combat. It was a moot point, though, since Creel ended the fight by threatening to destroy a plane full of innocents if Spider-Man refused to leave the scene, which he (Spider-Man) reluctantly did.
The villain couple received another assignment from the Masters: to kill Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, who had been gravely injured previously by the Masters, and was in the hospital. Yet despite a guard of only Scott Lang (Ant-Man), and Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp
Wasp (comics)
The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
), Hercules survived; with Creel stung by insects in human form, and Titania shrunk to the size of Wasp, the villains were easily subdued, with Titania taken to the Vault
Vault (comics)
The Vault is the widely used nickname of a fictional defunct prison facility for technological-based superhuman criminals in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. The prison's full official name is the United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration of Superhuman Criminals.It first...
, a superhuman penitentiary.
Her stay in the Vault was not to last long, however. When Tony Stark, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, began the Armor Wars, the battle to destroy or disable all enhanced armor types based on stolen Iron Man designs, this inevitably led him to the Guardsmen, The Vault's wardens. The ensuing conflict, while successful from his point of view, created a power failure, allowing Titania and Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
to escape. While Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
managed to subdue and capture Mister Hyde, his colleague D-Man
Demolition Man (comics)
Demolition Man , also known as D-Man, is a fictional character in the .-Publication history:Dennis Dunphy first appeared in The Thing #28 , written by Mike Carlin and illustrated by Ron Wilson...
was unsuccessful in apprehending Titania; when allowed the opportunity for a rematch, D-Man simply let the villainess escape.
Using her newfound freedom, Titania traveled to Washington D.C; losing a succession of battles with She-Hulk, Titania promised to never attack her again, and to return to jail.
Broken out yet again, Titania joined with the Wizard
Wizard (Marvel Comics)
The Wizard , also known as the Wingless Wizard, is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe...
, Klaw, and Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man
Hydro-Man, also spelled Hydro Man , is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics...
, to become the new Frightful Four
Frightful Four
The Frightful Four are a group of fictional characters in Marvel Comics who serve as the antithesis to the Fantastic Four.-Publication history:...
, to exact vengeance upon the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
. Battling the Fantastic Four, with Titania taking on the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
and Ms. Marvel, the team only won due to help from Professor Gregson Gilbert's creation Dragon Man
Dragon Man
Dragon Man is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is an artificial dragon-like humanoid android who was animated via alchemy. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #35 ....
, and Aron, the Renegade Watcher
Aron (comics)
Aron, the Rogue Watcher is a fictional character; an extraterrestrial supervillain in the fictional Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:...
; in the rematch, the Fantastic Four prevailed, only to have both Fours imprisoned by Aron in suspended animation, using clones of the Fantastic Four to act out adventures he wished to witness. When both teams were freed, Aron chose to witness the dreams of his clones instead, transporting the Frightful Four back to The Vault, as a service to the Fantastic Four.
However, this stay in The Vault was as permanent as earlier ones - a conspiracy between Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
and the Wizard saw Titania free once more, in Loki's Acts of Vengeance
Acts of Vengeance
"Acts of Vengeance" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through several titles published by Marvel Comics from December 1989 to February 1990.-Publication history:...
plan. Teaming supervillains to fight enemies not usually their own, Titania was dismayed when Doctor Doom, her partner, told her she would face not She-Hulk, but Spider-Man. Yet Doom managed to stoke her pride and anger, allowing her to overcome her fear and engage Spider-Man; it was unfortunate that at this time, Spider-Man had temporarily bonded with the Uni-Power
Captain Universe
Captain Universe is a disembodied superhero in Marvel Comics' universe who was created by Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden, and first appeared in Micronauts vol. 1 #8. It is the guardian and protector of Eternity...
, making him Captain Universe. This granted him the power to render Titania unconscious in one massive energy discharge; the only benefit of the situation was that Titania lost her fear of Spider-Man. She also encountered the Puma
Puma (comics)
Puma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe most closely associated with Spider-Man. While originally a villain, he gained a great respect for Spider-Man and became his occasional ally.-Publication history:...
during this episode.
This time, Titania did not even make it back to the Vault; she was freed on the way to the Vault by Graviton
Graviton (comics)
Graviton is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #158 and was created by Jim Shooter and Sal Buscema....
, who also collected the Trapster
Trapster
The Trapster , originally known as Paste Pot Pete, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Publication history:...
and the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm (comics)
The Brothers Grimm are two sets of fictional twin comic book supervillains, owned by Marvel Comics and existing in that company's Marvel Universe.-First Pair:The first appearance of the first Brothers Grimm came in Spider-Woman #3...
. All had been humiliated by Spider-Man in the Captain Universe guise, and along with Chameleon
Chameleon (comics)
The Chameleon is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko; the Chameleon is the first member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, based on issue...
and Goliath, they attempted to take revenge with a promised reward from the Chameleon, only to fail. Titania, humiliatingly, was defeated by a collision with a speeding bus.
Finding romance
Escaping The Vault once again, Titania joined SuperiaSuperia
Superia is a fictional character, a misandrist supervillain and criminal scientist in the Marvel Universe. She was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Rik Levins in Captain America Superia (Dr. Deidre Wentworth) is a fictional character, a misandrist supervillain and criminal scientist in...
's Femizons
Femizons
Femizon may refer to one of two groups owned by Marvel Comics and appearing in their Marvel Universe.The first group to be called Femizons were the women of Femizonia, a gyniarchal future world in an alternate timeline where women had become Amazon-like warriors, ruling over male slaves...
, as foes of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and the Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
. This did not work out, however, and so Titania resolved to track down her old flame - the Absorbing Man. Finding him battling the Eric Masterson
Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson)
Eric Masterson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a superhero that has appeared as Thor and later Thunderstrike. The character was introduced as a supporting character in the Thor title, but continued in several other comic books, including the self-titled series Thunderstrike...
Thor; when she appeared injured by a blow from Mjolnir, Creel admitted his love for her, which she gladly reciprocated. Seeing this, Thor allowed them to leave.
While Creel made an attempt to live a normal life, Titania went back to robbing jewelry stores; concerned, Creel attempted to "scare her straight", collaborating with Thor in a ploy involving a Guggenheim exhibit. While the appearance of Spider-Man and special police unit Code: Blue complicated matters, ultimately Titania remembered her love for Creel.
Creel continues to get mad at Mary for not managing to stay legal and violating their parole. In order to alleviate her stress he arranges an official bout with the She-Hulk, but Titania nonetheless decides to cheat.
Once this was done, Titania came to her senses somewhat, asking Creel to marry her. The wedding was attended by many supervillains; while the Avengers interrupted the ceremony, they left the couple alone. Titania quickly grows bored with her law-abiding reform, and after Absorbing Man tries to buy her a Valentine's present but is nonetheless attacked by the police, they accept having to live a life on the run from the law.
In need of funds the pair assumes the guises of Thunder Girl and Lightning Bolt in order to hunt Spider-Man for the reward offered by Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
.
Despite Titania briefly contracting severe skin burns as a result of this escapade, the pair remains unable to reform, and commit more robberies. Titania also continues to clash with the She-Hulk.
Illness and recuperation
However, this was not a permanent state of affairs; despite her enhanced durability, Titania contracted a terminal illness: cancer. Without health insurance and no money, she was quickly forced to move from the hospital to an abandoned building. Slowly weakening, but still massively strong, she fought through the illness with the help of doctors provided by Thor; as a result, the Absorbing Man repented to Thor, bowing to the new Lord of Asgard.During Christopher Priest's run on Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
, Titania appeared as a roommate of Deadpool and the supervillain Constrictor
Constrictor (comics)
Constrictor is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain, but is often portrayed as a redeeming anti-hero. Constrictor first appeared in Incredible Hulk vol.1 #212 and was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema.-Publication history:Constrictor...
, but was later revealed to be the shapeshifter Copycat. However, she was indeed originally intended to be the real Titania, but the Copycat explanation was meant to resolve the continuity conflict with Dan Jurgens' cancer storyline simultaneously occurring in Thor.
However, Titania proved unable to stay away from She-Hulk, and after she recuperated from the illness, underwent an intense physical regimen to boost her abilities. However, She-Hulk had done so more efficiently, briefly reaching levels almost approaching those of the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
himself. Battered and inadvertently humiliated by her, Titania was offered the chance at revenge after obtaining the Power Gem, one of the legendary Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems
Infinity Gems, sometimes referred to as the Soul Gems, are six immensely powerful gems featured in the fictional Marvel Universe. Whoever holds all six gems in the Infinity Gauntlet gains omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and God-like power, and has absolute dominion over the universe...
, from its former owner, the former Champion of the Universe
Champion of the Universe
The Champion is a fictional character, appearing in Marvel Comics universe. He is not necessarily a villain but has played the role in the past through his impetuous and arrogant actions. He first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7.-Fictional character biography:The Champion is one of the...
, now known as the Fallen One because of his own defeat at the She-Hulk's hands. The Fallen One had agreed to cease using the Power Gem as a condition of his defeat, but was free to gain his own revenge by proxy
Proxy
Proxy may refer to:* Proxy abuse , abuse committed on behalf of somebody else* Proxy bullying , bullying committed on behalf of somebody else...
through Titania. After an initial defeat by the newly-empowered Titania, She-Hulk tricked her into believing that she had killed the Jade Giantess in a second battle; Titania's initial rush of triumph suddenly melted into uncertainty, as she realized that her life now had no meaning or focus without the object of her obsessive hatred. She-Hulk (in her normal form as Jennifer Walters) then took advantage of Titania's confusion to pluck the Power Gem from the criminal's forehead, and proceeded to use the Gem's power to knock Titania out with a single punch.
Titania was incarcerated in the Lang Memorial Penitentiary, a.k.a. the Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
Experimental Prison #2, a prison in which superhuman inmates are shrunk with Pym particles to less than an inch in height, to reduce both their chances of escape and their threat to guards and the public if they do escape, since inmates can only be returned to their full size by prison technicians or the few others who have access to Pym particles.
In Fantastic Four #547, Titania appears as a member of The Wizard
Wizard (Marvel Comics)
The Wizard , also known as the Wingless Wizard, is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe...
's Frightful Four, battling the Fantastic Four on Saturn's moon, Titan
Titan (moon)
Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found....
. In She-Hulk (vol. 2) #21, she is shown having been returned to the Pym Experimental Prison. In the next issue, having escaped (though still shrunken to diminutive size), she is reunited with the Absorbing Man, and clashes again with She-Hulk. Titania is last seen being thrown into the mouth of a shark.
Thanks to her body's resistance, she survived this as Madrox and his team were later seen following Titania, whose husband, the Absorbing Man, suspects of adultery.
She apparently returns to her usual life of crime as at the dawn of the Heroic Age
Heroic Age (comics)
"The Heroic Age" is a 2010 comic book branding that ran through a number of books published by Marvel Comics. It began in May 2010, marking a major change in the status quo of the Marvel Universe after the events of the "Siege" crossover event, much as "The Initiative" and "Dark Reign" dealt with...
, she's back in the female section of the Raft, where, apparently oblivious of Creel, is shown actively commenting along with other female inmates the prowess of the new warden Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
. However, Luke Cage agrees to induct only Moonstone
Moonstone (comics)
Moonstone is a fictional character, both a supervillain and superheroine in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
in his new team of Thunderbolts leaving Titania behind.
"Fear Itself"
During the 2011 "Fear ItselfFear Itself (comics)
"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...
" storyline, one of the seven Hammers of the Worthy lands near Titania. When she lifts it, she becomes Skirn: Breaker of Men. She then helps Creel find his own hammer in the capital of hell. When they find his hammer, they come across a well known thief who has a personal history with Titania's alter ego Skirn. The thief tries to take the hammer as his own, but Skirn quickly defeats him. War Machine
War Machine
War Machine is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books set in the Marvel Comics universe. The character of James Rhodes first appeared in Iron Man #118 by David Michelinie, John Byrne and Bob Layton...
, Iron Fist, and their allies appear and try unsuccessfully to keep the hammer from Creel, who becomes Greithoth when he grasps it.
Powers and abilities
Thanks to cellular augmentation through radiation, Titania possesses immense superhuman physical strength that originally enabled her to match individuals such as the ThingThing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, but later increased after performing rigorous prolonged weight-lifting training, and rivals her arch-nemesis, She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
.
Titania's muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins than the muscles of an ordinary human, granting her superhuman levels of stamina.
Titania's body is also highly resistant to physical injury. She can withstand high caliber bullets, temperature extremes, falls from great heights, and severe blunt force trauma without sustaining injury.
Titania also possesses extensive experience in street-fighting
Street fighting
Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....
techniques.
Amalgam Comics
In Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
, Titania is combined with Big Barda
Big Barda
Big Barda is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
to form Big Titania.
Earth X
Titania plays a role in Earth XEarth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
, in an attempt to calm down a rampaging Absorbing Man in the climatic battle
House of M
Titania is a member of the Hood'sHood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
gang. She was the only survivor of the Red Guard's attack against the Hood's super-villain team that chosen to defy Magneto's House of M.
Video games
Titania appears as a boss character in the 1996 video game, Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy MetalIron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal
Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal is the title of a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment and developed by Real Sports and Realtime Associates for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, and DOS in 1996...
.