kwc@cvl.UUCP (Kenneth W. Crist Jr.) (06/29/85)
While everyone is talking and mourning the death of Kara/Supergirl I'm
afraid that another death will be forgotten. Then again, that's the way the
real world is. Only those who knew anyone who died on November 22, 1963 will
remember them, but everyone remembers JFK.
I never really liked Supergirl. She always seemed like a carbon copy of
Superman to me, and I never really liked the Earth-One Superman. However when
Crisis #7 came out I was touched deep down inside by the death of Kara. Her
passing was done very well, and in the noblest of fashions. Yes, the world
shall miss you Kara. May you rest in peace.
In the shadow of this event another death took place in the Marvel
Universe. A death that hit me hard, because it was a character whom I have
liked ever since her first appearance and now I'll never see her again except
when I reread my comics. Somehow it just won't be the same.
The story is int this month's PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN
#107. I have a terrible feeling when I picked up this issue and put off
reading it. When I finally got to it, the splash page proved me right.
Captain Jean DeWolff, N.Y.P.D. was killed by an unknown assailant in her
apartment.
Jean wasn't that big a character. She had no super-powers like Kara. She
never starred in her own book, but her life was no less important than Kara's
and neither is her death. At least to me.
In the Marvel Universe very few police officers had recurring roles, but
those that do are interesting characters. Jean and Lt. Rafael Scarfe (Power
Man and Iron Fist) were the best. Now there is just Scarfe to fight not just
criminals and supervillians, but greed, corruption and apathy in the police
departmant. A tough job, I hope he is up to it.
To all people who like good comics I suggest this book. I'm sure that
Spider-Man and Daredevil (the last half is totally his) will catch the guy,
but the damage is already done. Jean is gone and she's not coming back. I
guess Jim Shooter strikes again.
"Why this one, Jim? This Jean didn't kill millions of people. All she
did was try to be the best damn cop she could. Why couldn't it have been
Aunt May who outlived her usefulness as a character in Spider-Man 200. Or
maybe one of those dippy girls that just moved into Peter's apartment
building? Or maybe Betty Brant? Or was this just a way to allow J. Jonah
Jameson admit that Spider-Man isn't all that bad? I think it's a pretty
lousy way to do that. I guess Secret Wars isn't the only thing you have to
screw up."
Goodbye Jean, you will be missed.
Kenneth Crist, Jr.
kwc@cvl
Computer Vision Lab
University of Marylandboyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) (07/18/85)
> From: kwc@cvl.UUCP (Kenneth W. Crist Jr.) > While everyone is talking and mourning the death of Kara/Supergirl I'm > afraid that another death will be forgotten. Then again, that's the way the > real world is. Only those who knew anyone who died on November 22, 1963 will > remember them, but everyone remembers JFK. > [...] > In the shadow of this event another death took place in the Marvel > Universe. A death that hit me hard, because it was a character whom I have > liked ever since her first appearance and now I'll never see her again except > when I reread my comics. Somehow it just won't be the same. > The story is int this month's PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN > #107. I have a terrible feeling when I picked up this issue and put off > reading it. When I finally got to it, the splash page proved me right. > Captain Jean DeWolff, N.Y.P.D. was killed by an unknown assailant in her > apartment. Thanks, Kenneth, for the obit. I remember Jean DeWolff's first appearances in MARVEL TEAM-UP, but since I haven't faithfully followed the Spider-titles over the years, I never really got to "know" her. You're right that her passing will tend to be ignored in the wake of Kara Zor-El's death, and I'm glad that she touched someone like she did you. I intend to pick up and read that issue of PETER PARKER and the next, but I suspect that I won't have the same reaction to it that you did. But that *is* the way of the world, isn't it? --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA