Superhero Origins: Jessica Jones

A person doesn't have to always wear a costume to be a hero.

Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Jessica Jones.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past.

We have chosen primarily to follow the storyline which unfolded in 2003's Alias #22 and 23 and was expanded upon in 2006's The Pulse #14.

In 2001 Marvel Comics launched a new comic book line headed lined by veteran writers Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada. The new line, Marvel’s MAX was an opportunity to explore new types of stories and themes within the preexisting Marvel 616 (six one six) Universe.

Enter the down-to-earth heroine named Jessica Jones who is easily one of Marvel's most relatable superheroes. Sure, she has super-strength, can fly and is hard to hurt, you know, all the standard powers – but she's also someone who finds the whole superhero thing a little strange.

Although Jessica Jones debuted in 2001, her origin wasn't revealed until two years later – and when it was revealed, it retroactively placed her squarely into Marvel’s continuity. As her origin story began, readers found themselves in Queens, watching a young Peter Parker suffer abuse at the abuse of jock Flash Thompson. Unbeknownst to Peter, there was a young girl sitting nearby dreaming of getting to know him better.

That girl – Jessica Jones, of course – followed Peter to a special scientific exhibit. Just as she was about to reach out and make contact, Peter was bitten by a certain radioactive spider and left. Later that night, Jessica suffered further humiliation when her younger brother interrupted her as she was getting, *ahem, “personal” with a photo of the Human Torch.

Sometime later, Jessica and her family were in the car on a family vacation. She and her brother fought in the backseat, and this distracted her father. The car ran into an army truck carrying, wait for it, radioactive material.

Six months later, Jessica awoke from a coma on the same night that the Silver Surfer made his debut on Earth. She learned that her family had died in the car crash and felt enormous guilt, considering the accident to be her fault. Adopted by a nice couple, Jessica returned to her high school, where she was treated as a freak and an outcast.

Peter Parker tried to connect with her, but she felt angry at his pity. Her emotions overwhelming her, she fled – and in doing so discovered that she could fly, sort of. She also found she had enhance strength and could stand up to a lot of physical pain. Although it wasn't explicitly stated, it was implied that the radioactive material from the car crash was responsible for her newfound abilities.

Jessica felt unsure about what she should do with her powers, but when she saw a costumed villain attacking a laundromat, she responded. And thus started her superhero career.
It was a career that Jessica definitely had mixed feelings about. She started out using the code name Jewel, then adopted the persona of Knightress. After marrying fellow superhero Luke Cage, AKA Power Man, she flirted with the name Power Woman. That didn't last, though. And in between all of these aliases, she found a career as a private investigator – which is what she was doing when readers were first introduced to her in 2001.

Although she has fought as a member of the New Avengers, Jessica has definitely felt ambivalent about being a hero. She's focused and capable as a private eye, but more than a little wishy-washy when it comes to using her superpowers. But it's this very human indecisiveness that makes Jessica Jones seem like such a real, live person rather than a stock comic book hero.

While Jessica Jones is a lesser known character, she is slated to star in Netflix’s 2015 series “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”, played by Krysten Ritter. The series will tie in with Netflix’s Daredevil series and be part of a larger television continuity that ties in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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