Warning: Spoilers for Sensational She-Hulk #2!
A longtime friend of the Fantastic Four and a former love of She-Hulk just proved that you don’t need superpowers to stop a world-threatening invasion. Marvel Comics have a slew of heavy hitters to take on endless threats across the galaxy and multiverse: mutant powers, gamma radiation strength, and genius tech design. But when a despot from the Negative Zone leads an alien armada into the U.S. Capitol, She-Hulk isn’t the one to take him down. Instead, it’s a level head and an outstretched hand with a peace offering that stops the king in his tracks.
In The Sensational She-Hulk #2 bonus story, written by Bobby Wilson with art by David Cutler and Dee Cunniffe, Jen is acting as the lawyer for Keewazi Chief Wyatt Wingfoot at a hearing in Washington, D.C. Suddenly, the U.S. Capitol is attacked by the Negative Zone warrior known as Blastaar. Wyatt, Jen’s former fiancé and longtime best friend of Johnny Storm, is a very athletic man, but has no superpowers. He was gifted with a belt by Reed Richards that gives him some defensive capabilities, which he uses to protect others from Blastaar’s attacks. Jen, hoping the two of them will help people evacuate, warns Wyatt to stop trying to talk to their enemy, calling his actions an “it is a good day to die” routine.
Ultimately, Wyatt makes the right moves, convincing Blastaar to start peace talks with Earth, though the tyrant declares he will only parlay with Chief Wingfoot.
After 61 Years, Fantastic Four’s Biggest Secret Is Finally Exposed
Giant-Size Fantastic Four is rewriting a major character’s origin, exposing a secret buried for millennia of Marvel history (and 61 real years.)
Wyatt Wingfoot Has Long Been a Fifth Member of the Fantastic Four
First appearing in 1966’s Fantastic Four #50 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Wyatt’s character was inspired by Jim Thorpe, an Olympic gold-medal-winning athlete and member of the Sac & Fox Nation. Born to the fictional Keewazi Nation, Wyatt was Johnny Storm’s college roommate at Metro College, and joined the Fantastic Four on their first trip to Wakanda to meet Black Panther. Despite being unpowered, he’s joined them in going up against Miracle Man, Doctor Doom, and even the Hulk. When She-Hulk temporarily joined the team, she and Wyatt became romantically entangled. After the American government seized Keewazi land, leaving his people homeless, Wyatt dedicated his time to leading them as their chief, meaning he had to put his heroic adventures behind him.
When Chief Wingfoot returns in The Sensational She-Hulk #2, Jen is helping him in his quest to achieve U.S. recognition of the Keewazi Nation, still a struggle for him. He and his tribe were last seen in Fantastic Four (2018) #20, and had expanded to include a civilization of Moloids who had been living below their land. Similarly to how he keeps a cooler head with Blastaar, the Keewazi and Moloids came into conflict when oil drilling destroyed the latter’s homes, but Wyatt brokered peace and welcomed the underground citizens into his home.
Sensational She-Hulk Shows a Modern Way Forward for Marvel
She-Hulk has always been a character who told interesting stories that occasionally broke the fourth wall: the final issue of her 1990s run ended with her directly addressing the reader, thanking them for reading, as “Marvel Movers” pack up her panels around her. This new story is not as surreal, but does show a far more modern means of storytelling. Rather than using brute strength and weaponry to beat back the Negative Zone hordes, Wyatt reaches out. Sympathetic villains are nothing new, as often the most interesting characters have something readers can identify with. However, they still often come to blows with the hero. Wyatt Wingfoot never even attempts to hit or attack, and stands firm in his belief that talking things out will work. Sensational She-Hulk isn’t afraid to try new ways of telling superhero stories, even when its main character could easily punch her way through all her problems.
The Sensational She-Hulk #2 (2023) | |
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The Sensational She-Hulk #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.
