AKA Jessica Jones
As a character, Jessica Campbell Jones Cage essentially began as an off-shoot from Spider-Man, created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Goydos. She very quickly turned into much more than just a spinoff, however, as her story made clear when it appeared in Alias #1 in November 2001. Alias is the name of the private detective agency that Jones launched when she decided to retire from being a superhero, but the story of how she got to that point is one of the more interesting backstories in the comics – connecting her, as it does, with many other characters in the Marvel Universe.
When she was a student, Jessica attended the same High School as Peter Parker – on whom she had a crush – and was present when he received his infamous spider bite. She remained unaware of his superhero alter-ego for many years, however. Her father worked for Tony Stark but, as a family, the Campbells were involved in a car accident, during which their vehicle crashed into a military convoy transporting radioactive chemicals. As the only survivor, Jessica spent many months comatose before being adopted by the Jones family.
Her exposure to radioactive material caused Jessica Jones to develop limited invulnerability, super strength, and the ability to fly, but her return to school was marred by social rejection, and her increasing levels of anger. Seeing Spider-Man at work inspired her to do good, however, and use her powers for the benefit of others.
She assumed the identity of Jewel, and crossed paths with the supervillain The Purple Man – also known as Zebediah Kilgrave. The Purple Man is a former doctor and spy whose own exposure to radioactivity has provided him with the ability to control the will and actions of other people. He is better known as a regular enemy of Daredevil, and exerted his control over Jessica to kill The Man Without Fear. This battle brought Jones into contact with Carol Danvers – also known as Captain Marvel – an interaction which created a lasting friendship.
Traumatized by the experience, Jones retired from superherodom and launched a private detective agency. But, her heroic past served to attract clients with heroic connections, and she is continually drawn back into action – not least when The Purple Man resurfaces and tries to use Carol Danvers to manipulate and terrorize Jones.
The Purple Man is just one of many enemies that Jones has clashed with in the comic books, and the range of recognizable names reflects the way in which her character so easily crosses over with other series. She has faced off with the Green Goblin, Kang The Conqueror, Doctor Doom and Hood, among others, and has also shared the page with Iron Fist, Scott Lang (Ant Man), Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four, Jean Grey, Captain America, Deadpool and Groot.
In various comic book crossovers, Jones has been seen to marry both Scott Lang and Captain America – but in her main storyline, she marries Luke Cage and eventually bears a daughter named Danielle, in honour of Daniel ‘Iron Fist’ Rand. This appears to be the version that the upcoming Netflix series will adapt, with Krysten Ritter in the role of Jessica Jones and Mike Colter as Luke Cage. In addition, and significantly, David Tennant is confirmed in the role of Zebediah Kilgrave, or The Purple Man, and showrunner Melissa Rosenberg has indicated the inclusion of Carol Danvers in the series. Though shooting is currently underway, the casting of the Carol Danvers has not been confirmed.
