Jarella | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Incredible Hulk #140 (Jun 1971) |
Created by | Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas, and Herb Trimpe |
In-story information | |
Place of origin | K'ai |
Supporting character of | Hulk |
Abilities | Skilled swordswoman and strategist. |
Jarella is a fictional character from Marvel Comics. Along with Betty Ross Banner and Caiera, she was one of the Hulk's great loves. The character was introduced in The Incredible Hulk #140. Jarella was created by legendary science fiction author Harlan Ellison who was the guest writer for that issue.
Fictional character biography
Jarella was the princess of the sub-atomic world of K'ai. Although outwardly primitive, her world had remnants of long-forgotten high technology and sorcery. Its people were green-skinned and for the most part blonde haired, but otherwise humanoid.
Jarella's city was threatened by a number of menaces ranging from attacks by the gigantic warthos (warthog-like beasts larger than elephants) to the armies of the Warlord Visus. The Hulk appeared in K'ai during an attack of the warthos and drove the huge monsters away. When the people came out to greet him, the Hulk was startled, noticing that they were green-skinned like him and that they welcomed him rather than ran away.
The Hulk was especially taken with the lovely and gentle Empress Jarella. She led him into the city and called on her sorcerers to help the Hulk learn their language. The spell succeeded and also allows the human personality of Bruce Banner to emerge in the Hulk's body. The Hulk and Jarella fell in love and she proclaimed him her husband. After Visus attempted to assassinate Jarella she exiled him from the city, and the Hulk and Jarella seem destined to live happily ever after. However destiny in the form of a supervillain named Psyklop interfered, and snatched the Hulk away from K'ai.[1]
Jarella was soon transported to Earth by the Pantheon of Sorcerers (Torla, Holi, Moli; also known as the Sorcerer's Triad) to retrieve the Hulk. This act inadvertently caused solar storms; she battled Fialin and then returned to K'ai.[2] After a while, she was revealed to have lost another war against Visi and been taken captive. The Hulk returned to K'ai, and Jarella and Hulk defeated Visis and the assassin Krylar.[3]
Jarella was unique in the series in that she accepted the Hulk unconditionally. She came to know Bruce Banner's mind in the Hulk's body but was equally accepting of the Hulk personality, or Banner's body.
Alongside the Hulk, Jarella battled Psyklop once more. Hulk and Jarella were then returned to Earth by Doc Samson.[4] During a battle between the Hulk and Crypto-Man in an unnamed town in New Mexico, Jarella saved a child from being crushed to death from a collapsing wall, but was crushed to death herself.[5] The Hulk took Jarella's body to the Gamma Base, but the doctors were unable to revive her.[6] The Hulk rampaged in search for his friend, the magician Doctor Strange, but the latter was also unable to restore her, and he finally accepted that Jarella was dead, while being comforted by the Valkyrie. Captain Mar-Vell shrank the Hulk so that he could return Jarella's body to K'ai for a proper burial. After being put to rest, her spirit took farewell by creating a single green flower.[7]
Many years afterwards, during a Fantastic Four storyline featuring a delirious Hulk rampaging through Las Vegas, the latter howled Jarella's name, as one of the 3 greatest tragedies that he considered to have befallen him, along with the poisoning of his wife Betty Ross, and the death of his friend Jim Wilson due to AIDS.
Due to a bet made by the Grandmaster and the Collector, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, Namor, and Silver Surfer unite from across time and space to confront the newly assembled team of the Offenders, led by the brutal Red Hulk. The Grandmaster promises to restore Jarella if the Hulk agrees to battle.[8] The Red Hulk was victorious, but his brutal and careless tactics led the Grandmaster to disqualify him. In a rage, the Red Hulk killed the Grandmaster, but was then defeated by the Hulk. The Collector, furious over his brother's death, gave the Hulk Jarella's dead body, stating that she was meant to be in that state.[9]
During the Chaos War, queen Jarella is revived to assist the Hulk in fighting Zom and the Abomination.[10] After the Hulk and allies were nearly defeated by his undead father, Brian Banner, empowered into the Devil Hulk through all the fear and rage that Hulk felt towards him over the years; she saves her husband and defeats Brian, empowered by all the love that Hulk had felt for her, encouraging him to let go of his fear for the monster. Bruce's similarly returned mother tells him that although she disliked his other wife, Red She-Hulk, she definitely likes Jarella, but both soon have to leave again.[11]
Powers and abilities
Jarella was an athletic woman with the strength of a normal human but was a skilled swordswoman, strategist and equestrian. She would ride horse-like steeds and winged serpent-creatures indigenous to K'ai.
After her death she was empowered by all the positive feelings that Hulk had felt towards her, and as her beloved draws his power from emotions, she apperently gained physical prowess even exceeding his own regular state.[volume & issue needed]
References
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #140 (June 1971)
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #148 (February 1972)
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #156-157 (October - November 1972)
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #202-203 (August - September 1976)
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #205 (November 1976)
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #240
- ^ The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #246-248 (April - June 1980)
- ^ Hulk vol. 2 #10 (2009)
- ^ Hulk vol. 2 #12 (2009)
- ^ Incredible Hulks #619
- ^ Incredible Hulks #620