Spitfire (comics)

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Spitfire
Spitfire from Captain America Vol. 5 #19. Art by Steve Epting.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Invaders #7 (July, 1976, as Jacqueline Falsworth); Invaders #12 (as Spitfire)
Created by	Roy Thomas Frank Robbins
In-story information
Alter ego	Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton
Team affiliations	MI-13 Invaders Hellfire Club
Abilities	Superhuman speed

Spitfire (Lady Jacqueline Falsworth-Crichton) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe and former member of the Invaders.

[edit] Fictional character biography

Jacqueline Falsworth was born in Maidstone, England, and is the daughter of the original Union Jack (and the sister of Union Jack II). She originally received her super-speed through a blood transfusion from the original Human Torch after being bitten by Baron Blood.^[1] She took the name Spitfire and joined the Invaders for a time.^[2]

Jacqueline married a British nobleman, Lord Crichton, and together they had a son, Kenneth Crichton. Kenneth was later seduced by a vampire cult leader, Baroness Blood, who bore him a son. Kenneth became a vampire as well and took the name Baron Blood, but his lover betrayed and murdered him. Baroness Blood has become one of Jacqueline's most persistent enemies. At the war's end, she retired from costumed activity.^[3]

Her super-speed faded as she grew older, until she received another transfusion from the Human Torch. The transfusion not only restored her youth and powers, but also established a psychic link between her and the Torch.

She later joined the New Invaders, but resigned with most of the other members after the Torch's death. She also had a brief relationship with the third Union Jack Joey Chapman, but they broke up due to the large age difference.

She joins MI-13 as part of Britain's response to the Secret Invasion by the Skrull Empire.^[4] In battle with two Super-Skrulls, Spitfire rips out their throats with her teeth, displaying vampire traits from her Baron Blood bite that have been previously unseen.^[5] Captain Britain and MI: 13 writer Paul Cornell commented on her new traits, stating that:

In recent years she's realized that she has actually started to be able to use certain vampiric abilities, and that the fangs appear when she gets angry. But she feels no blood lust, and has no need to drink it, and it's all completely under her control.

—Paul Cornell^[6]

When new MI:13 recruit and vampire hunter Blade first meets Spitfire, he stakes her. She survives only thanks to the powers of fellow MI:13 member Faiza Hussain.^{[issue # needed]}

[edit] Powers and abilities

As Spitfire, Jacqueline possesses the ability to run at lightning-fast speeds, with reflexes and agility to match. When she runs, a trail of non-damaging fire appears behind her. Her skin is also hardened to withstand the rigors of such speed, providing a type of body armor.

She has some Vampire abilities including fangs that appear when she is angry. However, she feels no blood lust and has no need to drink it.

Spitfire is a trained pilot and exceptional athlete and hand-to-hand combatant.

[edit] Collected editions

Spitfire's major appearances have been collected in a number of trade paperbacks:

• Invaders Classic (written by Roy Thomas, with pencils by Frank Robbins and inks by Vince Colletta/Frank Springer):
  • Volume 1 (includes Invaders #1-9, July - October 1976, tpb, 248 pages, July 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2706-2)
  • Volume 2 (includes Invaders #10-21, November 1976 - October 1977, tpb, 240 pages, July 2008, ISBN 0-7851-3120-5)

• Captain America: War and Remembrance (by John Byrne and Roger Stern, with pencils by John Byrne and inks by Josef Rubinstein, tpb includes Captain America #253-254, 1981, 208 pages, July 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2693-7)

• Union Jack (written by John Cassaday and Ben Raab, with art by John Cassaday, 3-issue mini-series, December 1998 - February 1999, tpb, 96 pages, April 2002, ISBN 0-7851-0934-X)

• New Invaders: To End All Wars (written by Allan Jacobsen, with art by Jorge Lucas and C. P. Smith, tpb collects New Invaders #1-9, October 2004 - June 2005, 216 pages, July 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1449-1)

• Captain America: Red Menace Volume 2 (written by Ed Brubaker with art by Steve Epting, tpb collects Captain America #18-21, July - October 2006, 104 pages, December 2006, ISBN 0-7851-2225-7)

[edit] Notes

[edit] References