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Spot (character)

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The Spot
Spot.
Art by Marko Djurdjevic.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearance(As Dr. Jonathan Ohnn)
Spectacular Spider-Man #97 (December 1984)
(As Spot)
Spectacular Spider-Man #98 (January 1985)
Created byAl Milgrom
Herb Trimpe
In-story information
Alter egoDr. Jonathan Ohnn
Team affiliationsThe Hand
Legion of Losers
MODOK's 11
Sinister Sixteen
AbilitiesAbility to create portals that lead to an alternate dimension and instantly cross short distances

The Spot (Dr. Jonathan Ohnn) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Publication history

Dr. Jonathan Ohnn first appeared unnamed in Spectacular Spider-Man #97 and became the Spot in the following issue #98. He was created by Al Milgrom and Herb Trimpe.

Fictional character biography

Cover to Spectacular Spider-Man #99. Art by Al Milgrom.

As a scientist working for the Kingpin, Dr. Jonathan Ohnn was assigned to reproduce the radiation levels of the superhero Cloak to find a way to artificially mimic his powers. Working late one night, he succeeded creating a solid black circular portal. In doing so however, the drain on the city's power became so great, a blackout washed over the city, causing the portal to shimmer and destabilize. Fearful of losing a once in a lifetime opportunity, Ohnn stepped into it. The shock of the transition caused him to pass out.[1]

He awoke floating weightlessly in a dimension which he initially assumed was Cloak's dark dimension. He soon realized however that the power shortage caused the portal to send him to a different dimension, a place of half darkness and half light. A seemingly infinite number of portals surrounded him in this place. Making swimming motions, he managed to find the original portal that brought him there and slipped back through it.[2]

When Ohnn emerged back into his lab, his body had undergone a radical transformation. The portals from the other dimension had adhered to his skin, covering him with black spots from head to toe. Realizing the spots were portable space warps, he started to think he might be able to use them to defeat anyone in battle. When Spider-Man and Black Cat arrived to confront Kingpin, he appeared before them and announced himself as the Spot. Spider-Man collapsed on the roof, laughing at the name. The Spot ended up winning that first confrontation and warned the heroes to leave the Kingpin alone. He later lost a second battle against Spider-Man because he was tricked into throwing too many of his spots as weapons and not keeping enough to defend himself with.[3]

Spot later formed a short-lived team with Gibbon, Grizzly, and Kangaroo called the Spider-Man Revenge Squad, which was better known as the Legion of Losers. This team fell apart when Spider-Man carted the Spot and the Kangaroo to jail for bank robbery and Grizzly and Gibbon left the group as they disagreed with their teammates' more ruthless approach.[4]

Sometime later, the Spot was captured by the organization called the Gideon Trust and was forced to open a portal to the Negative Zone. Gideon Trust hoped to investigate and exploit the natural resources of the Zone for their own purposes, but were defeated by the Fantastic Four who were trapped there.[5]

The Spot later helped Tombstone escape from a maximum security prison. As thanks, Tombstone snapped his neck.[6]

Despite this, he reappeared alive months later and arranged a meeting with Slyde. Both were upset at the reports of Hydra capturing or killing lesser-known supervillains. When the Spot arrived, both he and Slyde were quickly captured by a brainwashed Elektra. They were then resurrected by the Hand to join Hydra's army of superhumans and assault the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, however the Spot was taken out by Wolverine during the attack.[7]

The Spot returned in Civil War: War Crimes where he was recruited as part of Hammerhead's supervillain army. However, as Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. forces attacked their forces, it remains unknown if the Spot is currently incarcerated with other villains, somehow escaped, or amongst the casualties of the raid.[8]

The Spot appeared in MODOK's 11 as part of a team organized by the villain of the same name to steal a weapon/power-source named the Hypernova. In the book, the Spot's intelligence seems to have been reduced to the point that he brags about having once been defeated by Spider-Man. He is showing a self-serving streak and in #3, it was revealed he'd defected to Temugin in return for a larger paycheck. He runs out on the rest of the team - leaving them to die - the instant they get the Hypernova. The Temugin immediately afterward trapped the Spot in the dimension he originally gained his powers from. The Temugin felt he couldn't trust the Spot not to backstab him like he had MODOK's 11.[9]

In the Brand New Day issues of Amazing Spider-Man, the Spot is seen in the "Bar With No Name".[10]

The Spot returns in "Amazing Spider-Man". His son had been injured and is now in a coma as a result of a drive-by shooting. In revenge, Spot begins killing members of the Russian Mafia.[11]

During the Dark Reign storyline, Spot is one among many supervillains who joined the Hood's crime syndicate. It is later revealed he is serving as a mole for Mister Negative (a fellow Darkforce-powered villain) under the promise that he will be cured once the Maggia crime families are killed.[12]

During the Origin of the Species storyline, Spot is among the supervillains invited by Doctor Octopus to join his supervillain team where he promises each of them a reward in exchange that they secure some specific items for him.[13] Ever since Lily Hollister's baby was stolen by the Chameleon, Spider-Man had been going on a rampage against any villains involved. The police ended up getting a web ball containing Spot, Diablo, and Overdrive.[14]

Later, Spot worked with a man to kidnap the little girl of a mafia family during the wedding of her family and another mafia family, but the abduction was foiled by Daredevil. Spot was then captured and had his powers replicated by Coyote, a minion of an unknown figure trying to bring Daredevil down.[15]

Boomerang and Owl hire Spot onto the Sinister Sixteen, assembled to distract the Chameleon's forces while Boomerang steals from him.[16]

Spot was among the villains seen at the Bar with No Name when Black Cat tried to recruit a group of villains. They declined because of her affiliation to Electro. After Black Cat was thwarted by Spider-Man and Silk, Spot and the other criminals at the Bar with No Name joined her army when they wanted her to lead them.[17]

After helping the Ringer escape from prison,[18] the Spot battled White Rabbit during a gang war,[19] then attacked a museum, where he was incapacitated by Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099.[20]

As part of the 2016 Marvel NOW!, Spot kidnapped Jessica Jones by punching her to an unknown van.[21]

Spot later appeared as a member of the Sinister Six that is led by Aaron Davis in a recolored version of the Iron Spider armor. He accompanied the group in their mission to steal a decommissioned S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.[22]

Powers and abilities

Using his space warps, the Spot can instantly move himself or any part of his body from one area to another over a theoretically unlimited distance via another dimension nicknamed "Spotworld."

This connection with Spotworld probably explains the many deaths he has suffered and subsequent revivals with no explanation.

The Spot can control and manipulate the warps to almost any degree he wishes. He can expand or shrink them to any size, or he can join together multiple spots to form one larger warp. The spots are unaffected by gravity and can be placed against a surface or left suspended in mid-air. He can also designate which spots will lead to the spot dimension from those that will instantly lead to another location in this dimension. He can create new spots, or close them entirely by retreating into his dimension and pulling the warp in behind him (making a quiet "poit" sound).

By concentrating, he used to be able to revert to his human appearance. When doing this, the spots merged to form one large black void in his chest, though this was easily covered with a shirt.

His preferred method of attack is to surround his opponent with numerous spots, allowing him to punch or kick them from unexpected angles across great distances. This proved very effective against Spider-Man as his spider-sense was unable to detect incoming attacks from another dimension, effectively negating this ability (and although the Spot's lack of super-strength meant that his punches did not actually do much damage even when they did connect, the cumulative effect could prove dangerous in an extended fight). The same phenomenon was true when Spot flung Spider-Man through a warp and he reappeared in this dimension too close to a wall to dodge. However, on Daredevil, who also has superhuman senses, this trick does not work, as his Radar Sense could easily detect the teleportation energy in the Spot's body, making it simple for him to tell where the Spot was going to attack from.[15] The Spot can also move the spots on his body to protect himself from physical attack by positioning one in the path of a punch or kick, causing the attack to pass harmlessly through a warp.

Other versions

Marvel Zombies: Dead Days

In the comic Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, Dr. Jonathan Ohnn (shown in his Spot form) appears in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with the other heroes who survived the Zombie plague.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate version of the Spot appeared in Ultimate Spider-Man #111.[23] Not much is known about him, except that his name is Frank, and he worked for Roxxon Industries, where an accident gave him his powers. He has similar powers to his 616 counterpart, being able to use the "spots" on his body to attack his opponent from long range. After a fight with Spider-Man, he is apprehended. The main difference in appearance between the Ultimate version and his 616-counterpart is that his spots flow around his body like a lava lamp instead of staying put. From an illustrator's point of view he is not drawn with a Dalmatian-like pattern, but is instead penciled as a white figure and covered in black ink blots when the page is inked.[volume & issue needed]

Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows

In Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (an alternate reality first shown in the Secret Wars storyline where Peter and Mary Jane's marriage never ended), the Spot is one of the few beings with natural powers left free after the powerful Regent attempted to capture all powered beings to absorb their abilities for himself as part of a plan to challenge God Emperor Doom. Although Spot escaped, he apparently left parts of himself behind with the result that his body has obvious 'gaps' where his holes once were, and each time he uses one it takes away more of what remains of his body. Despite this, he 'sacrifices' one hole to save Spider-Man's family when they are attacked by the Sinister Six, and hides another in the Sandman so that the resistance can attack Regent directly.[24]

In other media

The Spot in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
  • The Spot appears in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series episode "The Spot" voiced by Oliver Muirhead. In this episode, scientist Jonathan Ohn is fired from his work by Tony Stark for Ohn's work involves creating dimensional portals. Since the events of the episodes "Venom Returns" and "Carnage", Stark thought it would be best if Ohn's work were shut down. Kingpin locates Ohn, pretending to appreciate Ohn's job of creating portals, and gives him a job with a woman whom he loves named Dr. Silvia Lopez (voiced by Wanda De Jesus). As weeks pass, Ohn and Lopez finish their work but Ohn falls into one of his portals, becoming the Spot when a whole group of portals attached to him. He then develops the ability to create portals with his mind. Kingpin was frustrated with Ohn and considered his and Lopez's explanation to be very vague. Spot used his portal-creating abilities to rob banks and jewelry stores to get more money to fund his research. He then deduces that he works for a criminal like Kingpin and wants to take over the empire after witnessing Lopez talking to Kingpin. During the confrontation, the Kingpin uses the captive Lopez to have the Spot capture and kill Spider-Man. Spot confronts Spider-Man, but the hero defeats him using his Spider-Sense to find the right portal that would enable him to attack Spot. Spider-Man is aware that if the Spot fails, Lopez would die and the two start to work together. In a battle to defeat Kingpin, it was discovered that one of Spot's portals was left open to the point where it grows so big it had the potential to engulf the Earth, starting with New York City. Spider-Man, the Spot, Lopez and Kingpin work together to take down the portal. However, the Spot cannot completely close the portal from the outside. He jumps in but not before Lopez expresses her love for him, and hangs onto him. They were both sucked in and were never seen again. However, his portal technology would return in the form of the Time-Dilation Accelerator and the device would be used by several other characters like Hobgoblin and then Green Goblin. An alternate reality version of the Spot appears in a cameo as Dr. Ohn in "I Really, Really, Really Hate Clones" in which the Scarlet Spider explains the origin of Spider-Carnage. In this reality, Ohn works for the Kingpin and accidentally releases the Carnage symbiote through one of his portals.
  • Spot appears in the Spider-Man episode "Bring on the Bad Guys" Pt. 2, voiced by Crispin Freeman.[25] He is among the villains that take the mysterious person's bounty on Spider-Man. When their fight takes them to Horizon High, Spider-Man works to save Gwen Stacy and Anya Corazon from the falling items caused by Spots portals. After Spider-Man is sent to the Arctic Circle, Anya and Gwen discover ions in Spot's portals and use their Sigma project for the Horizon High Open House to take control of Spot's portals. Changing into Spider-Girl, Anya defeats Spot and rescues Spider-Man from the Arctic Circle. By the time Spider-Man regains consciousness, Spider-Man is told by Gwen and Anya about Spot's defeat and that they notified the police to come pick Spot up.

References

  1. ^ Spectacular Spider-Man #94-97
  2. ^ Spectacular Spider-Man #98
  3. ^ Spectacular Spider-Man #99-100
  4. ^ Spectacular Spider-Man #245-246
  5. ^ Fantastic Four (vol. 3) #38-44
  6. ^ Spider-Man's Tangled Web #16-17
  7. ^ Wolverine (vol. 3) #26-27
  8. ^ Civil War: War Crimes #1
  9. ^ Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11 #1-3
  10. ^ Amazing Spider-Man #552
  11. ^ "Amazing Spider-Man" #589
  12. ^ Dark Reign: Mister Negative #3
  13. ^ Amazing Spider-Man #642
  14. ^ Amazing Spider-Man #645
  15. ^ a b Daredevil vol. 3 #20
  16. ^ Nick Spencer (w), Steve Lieber (p), Rachelle Rosenberg (i). "Department of Revenge-Ucation" The Superior Foes of Spider-Man, vol. 1, no. 12 (4 June 2014). United States: Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 #6
  18. ^ Dan Slott and Christos Gage (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Victor Olazaba (i), Edgar Delgado (col), Chris Eliopoulos (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "Repossession Part 1 of 3: Stolen Memories" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3, no. 16 (11 March 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Gerry Conway (w), Carlo Barberi (p), Juan Vlasco (i), Israel Silva (col), Joe Caramagna (let), Nick Lowe and Devin Lewis (ed). "Spiral: Conclusion" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3, no. 20.1 (12 August 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ Peter David (w), William Sliney (p), William Sliney (i), Antonio Fabela (col), Joe Caramagna (let), Devin Lewis (ed). Spider-Man 2099, vol. 2, no. 11 (8 April 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Jessica Jones #2
  22. ^ Spider-Man #234
  23. ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #111
  24. ^ Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4
  25. ^ "Bring On the Bad Guys Pt. 2". Spider-Man. Season 2. Episode 34. July 30 2018. Disney XD. {{cite episode}}: Check date values in: |airdate= (help)
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