TAILHOOK

Real Name: Marissa Paulsen

Identity/Class: Human, conventional weapons-user

Occupation: Student, vigilante

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Laura Dunham

Enemies: Paul Davidson, Carl Greenberg, Nova, rapists in general

Known Relatives: Unnamed sister (deceased)

Aliases: The Tailhook Killer

Base of Operations: Yale Campus, New Haven, Connecticut

First Appearance: Nova II#2 (February, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Tailhook was armed with a whip covered in barbs, as well as a crossbow. Tailhook was a champion gymnast.

History: (Nova II#2 (fb) - BTS ) - A nameless girl looked up to her older sister, who was a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. Her sister was raped at the Naval Tailhook Convention, and later committed suicide. The unnamed girl vowed to honor her sister's memory by killing rapists. While attending Yale University she killed her first rapist, and the local papers dubbed her the Tailhook Killer. She received a note in her mailbox from Laura Dunham, a fellow student who was sharing her mailbox. Laura knew that she was the Tailhook Killer, and asked if she was all right. Tailhook left a diary page in the mailbox, detailing the hardships of being a vigilante.

(Nova II#2) - Tailhook ambushed Carl Greenberg at the Naples Bar and forced him to confess to rape before snapping his neck. The next night she executed Paul Davidson, another suspected rapist. Laura's boyfriend Nova made Laura write a note to Tailhook, asking to meet at the Harkness Tower on Yale Campus. That night Tailhook revealed her history to Nova, and he pleaded with her to turn herself in. She threatened to jump off the tower, but Nova told her he refused to let her die. Laura then appeared, leaping off a nearby building, forcing Nova to save her while Tailhook leapt to her death. Laura felt that she let Tailhook make the decision she truly wanted.

(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Tony Stark considered Tailhook as a potential Initiative recruit.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Chris Marrinan and Mark Stegbauer.

She is called Tailhook in Fabian Nicieza's column in Nova II#1 and the letter page of #2. Throughout the story she is called the Tailhook Killer.

The references to the Persian Gulf War and the Tailhook Navy Convention are topical. The Tailhook convention mentioned in this story is most definitely the 1991 convention. More information about the Tailhook incident can be found at the PBS website.

   

PROFILE BY FUTURE

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with:

Paul Davidson

Nothing was known about Paul, except that Tailhook thought he was a rapist and attacked him outside a New Haven bar. He was Tailhook's third and final victim.

--Nova II#2

 

 

 

 

Carl Greenberg

Carl was a Yale student who raped a girl during a fraternity party. He went to trial, but was found not guilty due to lack of evidence. He later encountered Tailhook, who forced him to confess his crime before killing him.

--Nova II#2

 

 

 

images:
Nova II#2, p6, pan1;
(Paul Davidson) Nova II#2, p12, pan4;
(Carl Greenberg) Nova II#2, p6, pan3

Appearances:
Nova II#2 (February, 1994) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Chris Marrinan (pencils), Mark Stegbauer (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007)

Last updated: 03/18/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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