THE WORD

Real Name: Jack Wordman

Identity/Class: Normal Human

Occupation: Cult Leader, former Radio Announcer, former Encyclopedia Editor

Group Membership: Leader of his own Cult

Affiliations: His own Cult

Enemies: Human Torch, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, SHIELD, Thing

Known Relatives: Ultima (daughter), Apothea Kadbury Wordman (wife, deceased)

Aliases: Wordman Jack (as radio announcer)

Base of Operations: Wilmington, Delaware, formerly Los Angelos, California

First Appearance: Savage She-Hulk#9 (October, 1980)

Powers/Abilities: The Word possesses extraordinary jurisdiction of the English language capable of commanding others or making arguments to his advantage out of any obstacle.
It has been speculated that he actually has some degree of low level telepathic power which enhances his skills.

Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 190 lbs.

History: (Savage She-Hulk#9) - Jack Wordman was once the editor of one of the world's largest unabridged dictionaries. Immersed in their diction, he realized the power in them and soon gained the power of a radio announcer, a position that made his radio station very successful. He talked the owner into giving him everything he wanted until he drove the station into bankruptcy.

As the Word, Wordman directed his power over words into a power over others and created his own cult devoted to knowledge. He made his own daughter, Ultima, into the pinnacle of his accomplishments. She in turn fell in love with Randolph Harrison, one of his followers. Harrison was eventually confronted by lawyer Jennifer Walters infiltrating the cult to check on his safety and his desire to leave the group.

(Savage She-Hulk#10) - The Word confronted Walters in court to repudiate the signed testimony obtained from Harrison. His verbal attack on her instigated her transformation into the She-Hulk. To prove herself to her father, Ultima guessed that Walters was the She-Hulk and went to confront her. As the Word cheered his daughter for holding her own against the She-Hulk, he also encouraged Harrison to help her, but it was Harrison's distraction which caused the She-Hulk to fatally cripple Ultima. Blaming himself for the tragedy, the Word took a vow of silence to devote full time to his daughter's recuperation in the Orient.

(Marvel Two In One#89) - Sometime later, The Word returned to the United States and rebuilt his cult near coal mines he owned in Delaware. Converting his cult to slave labor, he took two SHIELD agents as hostages as Nick Fury asked the Thing and Human Torch to investigate. Briefly taking the two heroes into custody as well, the Word eventually applauded Ultima's stand against the Thing, but watching the Thing defeat her father with a flick of his finger caused her to lose her confidence and source of perseverance. With her collapse, the Word admitted defeat and turned himself over to SHIELD.

Comments: Created by David Anthony Kraft and Michael Vosburgh

Ultima and The Word were two of a series of weak and limited foes paraded through otherwise impeccably written She-Hulk stories. Most interesting was how the Word attacked with words and Ultima with brute force. Despite the creative force behind them, there was not much potential behind them.
They're my two favorite Savage She-Hulk foes! You're saying they're a step below the Man-Elephant, or the deadly Microwave?--Snood.

Curiously, at the end of Marvel Two In One#89, there is no indication a lot of time has passed between the Word's defeat and the time SHIELD has arrived, yet the Word already has Ultima in a wheelchair.

The name of Word's wife was revealed in Ultima's profile in FF: Fifty Fantatic Years#1 (November, 2011).

by Will Uchtman

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

• The Word, an agent of the Red Skull (Shmidt), who organized the Dead Man's Hand to divide up the Kingpins' estate after one of his falls, @ Daredevil I#307
• The Voice, Jason Cragg, aka the Man with the Voice of Doom, who could control others with his speech, @ Tales to Astonish I#42
• The Voice, an alias briefly used by Angar the Screamer, @ Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD III#33
• The Voice, an alias of Blackheart when he granted precognitive powers to the Warhead Misha, @ Warheads#1
• Wolfman Jack, Awoooooo!, that crazy 1950s Disc Jockey from American Graffiti

Appearances:
Savage She-Hulk#9-10 (October-November, 1980) - David Kraft (writer), Mike Vosburg (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (#9) & Frank Springer (#10) (inks), Mary Jo Duffy (editor)
Marvel Two-In-One#89 (July, 1982) - David Kraft (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Jim Salicrup (editor)

First Posted: 02/06/2003
Last updated: 05/23/2012

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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