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JAMES T. WYATT

Real Name: James T. Wyatt

Identity/Class: Human, citizen of the United States

Occupation: United States Congressman for the State of California

Group Membership: Pyro-Technics Inc. board of directors (Billingsley, General Casper, unidentified others), US Congress

Affiliations: Jonathon Drew

Enemies: Brother Grimm (Nathan Dolly), SHIELD (Jerry Hunt, unidentified others), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)

Known Relatives: Gloria Wyatt (wife)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, California

First Appearance: Spider-Woman I#3 (March, 1978)

Powers/Abilities: James Wyatt possessed no known superhuman abilities. A skilled, ruthless politician and businessman, he was not above killing to achieve his goals. Wyatt was proficient in the use of firearms.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 6'1")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 200 lbs.)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

History:

(Spider-Woman I#4 (fb) - BTS) - James Wyatt rose up the corporate ladder and became one of the top level employees of Pyro-Technics Inc.

(Spider-Woman I#3 (fb) - BTS) -  James Wyatt ran for public office and was eventually elected as a congressman for California. He split his time between Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

(Spider-Woman I#4 (fb) - BTS) - James Wyatt's wife Gloria enjoyed her life as the spouse of a rich, influential member of the community. She spent a lot of money on designer clothes and furs. To afford his wife's spending, Wyatt found himself forced to make deals with unsavory characters.

(Spider-Woman I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Contrary to his sterling public reputation, congressman Wyatt cheated on his wife Gloria and kept a sizeable sum of counterfeit money in his bank vault.

(Spider-Woman I#7 (fb) - BTS - Hungry for power, the Pyro-Technics board of directors began preparations for a take over of the United States. They planned to detonate neutron bombs of their own design near military bases around the country. Their own forces would be protected by a new serum that was being developed by Jonathon Drew.

(Spider-Woman I#7 (fb) - BTS) - Wyatt oversaw Jonathon Drew's work for Pyro-Technics Inc. The brilliant scientist was drugged to remain unaware what his spider-serum was being developed into: a vaccination against radiation to turn soldiers immune to the effects of a neutron bomb. Right before final testing, Drew sobered up enough to realize what was going on. When he fled, Wyatt saw himself forced to kill Drew.

(Spider-Woman I#3 (fb) - BTS) - Wyatt used tax payer money to bankroll his philandering. He was not aware he was being photographed with two women during his most recent 'business trip'.

(Spider-Woman I#3) - Brother Grimm broke into Wyatt's bedroom to confront the congressman with the compromising photos. The villain demanded 50.000 in cash to assure his silence. Wyatt took him to the bank where he cleverly handed Grimm the requested amount in counterfeit bills. For his trouble, Grimm locked the congressman in the vault.

(Spider-Woman I#3 - BTS) - Wyatt was eventually freed from the vault, the incident made the papers. By that time, Grimm had learned he had been duped.

(Spider-Woman I#3) - Wyatt went to Los Angeles police headquarters to report the vault incident. He was overheard by Spider-Woman who had snuck in to steal the police's case files on the murder investigation of her father Jonathon Drew.

(Spider-Woman I#3 - BTS) - Jessica was shocked to learn that the police files linked Wyatt and Pyro-Technics to her father. She followed Wyatt to his Washington D.C. office the next day.

(Spider-Woman I#3) - Jessica swooped into Wyatt's office as Spider-Woman, demanding an explanation. The congressman wasn't impressed and immediately pulled a gun on her which she easily zapped out of his hand with a mild venom blast. She then proceeded to physically intimidate Wyatt to get the information she wanted. Her interrogation was cut short when Brother Grimm burst through the door to take his revenge for getting counterfeit cash.

(Spider-Woman I#3 - BTS) - Wyatt called the cops while the two vigilantes fought.

(Spider-Woman I#3) - The authorities arrived moments after Spider-Woman knocked her opponent out. She fled the scene, leaving Wyatt to hand Grimm over the cops. He figured no one would believe the criminal's claims about counterfeit cash, but he was concerned that Spider-Woman had linked him to Jonathon Drew. He decided she had to be silenced.

(Spider-Woman I#3 - BTS) - Spider-Woman discreetly tailed Wyatt for the rest of the day, hoping to catch him in the act. Before she could follow him to Pyro-Technics Inc., she was drawn into a rematch with Brother Grimm.

(Spider-Woman I#3 - BTS) - The Brothers Grimm began to work for Pyro-Technics.

(Spider-Woman I#4) - After watching his wife Gloria go off on an unexpected dinner date with Frank and Dino, Wyatt called the Brothers Grimm and tasked them to do what was necessary to keep Spider-Woman out of his hair forever.

Spider-Woman I#4 - BTS) - Grimm prepared an elaborate, deadly trap for Spider-Woman using Pyro-Technic's wind tunnel. She survived and faced both Grimm and William Dolly, but their fight was cut short by the arrival of the misogynistic Hangman who dragged Spider-Woman away for her own safety.

(Spider-Woman I#7) - On July 2nd, Wyatt assembled the Pyro-Technics board of directors to discuss the final stages of the nationwide take-over they planned for July 4th. Wyatt was still concerned about Spider-Woman's continued survival, especially because she was connected to Jonathon Drew. His associates assured Wyatt the plan would go off without a hitch.

(Spider-Woman I#7 - BTS) - Spider-Woman listened in on the meeting and learned enough to conclude Wyatt was behind her father's death.

(Spider-Woman I#7) - Unaware Spider-Woman was tailing him, Wyatt told his driver to take him to Pyro-Technics secret army base where he met with general Danvers who assured him the recruits were ready and anxious. Wyatt assured them their injections would be ready tomorrow. Later that evening, Spider-Woman confronted James Wyatt in his home. By pretending she knew everything, she managed to get a confession out of him.

(Spider-Woman I#7 - BTS) - Spider-Woman left Wyatt alone at home and flew off to face the Pyro-Technics board. As soon as she got there, she was ambushed by Brother Grimm and taken to the secret military base.

(Spider-Woman I#7) - Wyatt went to the secret base and, so assured of his imminent victory, took his time to tell the captured Spider-Woman all about his plans for conquering the United States with an army of soldiers who were immune to neutron radiation. He was delighted when the first trucks with what he believed were inoculated troops returned. To his horror, they were SHIELD agents (Spider-Woman had tipped them off through her friend Jerry Hunt). Hunt soon breached the base's inner sanctum where Wyatt pushed the self destruct button before Hunt could gun him down. In his dying moments, Wyatt told Spider-Woman why he had killed her father.

(Spider-Woman I#7 - BTS) - The dying congressman's corpse was incinerated when the Pyro-Technic military base exploded.

Comments: Created by Marv Wolfman, Carmen Infantino, Tony DeZuniga.

I dunno... Even by the late 70s a scheme to conquer the country with an army inoculated against deadly neutron radiation seems farfetched. And to name the company that developed the neutron bombs 'Pyro-technics' (aka 'fireworks') also doesn't add to the threat level.

We never did learn what the T in James T. Wyatt stands for. We also don't know who the 'Frank and Dino' are that his wife has dinner with. But since this is LA in the late 70s, it could very well be Frank Sinatra and Dean 'Dino' Martin. After all, Gloria preferred to mingle with the upper set.

Profile by Norvo

CLARIFICATIONS:
 James Wyatt should not be confused with


Gloria Wyatt

Gloria Wyatt was married to congressman James T. Wyatt. She enjoyed her status as the spouse of an influential member of the community, spending tons of money on the latest, exclusive fashions. She was aware of her husband's philandering and simply had her own fun as well. When Wyatt was surprised to find Gloria was going out even though they'd agreed to stay in, she simply told him "I've my friends... and you've yours." She then departed to have dinner with Frank and Dino.

-- Spider-Woman I#4

















Images: (without ads)
Spider-Woman I#7, p4, pan1 (main image)
Spider-Woman I#7, p8, pan2 (knew Jonathon Drew)
Spider-Woman I#3, p4, pan7 (with Grimm at the bank vault)
Spider-Woman I#7, p11, pans3&4 (forced to tell the truth)
Spider-Woman I#7, p19, pan3 (dies)
Spider-Woman I#4, p9, pan2 (Gloria Wyatt)


Appearances:
Spider-Woman I#3 (June, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks)
Spider-Woman I#4 (July, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks)
Spider-Woman I#7 (October, 1978) - Marv Wolfman (writer/editor), Carmine Infantino (pencils), Steve Leialoha & Al Gordon (inks)


First Posted: 05/13/2024
Last Updated: 05/13/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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