NETWORK
Real Name: Valerie Martin
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Adventurer; researcher at Cyberoptics Inc.
Group Membership:
Initiative (Cloud-9, Constrictor, Gargoyle
(Isaac
Christians), Hardball, Hulkling, Justice (Vance Astrovik), Komodo,
Scorpion (Black), Trauma, War Machine (Jim Rhodes), Yellowjacket/Criti Noll), others);
formerly Anti-Registration Underground
(Battlestar, Canasta, Dahntu,
Freeware, Gladiatrix,
Green Guardswoman, Harbormaster, Johnny Justice, Kruzado, Lawman,
Masked Rose, Natural, Qiblah, Scorecard, Skybolt, Staten Island Star,
Tosser, Typeface,
U.S. Annie, Warbug, Zapster, others)
Affiliations: Black Crow, Coldblood-7, Sally Floyd, Lectronn, Lightbright, Living Mummy, Prodigy (Gilmore), Secret Avengers (Captain America (Rogers), Asp (Nefertiti), Black Mamba, Black Panther (T'Challa), Luke Cage, Cloak (Johnson), Dagger (Bowen), Daredevil (Rand), Diamondback (Leighton), Falcon (Wilson), Hawkeye (Bishop), Hercules, Hulkling, Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Invisible Woman, Patriot (Bradley), Spider-Man (Parker), Spider-Woman (Drew), Storm, Wiccan), Shroud
Enemies: Abacus, Big Wheel (Jackson Weele), North Carolina Maggia, Pro-Registration forces (Araņa, Bishop, Black Widow (Romanova), Doc Samson, Iron Man (Stark), Ms. Marvel (Danvers), Mr. Fantastic, Nighthawk, Sabra, Sentry (Reynolds), She-Hulk, S.H.I.E.L.D., Stature, Thunderbolts (Blizzard, Bullseye, Fixer, Lady Deathstrike, Radioactive Man, Songbird, Taskmaster, Venom), Tigra, Wasp, Wonder Man, others)
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Place of Birth: San Jose, California, USA
Base of Operations: New
York City, USA;
formerly Clemson, North Carolina, USA
First Appearance: Civil War: Frontline#4 (September, 2006)
Powers/Abilities: A genius-level computer scientist, Network created the exo-suit that provides her with the ability to collect electronically transmitted data and store it in her head-piece, the storage capacity limits of which are unknown. Able to send and store data with a single thought, the suit also gives her the ability to fly, class 10 strength, and renders her invulnerable to most attacks. When not wearing the suit, Network possesses the strength and other abilities of a normal 5'6", 135 lbs woman.
History:
(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Showing an aptitude for cybernetics at an early age, Valerie Martin developed a hi-tech exoskeleton while attending North Carolina's Clemson University. Using her suit to foil local Maggia activity, Martin got a doctorate in cybernetics and information technology, and moved to New York City after getting a research and development job with Cyberoptics Inc. Calling herself Network, Martin established herself as a local superhero, becoming a regular enemy to the Big Wheel and the criminal information broker, Abacus.
(Civil War: Frontline#3) - Following the implementation of the Superhuman Registration Act, Network joined an underground group of superhumans. They arranged an interview with reporter Sally Floyd to tell her their side of the story, Network attending without wearing her exo-suit. She apologized to Floyd for Solo's brusque attitude.
(Civil War: Frontline#4) - Network performed a search for Captain America's Secret Avengers, telling the others they needed to get organized and find them soon. When Typeface argued that they stood a better chance of remaining free in smaller numbers, Network began to question that logic but was halted with the surprise arrival of Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, and a "Cape-Killer" unit. While some managed to escape, Network was among the unregistered superhumans captured and taken to the Negative Zone prison.
(Civil War#6) - Network was among the prisoners freed from their cells by the Secret Avengers and the Superhuman Registration Act resistance.
(Civil War#7/Amazing Spider-Man I#538 - BTS) - Network took part in the battle between the pro and anti-registration heroes, spanning from the Negative Zone prison to the streets of New York.
(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Following Captain America's surrender, Network accepted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s offer of amnesty.
(Avengers: The Initiative#1) - Network, wearing the standard issue camo-pants over her exo-suit, joined other recruits as they watched MVP running the obstacle course at Camp Hammond
Comments:
Created by Paul Jenkins (writer), Ramon Bachs (pencils) and John Lucas
(inks).
Network received a profile in the Civil War: Battle Damage Report handbook, in which her background, real name and information about her powers were revealed. Network was revealed to have not been one of the heroes killed during the final battle between the pro- and anti-registration sides in that book (which is good because she was definitely the coolest looking of the throw-away heroes seen in Frontline.)
Profile by G Morrow.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Network has no known connections to
Abbas al-Abbad became known as the mathematically-inclined information broker, the Abacus, who was regularly running afoul of the novice superhero called Network.
--Civil War: Battle Damage Report
images:
(without ads)
Civil War: Frontline#4, p5, pan2 (main image)
Civil War: Frontline#3, p3, pan2 (Valerie Martin)
Civil War: Frontline#4, p5, pan1 (close-up)
Appearances:
Civil War: Front Line#3 (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4 (September, 2006)
- Paul Jenkins (writer), Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker),
Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#6 (December, 2006) - Mark Millar
(writer), Steve McNiven (pencils), Dexter Vines (inks), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Civil War#7 (January, 2007) - Mark Millar
(writer), Steve McNiven (pencils), Dexter Vines, John Dell &
Tim Townsend (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) -
Anthony Flamini (head writer/coordinator), Ronald Byrd (writer), Jeff
Youngquist (editor)
Avengers: The Initiative#1 (June, 2007) - Dan Slott (writer), Stefano
Caselli (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 01/01/2008
Last updated: 01/08/2008
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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