ROBERTA ELK STEP
ROBERTA ELK STEP
Real Name: Roberta Elk Step
Identity/Class: Human
magic user;
Native American (Keewazi)
Occupation: Apparent tribal shaman of some sort;
former mentor/teacher
Group Membership: Keewazi nation
Affiliations: She-Hulk (Jen Walters)
formerly
Carlton Beatrice
Enemies: Carlton Beatrice
Known Relatives: (See comments) Roberta Wingfoot (daughter, or possibly daughter-in-law), Miriam (daughter, or, less likely, son-in-law's sister; or possibly even sister - see comments), Wyatt Wingfoot (grandson), Wynona Wingfoot, Rain Falling West (granddaughters), Silent Fox (father-in-law to Roberta's daughter, or possibly Roberta Elk Step's husband), William Wingfoot (son-in-law, or possibly son)
Aliases: Teacher (per Carlton Beatrice)
Base of Operations: Unrevealed;
formerly the Keewazi Indian reservation in Oklahoma, USA
First Appearance: Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (1989)
Powers/Abilities: Roberta had various unspecified mystic abilities, centered around what Roberta called "woman's medicine," which generally referred to magic involving the soul. She could sense mystic energy, and she could apparently transport herself and at least one other willing person to an unspecified location (presumably a mystic realm of some sort), during which apparently a few months passed while no more than a few hours (and perhaps much less) passed on Earth.
Roberta was wise and patient.
She possessed a mystic basket that could join together those things that were meant to be together.
Height: Approximately 5'5" (she seems about a foot
shorter than the 6'5" Wyatt Wingfoot)
Weight: Approximately 130 lbs. (based on extrapolation from height)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: White (previously gray and likely previously black)
History:
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb)) <20 years before the
main story> - After coming to the Keewazi reservation to buy its mineral rights
and being denied by William Wingfoot, young businessman Carlton Beatrice
observed
a mystic ceremony involving Roberta Elk Step and Miriam. He became fascinated
with what he called "the powers" that the two women possessed. With
single-minded pursuit, Carlton (presumably learned from them and) became a
powerful shaman.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Though evil and acquisitive, Carlton possessed enough wisdom to realize the limitations of his male power and energy, and that he was totally lacking in any "medicine" (magic) that stemmed from female energy, or "what the white man calls the soul."
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Carlton learned an obscene art that allowed him to steal the latter type of energy from people, male and female alike.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Miriam discovered what Carlton was trying to do, and she tried to stop him, but she failed, and he apparently drained and consumed her soul.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb)) - By the time Roberta Elk Step discovered Miriam's fate, Carlton -- fearing her vengeance -- had already fled back to "the white man's world."
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - While building a powerful financial empire, Beatrice spent the next 20 years gathering various mystic totems he would need to perform a ritual that would allow him to steal the world's feminine energies (souls) all at once.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb)
- BTS) - Roberta posed with her grandchildren Rain Falling West and Wyatt
Wingfoot.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, presumably following the deaths of Wyatt's parents, the mystic basket came into the possession of Roberta Elk Step.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Realizing
Carlton Beatrice would seek her mystic basket (the last thing he needed for his
ritual), and understanding that the basket required both male and female
partners to fully access its magic, Roberta sent the basket to She-Hulk
(Jennifer Walters), the former girlfriend of her grandson Wyatt Wingfoot.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - As Roberta prepared dinner for her granddaughter, Rain Falling West, she was summoned away to an astral plane by Carlton Beatrice.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1) - As Rain Falling West returned home, Roberta, already fading away, told Rain she would have to see to supper as she would be occupied for a time; she cautioned Rain not to let it burn.
On the astral plane, after Carlton greeted her and said he was pleased she could make it, she noted that she had had little choice; noting his great arrogance, she acknowledged surprise that he was this disrespectful. Nonetheless, she confronted him with his belief that he was the husband of prophecy, which he readily admitted. She warned him that the same prophecy spoke a counter-force: "The true chief will learn, first to believe, and then to be whole..."
Carlton told Roberta that that was a low probability scenario, and advised her that she had made two long range policy gaffes: (1) She had taught him too much; (2) She had failed to teach anything at all to the only man (Wyattt Wingfoot) with any hope of stopping him. He told Roberta he would bury her, but she countered that there was still time for him to learn. Denying that the true chief was ready for anything of the sort, he explained that he had made an aggressive, forward-thinking package that would mature in one year...what she called "The Joining." He only needed only one more totem to allow him to implement his plan (the basket). Carlton told her to give it to him, but she explained that it was no longer hers to give.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 - BTS) - Presumably as part of either the magic of Roberta's mystic basket or a spell utilized by Roberta herself, Jen (She-Hulk) and Wyatt were drawn back together, to complete the male and female magics needed to oppose Beatrice.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 - BTS) - Sensing where the basket had been sent, Beatrice traveled to She-Hulk's apartment and knocked on her door almost immediately after She-Hulk had received and opened the package and discovered the basket. Realizing the basket would only be useful if it was given to him (rather than being taken by force), Beatrice attempted to convince She-Hulk to give it to him in exchange for his donating a large sum of money to her favorite charity. Appreciating the gift and suspecting its greater significance, She-Hulk refused to give Beatrice the basket.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 - BTS) - Failing to understand that the basket could only be given to Beatrice, Beatrice's apprentice and vice-president, Mickey Souris, sent an Indian Anung-Ite spirit to take the basket.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 - BTS) - Misunderstanding their mystic connection and the presence of the basket (with Jen assuming the basket was a gift from Wyatt, and Wyatt recognizing the basket as his mother's engagement present to his father), Wyatt proposed marriage to Jen, and she accepted.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 - BTS) - She-Hulk thwarted the Anung-Ite's efforts.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1) - Wyatt brought Jen to the Keewazi reservation in Oklahoma (near Tulsa?). When he introduced Jen as his fiancee, Roberta cordially took She-Hulk's hands but noted they had confused things, though she was sure they would work things out wonderfully. At dinner, Roberta told Wyatt she had been patient, but could no longer indulge his disbelief as soon a powerful evil of ancient prophecy would reveal itself; as the "True Chief" of the Keewazi, only Wyatt had any hope of halting it. Despite Wyatt's protests, Roberta revealed her past history with Carlton Beatrice and the threat he currently presented. She-Hulk suggested they destroy the basket, just to be safe, but Roberta warned that this should not be done, as the destruction of the basket would unleash terrors as formidable as Carlton's victory would. Jen then recommended they hang on to the basket, and that if Carlton showed up, that they kick his butt; Roberta countered that it would not be so simple: "What will be, already is." She warned that a confrontation would occur, and that Wyatt would be at the center, prepared or not. She further explained to Jen that the confrontation would involve her as well, as she and Wyatt completed one another.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 - BTS) - That night, Wyatt had a vision quest of Beatrice.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 - BTS) - As Rain explained to She-Hulk the nature of the basket and her link to Wyatt (she was his spirit guide and completed him), Carlton summoned She-Hulk to an astral plane and tried to coerce her into surrendering the basket to him; however, upon learning She-Hulk knew he could only use the basket if it were given willingly to him and that she could not be bluffed, Carlton dismissed her back to the Earthly plane.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 (fb) - BTS) - Roberta sensed a disturbance at the local factory; she sent Wyatt to investigate, and sent Rain to protect Wyatt.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 - BTS) - Rain and Wyatt encountered She-Hulk as Carlton cast her back to Earth, and they traveled together to the factory where they found the soulless victims of Carlton Beatrice. After Carlton stole Wyatt's soul, She-Hulk -- remembering Rain's description of the basket's abilities -- took the container holding Carlton's "soul wafers" and dumped it into the basket, which released the souls as butterflies that rejoined with their host bodies. However, Carlton held Wyatt's soul and threatened to consume it unless She-Hulk gave him the basket willingly. Despite Rain's advice that Wyatt must be sacrificed to protect the soul of the world, She-Hulk was unwilling to leave Wyatt as he was, and she gave the basket to Carlton, figuring she could always get it back later. Upon receiving the basket, Carlton graciously dropped Wyatt's "soul wafer" into it, and Wyatt's soul was restored to him, after which Carlton vanished with the basket.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2) - Roberta Elk Step met with Wyatt, Rain, and She-Hulk as they departed the factory. Realizing this was his fault for not accepting the training to oppose Carlton, Wyatt told his grandmother he could no longer indulge his disbelief, and he accepted her offer to learn the medicine of their tribe. With Jennifer agreeing to protect the Keewazi until Wyatt's return, Roberta joined Wyatt on horseback, riding away until they vanished, leaving the horses behind.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 - BTS) - Roberta spent an undefined period of time (which presumably passed differently in whatever mystic realm or dimension in which they were active) training Wyatt in "woman's medicine" (magic involving the soul; and possibly masculine magic as well?). The time period was sufficient for Wyatt's short hair to grow to about the bottom of his scapulae (shoulder blades), though the hair length and his appearance may have actually been a result of some "woman's medicine," giving him some feminine characteristic?
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 - BTS) -
During Wyatt and Roberta's absence, Beatrice had his political allies rescind
the treaty that created the Keewazi reservation, forcing the Keewazi to leave so
Carlton Industries could properly exploit the land's valuable trace metals.
She-Hulk began destroying Carlton's construction equipment, but was ultimately
subdued and captured via high-tech weaponry.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2) - Roberta and Wyatt returned shortly after She-Hulk's capture, noting that what Wyatt had learned of "woman's medicine" may be sufficient to do what he must. However, after Rain revealed that they had lost their land, Roberta was broken. Noting she had no home and no more strength to fight, and that there was nothing else left for her to do, Roberta collapsed to her knees, told Wyatt to lead their people, and then fell over, dead.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 - BTS) -
She-Hulk escaped her captors and was hospitalized, still injured, she
nonetheless joined Wyatt in opposing Carlton. Leaving Rain behind, they
confronted Carlton as he began to use the basket to perform the ceremony that
would wed him to the Earth's feminine energy, which would make him husband to
the world's soul. Carlton dispatched a pair of Anung-Ites against them, and
She-Hulk occupied them, while Wyatt attempted to disrupt the energy flow from
the basket, but, as a man, he was incomplete and could not withstand
the energies, which threatened to destroy him. Recalling Roberta's telling her that she completed
Wyatt, She-Hulk led the Anung-Ites to run in front of the energy beam striking
Wyatt. They were destroyed, dispersed, banished, or whatever, and She-Hulk then
joined hands with Wyatt. Together, their male and female energies completed each
other, allowing them to reverse Carlton's spell and send the many souls already
gathered into the basket back to their homes.
Carlton was apparently destroyed by the energies released in
his spell's disruption, and a black soul butterfly flew forth, unseen from his
empty, collapsed clothes.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2) - Wyatt vowed to someday return his people to their homeland, which would allow his grandmother to rest in peace. As he said this, Roberta's face formed in a cloud and looked down upon him with a smile. That may well have been symbolic, but as she's a mystic, it's possible it was really her manifesting and watching over Wyatt.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#2 - BTS) - With their purpose fulfilled and the mystic attraction between Jen and Wyatt faded, they realized that, while they would always love one another, that they did not want to marry each other. Wyatt promised to call her when she could do anything to help the Keewazi regain their land, and Jen gave the basket to Wyatt, telling him to save it, and when the time was right, to give it to the woman he loved. He agreed to do so, when the time was right.
(Ka-Zar: Guns of the Savage Land - BTS) - As of this story, the Keewazi were back in some territory.
Comments: Created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robin D. Chaplik, and June Brigman.
The more I read this story, the more I get it and enjoy it...
Roberta, when speaking to her grandson, mentions Wyatt's "Aunt Miriam." This
would seem to indicate that Miriam was of a younger generation than Roberta and
thus was either her daughter or her niece-by-marriage. However, if Miriam was
Roberta's sister, then that would make her Wyatt's great-aunt and Roberta may
have just chosen to use the more general term of "aunt" instead of the more
specific "great-aunt."
--Donald Campbell
The
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update#1 (2010) noted Miriam as
Wyatt's aunt. That does not directly contradict the above discussion; that entry
also notes a Roberta as Wyatt's mother (in addition to Roberta Elk Step being
his grandmother). Additionally, as Roberta has gray hair when Miriam had black
hair, and as Carlton overpowered and slew Miriam but fled from fear of Roberta
Elk Step's power, it would certainly seem that Roberta Elk Step was a generation
older than Miriam.
I had long assumed that Roberta was went to
have been Silent Fox's wife (Wyatt's paternal grandmother). I re-read this story
four times in writing this profile, the last two as part of a meticulous
panel-by-panel review for this profile and the one for her basket,
during which it seemed to me that since Roberta and "Wyatt's aunt" Miriam had
the mystic power, that they were likely direct familial relations. More
significantly, the basket was an engagement gift given to William Wingfoot by
Roberta (Wyatt's mother, not Roberta Elk Step). I would take that to indicate
that the basket had come from Roberta Elk Step's family, with Roberta (Wyatt's
mother) giving it to William because she was Roberta Elk Step's daughter
(although we don't know for sure that Roberta Elk Step had the basket before
Wyatt's mother, Roberta, gave it to William.
Additionally, Roberta Elk Step referring to William Wingfoot as Wyatt's father,
as opposed to "my son," is weak supportive evidence for William being her
son-in-law. Conversely, Roberta Elk Step referencing "your Aunt Miriam," as
opposed to "my daughter," would logically be because Roberta Elk Step had at
least two daughters. But, all of the above is ultimately just an interpretation
on repeated review of the issues. Nothing concrete or irrefutable.
Nonetheless, my thoughts would thus be that the relationships
should be thus:
Roberta Wingfoot, Miriam (daughters), Wyatt Wingfoot (grandson), Rain Falling West, Wynona Wingfoot (granddaughters), Silent Fox (father-in-law to Roberta Elk Step's daughter, Roberta), William Wingfoot (son-in-law)
Also, given Rain's greater height than Wyatt in the picture from their youth, it would seem likely that Rain is Wyatt's older sister, though it could be they were very close in age, and she hit a growth spurt while he was a late bloomer...Further comments in the field of relatives courtesy of Donald Campbell:
We know only these three things:
- Silent Fox and Roberta Elk Step were both Wyatt's grandparents but it was never stated that they were co-parents of the same child.
- The fact that the position of chief would have passed from Silent Fox to William and then to Wyatt means that Silent Fox was William's father.
- Roberta referred to Miriam as Wyatt's "aunt" (which could mean great-aunt).
Aside from that, there's a lot of uncertainty, including the names of whoever were Wyatt's other two grandparents (and which grandparents they were). It's worth noting that, aside from Roberta Elk Step and Miriam, Silent Fox had mystic power as well. Roberta and Miriam both practiced "female medicine" together so that doesn't necessarily mean that they were blood relatives, just that they were both women. Miriam could have been Silent Fox's sister (thus William's aunt and Wyatt's great aunt) or his daughter (thus William's sister and Wyatt's aunt). Whoever Miriam was, she and Roberta were close enough that Carlton feared the latter's vengeance for what he had done to Miriam. Did he kill Miriam or "just" steal her soul? I don't think it was made clear in the story.
It's also worth noting that Wyatt's sister, Rain Falling West, doesn't refer to William as "our father" but as "your father" when talking with Wyatt. She also refers to "Wyatt's father" when talking with She-Hulk. This could mean that she and Wyatt were half-siblings who had different fathers. If Rain is younger than Wyatt, then her mother could have married another man (Black Eagle?) after William died and that man could be her father. Or Wyatt's parents may have divorced before William died and his mother could have then married another man and they had Rain.
How Wynona Wingfoot fits into the picture is less clear since she has the Wingfoot family name but called Black Eagle her father. Possibly he's her step-father?
Again, there's just so much uncertainty. So far, we have been seen seven members of Wyatt's family (Silent Fox, Roberta Elk Step, Miriam, William Wingfoot, Rain Falling West, Wyatt and Wynona Wingfoot) out of (at least) ten. Of the other three, Wyatt's mother has been mentioned (and named Roberta in official texts) but nothing is known about the other two grandparents. Of the seven "Wingfoot" relatives, at least five have (or had) mystical power but it's not been revealed if either William or Wynona had/have any powers. William may have had mystical potential but if so he apparently never chose to develop it (just as Wyatt didn't until circumstances forced him to do so).
I had planned to include the basket as a sub-profile, but as I did it, found multiple images and the complicated history, plus some events relevant to Roberta or the basket, but not both, I was considering making it a full profile. Finally, when I checked for clarifications and found that it had two more appearances, I decided to give it its own profile. It's all done except summarizing the two Blaze issues, so I'll get it posted in the next couple days.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Roberta Elk Step should be distinguished from:
Miriam
(last name unrevealed)
Miriam referred to by Roberta Elk Step as
"your (Wyatt's) aunt." Miriam's exact relationship to Roberta Elk Step and the
rest of the family is a little unclear. See comments for discussion. I
personally think she was Roberta's daughter.
She had unspecified mystic abilities, centered around what
Roberta called "woman's medicine," which generally referred to magic involving
the soul. Her mystic powers were apparently less than Roberta's, and Carlton
Beatrice was also either more powerful than Miriam, or he was able to fatally
trick/trap/outmaneuver her.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb)) <20 years before the
main story> - After coming to the Keewazi reservation to buy its mineral rights
and being denied by William Wingfoot, young businessman Carlton Beatrice
observed a mystic ceremony involving Roberta Elk Step and Miriam. He became
fascinated with what he called "the powers" that the two women possessed. With
single-minded pursuit, Carlton (presumably learned from them and) became a
powerful shaman.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Though evil and acquisitive, Carlton possessed enough wisdom to realize the limitations of his male power and energy, and that he was totally lacking in any "medicine" (magic) that stemmed from female energy, or "what the white man calls the soul."
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Carlton learned an obscene art that allowed him to steal the latter type of energy from people, male and female alike.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb) - BTS) - Miriam discovered what Carlton was trying to do, and she tried to stop him, but she failed, and he apparently drained and consumed her soul.
(Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1 (fb)) - By the time Roberta Elk Step discovered Miriam's fate, Carlton -- fearing her vengeance -- had already fled back to "the white man's world."
I ASSume that Miriam's body perished after Carlton Beatrice consumed her soul, but that is unrevealed.
images: (without ads)
Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1, introductory page (basket);
story page 3, panel 1 (rear view);
panel 5
(face);
pg. 14, panel 4 (photograph with
young Wyatt and Rain);
pg. 35, panel 2 (meeting Beatrice);
panel 3
(mystic ritual with Miriam);
pg. 36, panel 2 (Miriam vs.
Beatrice);
panel 3
(Beatrice drains Miriam's soul)
#2, final introductory page (or closing page...it's the same
image; the basket being used in the ritual);
pg. 26, panel 3 (full body);
pg. 27, panel 3 (death);
pg. 36 (She-Hulk and Wyatt joining
their energies via the basket);
pg. 40, panel 4 (Roberta's face
looking down from a cloud)
Appearances:
Sensational She-Hulk in Ceremony#1-2 (1989) - Dwayne McDuffie (script), Robin D.
Chaplik & Dwayne McDuffie (plot), June Brigman (penciler), Stan Drake (inker),
Gary Barnum (assistant editor), Bobbie Chase (editor)
Ka-Zar: Guns of the Savage Land (1989) - Chuck Dixon (writer), Gary Kwapisz & Thimothy Truman (pencils), Ricardo Villagran (inks)
Last updated: 07/16/14
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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