JENNIFER NYLES
Real Name: Jennifer Nyles
Identity/Class: Human mutate (Were-Borgs technology)
Occupation: Scientist
Group Membership: Were-Borgs
Affiliations: Beast (Hank McCoy), Bard College students (Case, Evan, Steckler), Constrictor (Frank Payne), Edna McCoy, Norton McCoy, Mr. Powell, Super-Apes, coach Reppnick, unidentified Frenchman
formerly Commander Courage
Enemies: She probably wouldn't like Charles Xavier
Known Relatives: Unidentified father (deceased), unidentified mother (deceased)
Aliases: Mindy (see comments)
Base of Operations: Brussels, Belgium;
formerly Bard College, Dunfee, Illinois
place of birth Dunfee, Illinois
First Appearance: X-Men I#50/2 (November, 1968)
Powers/Abilities: Jennifer didn't possess any superhuman abilities. However, she became obsessed by the subconscious knowledge that her mind had been reprogrammed by Charles Xavier. This led to her becoming a renowned scientist working on techno-organic projects. After Beast rescued her life with the Were-Borg technology she had perfected herself. She's still able to fully function.
Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 115 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond (sometimes depicted as Red)
History:
(Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2 (fb) - BTS) - While attending Bard college, Jennifer Nyles met Hank McCoy who was a surprising presence with his 200-plus IQ and size 13 feet. Jennifer quickly became part of the clique that made fun of this campus "Magilla Gorilla". She then received Hank as her biology tutor and during all the hours studying she fell for, as she called him, "the big dork".
(Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2) - During the night of Junior Prom Jennifer decided to ditch her boyfriend Evan and dressed in her gown sought out Hank. As Hank was staring into the distance while standing on a cliff Jennifer let her presence be known by howling like a wolf. Hank, fed up with how he was being treated by his fellow schoolmates thought it to be a joke at his expense until Jennifer revealed her true feelings. The pair made their way to the McCoy residence where their photo was taken. When the two arrived at the school they were verbally assaulted by Evan as he was surprised he was being stood up for the likes of Hank, but before he could react Jennifer hit the boy in the face.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jennifer and Hank were inseparable for the whole summer although they liked each other they were just friends.
(X-Men Origins: Beast (fb) - BTS) - Jennifer and Hank McCoy worked together on their photo-voltaic cell project.
(Uncanny Origins#6 (fb) ) - After going to the movies, Hank and Jennifer were harassed by a group of punks who wanted to teach Hank a lesson. The local football coach witnessed how Hank made short work of the punks.
(X-Men Origins: Beast) - Jennifer sat next to Hank McCoy in chemistry class when they received their final test grades from Mr. Powell. While Hank received a B plus, Jennifer got a straight A. After classes had finished, Jennifer was surprised Hank would miss a genetics question but he told her he'd intentionally gotten a lower grade in an attempt to fit in with the normal kids.
(X-Men I#50/2 (fb) / X-Men Origins: Beast / Uncanny Origins#6 (fb) ) - The two walked past the school's football field, with Jennifer telling Hank he needed to stay true to himself. They were approached by coach Reppnick who told Hank to kick the football over the posts at the beginning of the field. Hank used his mighty feet to kick the ball that hit the posts at the end of the field, leaving Reppnick stunned. The coach immediately put Hank on his team.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2 (fb) - BTS) - Although Hank was now on the football team he was only used as the block, which greatly irritated Jennifer. She decided to confront coach Reppnick about it, demanding Hank was made a quarterback. Reppnick decided to give him a shot. Sometime later during the first game of football, Hank showed his impressive skills and scored a touchdown. The touchdown was so impressive the coach fainted, although Jennifer caught him in time.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2 (fb)) - Jennifer and Hank's "relationship" ended rather abruptly when they were preparing to go to college. Jennifer was going to study genetics overseas in London while Hank was now the all-American sports champ. The night of Hank's big game, she rang him to wish him good luck and tell him she loved him. But that very night Hank was confronted by the villain known as the Conquistador, which kicked off a series of events that led him to join the X-Men.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#85/2 (fb) - BTS / X-Men Origins: Beast) - Professor Charles Xavier used his telepathic powers to erase all memories of Hank from the minds of his family and friends, including Jennifer.
(X-Men Origins: Beast (fb) - BTS) - Not sure he even wanted to be an X-Man, Hank took a walk through his old neighborhood and was surprised to see Jennifer out with Steckler, without even noticing him. This convinced him the time had come to join the X-Men.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#85/2 (fb)) - An hour after enrolling and taking the codename Beast, Hank decided to call Jennifer. She had no memories of her time with Hank and hung up on him. Correctly concluding the professor had messed with her mind, the furious Hank demanded and begged the professor restored Jennifer's memory. He refused.
(X-Men: Unlimited II#10/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jennifer's father died.
(X-Men: Unlimited II#10/2 (fb) - BTS) - A year later Jennifer's mother died on the same day as her father. This prompted Jennifer's return to Dunfee, Illinois to settle her parents' affairs and sell the house.
(X-Men: Unlimited II#10/2) - While sitting in her former bedroom, Jennifer was suddenly surprised by the Beast who climbed though her window. Beast had accidentally transformed himself in a grey-furred beast (see Amazing Adventures II#11) and had come home to his parents to recover. Somehow recognizing Hank despite of the mindwipe, Jennifer was saddened to see what her friend had done to himself. She then revealed her reasons for being in Dunfee. While pouring Hank a cup of coffee, she recounted how in recent times every animal that came too close to the cemetery at night would be killed. When she turned around, Hank had gone which prompted her to go look for him. She caught up with him at a local carnival where they found a couple of dead birds and decided to further investigate the cemetery. Here they discovered the graves of the power plant employees who had been polluting the water from which the animals drank. Jennifer asked Hank to join her to inform the police about the occurrence but Hank refused and revealed he was now a grey-furred monster underneath his bandages, Jennifer simply kissed him on the forehead after which he fled into the woods. Before leaving Dunfee, Beast visited Jennifer one last time to watch her sleeping.
(X-Men: Unlimited II#10/2 - BTS) - Jennifer's mind was wiped again.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#91/2 (fb) - BTS) - Jennifer became obsessed by the subconscious knowledge that her mind had been reprogrammed, she felt a piece of her soul was missing but had no idea why.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#90/2 (fb) - BTS) - For most of her professional life, Jennifer worked on methods of reprogramming the human mind.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#91/2 (fb) - BTS) - While in France, Jennifer was contacted by Commander Courage who wanted to perfect Dr. Meyer Hertzog's techno-organic human implants that had killed the scientist himself. Because all of Jennifer's funds had been exhausted and her theories had been dismissed by all but the radical fringe she chose to look into Hertzog's work. When she found they had the answers to all of her life's work she decided to agree and help Courage.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#90/2 (fb) - BTS) - As the only scientist in the world capable of understanding the techno-organic work of Hertzog, Jennifer agreed on the condition to only use the implants on non-living beings.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#85/2 - BTS) - Unbeknownst to Jennifer, Courage slew several unidentified men and brought their bodies to her and rebuilt them into Were-Borgs. Amongst the subjects were also the Super-Apes that Courage had abducted from the Red Ghost. Meanwhile, Courage also planned to use the Were-Borg technology on several scientists of the upcoming World Symposium on Mutant research in Brussels. This way he could control high profile scientists from all around the world.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#85/2 / Marvel Comics Presents I#92/2 (fb) - BTS) - She then invited Beast to join the World Symposium on Mutant research in Brussels (a clear, subconscious act because she wanted to be stopped by the man who started her obsession). At one point, Courage discovered she had sent the mutant a letter. In response, he sent one of his Were-Borgs to retrieve it. But the Beast rescued the delivery girl and beat the Were-Borg before the invite could be destroyed. Courage then used the Were-Borg to take control of the Red Ghost's Super-Apes and, posing as the Red Ghost, hired the Constrictor to kill the Beast.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#87/2) - After the Constrictor had failed to kill the Beast the blue-furred mutant still made his way to the symposium and was introduced to Jennifer who of course didn't recognize him. But before Jennifer and Beast could interact, the Red Ghost's Super-Apes (now also under control of the Were-Borg technology) came crashing through the window and kidnapped Jennifer.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#89/2) - After gaining entrance to the Belgian ministry of defense with the help of the Constrictor who had realized he'd also been set up, Beast managed to track down Jennifer. However, Jennifer didn't seem to be a prisoner at all and shot Beast with a sedative.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#90/2) - Jennifer and Courage went to see Beast after locking him up in a giant cage. Here Courage revealed the true nature of the Were-Borgs and how they intended to reprogram the scientists attending the world symposium, much to Jennifer's surprise. Having heard enough Beast used his super strength to break out of the cage and after dealing with a few Were-Borgs grabbed Jennifer and fled.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#91/2) - Hiding from Courage and his Were-Borgs in the computer lab, Jennifer revealed she truly had no idea Courage would try and use the Were-Borg implants on living beings. After revealing her involvement in the Were-Borgs project, she explained that she somehow figured out her mind had been messed with. Realizing Xavier had been the cause, Beast grabbed Jennifer and kissed her. Somehow, this caused the professor's memory block to fade, leading her to recognize Hank.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#92/2) - Stunned and surprised to see her old friend again, they were interrupted by Courage and his Were-Borgs who crashed into the computer room followed by the Constrictor, Super-Apes and an unidentified Frenchman who had also been helping Beast. But Beast already had unlocked the computers and reprogrammed the Were-Borgs to dance instead of fight. With all hope lost, the infuriated Courage shot Jennifer in the stomach calling her a traitor. While Courage was taken out by the Constrictor and the Frenchman, Beast held the dying Jennifer. With her last breath Jennifer told Beast she had always loved him. Beast then took a radical decision as he refused to lose Jennifer after he had just found her again and reprogrammed her body with the Were-Borg technology. A week later, Jennifer woke up in a local hospital.
Comments: Created by Arnold Drake (writer), Werner Roth (pencils), John Verpoorten (inks).
In her first appearance Jennifer didn't receive a name on panel. She had to wait over two decades for Marvel Comics Presents to get one. The 1994 Marvel Index to the X-Men#1 than used it as well.
Nyles was called Mindy in her Uncanny Origins appearance, sporting blonde hair and blue eyes. Not really a surprise, after all Uncanny Origins took quite a few liberties adapting the source material. However, it's still considered in-continuity because the same scene at the football field was used in the X-Men Origins: Beast issue.
Jennifer was kept alive with the Were-Borg technology which received its signal from the Avengers Mansion. It's been unrevealed what happened to her when the Avengers Mansion was destroyed years later.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Jennifer Nyles has no known connections to
Evan was presumably dating Jennifer Nyles before she befriended Hank McCoy. She decided to ditch Evan on the night of Junior Prom. When Hank and Jennifer arrived at the school they were verbally abused by Evan since he was surprised he was being stood up for the likes of Hank. Before he could react, Jennifer hit him in the face.
--Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2 (fb)
Case attended Bard College and was part of its football team. Case and Steckler would regularly bully Hank McCoy for his size 13 feet and nerdy behavior. On one such occasion, during chemistry class, they made fun of him. However, their teacher Mister Powell put an end to it by giving Case a D for his test. Both Case and Steckler were present when Hank was put on the football team after displaying his incredible atlethic skills by kicking the football to hit the posts at the end of the field.
--X-Men Origins: Beast, X-Men I#50/2 - BTS, Uncanny Origins#6 - BTS
Steckler attended Bard College and was part of it's football team. Steckler and Case would regularly bully Hank McCoy for his size 13 feet and nerdy behavior. On one such occasions during chemistry classes they made fun of him but their teacher Mister Powell shut them down by giving Steckler a D minus for his test. Both Steckler and Case where present when Hank was put on the football team after displaying his incredible skills by kicking the football to hit the posts at the end of the field. After Hank joined the X-Men and her mind was erased Steckler began to date Jennifer.
--X-Men Origins: Beast, X-Men I#50/2 - BTS, Uncanny Origins#6 - BTS
Mister Powell taught chemistry at Bard College. On one occasion he prevented Case and Steckler's bullying of Hank McCoy by revealing they had only gotten a D and D minus for their tests and advised them in the future to just watch the pictures in their textbook. Both Hank McCoy and Jennifer Nyles, two of his better students, would go on to become famous scientists.
--X-Men Origins: Beast
images: (without ads)
Marvel Comics Presents I#91, p15, pan1 (main image)
X-Men I#50, p17, pan3 (alongside Hank)
Marvel Comics Presents I#87, p23, pan5,6,7 (meeting Beast)
Marvel Comics Presents I#92, p14, pan2 (dying)
Marvel Comics Presents I#86, p19, pan5,6 (Evan)
X-Men Origins: Beast, p2, pan3 (Case)
X-Men Origins: Beast, p5, pan2 (Steckler)
X-Men Origins: Beast, p2, pan4 (Mr. Powell)
Appearances:
X-Men I#50/2 (November, 1968) - Arnold Drake (writer), Werner Roth (pencils), John Verpoorten (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Uncanny Origins#6 (February, 1997) - Michael Higgins (writeR), Dave Hoover (pencils), Don Hudson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#85/2 (September, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Rob Liefeld, Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#86/2 (October, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Rob Liefeld, Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#87/3 (October, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#89/2 (November, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon, Don Hudson (inkers), Mark Powers (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#90/2 (December, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#91/2 (December, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#92/2 (December, 1991) - Scott Lobdell (writer), Jae Lee (pencils), Tim Dzon (inks), Mark Powers (editor)
X-Men: Unlimited II#10/2 (October, 2005) - Joe Meno (writer), Homs (art), Warren Simons, Axel Alonso (editors)
X-Men Origins: Beast (November, 2008) - Mike Carey (writer), J.K. Woodward (pencils, inks), Nick Lowe, Will Panzo (editors)
Last updated: 01/10/16
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
© 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com