Menace (Marvel Comics)

Menace
Menace. Art by Barry Kitson and Karl Kesel.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	(as Lily Hollister) The Amazing Spider-Man #545 (as Menace) The Amazing Spider-Man #549
Created by	Marc Guggenheim Salvador Larroca
In-story information
Alter ego	Lily Hollister
Notable aliases	Grey Goblin
Abilities	Superhuman physical attributes Armed with a variety of deadly offensive weapons Rides a "Goblin Glider" as paraphernalia

Menace (Lily Hollister) is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics villain and enemy of Spider-Man. Her first appearance as Lily Hollister is in The Amazing Spider-Man #545, and her first appearance as the costumed character Menace is in The Amazing Spider-Man #549, which is the start of the second story arc in the "Brand New Day" overarching storyline that followed the events of "One More Day".

Fictional character biography

Lily Hollister is the daughter of Bill Hollister, a candidate for the position of mayor of New York. While dating Harry Osborn, she found a hidden door in his closet and found an old former journal of his, which detailed the location of one of his father's secret Green Goblin hideouts. When she entered the hideout, she accidentally shattered vials full of a new type of Goblin Serum that made contact with her skin, mutating her. Using weapons from the hideout, and calling herself "Menace", she targets her father's campaign, intending for him to gain the public's sympathy due to her attacks. Menace kidnaps Councilwoman Lisa Parfrey. Spider-Man and Jackpot attempt to rescue the Councilwoman, but Menace's glider slams into the Councilwoman and kills her. Menace escapes the crime scene but not before accusing Spider-Man of being responsible for the woman's death.^[1]

Menace then proceeds to threaten the supposedly redeemed Norman Osborn, even attempting to recreate Osborn's original death by ramming him with his glider. However, Osborn survives the attack and Menace spares him, after accusing Osborn of being a fool for devoting all his time and assets to Spider-Man's destruction.^[2]

During the Secret Invasion storyline, Menace appears in the Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man miniseries, killing one of the invading Skrulls, and then setting her sights on Jackpot.^[3] Their fight takes her into the path of one of the Skrulls, with Menace's glider exploding on contact. Menace survives, though badly injured, and limps away from the scene.^[4]

When Menace attacks a Hollister Rally, she manages to badly beat Spider-Man (who had earlier been shot through the arm) and claims a "citizen's arrest" to the arriving police. Menace then flies into the Hollister party headquarters, and changes back to her real self, just before Harry walks in on her.^[5] She reveals to Harry the truth, and explains that she orchestrated Menace's attacks against her father to give him more public support in the mayoral election. She then told Harry that she accepts his earlier marriage proposal.^[6]

Lily Hollister (human form for Menace) debuts in the finale of "Spider-Man: One More Day". Art by Joe Quesada.

On Election Day, Menace attacks two police officers for arresting Carlie Cooper for a crime she didn't commit, then attacked Spider-Man when he appeared. Menace was about to finish him until Harry, as the Green Goblin, appeared and shot Menace with a serum, with Spider-Man giving her the full injection. This caused Menace to change back into Lily, seen in a live broadcast, with her father watching in shock and in tears of this revelation. A few days after the event, with Bill Hollister as the new Mayor of New York, Lily was visited in prison by Norman Osborn, who discovered the engagement ring given to her by Harry and his belongings and says to her "Welcome to the Family".^[7] She is later seen released from prison and approaches Harry in her Menace form; telling him that she's "moved on". Harry believes that she has started a relationship with Norman and warns her that she will be disposed of once Norman's done with her.^[8]

During the Dark Reign storyline, Lily reappears in her Menace form to Harry in The Amazing Spider-Man #595 (American Son Part 1 of 5) threatening Harry's life at first, but then showing Harry that she is pregnant. After this, Harry calls Norman to inform him that he will be accepting his invitation to work for the Avengers, which highly upsets Peter Parker. Harry's real reason for joining is to steal a cure for the serum to use on Lily and the baby so they can be healthy. However she pushes him away, and reveals that it was all a ruse to make Harry become American Son (who would be used to die in a tragedy to engender sympathy and support for Norman Osborn). She also shows a new goblin form, with a decidedly more feminine figure, large full horns, and a green complexion. Lily reveals to Harry that Norman is actually the father of the baby.^[9] She then goes to work for Osborn's Avengers in an unknown capacity.^[10]

During the Heroic Age storyline, Lily is on the run from the law after Norman's fallout. It is also revealed that due to the time of conception there is a possibility that Harry is the father of her unborn child.^[11]

During the Origin of the Species storyline, Lily crashes into Harry Osborn's coffee shop and gives birth to a baby boy. Soon after, she is attacked by a group of supervillains hired by Doctor Octopus who kidnap the baby.^[12] Spider-Man manages to rescue the baby, but he is stolen again by The Lizard.^[13] Spider-Man manages to track him down only to have The Lizard willingly give the baby back to Spider-Man, as he ran tests to prove that Norman Osborn is not actually the father. Word of her child's safety (but not the paternity) gets back to Lily, who is relieved. She runs away because she feels she is unfit to raise the child.^[13] Spider-Man later tests Harry's blood revealing that he is in fact the father and leaves the child in his care.^[14]

Powers and abilities

Menace is able to change from her human form to her enhanced form at will, although it takes a visible effort and is quite discomforting.

She is armed with a variety of bizarre portable incendiary devices in her shoulder bag and uses a Mark 7 Goblin Glider^[15] as a personal transport, until it was destroyed by Norman Osborn. She also uses concussion and incendiary Pumpkin Bombs. She originally wore bulletproof mail with an overlapping tunic and cap. With her new form, debuted in American Son, she now wears a form-fitting bodysuit of an unknown material, with a helmet that has holes cut out for her horns.^[9]

Exposure to an experimental version of the goblin serum has given Menace great physical strength. She was capable of overcoming Norman Osborn in a physical struggle, indicating that she has gained even greater strength than he had. This is further reinforced when Menace nearly beats an injured Spider-Man to death (although Spider-Man was not fighting at full capacity due to a bullet wound which he acquired shortly before the encounter).

In other media

Video games

• Menace appears in her new form in the Nintendo DS version of Spider-Man: Edge of Time.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #549-551
2. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #570-571
3. ^ Secret Invasion: Spider-Man #2
4. ^ Secret Invasion: Spider-Man #3
5. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #584
6. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #586
7. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #588
8. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Extra! #3
9. ^ ^{a b} The Amazing Spider-Man #598
10. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #599
11. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man presents: American Son # 1
12. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #642
13. ^ ^{a b} The Amazing Spider-Man #645
14. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #646
15. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #571

External links

• Menace at Marvel.com
• Menace at Marvel Wiki