Sharon Ventura

Sharon Ventura
Sharon Ventura as She-Thing.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Thing #27 (September 1985)
Created by	Mike Carlin, Ron Wilson
In-story information
Alter ego	Sharon Ventura
Team affiliations	Thunderiders Fantastic Four Frightful Four
Notable aliases	Occasionally Ms. Marvel, Usually "She-Thing"
Abilities	Superhuman strength, durability

Sharon Ventura is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine from the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Mike Carlin and Ron Wilson, the character first appeared in Thing #27 (September 1985). For awhile she answered to the pseudonym Ms. Marvel (used by Carol Danvers), and has served as a member of the Fantastic Four and the female wrestlers known as the Grapplers.

Fictional character biography

Sharon Ventura met the Thing, who was involved with the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation (UCWF) at the time.^[1] Inspired by him, she signed up for the Power Broker's program in order to have her strength augmented and join the UCWF. The Power Broker (actually Curtiss Jackson), employed Dr. Karl Malus to create super-powered wrestlers for his competitions. Sharon was unaware of the criminal activities of Jackson or Malus. While boosting their subjects' strength, the pair addicted the subjects to a drug, ensuring their obedience. It has been implied that she was raped while a prisoner of Malus, which caused her to temporarily develop an intense hatred and distrust of men. Sharon managed to break free before Malus administered the drug. She adopted the costume which UCWF minder Ann Fraley (Auntie Freeze) had arranged for her, taking the name Ms. Marvel. Alongside the Thing, she battled the Grapplers and the UCWF wrestlers.^[2] She then battled the She-Hulk.^[3]

Later, Sharon was used by the Power Broker to determine if the augmentation could be reversed.^[4] Alongside Captain America, she battled the Power Broker.^[5]

Sharon Ventura (as the She-Thing) battles the Fantastic Four. From Fantastic Four #379.

Sharon later joined the Fantastic Four, and alongside the Fantastic Four she battled Diablo.^[6] Shortly after joining the Fantastic Four, Sharon was mutated by cosmic rays and took on strength and appearance similar to that of Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing.^[7] Although she never officially retired her Ms. Marvel moniker, she became more popularly known as the She-Thing and it is by this name she is most known to comic book fans. She later first encountered Aron the Rogue Watcher, and battled the She-Hulk. With She-Hulk, She-Thing battled Dragon Man.^[8] With the Fantastic Four and Frightful Four, she was captured by Aron. They escaped and defeated their clones.^[9] Sharon later battled the Hulk.^[10] She-Thing was offered the chance to be human again by Doctor Doom while a then-powerless Ben Grimm chose to use one of Reed Richards machines to revert back to the Thing to save She-Thing.^[11] Alongside the Fantastic Four, she battled the Time Variance Authority. She-Thing left the Fantastic Four soon after and began working for Doctor Doom. Sharon claimed to be doing this so that Doom would cure Ben as he had her.^[12] She was sent by Doctor Doom to spy on the Fantastic Four, where she first met Alicia Masters.^[13] With Mister Fantastic and the Thing, she was captured by Aron, but rescued by the Molecule Man and Doctor Doom.^[14] Alongside the Fantastic Four, she battled the Secret Defenders.^[15] Alongside the Fantastic Four, Lyja, and the Inhumans, she battled Doctor Doom.^[16] When she refused to betray her friends in the Fantastic Four to Doctor Doom, Doom spitefully mutated her into a much more monstrous form.^[17] After a bout of insanity, she briefly joined the Frightful Four and battered Sue Storm Richards to within inches of her life.^[18] She later regained her sanity and relocated with Fantastic Four associate Wyatt Wingfoot.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Years later, She-Thing had a guest appearance in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of the main Fantastic Four book. The appearance established that she was indeed alive and well in the Marvel Universe and her attire implied she was still residing with Wingfoot. Her absence was poked fun at, as she stated that she couldn't believe anybody still had her number.

Sharon Ventura was later seen again in her She-Thing form.^[19]

Civil War

Someone wearing Sharon Ventura's 'Ms. Marvel' costume appeared in a comic during the Civil War along with other heroes refusing to register under the Superhuman Registration Act. The heroes' location was raided and many were captured.^{[volume & issue needed]} According to volume 12 of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z, this was Sharon's Skrull imposter.

Secret Invasion

During the Secret Invasion, Sharon seemingly appeared in her "She-Thing" persona. However, she was revealed to be another Skrull imposter and killed by the Skrull Kill Krew.^[20] The real Sharon is recovered alive from a downed Skrull ship after the final battle of the invasion.^[21]

Sharon is later shown in a support group meeting with the others that had been replaced by Skrulls.^[22]

Powers and abilities

As Ms. Marvel, Sharon had superhuman strength and endurance, thanks to augmentation of her physical attributes by Dr. Karl Malus on behalf of the Power Broker. The mutagenic effect due to exposure to cosmic radiation that turned her into the "She-Thing" later greatly increased her physical attributes and durability.

Sharon is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and skilled at various martial arts, including Tae Kwon Do and American boxing. She is also an expert stuntwoman, scuba diver, skydiver, motorcyclist, mountain climber, skier, lion-tamer, and wrestler. She attended a military academy until she was expelled.

Other versions

MC2

In the alternate timeline of MC2, Sharon is human again, she and Ben were married, and have twin children, Alyce and Jacob, although they later divorced. Sharon Ventura appears in the 2007 Fantastic Five limited series.

In other media

Video games

Sharon Ventura, as Ms. Marvel, appears as an alternate costume for Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.^[23]

References

1. ^ The Thing #27
2. ^ The Thing #35
3. ^ The Thing #36
4. ^ Captain America #330
5. ^ Captain America #331
6. ^ Fantastic Four #306-307
7. ^ Fantastic Four #310, Jan. 1988
8. ^ Fantastic Four #321
9. ^ Fantastic Four #328-333
10. ^ Fantastic Four #35
11. ^ Fantastic Four #350
12. ^ Fantastic Four #352-354
13. ^ Fantastic Four #365-367
14. ^ Fantastic Four #371-373
15. ^ Fantastic Four #374
16. ^ Fantastic Four #375
17. ^ Fantastic Four #378
18. ^ Fantastic Four Unlimited #5
19. ^ Fantastic Four #543 (March 2007)
20. ^ Avengers: The Initiative #16
21. ^ Avengers: The Initiative #19
22. ^ Avengers: The Initiative #20
23. ^ Marvel ultimatealliance^{[dead link]}

External links

• Sharon Ventura at Marvel.com