Sharon Ventura (Earth-616)
From Marvel Database
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Mrs Ventura (mother, deceased)
Ben Grimm (husband)
Jacob Grimm (son)
Contents |
History
Sharon Ventura was the daughter of a career officer in the United States Army. Her mother died while she was young, and she grew used to being constantly shipped to various towns when her father was transferred. Her father had apparently wanted a son, so he never really encouraged her or praised her for doing anything right. She enrolled in military school, but she was kicked out when she refused to testify against a roommate who was suspected of cheating on some exams. Her father never could forgive her for that, and he died a year later, still angry with her.
She spent the next few years of her life training in a number of dangerous physical activities. She then began to earn money in such professions as movie stunt work. She joined the Thunderider motorcycle stunt team, and stayed with them for a while. While on the team, she met Ben Grimm, the hero known as the Thing. Ben was attracted to her because she reminded him of his dream girl, Tarianna, whom he had met and lost on a planet created by the omnipotent Beyonder. Sharon became fond of Ben, but she could not return his romantic feelings towards her. While Ben was a member of the World Class Wrestling Federation, Sharon met Auntie Freeze, a manager for a group of female wrestlers called the Grapplers.
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Freeze offered Sharon a chance to join the Grapplers if she would go through a special strength augmentation process. Sharon agreed and went through most of the treatment, which was administered by the criminal Dr. Karl Malus. She suddenly realized that she was cheating herself by having her potential artificially increased. She escaped before Malus could inject her with the final drug of the process, which was actually a highly addictive drug that would make her dependent on Malus for the drug in the future. Sharon had actually completed the augmentation process and was now much stronger.
Sharon contacted Auntie Freeze and joined the Grapplers, wearing a colorful costume and calling herself Ms. Marvel. When Freeze learned that Sharon had not completed the treatment, she was forced to order the Grapplers to capture Sharon. Sharon escaped, with the help of the Thing.
During the battle, the Thing started to mutate and change. Sharon helped Ben get to a hospital, and then accidentally became involved in a battle with the hero She-Hulk. While they were fighting, the Thing left the hospital, not wanting them see his newly mutated body.
For a while, Ms. Marvel looked for Malus. During her search, she met the Captain (a brief alternate identity used by Captain America), and she was molested by some men.
A little later she joined the hero team Fantastic Four, reuniting with the Thing. While battling the Arabic electronic terrorist, Fasaud, the Thing and Ms. Marvel were forced to take one of Fasaud's space shuttles. They defeated Fasaud in outer space, but the shuttle was badly damaged in the battle. The shuttle crash landed somewhere in the African jungles of Wakanda. During the flight down, the shuttle and its occupants were bombarded with cosmic rays. After crashing, the Thing found himself further mutated, and Sharon had mutated into a form similar to that of Ben when he originally turned into the Thing.
At one point Doctor Doom offered to restore her to her original form, in return for betraying the Fantastic Four. She violently disagreed, having become romantically involved with the Thing, and defeated Dr. Doom in battle. Despite her rejection of Dr. Doom, Sharon was rebuffed by the Thing, who couldn't accept that she would ever ally with the villain. Sharon ultimately tried to commit suicide, but failed. She was placed in a stasis tube by Mr. Fantastic so that he might work on a cure for her condition.
Before Mr. Fantastic could cure her, he seemingly died in battle with Dr. Doom. Sharon was freed by the villain Klaw and recruited as a part of the Wizard's Frightful Four team. She fought the Fantastic Four with the Frightful Four on a couple of occasions, but in the latest confrontation, Sharon abandoned the group after a conversation with the Fantastic Four's ally, Wyatt Wingfoot. Wyatt offered Sharon a place on his tribe's reservation while she came to grips with her situation, and she agreed. She currently remains there.
During the Skrull Invasion, Sharon was impersonated by a Skull.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Sharon Ventura possesses various superhuman attributes. She first gained superhuman powers as a result of undergoing the Power Broker augmentation treatment. Later, her powers and physical form were altered after being exposed to cosmic radiation, transforming her into a female version of the Thing. She has been known to fluccuate between her normal and She-Thing forms so her powers and their levels often change as well.
Original Powers via Power Broker Treatment
- Superhuman Strength: The Power Broker treatment fortified Ventura's musculature, connective tissues and skeletal structure, granting her superhuman levels of strength. At her peak, she possesses sufficient superhuman strength to lift about 15 tons.
- Superhuman Speed: Ventura can run and move at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.
- Superhuman Stamina: The treatment augmented the natural efficiency of Ventura's musculature to a degree beyond that of an ordinary human. Her muscles produce less fatigue toxins during physical activity than those of an ordinary human. At her peak, in this form, she can exert herself for several hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in her blood begins to impair her.
- Superhuman Durability: Ventura's body is tougher and much more resistant to some types of physical injury than the body of a normal human. Ventura's bodily tissues are fortified to the point that she is able to resist impact and blunt forces to a much greater degree than ordinary humans. For example, she can withstand impact forces, such as falling from several stories or being repeatedly struck by a superhumanly strong opponent, that would severely injure or kill a normal person with little to no physical injury to herself. In this form, however, she could be injured by bullets or knives composed of conventional material.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Ventura's reaction time was enhanced via the treatment to levels beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.
Powers In She-Thing Form
- Altered Physiology: The cosmic radiation literally transformed Ventura into a female version of the Thing. In this form, her tissues are transformed into a smooth, flexible, orange hide resembling stone. She possesses no visible outer ear, hair and has only four fingers on her hands.
- Superhuman Strength: The cosmic radiation that transformed Ventura into her She-Thing form dramatically increased her normal level of strength. While in this form, she possesses sufficient superhuman strength to lift about 75 tons, making her nearly as strong as the Thing at one time.
- Superhuman Speed: In her She-Thing form, despite being considerably heavier, she can still run and move faster than the finest human athlete. Ultimately, her speed in this form is equal to that in her original form.
- Superhuman Stamina: The efficiency of Ventura's musculature is dramatically increased in her She-Thing form, granting her greater physical stamina. As She-Thing, Ventura can exert herself physically at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue starts to impair her.
- Superhuman Durability: As She-Thing, Ventura's rocky hide is much harder and more resistant to physical injury than in her normal form. Her ability to resist impact forces is consideraly greater and she can also withstand high caliber bullets, exposure to temperature and pressure extremes, and even high explosives without sustaining injury. Although much more durable in this form, it is still possible fo her to be injured.
Abilities
Sharon Ventura is an accomplished gymnast, a skilled wrestler, an expert motorcycle stunt rider, mountain climber, scuba and sky diver, and stunt woman. While her reflexes aren't as developed in her She-Thing form, they're still equal to that of a highly trained Olympic level gymnast.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Conventional vehicles, formerly advanced Fantastic Four vehicles.
Notes
- Sharon first appeared as Ms. Marvel in 'Thing #35 (1986).
- Years later, Ms. Marvel 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 later appeared in her Thing form.
Links
- Appearances of Sharon Ventura (Earth-616)
- Character Gallery: Sharon Ventura (Earth-616)
- Images that feature Sharon Ventura (Earth-616)
- Fan-Art Gallery: Sharon Ventura (Earth-616)
- Quotations by Sharon Ventura (Earth-616)
- Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Deluxe Edition #8 (July 1986)
- The Unofficial Handbook to the Marvel Universe
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