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Quote1 I'm a butler, you know. And yet-- I believe myself to be indispensable to these heroes I serve. I believe that because I treat them with kindness. I care for them, and I am always there if they need me. I can never fly with them or join their battles, but that makes me no less worthy of their friendship. Quote2
Edwin Jarvis[src]

History

Early Life[]

Edwin Jarvis was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City.[citation needed] During World War II, he ran away to join the Canadian Royal Air Force to fight for Britain against the Nazis as an underage pilot. It was during his time in England he picked up an upper class English accent. Returning to the United States, he found a position as butler.[citation needed]

Edwin Jarvis became the butler in the employ of millionaire inventor and industrialist Howard and Maria Stark, and continued to work for Anthony Stark after their deaths.[7]

The Avengers[]

Jarvis was present at the mansion when the new team of superhuman adventurers, The Avengers, held their first meeting there. Tony Stark, who, in his identity of Iron Man was a founding member of the team, donated the mansion to the Avengers for their use as a headquarters and set up the Maria Stark Foundation to cover the team's operational expenses. Jarvis stayed on at the mansion, to act as the Avengers' principal domestic servant.[8]

Jarvis served the Avengers loyally since the very beginning of the team's history. His duties included the maintenance of the Avengers' quinjets and specialized equipment and the supervision of work crews repairing damage to the Avenger headquarters, as well as normal household duties such as preparing the Avengers' meals. There have been other members of the household staff to help Jarvis take care of such an enormous mansion, but Jarvis was the only servant who lived in the mansion itself.[2]

Crimson Cowl[]

Ultron hypnotized Jarvis into helping him and the second Masters of Evil organization to capture the Avengers and Avengers Mansion. Under Ultron's control, Jarvis even briefly assumed the guise of the Crimson Cowl, which Ultron himself used to conceal his true identity. Ultron caused Jarvis to believe he had betrayed the Avengers of his own free will to procure money to pay his ailing mother's hospital bill. Consumed by guilt, Jarvis revealed the location of Ultron's lair to the Black Knight, thereby making possible the Avengers' rescue. The Avengers took the repentant Jarvis back into their service. Months later, Jarvis's memory cleared and he remembered that Ultron had hypnotized him into betraying the Avengers and told them so.[4]

Masters of Evil[]

When the fourth Masters of Evil organization, led by Baron Helmut Zemo, seized control of Avengers Mansion Mister Hyde brutally tortured Jarvis. The Avengers finally defeated the Masters of Evil, but the Mansion had been left in ruins, and Jarvis was hospitalized. As a result of Hyde's treatment of him, Jarvis was left 90% blind in his left eye and had to walk with a cane due to the damage to his right leg.[9]

Although he could have retired due to his injuries, Jarvis instead chose to return to his work with the Avengers. A short time after returning to work his leg injuries had healed, and Jarvis slowly recovered his vision in his left eye.[citation needed]

When the Avengers temporarily disbanded due to a lack of active members, Jarvis was released from his duties until the team reassembled. During this time, Jarvis met and began dating Glory Garsen.[10]

Avengers Support Crew[]

Upon reassembling, the Avengers expanded their "ground crew" to include other non-superhuman job duties, of which Jarvis enjoyed a senior position as "Chief of Staff." At one point, the Ground Crew was brainwashed by the Red Skull's villainous Skeleton Crew into attacking the Avengers, they were easily stopped and freed from the Skeleton Crew's control.[11]

When the Avenger Crystal took up residence in the mansion with her daughter Luna, she brought with her a nanny, Marilla. The two became rivals over various domestic duties but over time became fond of one another.[12]

Later, Jarvis was relieved of duty when the Avengers disbanded again, this time presumably permanently due to the perceived death of many members by the entity known as Onslaught. The Avengers Ground Crew was dismantled, and even Jarvis's services were no longer required as the Mansion was turned over to SHIELD as their New York base of operations. Jarvis felt extremely displaced and sank into a depression, living off his pension from the Maria Stark Foundation. When the Avengers returned and reassembled, Jarvis also returned to service, with a renewed sense of duty.[2]

Silverclaw[]

Jarvis later revealed that he had been sponsoring a foreign child, Maria de Guadalupe "Lupe" Santiago, and had the opportunity to meet her in person as she came to New York for college. The Avengers soon discovered Lupe was the superhuman adventurer Silverclaw and was placed in Jarvis' sponsorship precisely because of his connection to the Avengers. Silverclaw aided the Avengers against the arms dealer Moses Magnum, and was later offered provisional membership in the group.[13][14]

Avengers Disassembled[]

Jarvis continued to serve as butler for the Avengers until the breakdown of the Scarlet Witch that resulted in the destruction of the mansion and the final breakup of the team.[15]

New Avengers[]

When Captain America and Iron Man organized the New Avengers, Jarvis served the team in their Stark Tower headquarters.

At one point, Jarvis started a relationship with Spider-Man's aunt, May Parker who had moved into Stark Tower with Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson-Parker after her house burnt down. When Spider-Man switched sides during the Civil War, however, May and Mary Jane fled Stark Tower to live in hiding.[citation needed]

Also during the war Jarvis was shot by an employee who was opposed to Tony Stark using technology invented to enforce the Superhuman Registration Act. He soon recovered.

Post Civil War[]

After the superhero Civil War, the New Avengers moved to Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, while Iron Man's Mighty Avengers remained in Stark Tower.[citation needed]

Secret Invasion[]

During the Skrull Invasion, Jarvis was replaced by a Skrull. This Skrull put a Skrull virus into all Stark Enterprises technology, which deactivated them. The Helicarrier was downed, all of Iron Man's suits started to shut down and every Stark Enterprise in the world was destroyed. After this, the virus opened the Raft and Cube prisons, releasing all the inmates. His agent also obtained access to Tony Stark's records on Robert Reynolds (The Sentry) in order to discover his weaknesses, as the Skrulls were unable to duplicate his powers because its limits were unknown even to Stark. He later approached Maria Hill on the destroyed S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in the middle of the ocean and told her to surrender along with her crew. She used a Life Model Decoy in that spot as the real one escaped and detonated the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. During the fight between Veranke and Criti Noll's forces against the heroes and villains, The Skrull-Jarvis (who somehow survived the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier explosion) watched from Avengers Tower as the energy washed over hero, villain and Skrull alike. While holding Jessica Jones and Luke Cage's child, he commented that it didn't matter if the Skrulls win or lose, so long as "God's" will was done.[citation needed]

After the final battle, Jarvis was discovered alive and well in a Skrull aircraft with numerous other individuals that were impersonated by the Skrulls, prompting Jessica Jones to discover that her baby had been taken by the Skrull impostor. Jarvis later attended a support group meeting with the others who had been replaced by Skrulls. The Skrull Jarvis was eventually found in a hideout and was shot by Bullseye after returning the baby to Luke Cage.[16][17]

Dark Reign[]

Jarvis refused to join the Dark Avengers and left. When literal chaos began affecting the Earth, Jarvis attempted to reach Thor in Oklahoma, only for the state to disappear. He was then approached by Hercules and Amadeus Cho, who desired his help in finding a new team of Avengers. According to the latter, Jarvis was shown to be the constant of the Avengers.[citation needed]

AXIS[]

When key members of the Avengers and the X-Men underwent a moral inversion, Jarvis and the Hulk tried to stop the Avengers when the group planned to kill the Red Skull, but were ignored and attacked, Jarvis being knocked aside while Hulk's anger triggered his own inverted transformation into 'Kluh'.[18] However, Jarvis had anticipated a problem based on the Avengers' actions since the group's return from the island, and had already hidden Red Skull away until he could explain the situation to Steve Rogers and was then able to retrieve Red Skull and return the heroes and villains to normal.[19]

All-New, All-Different[]

Edwin Jarvis was welcomed to the new headquarters of the Avengers. When Jarvis wondered if his services were needed or not, Iron Man convinced him to help out the Avengers.[20] Jarvis was present with the Avengers when they met Nadia Pym, Hank Pym's daughter through Maria Trovaya who now sports a modified Wasp suit. After Nadia helped to stabilize the Vision, Jarvis took Nadia on a road trip to meet the latter's extended family.[21]

Attributes

Power Grid[26]
:Category:Power Grid/Fighting Skills/Some Training:Category:Power Grid/Energy Projection/None:Category:Power Grid/Durability/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Speed/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Strength/Normal:Category:Power Grid/Intelligence/Learned

Powers

None.

Abilities

Skilled Combatant: Jarvis is a good hand-to-hand combatant; He was a former boxing champion of the Royal Air Force for three years and had received military combat training and personal tutelage in unarmed combat by Captain America (Steve Rogers). Although he is in good health and physical condition, past injuries inflicted by the supervillain Mister Hyde may have hampered his fighting prowess.[citation needed]

Strong Speaker[citation needed]

Cooking: Jarvis is adept at cooking and baking as part of his butler duties. His specialties include ginger cakes.[22]

Highly Experienced Butler[citation needed]

Weaknesses

Edwin Jarvis has claimed to be allergic to nuts.[23] He is also allergic to felines, including Tigra.[24]

Notes

  • Former citizen of the United Kingdom, now naturalized citizen of the United States with no criminal record.[6]

See Also

Links and References

References

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