Dr. Jonathan Drew[2] was a brilliant Hydra scientist and entomologist with a particular interest in arthropods. He befriended Dr. Herbert Wyndham, later known as the High Evolutionary.[3] The two bonded over genetics and began collaborative research, eventually relocating to Wundagore Mountain in Transia, where Wyndham continued his experiments in accelerated evolution while Drew focused on radiation resistance with his wife Miriam Drew.[4][5][6]
Their daughter, Jessica Drew, was born after Meriem was irradiated during pregnancy. Drew discovered that Jessica's altered physiology might be the culmination of his life's work.[7] A tragic confrontation when Jessica was 10 ensued after he experimented on her, resulting in Jessica lashing out with her powers and falling unconscious. Believing he had harmed her, Drew placed her in a Genetic Accelerator and fled in shame.[7][8] Stricken by guilt, Drew left Wundagore, only to be possessed by the spirit of the sorcerer Magnus in an effort to thwart the awakening of Chthon. Magnus, through Drew's body, helped form the Knights of Wundagore to combat mystical threats.[9] After Chthon was sealed once more, Magnus departed, and Drew's body was released.[10]
Years later, Drew secretly joined Hydra under Project: Athena, unknowingly assisting their schemes while believing he could redeem himself through science.[11] Jessica eventually found him and destroyed the facility where he worked, believing him to have died in the blast.[12] However, Drew survived and resurfaced working for Pyrotechnics to create a radiation antidote and a Neutron Device, before ultimately being murdered by James Wyatt to cover up the conspiracy.[13][14] Drew was buried in Los Angeles, though the murder was never officially solved.[15]
History
Early Life[]
Dr. Jonathon Drew, a young British scientist who was born with a passion for zoology particularly arthropods attended Yale University in the United States where he pursued his studies in the field. He later returned to England where, he met and married Miriam Drew.[3]
Drew later attended the International Conference on Genetics in Geneva, Switzerland where he met fellow geneticist Dr. Herbert Wyndham. The two became fast friends after attending a lecture by Professor Wladyslav Shinski, bonding over drinks and a mutual fascination with evolutionary science. He also encountred Dr. Arnim Zola and Dr. Noah Black who were in attendance.[3] Upon returning to England, Jonathon enthusiastically shared stories of his experience and extensive conversations with Wyndham with his wife, Meriem.[4] His wife became pregnant but during an experiment she was exposed the radiation, fearing the child was injured on December 7th. After several months of careful observation, the couple welcomed a daughter, Jessica Drew.[7] Shortly thereafter, the Drew family relocated to Paris, France. [4] His wife Meriem inherited a small tract of land on the eastern side of Wundagore Mountain in Transia from her maternal uncle. [4][5] The Wyndham and Jonathan continued their research at Oxford University.[4]
Moving to Wundagore[]
By June, after being expelled from Oxford University and academic circles[4] and the British government[11] for conducting radical genetic experiments and following the destruction of his first evolved animal by fearful neighbors Herbert Wyndham sought a remote location to continue his work in secrecy. Now funded by Hydra who had infiltrated the British government[16] He along with the Drew's who work had also been discredited, who agreed to pool their resources and research. Meriem and Jonathon Drew offered use of the Transian land Meriem had recently inherited, and the trio relocated to Wundagore to establish their new laboratory.[4][17] The group later purchased additional property from the estate of Baron Gregor Russoff, expanding their holdings on the mountain.[6][18] Drew worked closely with Wyndham, supporting his development of a Genetic Accelerator, while Wyndham aided Drew's own research into using arthropods to develop resistance to radiation and extreme environments.[6] In July, the two scientists discovered large uranium deposits within Wundagore Mountain, acquiring substantial wealth through its extraction and sale. [6][19] With their newfound resources, Drew and Wyndham hired Dr. Horace Grabsheid to design and construct a citadel atop Wundagore. In return, they funded his private project an interplanetary spacecraft. [6][5] Within weeks, Grabsheid's plans were approved. Shortly afterward, the group experienced a harrowing incident involving Gregor Russoff, who appeared near the site in his werewolf form. [6][19] By March, the scientific enclave on Wundagore Mountain had received a group of Moloids from subterranea, gifted by the enigmatic geneticist Phaeder. However, Drew was deeply distrustful of the Moloids.[6][20]
Jessica's Accident[]
Years later, Miriam took ten-year-old Jessica for a walk through the mountain countryside near Mount Wundagore. During their outing, Jessica discovered a Wundagore Widow an aggressive, venomous spider species and began playing with it. To Miriam's astonishment, the spider did not harm her daughter. When she recounted the incident to Jonathan, he became furious, scolding her for allowing Jessica near such a dangerous creature. Shortly afterward, Jessica suffered a sudden seizure and collapsed on the floor of their home. Jonathan examined her but could not determine the cause. However, Jessica soon recovered without any immediate or lasting effects. On June 7th, Jonathan discovered that Jessica’s blood had been significantly altered due to the prenatal radiation exposure Miriam had experienced during pregnancy. Intrigued, he began conducting further tests and realised that the culmination of his decade-long research might lie within Jessica’s unique physiology. When Miriam discovered that Jonathan had been experimenting on their daughter, a heated confrontation followed. The argument escalated, and Jonathan physically lashed out. In a moment of instinctive defence, Jessica unleashed a burst of bioelectric energy at her father. Immediately after the discharge, she collapsed to the floor. When Jonathan awoke, he placed his daughter in the genetic accelerator chamber and left in shame.[7][8] For many years, he claimed that she had been killed by the Werewolf a lie he eventually came to believe himself.[6][21]
Magnus Possession[]
By April, stricken with grief over Meriem's death and guilt over Jessica's condition, Jonathon left Wundagore, entrusting Jessica's care to Wyndham.[22] While passing through London, Jonathon's proximity to Mount Wundagore which housed the imprisoned Elder God Chthon drew the attention of Magnus, a 6th-century sorcerer whose spirit had long opposed Chthon's influence. Realising the magnitude of the danger, Magnus possessed Jonathon's body, intending to stop the dark forces gathering at Wundagore.[9] By March, six weeks later, the Magnus-possessed Drew returned to the Citadel of Science atop Wundagore. He revealed his true identity and warned Wyndham that his continued genetic tampering threatened to unleash Chthon upon the world. Wyndham dismissed the warning, refusing to believe in supernatural forces. [23][24] In response, Magnus persuaded Wyndham to train his evolved New Men intelligent animals transformed by genetic science as the Knights of Wundagore, warriors prepared to face any mystical threat. [25] Magnus continued to guide the Knights for decades and was still present, when Magda Eisenhardt arrived at Wundagore to give birth to her twin children, Pietro Maximoff and Wanda Maximoff. Sensing the potential for Chthon's influence, Magnus scanned Magda but found her untouched by the god’s essence. Shortly afterward, however, Magnus himself became overwhelmed by Chthon's growing power. [25] Realising a direct magical confrontation was futile, Magnus projected his astral form and found Gregor Russoff, who had used the Darkhold to perform the Spell of Ascension. Magnus possessed Russoff's body and compelled him to cast the Spell of Binding, sealing Chthon back within the mountain. Enraged, Chthon lashed out at Russoff, leaving him grievously injured. [25] The following day, Magnus, still inhabiting Jonathon Drew's form, informed Wyndham that his mission was complete. He relinquished Jonathon's body and departed Wundagore, returning to the grave once more.[26]
Working for Hydra[]
Some time later, Jessica Drew emerged from a special regeneration tank within a darkened room. As she rose from the fluid, she was met by General Wyndham and a team of Hydra operatives. Unbeknownst to her father, the experimental serum he had administered to her during childhood had not only cured her radiation sickness but also granted her extraordinary spider-like powers, including enhanced strength, agility, and a potent bio-electric "venom blast." Thus began her transformation into the enigmatic Spider-Woman.[11] Following her awakening, Jessica was taken in by Hyrda, who sought to utilise her abilities as part of their broader scientific efforts. Her father, Jonathan Drew, had secretly re-joined Hydra under the auspices of Project: Athena, a program intended to replicate the success of Jessica's transformation. Backed by Hydra's vast resources, he was assigned to a state-of-the-art laboratory aboard an isolated offshore oil platform.[11] Eventually, Jessica discovered her father's location and launched a daring mission to rescue him.[27] However, upon confronting him, she was shocked to learn that he had willingly aligned himself with Hydra. Believing that continuing his research was the only way to redeem his past and affirm the success of his work, Jonathan refused to leave. Disillusioned and horrified by his actions, Jessica destroyed the facility in a massive explosion, believing her father to have perished in the blast.[12]
Betrayal and Death[]
Jonthan survived and went into hiding once again. James Wyatt of Pyrotechnics approached Drew,[15] who was working at the British Museum as a Anthropologist and had developed a spider-derived antidote to radiation poisoning in an effort to treat his ailing daughter, Jessica Drew.[13] Records of this meeting remained in police files.[15] Wyatt and his Pyrotechnics associates, including Mr. Billingsley and General Gaspar, saw a use for Drew's serum in their plans.[13] They initially hired Drew to work at Pyrotechnics and, several weeks later,[28] kidnapped, drugged, and forced him to develop an injectable formula that would immunize humans against radiation. Drew also built a Neutron Device capable of lethally irradiating large areas, still unaware of Pyrotechnics' true agenda.[13]
Their plan was to immunize selected soldiers, irradiate the entire country using the Neutron Device, and then conquer it with their radiation-proof army.[13][14] They intended to seize military control on the Fourth of July,[13] ultimately expanding their conquest to the rest of the world.[29] When Drew uncovered the full extent of the scheme,[29] he attempted to escape,[13] but Wyatt personally killed him with Pyrotechnics’ approval.[13][29][14] Drew was buried in Los Angeles, but the police never solved the crime.[15] Although Wyatt considered Drew a liability, Billingsley and Gaspar believed Drew’s scientific knowledge had been essential, and that the conspiracy had been carefully orchestrated to ensure its success.[13]
Legacy[]
Jessica Drew tracked her father to America and eventually learned of his death.[15] Jessica uncovered the truth behind her father's demise and brought both Wyatt and Pyrotechnics to justice. With assistance from Jerry Hunt and S.H.I.E.L.D., she helped dismantle Pyrotechnics' operations before they could administer their experimental spider-extract serum to their soldiers.[13]See Also
- 20 appearance(s) of Jonathan Drew (Earth-616)
- 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Jonathan Drew (Earth-616)
- 8 minor appearance(s) of Jonathan Drew (Earth-616)
- 26 mention(s) of Jonathan Drew (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Jonathan Drew (Earth-616)
- 9 image(s) of Jonathan Drew (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Spider-Woman (Vol. 7) #3
- ↑ Marvel Encyclopedia #1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 X-Factor Annual #3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Punisher Annual #1
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Silver Surfer Annual #1
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Spider-Woman #1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Spider-Woman: Origin #1
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Spider-Woman (Vol. 4) #1
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man Annual #4
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Spider-Woman: Origin #2
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Spider-Woman: Origin #5
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 Spider-Woman #7
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #11 ; Spider-Woman (Drew)'s profile
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Spider-Woman #3
- ↑ Spider-Woman: Origin #3
- ↑ Quicksilver #9
- ↑ Avengers #187
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Silver Surfer Annual #1–4
- ↑ New Mutants Annual #4
- ↑ New Mutants Annual #4–3
- ↑ Fantastic Four Annual #21
- ↑ Avengers #186
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22–4
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Uncanny X-Men Annual #12–3
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man Annual #4–4
- ↑ Spider-Woman: Origin #4
- ↑ Spider-Woman #4
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Avengers 2005 #1 ; Spider-Woman (Drew)'s profile