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Priscilla Dolly (Earth-616)

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History

Priscilla Dolly was the wife of Nathan Dolly,[6][7][8][1][9] a world-traveling[6][1] businessman[6] dealing in curio[1][9] and art objects.[1] After each trip, Nathan always brought[6] or sent Priscilla a doll.[3][1] They lived in a large house in North Hollywood, which soon became filled with dolls.[5]

On a trip to Africa,[10][3][1][9] Nathan obtained a voodoo doll[9] which, upon returning to the United States, he used in a brief criminal career to extort millionaires from their wealth using the alias Mister Doll.[10][1][9] He made a fortune,[2] but was defeated by Iron Man[10][1][9] and lost the figure that gave him power[2][1][9] as well as, probably, the money obtained illegally.[1] He was arrested,[10][1] but when he got out of jail, he looked for another doll to gain power such as the one he had lost.[1] Nathan bought two[2][7][8][9] 12-inch[7][8] skull-faced[2][1][9] effigies carved from mystical wood of Wundagore Mountain,[7][8][11][1][9] which he named the Brothers Grimm.[11] Each doll could be animated by an outside consciousness[2][11][1][9] in a procedure that the dollmaker, Django Maximoff,[2][12][1][9] taught Nathan.[2][7][8] Dolly however tried to animate one doll while having the other doll too close,[2][1] causing his life force to be split into both figures[2][7][8][11][1][9] and leaving him unable to return to his original body.[2][1][9] The body died,[2][7][8][1] and Nathan mailed both dolls to Priscilla in Los Angeles.[2][7][8][1] Once there, Nathan researched about occult arts[1] until he found a way to transfer his life force from the dolls to two life-sized mannequins,[2][13][14][7][8] with Priscilla helping him in this process.[9] With uniforms designed and sewed by himself,[15] the mannequins, whom he also named Brothers Grimm, proved to have extraordinary powers,[7][8] including the capacity to appear to be flesh-and-blood men.[2][7][8] Deranged,[2] Priscilla, who had wanted children,[2][1] composed identities and pasts for the mannikins as if they were her children Jake and William Dolly.[2][1][9] Nathan played along, apparently to satiate his wife's whim.[2][1] Priscilla wrongly believed that Nathan's spirit was still trapped in the by-then-inanimate, no-longer-magical figurines,[2] which she kept safely stored at home.[3]

Using the powers of the Brothers Grimm, Nathan began a criminal career[5][7][8][1][9] while collaborating with Priscilla in finding a way to restore him to a human body. She perceived that her children were helping her restore her father.[2] During that time, the family gained ownership of a theater,[16] the Playhouse.[2][17][1] "Jake " and "William" also began working at the company Pyrotechnics,[4] and Mrs. Dolly began renting out rooms in their oversized house, stating that the family needed extra income since Nathan's death.[5] Jonathan Drew, an English scientist who also worked for Pyrotechnics, boarded with the Dollys[4][1] for only a few weeks, and although Priscilla remembered him as a nice man, he barely made an impression on her children[4] (or so they pretended, since Brothers Grimm were involved in a conspiracy with Pyrotechnics that cost Drew his life).[18]

Jonathan Drew's daughter, Jessica Drew (secretly the superheroine Spider-Woman) and her ally Magnus (secretly a sorcerer) traveled to Los Angeles, partly looking for Jonathan; with limited funds to pay for housing, Magnus used his powers to get[5] Mrs. Dolly to rent them rooms[5][1][19] for a price they could pay. Mrs. Dolly assigned "Nathan's den" to Magnus, and came to believe that Jessica would be Magnus' niece. Jessica soon discovered that her father had been murdered two months earlier, and she wanted to investigate; she also found out that Jonathan had worked for Pyrotechnics.[5]

Jessica then met Priscilla in person and made a bad first impression on her because, at that time, Jessica was uncontrollably emitting pheromones that made other women dislike her; Magnus however used her magical powers over Priscilla to alter her so that Priscilla perceived Jessica as charming. Priscilla prepared dinner for her family and her guests, introducing them, and mentioned that a previous tenant, Jonathan, shared a last name with Jessica and had worked with her children; however, Jake denied reminding him, and William excused himself by saying that he had things to do. Jessica found the latter suspicious and followed William to Pyrotechnics,[4] where she had complex adventures[4][6] but discovered nothing about Jonathan.[6] When Jake left, Priscilla stayed with Magnus chatting amicably, partly because Magnus had changed his appearance to one Priscilla found more pleasing,[4] and partly because Magnus was charming and flattering to her, taking an interest in her and asking about her family. Priscilla explained that she missed having a man at home and that Magnus could become a good father figure to Jake and William. Magnus also impressed Priscilla by using magic to make flowers appear in an empty vase, as if it were a sleight of hand.[6] Priscilla recommended Magnus look for a job as a stage magician.[20]

Some time later, during a breakfast at the household with Jake, Jessica and William (at that time Magnus was away on supposed business), Priscilla took a phone call for Jessica, from Los Angeles Municipal Hospital, to report that Jessica's girlfriend, Jerry Hunt, had been attacked and was hospitalized. Jessica ran out to see him, while Jake and William went to work at the Playhouse;[16] shortly before, Pyrotechnics had been closed when the conspiracy was discovered thanks to Spider-Woman and Hunt[18] (but the involvement of Brother Grimm apparently had not been discovered). Priscilla was left alone at home, regretting that everyone had to run away instead of behaving like her inanimate dolls.[16]

Shortly after, Priscilla would be left alone at home again when Magnus got a job as a magician at the Hollywood Club, and her children continued to spend time away; Jessica found Priscilla dozing and holding one of the Brothers Grimm figurines, although Jessica did not notice the doll at the time.[20] Since Nathan desired a human body to inhabit,[2][7][8] and since his magical studies were not sufficient for himself or Priscilla to perform the magical rite of transference needed for that purpose,[2] Nathan and Priscilla considered coercing Magnus to perform the needed ritual,[2][7][8][1] and thus, Mrs. Dolly believed, the figurines had to be on hand.[20] Although Nathan believed that Magnus would have to be delivered to the Playhouse theater when they were ready, Priscilla insisted that, as soon as they captured his protégée Jessica and put her in danger, Magnus would notice and go on his own; and anyway they needed Jessica captured to coerce Magnus, and so that she wouldn't spoil their plans.[2]

Admiring Priscilla's doll collection,[3] Jessica happened upon the Brothers Grimm figurines in a drawer;[3][1] although Jessica pretended to hide the discovery, Priscilla noticed,[3] and somehow also discovered Jessica's secret identity as Spider-Woman[2] (possibly because she had had several run-ins with the Brothers Grimm and they knew Jessica);[5][9] Priscilla secretly decided that Jessica should be punished for meddling. When Hunt picked up Jessica to take her to the restaurant Pancho's Villa, Priscilla met the handsome and fit Hunt for the first time, and decided that he might be the man they were looking for[3] to have Nathan possess his body.[2] Jessica told Hunt that he had found two Brothers Grimm figurines in Priscilla's drawer, but Hunt, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., did not find it suspicious because the Brothers Grimm had a reputation as supercriminals.[3]

One Brother Grimm attacked the restaurant and, working with the other, captured Jessica (then dressed as Spider-Woman) and Hunt,[3] and took them to the Playhouse, where they were chained[3][1] on the stage. Priscilla was seen, accompanied by the two Brothers Grimm[2] and calling herself Madame Doll.[2][1]

Meanwhile, Magnus returned to the household, then the only occupant,[3] and his own subconscious detected the danger that Jessica was in[2][1] which, combined with traces of magic in the house due to the Brothers Grimm, animated Priscilla's doll collection: When Magnus slept, the dolls woke him up and warned him, even giving him the direction of the theater before falling when the magic ended. Magnus dressed smartly[2] and went to the theater,[2][1] where he met Priscilla, the Brothers Grimm, and the prisoners Jessica and Hunt. After Magnus greeted her politely,[2] Priscilla coerced Magnus into transferring Nathan's spirit into Hunt's body;[2][11][9] Magnus of course refused, but the Brothers Grimm[2] and Priscilla threatened to hurt or kill Jessica.[2][1] Even then, however, Magnus noticed that the magic in the theater was not emanating from the dolls Priscilla was pointing to, and he correctly deduced what was happening.[2][1]

The Grimms knocked Jessica and Hunt with gas, causing them to share a dream in which Jessica was Little Red Riding Hood, Hunt was the Woodsman, and Priscilla was Granny, who transformed into a wolf and was then unmasked to reveal Spider-Woman's other enemies. against which Hunt had been unable to help. The Brothers Grimm took the unconscious Hunt's gun from her and gave it to Priscilla, who in turn pointed it at Magnus. Priscilla explained that they would follow a ritual that her children had discovered in which the Brothers Grimm, holding the dolls, would be kept in one Circle of Transfer, and Hunt would be tied in another; meanwhile, Magnus would cast the spell from a pentagram painted on the ground, and Jessica and Priscilla would be protected against the magic in another pentagram, the latter aiming the gun at Magnus. Magnus, however, took advantage of the Dollys' ignorance and convinced them that, because Magnus did not really want to perform the spell, some mystical flames were necessary - their real purpose being hindering Priscilla's vision and trapping the Brothers Grimm.[2] Then, Jessica began to regain consciousness before they had expected (due to her superpowers) behind Priscilla's back,[2] and Magnus signaled her to disrupt the process by subduing Madame Doll and knocking Jerry Hunt out of the ceremonial pentagram.[2][1] Jessica broke one of the chains that were keeping her but that made Priscilla turn towards her and shoot her, wounding her in the right shoulder. Jessica then launched a weak venom blast at Priscilla, disarming her. Priscilla tried to attack Jesica physically, but Jessica dodged her using the chain she had been tied with, and she kicked Priscilla. Having temporarily gotten rid of Priscilla,[2] Jessica was able to get Hunt out of the Circle.[2][1] Nathan's spirit emerged from the Brothers Grimm and entered the other Circle, only to find it empty;[2][1] Magnus blocked the spirit's return to the Circle where the mannequins were,[7][8][1] thus thwarting Nathan's plan to occupy Hunt's body.[7][8][9] Without a body to possess, Nathan's spirit disintegrated,[2][1] apparently[9] passing from the Earthly plane.[7][8][9] With the spirit destroyed by Magnus,[11] the mannequins collapsed inert.[2]

Recovering from the skirmish to see her supposed children transformed into inanimate mannequins,[2] Priscilla suffered a mental breakdown[2][19] and cradled the figures she believed to be her children, asking them to wake up because, supposedly, their father would soon be back. Magnus freed Hunt and Jessica, and explained to them what he had deduced: Priscilla Dolly had lost her mind a long time ago, but at that moment she had just lost both her husband and her children, without ever understanding that they were the same person. Although Magnus felt sorry for Priscilla, he had no way to help her.[2]

Insane and believing her children were still alive,[21][1] Priscilla was committed[22][1][19] to Sunnyview Mental Hospital by Jessica and her allies.[21] Jessica and Magnus visited Priscilla shortly after, while Hunt was receiving a call from S.H.I.E.L.D. to reinstate him to active duty; Hunt decided to leave his unused rented home, with two months paid, to Jessica, since she could no longer live in the Dolly household.[22] Jessica however kept copy of the Dolly home keys, and on one occasion used it to lure an enemy into a trap, saying that it was her mother's house (and her mother's doll collection), who was visiting relatives at the time.[23] In a moment of increased emotional tension, Jessica visited Priscilla in the hospital, since Priscilla was the closest thing Jessica had to a friend; but Priscilla didn't even remember Jessica and, although she chatted with her friendly, she mentioned that her sons William and her Jacob were never going to visit her because Priscilla was still unable to accept her reality. Although Jessica understood that Priscilla couldn't help her with her problems, she liked talking to her and it helped her understand that she, Jessica, shouldn't bottle up her emotions like Priscilla had done, or she might end up like Priscilla did.[21]

Months later (See Notes), Spider-Woman died in a confrontation with Le Fay, and at the request of Spider-Woman's spirit, Magnus cast a spell so that everyone who had ever met her, including Mrs. Dolly, would forget her;[24] however, Magnus' magic failed, leading to several people remembering Spider-Woman[25] and resurrecting her.[26] If Mrs. Dolly remembered Spider-Woman again, no contact was made between then.

Mrs. Dolly reportedly[1] died shortly after.[1][9] The Playhouse Theater, by then dilapidated,[1] was acquired[17][7][8][11][15][1][9] by estate agents Percy and Barton Grimes,[17][11][1][9] two brothers[17][17][7][8][9] who intended to convert the premises into an X-rated movie theater.[17] They found the mannequins with the Brothers Grimm's uniforms and, by putting them on, they gained powers and became the second Brothers Grimm.[17][7][8][15]

Personality

Mrs. Dolly enjoyed her marriage to Nathans She described him as a businessman who traveled the world[6] and mentioned how he always brought her a doll from each of his trips.[6][1] In this way, she put together an admirable collection.[3] She appreciated the dolls because they were pretty, fragile[6] and dutiful, instead of behaving like people who often left in a hurry.[16]

After Nathan's spirit became trapped in two small figurines,[2] Mrs. Dolly helped him[9] transfer his life essence into a pair of man-sized mannequins.[2][7][8][1][9] Wanting children, Mrs. Dolly fabricated identities and pasts for the two dummies as her sons, Jake and William,[2][1][9] but, as she lost her mind, she came to believe that Jake and William were their real children and that Nathan's spirit was still trapped in the small figurines. Nathan's spirit apparently decided to play along with Mrs. Dolly. Clearly affected,[2][1] Mrs. Dolly even developed false anecdotes from the family's past, such as how Nathan had been an imposing father figure to Jake and William, and that he had only needed to raise an eyebrow to get his children to behave, so that they had not behaved the same since their father was missing.[6] Mrs. Dolly used to bottle up her emotions, which led her to have significant mental problems.[21]

Mrs. Dolly was determined to help her husband obtain a human body,[7][8] even though she believed that Nathan's spirit was in the small figures[2] which she kept carefully in a drawer[3] so that no one would see them.[20][3] In order to make money, Mrs. Dolly rented rooms in her home, although at the same time the mannequins also carried out illegal activities that gave them a lot of capital,[5] in addition to their work in a company.[4] Mrs. Dolly, having no other occupation, felt alone at home[6] and socialized with her tenants when they were also there,[4][6] sometimes going so far as to gossip.[4] Mrs. Dolly intended to maintain a friendly relationship with her tenant Magnus, both of whom were elderly;[4][6] Magnus was charming to Mrs. Dolly[6] and she appreciated how he followed her advice and changed his style in clothing and hair-do.[4] When Magnus demonstrated magical powers to Mrs. Dolly, she pretended to understand that he was an illusionist,[6] but remained alert because she realized that Magnus could help her in her quest to use magic to give her husband a body.[2]

When Nathan's spirit dissolved and was apparently destroyed for good, Mrs. Dolly had a mental breakdown:[2][19] Jake and William's mannequins returned to their inanimate state, and she cradled them, unable to understand that they just inanimate wood, believing instead that her children were asleep and that Nathan would be home soon.[2] Mrs. Dolly was quickly hospitalized,[22] but continued to believe that her children were alive, even if they never visited her.[21] Although Mrs. Dolly had tried to cause serious harm to Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) and her friends, at that time Drew saw Mrs. Dolly as the only friend she had.[21]

Attributes

Abilities

Priscilla Dolly could handle and fire a handgun with some accuracy.[2] She could also make tea.[6]

Weaknesses

Like most people, Priscilla Dolly could be easily affected by both pheromones and magic: She initially disliked Jessica Drew due to the pheromones she produced; but immediately Drew's ally Magnus used his magicks on Mrs. Dolly, so that Mrs. Dolly would only perceive Drew as a nice young woman.[4] Her glasses, which she wore in all situations, suggest that she had a sight problem.[4][2]

Notes

Trivia

Although Priscilla was favorably impressed at Magnus' magicks with the flowers[6] and prompted him to find a job as a stage magician[20] (not to mention that she had a professional interest in Magnus' sorcery at that point),[2] she was uninterested in seeing him act once he got a job at the Hollywood Club, to the point of not remembering the name of the place.[20]

See Also

Links and References

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48 1.49 1.50 1.51 1.52 1.53 1.54 1.55 1.56 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #2 ; Brothers Grimm's profile
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 Spider-Woman #12
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Spider-Woman #11
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 Spider-Woman #4
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 Spider-Woman #3
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 Spider-Woman #5
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #2 ; Brothers Grimm's profile
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1 ; Brothers Grimm's profile
  9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 9.20 9.21 9.22 9.23 9.24 9.25 9.26 9.27 9.28 New Avengers Most Wanted Files #1 ; Brothers Grimm's profile
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Tales of Suspense #48
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5 ; Night Shift's profile
  12. ↑ Avengers 182
  13. ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8 ; Appendix: Mister Doll
  14. ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #2 ; Appendix: Brothers Grimm
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition #15 ; Brothers Grimm II's profile
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Spider-Woman #9
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Iron Man #187
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Spider-Woman #7
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #11 ; Spider-Woman (Drew)'s profile
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Spider-Woman #10
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 Spider-Woman #19
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Spider-Woman #13
  23. ↑ Spider-Woman #18
  24. ↑ Spider-Woman #50
  25. ↑ Avengers #240
  26. ↑ Avengers #241
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