This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (August 2022) |
Mallory "Mal" Book is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is depicted as a lawyer who is a rival of She-Hulk, and later the secret supervillain chairwoman of Fourth Wall Enterprises.
| Mallory Book | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | She-Hulk #1 (May 2004) |
| Created by | Dan Slott |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Human |
| Place of origin | Earth |
| Team affiliations | Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Book (previously Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway) Fourth Wall Enterprises |
| Partnerships | Awesome Andy |
| Notable aliases | The Face Who's Never Lost a Case |
The character made her live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), portrayed by actress Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Publication history
editThe character first appeared in She-Hulk #1 (May 2004) and was created by Dan Slott.
Fictional character biography
editMallory Book is a lawyer employed by Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway. She has a reputation for not only being beautiful, but also for being a tough defendant in court. She had garnered the nickname "The Face Who's Never Lost a Case", which doesn't intimidate Jennifer Walters. In her first appearance, Mallory clearly shows disdain towards Jennifer having to step out as She-Hulk so she can save the world.[1] In her next appearance, she represents a man who Doctor Strange had "wrongfully" captured. When the man is let go, Strange admits that he will be gunned down days later, shocking Mallory.[2] Mallory and Jen soon begin working together with the former acting mostly oppressive over the latter. Mallory admits that Jen is "useful" in that she is good with heavy lifting. Even when Jen rescues her from a propeller blade, she fails to show any real gratitude.[3]
Mallory further mocks Jen when their boss Holden Holliway implies that she serve as a "baby-sitter" of sorts for his granddaughter Sasha.[4]
Jen's actions continued to frustrate Mallory. When Mallory represented Hercules, who had caused considerable physical injury to Constrictor, Jen suggested Hercules settle and pay damages, which he took over Mallory's suggestion of pleading insanity by stating that he was not the son of Zeus.[5] While being reprimanded by the law firm's senior partners for losing the case, Mallory was seriously injured when Titania's attacked the firm in an attempt to kill Jen.[6]
When the firm was rebuilt, Mallory was depicted using a wheelchair for the several months it took her to fully recover,[7] and, during this time, Awesome Andy secretly assisted her with her physical training and developed a crush on her.[8] Mallory started defending villains, repressenting Ox and Boomerang against Young Avengers Stature and Vision, angering Jen who felt that representing villains was ethically wrong.[9]
Mallory started falling for the Two-Gun Kid, but came under the influence of Starfox's powers, forcing her to fall in love with Awesome Andy, instead,[10] who copied Starfox's powers, thus continuing to influence Mallory into loving him,[11] and the two then began what appeared to be a mutually consensual relationship.[12] However, Mallory found out that her feelings were being manipulated, and Andy, growing guilty, turned off his mimicry of Starfox's powers.[13] Once his powers were shut down, Mallory reverted to normal and became furious with Andy, demanding he stay away from her.[14]
Mallory took revenge on Jen when defended The Leader, Samuel Sterns, and sub poenaed Jen as witness for the defense. On the stand, Mallory forced Jen to list all her sexual encounters as She-Hulk to build a defense for Sterns that gamma-radiated superhumans have no control over their actions and humiliate Jen at the same time[15]. Mallory's successful defense of Sterns got her made a partner of the firm and she seemed to make peace with Jen[16].
In Peter David's run, Mallory assigns Jen the defense of Arthur Moore, a supervillain named 'Dark Art' whom Jen subsequently assaults as She-Hulk after Moore shows her false illusions of him mudering children, resulting in Mallory being furious with Jen and accepting her resignation from the firm[17]. Mallory is ultimately revealed to be the supervillain chairwoman of Fourth Wall Enterprises, seeking to bring an end to all metafictional beings. Having gained Jen's respect, Mallory elects to temporarily shut down the She-Hulk Project due to the cancellation of the ongoing She-Hulk title, with her board speculating she will resume her plans once a new ongoing She-Hulk series featuring her is commissioned, lest "Book's cancelled" become a reality.[18]
In other media
editRenée Elise Goldsberry appears as Mallory Book in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022).[19] She is a lawyer who works in the same law office as Walters. In the series, Book is simply stern and shows no malicious intent, even slowly becoming friends with Jen when she declares her as her best friend.
References
edit- ^ She-Hulk #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk #2. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk #3. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk #7. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk #9. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk #11-12. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #1–14. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #5–6. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk Vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #6. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #14. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #7. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #11. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #11. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #19. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #21. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk (Vol. 2) #29. Marvel Comics.
- ^ She-Hulk Vol. 2 #38. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Anderson, Jenna (July 26, 2022). "New She-Hulk Featurette Confirms Renée Elise Goldsberry's Character". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
External links
edit- [1] at Marvel Wiki
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