X-Men: Apocalypse SDCC poster

Hulk sketch by Joe Jusko

1980: The Jocasta's On You part II: No Really, I'm Still Here*

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

Starting out as "the bride of Ultron" in the mid 70s, the sentient robot Jocasta quickly sided with the Avengers against her creator and lover. She moved into the mansion, aided them on numerous missions and proved capable, tough and a true heroine in spite of her origins. You'd think that by the 1980s, Earth's mightiest would have gotten the hint. Yeah. Think again...

Your name is Jocasta, you are a living mechanoid. You're superstrong, tough, capable of firing destructive energy beams and erecting forcefields. Your cybernetic senses not only make you supremely intelligent, you are also able to sense just about anything out of the ordinary... And the only people in your life treat you like a doorstop.

Even though Jocasta had been a part of the team since the Korvac crisis, even living at the mansion full time, the Avengers didn't seem to notice her. It's not that they were particularly unfriendly to her or felt awkward around the wife of one of their greatest enemies. None of that, they simply overlooked her.

"For she feels a longing, a desire to join in the casual banter, and yet..."

Feeling uneasy in social situations became a bit of a theme with Jocasta. She wanted to belong, but felt out of place, mainly because of her robotic nature. Clearly suffering from a bit of an inferiority complex and desperate to connect with someone she could relate to, she continuously reached out to Vision. On paper, it would seem they have a lot in common... But the synthezoid Avenger felt otherwise.

"I just thought you might to, well, talk."

What's prevalent in all their interactions is the way Vision (not too) subtly tries to keep her at arm's length. Jocasta simply wants to bond with him, but he's not having any of it. 

"How can a machine worry?"

Vision has never been accused of being the most emotionally sensitive person in the room. And yes... even though he's preoccupied by the fact his wife took off without him... That very emotion disproves his whole "how can a machine worry?" line that was indirectly also insulting to Jocasta. You'd think he'd learn his lesson and improved on his behavior. This was not the case, as we saw in Avengers I#194 when they had another little chat.

"The other Avengers seem to have forgotten that I even exist (...) I can't help feeling... lonely"

"Machines do not get lonely, Jocasta"

Ow Vision... You insensitive prick. And to make matters worse, when Jocasta complimented him on his almost poetic way of describing the emptiness he experienced without Wanda, he became so angry he wrecked the entire training room. 

Man, even with all that classic Pérez art scenes like these are tough to stomach. It's clear Vision was so overwhelmed by his own emotions that he tried to deny them by embracing the robotic, unfeeling side of his nature... Which is exactly what Jocasta did not need from her fellow Avenger. Her sense of alienation from the team grew and grew, even though she continued to fight at their side. More often than not, she proved crucial in winning the day. For instance in #196, when the Avengers first fought the Taskmaster only to find the villain's photographic reflexes made him more than a match for them. But he hadn't counted on Jocasta (heck, if even the villains don't bother noticing you... worry).

"Huh? A metal woman?"

The Taskmaster, overconfident after having just given the likes of Iron Man and Captain America a run for their money, attacked Jocasta... And found out she was more than a match for him.

"That's fine by me, bimbo!"

Go, go, Jocasta, go!

"And that's because Jocasta's delaying tactics bought us some time"

... "Delaying tactics"? Really Cap, is that what you're calling it? Looks to me like she was well on her way to single handedly kick the crud out of the Taskmaster before you showed up. But hey, that's hardly the last time the Avengers downplayed her contributions. In #198, the team faced the threat of Red Ronin. The giant robot was hijacked by an insane professor who no longer wanted to wait for what he thought was an unavoidable nuclear conflict with Soviet Russia. He decided to use the killer robot to attack the USSR and get World War III started. The Avengers assembled to stop him, but no one ever listened to Jocasta...

"Wonder Man, wait! My cyber-senses indicate that the doorway is..."

Of course, Jocasta herself is more than capable of dealing with Red Ronin's security systems. She managed to get herself and Beast on board the big robot (that red pylon Wondy tried to enter was actually his leg). And over the course of two issues, they worked their way up to Ronin's control booth where they were crucial in nipping nuclear armageddon in the bud. 

Oh, Jocasta also got to participate in the much maligned Avengers I#200, in which Ms. Marvel gave birth to her own rapist. Well, at the very least, she was able to add "midwife" and "nurse" to her already impressive list of credentials.

" My cybernetic senses confirm your diagnostic readouts, Dr. Blake"

Let's ignore the travesty that followed, instead we'd better focus on the first on panel interaction between Jocasta and the woman Ultron based her mind on: Janet van Dyne. Even though Jocasta allegedly spoke in Jan's voice, it took well over 2.5 years for them to actually have a conversation. And when they did speak, no one mentioned the fact that Wasp was the Wonder Man to her Vision.

"There's still so much about human emotions I don't understand..."

Janet gave Jocasta her usual non-descript answer, in typical early 80s Wasp fashion. To think the two of them could have had an actual, much needed heart-to-heart about their shared feelings. After all, they were essentially the same woman. But where Janet was always gregarious, bubbly and more than a little flighty, Jocasta was soft spoken, considerate and caring. Which were all aspects of the Wasp that would emerge a few years down the road when Roger Stern made her Avengers chairman. For now, though... Wasp was acting oblivious, as seen in #201 when Jocasta surprised her and Hank.

"I hope you like roast beef"

So, a metal woman built by your husband's equally robotic, evil "son" whose brain is a copy of yours packs a picknick lunch for you and the aforementioned hubby and all you can say is "You're a doll! Thanks!"? While that *is* a polite response, one can't help but feel even slightly creeped out. Even poor ol', mentally unstable Hank Pym noticed how awkward it was talking to a robot that sounded just like his wife. And, ever the thoughtful spouse, this is what Jan had to say...

"I know, darling... But don't worry... You've got the original all to yourself!"

Meanwhile, back in Avengers I#200, Jocasta still got a bit more screentime and decided to visit with Vision, who she had been observing from a distance before Wasp showed up. Some fans have suggested Jocasta was harboring a secret crush on the android Avenger who, for all intents and purposes, would be her stepson (proving once again that robotic relationships can get weird). Yours truly didn't quite get that vibe from their interactions, Jocasta simply wanted to belong and connect and decided Vision would be the go-to guy. Guess even cybernetic senses can be off, sometimes.

"Darling, I've... Oh, I'm sorry if I interrupted, Jocasta. I didn't know you were here."

As soon as the Scarlet Witch arrived, Vision's focus shifted completely towards Wanda. Of course, it would make sense for a husband to pay more attention to his wife than another "woman" of sorts (though it's hard to imagine early 80s Wanda getting jealous of a metal female with no genitalia)... But there's dividing one's attention and flat out ignoring someone...

 "Neither she nor the Vision notice when Jocasta turns and, softly, leaves the room. And that, thinks the metalloid would-be Avenger, is the most harshest hurt of all..."

So, why didn't the Avengers even bother to make Jocasta a member? Well, funny story... They did, but then they kind of forgot about it as we'll see in part III of The Jocasta's On You: Membership Drive Away

* With sincere apologies to the late Elaine Stritch and all the other grande dames who performed Sondheim's showstopper.

The Goblin Queen by Daniel Govar

1978: The Jocasta's On You part I: This Eager Avenger In Waiting...

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

In today's Marvel Universe, you're more likely to catch membership to Earth's mightiest than the common cold. That makes the story of Jocasta all the more tragic. She desperately wanted to join only to be snubbed and ignored throughout the 1980s... And to think she was the most competent Avenger ever, as this retrospective will show.

"The first Avenger who touches her answers to me!"

Iron Man protecting a woman's virtue? Guess there's a first time for everything. All kidding aside, just who was Jocasta? For that, we need to revisit the mid 1970s. By then, Ultron had established himself as one of the team's most implacable foes, with ties to both the Vision (who he created) and Hank Pym (his creator). When Jim Shooter took over the series, he figured the next step in Ultron's evolution was him taking a wife. In classic oedipal fashion, Shooter decided that mechanical mate's mind had to be based on the brainwave patterns of Janet van Dyne, his "father's wife.

Long story short... A temporarily insane Pym delivered Janet to Ultron and helped set up the mind transfer. But, even though she was already alive by the time the Avengers arrived, Jocasta wasn't much of a threat. In fact, she almost immediately turned against her creator/father/husband-to-be by cybernetically ordering Pym's ants to lure the Avengers to them. And no one seemed to notice her role in their victory...

Talk about establishing a pattern from the word go.

                     "In her brief, half-living existence, perhaps she was more human, more like Jan
                                                                 than even Ultron suspected!"

But the Avengers didn't give it too much thought. With Ultron seemingly defeated, they left the now inert Jocasta behind and returned home to deal with threats like Whirlwind, Living Laser, Power Man and their employer Count Nefaria. They were also alarmed by the arrival of the 30th century heroes the Guardians of the Galaxy who had returned to the past to find their archenemy Korvac... And amidst all the hubbub, a package was delivered to the mansion in Avengers I#170...

                      "She was undoubtedly his masterwork... the product of dark inspiration!"

Coming from Yellowjacket, a split persona Hank Pym created when he was once again mentally disturbed, that's saying a lot. The Avengers gain custody of the seemingly lifeless Jocasta. But, as all technically inert lifeform are wont to do, she soon reactivates, breaks free, almost squeezing the life out of the Wasp and Yellowjacket before fleeing the premises. Captain America and Iron Man stop the others from tearing her to pieces because, well... 

  "We're going to give her a headstart... and she's going to lead us to... Ultron!"

And lead them to Ultron she did... This time, the recalcitrant robot was holed up in a local monastery, where he had replaced most of the inhabitants with murderous mechanical nuns straight out of a catholic school girl's nightmare. Despite the fact Ultron had forced her to come to him via remote control, Jocasta once again saved the day by resisting her perfect mate's desires and plans.

"I love you, Ultron! I exist only to love you, to serve you, for so I was created... 

and thus I must destroy you!"

Jocasta's open act of rebellion allowed the Avengers to free themselves and to finally (or so they thought) deal with Ultron. In the aftermath, they were suddenly confronted with another mystery when Jocasta disappeared along with several Avengers.

                                                   "HEY! The tin lady... she vanished!"

And so she did... Even though she was still far from officially being a member, Taneleer Tivan, better known as the Collector, had grabbed Jocasta to add to his collection of Avengers. Y'see, the Elder of the Universe was aware of Korvac's plans (because Tivan's daughter Carina was dating him)... And the old man was desperate to capture and save as many of Earth's mightiest before Korvac could carry out his plans to reshape the cosmos. 

Over the course of several issues, the Collector quietly nabbed most of the Avengers until a small contingent including the Wasp and Hawkeye managed to stop him. In the process, they freed the others and the Collector's shenanigans were finally noticed by the almighty Korvac who turned the Elder to ashes as punishment for trying to deceive him.

A fate Jocasta faced in Avengers I#177, when she decided to join the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy in opposing Korvac and his lover. She was unceremoniously dealt with...

"You are merely loyal to those you think are friends! I am sorry it must be thus!"

Korvac and his love proved unbeatable, until they realize their mission of covertly taking over the universe and forcing their version of peace and love on everyone is botched because of their fight with the heroes. The two nigh omnipotent beings commited suicide and used their final energies to restore all their deceased opponents back to life. Jocasta lives... And remains with the team for a few more issues, even though not everyone seems quite aware of the fact that, well, she's there.

"Seven of you will remain as Avengers... the rest are out!"

Case in point... The Avengers' government liaison Henry Peter Gyrich had no idea the walking, talking Jocasta was actually alive when he showed up in Avengers I#181 to read the team the riot act. In order for the government to trust the Avengers again, Gyrich demanded the organisation cut their active membership back to seven members... of Gyrich's choice. To no one's surprise, Jocasta was not elected or even considered a possibility. 

In fact, Gyrich pretty much had a conniption when Jocasta spoke up during this scene from Avengers I#182

"Hey! I thought this tin woman was just a trophy or something!"

Pleasant as always, Jocasta seemingly doesn't take offense to Gyrich calling her a meaningless trophy, pointing out that if he feels she's a machine, why should she even require security clearances or passes? 

But considering the Avengers' long established history of inclusiveness, scenes like this leave a bitter taste in any fan's mouth. By now, Jocasta has more than proven her worth... She fought against Ultron, her ideal mate, twice... Helped against the Collector, sacrificed her life fighting Korvac... Heck, the Vision is equally as artificial and he got voted in after his first appearance in which he tried to kill the Wasp and was a willing accomplice of Ultron's...

"You accept me... though I'm not truly a human being?"

Now, I'm not saying Vision was accepted because the Avengers were pretty much an all boy's club back then... But it is odd to see how much difficulty they seemed to have acknowledging an equally artificial lifeform like Jocasta. Still, she bravely soldiered on in obscurity and didn't even balk when it was her cybernetic sensory array that led the team to locate the missing Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (who were captured by their alleged foster father Django Maximoff).

"I sense that the energy stream emanates from that rooming house."

Once again, Jocasta proved crucial in finding, fighting and defeating a foe. But just like the Avengers themselves, the writers of the book would sometimes just forget that she was even there. Jocasta lived at the mansion at the time and even though Gyrich's government edict had limited them to seven active members, there were rules that allowed the team to call in reservists/back ups if needed.

In other words: Jocasta could have been on active duty since day one... But, for instance, where was she when the team faced Crusher Creel in Avengers I#183 & 184?

"I ain't gonna stop 'til this harbor runs red with Avengers' blood!"

Or a few issues down the line when Pietro and Wanda run into trouble once again while searching for their true origins in the Balkan nation of Transia? Iron Man proved unavailable, so you'd think the perfect substitute would be the Avengers' resident Iron Maiden... You'd be wrong, though. Captain America decided to call in a rather wonderful reservist instead.

"We're going to need all the "muscle" we can get!"

Of course, the Avengers had no idea they were flying into a combat zone ruled by a Ch'ton possessed Scarlet Witch... Given the fact that magic is vulnerable to metal, having an honest to goodness, super powered metal woman on the team would have been quite the assett. But no, Jocasta was unavailable and the Avengers made due without her... A trend that would continue on into the 80s as we'll see in part II of The Jocasta's On You: I'm Still Here.

1980 - King Conan House Ad

1979 - Anatomy of a Cover - Fantastic Four #203