HISTORY OF SHE-HULK AND TITANIA
Get to the bottom of the longtime rivalry between Jennifer Walters and her arch nemesis—the super-strong Mary MacPherran!
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Titania’s First Appearance
In Secret Wars (1984) #3
To understand the nearly-four-decades conflict between She-Hulk and Titania, we have to go back to the very beginning. Titania made her Marvel debut alongside her friend, Marsha Rosenberg/Volcana, as willing conscripts of Doctor Doom, the man who gave them their powers on the Beyonder’s Battleworld.
Secret Wars
In Secret Wars (1984) #7
Titania encountered She-Hulk one-on-one in their first-ever battle issue! Although She-Hulk was victorious over Titania, the Wrecking Crew stepped in to finish the job.
A Rivalry Explained
In She-Hulk (2004) #10
A bit of added context to that SECRET WARS battle: An adolescent Mary MacPherran was bullied and unhappy with her body before her super-powered transformation. Once she had the power of Titania, Mary felt like nothing could stop her. In her first fight with She-Hulk, readers learned that Jennifer got the best of her before the other villains arrived. That feeling of helplessness fueled Mary’s hatred of She-Hulk.
Supreme Ultimatum
In Solo Avengers (1987) #14
In their next meeting, Titania picked an inopportune time to attack. Because this was the day that Jennifer finally had a case in the United States Supreme Court! She took so much time dealing with Titania that her opportunity slipped away. That made Jennifer angry, and you know what they say about Hulks… She-Hulk was so intimidating that she successfully coerced Titania into promising never to attack her again.
“Freaky Friday”
In Sensational She-Hulk (1989) #49
Were you surprised that Titania went back on her word? Thanks to some alien shenanigans, Jennifer and her best friend, Louise “Weezi” Mason, swapped forms. That transformed Louise into the new She-Hulk and made Jennifer considerably smaller and much weaker than she normally was. Titania didn’t care that Jen’s diminished physical state made the fight one-sided. She wanted payback on Jennifer, and she nearly got it.
Infinite Power
In She-Hulk (2004) #12
An Elder of the Universe gave Titania his Power Gem so that she could get revenge on their mutual enemy: She-Hulk. She-Hulk realized that this was one battle she couldn’t win through brawn. In a rematch, Jen allowed Titania to believe that she had really killed her rival. This “triumph” turned out to be an empty feeling for Titania, which gave Jennifer time to take the Power Gem and land a knockout blow of her own.
The “Quiet Life”
In Illuminati (2015) #1
Constantly losing to She-Hulk, coupled with the catastrophic events of SECRET WARS (2015), had a profound effect on Titania. In ILLUMINATI (2015), Titania simply wanted to be Mary again and focus on building a life with her husband, Carl “Crusher” Creel, AKA the Absorbing Man. Jennifer was naturally skeptical about Mary’s change of heart, but she nevertheless helped her get a job as security at a local pawn shop.
Titania Versus The Hood
In Illuminati (2015) #7
Mary’s attempt to go straight didn’t last long when crime boss the Hood recruited her to his organization. Regardless, Titania was wary of the Hood’s motivations. So, Titania and several other villains walked away from Parker Robbins after he suggested killing the families of their heroic adversaries. Instead of going along with the plan, Titania tore the Hood’s magic cloak in half and recommitted to her marriage.
Super Fight Club
In She-Hulk (2022) #1
She-Hulk had a rough time since nearly dying during CIVIL WAR II and losing control of her She-Hulk persona. Thankfully, Jennifer once again has full control, which came in handy when she reunited with Titania. The key difference in this battle is that Jennifer and Mary actually talked to each other. They even admitted that they mutually enjoyed their fights and agreed to meet up and blow off steam from time to time!