MORTY PHILLIPS 

Real Name: Morton "Morty" Phillips

Identity/Class: Normal human

Occupation: Unemployed, would-be bank robber

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Spider-Man (Parker), Mary Jane Watson

Enemies: J. Jonah Jameson

Known Relatives: wife, son, daughter (names unrevealed)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: New York City, USA

First Appearance: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#121 (December, 1986)

Powers/Abilities: Morty Phillips possessed the normal human strength level of a man of his height, weight and build who engaged in regular exercise. He had no superhuman powers, but was highly religious. He carried a BB Gun as a weapon.

History: 

(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#121 (fb)) - Morty Phillips was a native of New York City. Unemployed for over two years and desperate to care for his family, he took a BB gun to rob the Roshomon Bank on the first floor of the Daily Bugle building, but he really didn't have the heart to flagrantly breaking the law and his nerves wore him down as he tried to go through with it. Upon entering the bank, he accidentally knocked over the security guard with the door and stammered nervously as he waved his gun at J. Jonah Jameson, the publisher of the Daily Bugle. As Mary Jane Watson tried to distract Morty, Morty accidentally gave her his name. Jameson started verbally abusing Morty, who didn't know who he was. Morty ordered Jonah back, sending him tumbling over a counter, as Spider-Man appeared, startling Morty into dropping his BB gun. But the gun went off, a BB in it firing and striking a woman in the bank, causing a minor wound. Expecting the weapon to be real, Spider-Man tossed Morty behind bulletproof glass to protect any more by-standers from getting hurt, but Morty merely thanked the web-slinger for keeping him from doing anything stupid. Believing Spider-Man to be a messenger of God sent to punish him, Morty beat himself up as Spider-Man calmed him down enough and turned him over to security.   

(Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#121) - Sitting in a restaurant later, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker (Spider-Man) gave varying versions of their experience with Morty to Robbie Robertson. Peter later realized to himself that he couldn't allow such such a desperate hard luck case like Morty Phillips to be branded a criminal.

Comments: Created by Peter David (writer), and John Romita, John Buscema, Bob McLeod, Alan Kupperberg, Keith Williams and Mark Texiera (artists).

The idea of this story is that witnesses' testimonies are not always correct. In their versions of the stories, JJJ was kind of full of himself and painted a picture of Morty as a muscle head, MJ described Morty as as mercenary while telling a story giving an idea how wrapped up she was in her looks, while Peter revealed his concern for the welfare of others by describing Morty as the pathetic being he had become. His version of the story is likely the most accurate version of the event.

Morty Phillips probably rates as one of the most obscure characters of the Marvel Universe. Not only does his appearance occur entirely in flashback, but two characters tell varying descriptions of him.

Profile by Will U.

CLARIFICATIONS: 
Morty Phillips is not to be confused with:  

Images:
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man#121, p25, (Head shot)

p26, (surrendering)

Appearances:
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man#121 (December, 1986) - Peter David (writer), John Romita, John Buscema, Bob McLeod, Alan Kupperberg, Keith Williams and Mark Texiera (artists), Jim Owsley (editor)

Last updated: 02/18/08

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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