SCREWBALL

Screwball

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Criminal, internet celebrity

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Basher, Blindside (Chernin), the Bookie, Boomerang, Deke (last name unrevealed), 8-Ball, Hydro-Man, Harry Osborn, Poundcakes, Powderkeg, the Squid (Callahan), Trapster (Petruski), her crew (Josh, "the Mad Hacker", Rick, others), several unidentified police officers, several unidentified super-villains

Enemies: Daredevil (Murdock), the New York City Police Department (Captain Watanabe, Officer MacAvoy, others), Raptor (Ryder), Spider-Man (Parker)

Known Relatives: James (cousin), unidentified cousin

Aliases: "Boss", "the Mighty Screwball", "Screwbie", "Screwy", Spider-Man

Base of Operations: New York City, New York

First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man II#559 (July, 2008)

Powers/Abilities: A skilled gymnast, Screwball possesses extensive Parkour training and is able to manuver through environments with an ease that rivals Spider-Man. A master entrepreneur, she oversees a team of cameramen and technicians that provide footage for and maintain her website. While relying on her crew to document her exploits, Screwball keeps an additional camera in her helmet.

Height: 5'9"
Weight: 132 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Unrevealed (dyed purple)

Screwball

History:  (Amazing Spider-Man II#559/Amazing Spider-Man Family#5 (fb) - BTS) - A master of parkour, Screwball broadcasts her crimes live over the internet to an awaiting public with the assistance of her team of cameramen and computer hackers (who tap into closed-circuit television cameras to ensure no footage of Screwball is lost).

(Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son I#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball took out an installment plan on a camera small enough to be placed out of sight in her helmet.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#562/Amazing Spider-Man II#608 (fb) - BTS) - Soon after her debut Screwball became an internet sensation, amassing eighteen million subscribers.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#608 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball launched an age-restricted section on her website.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#559 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball robbed an off-track betting parlor during a live broadcast on her website. Fleeing the scene, she was intercepted by Spider-Man and gave chase.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#559) - Managing to evade her pursuer, Screwball chided Spider-Man for failing to keep up; when asked how she's able to match Spider-Man's super-powers, Screwball mentioned her parkour training, referring to it as her "parkour luck". Leaping onto a bus, Screwball noticed a spider-tracer on her right shoulder. Panicking, she turned herself into two nearby police officers, believing that the tracer meant she was tagged as a victim of the spider-tracer killer (believed to be Spider-Man because of the tracers found on the bodies of their victim).
   Soon thereafter a picture of Screwball (apparently taken with a digital camera or cell phone) appeared on the cover of the DB, hailing Screwball as a "heroic woman" who survived a brush with Spider-Man.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#562 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball's bail was paid by the Bookie on the condition that she pose as Spider-Man and participate in a fake fight against obscure villain, the Basher.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#562) - Confronting the Basher as Spider-Man, Screwball lunged at him, knocking Basher down with a single blow (all the while being filmed by a crew broadcasting the footage to the criminal Bar with no Name). Silently fleeing the scene, Screwball was followed by the real Spider-Man who soon caught up to her and snared her feet with webbing. Unmasked, Screwball explained her use of the costume at the Bookie's behest and told Spider-Man where to find him.

(Spider-Man: Brand New Day Yearbook (fb) - BTS) - Spider-Man set Screwball free.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#568 - BTS) - Spider-Man counted Screwball among the wave of new enemies he'd encountered.

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball had a member of her crew pose as "the Mad Hacker", planning to have him interrupt her broadcast and send her on a search throughout the city to rescue a hostage.

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5) - Beginning another broadcast, Screwball pretended to be surprised when the Mad Hacker cut into her signal. Telling Screwball he was sick of her self-indulgent shows, the Hacker revealed he was holding a child hostage and the only way to rescue him would be to finish a treasure hunt across different locations, each leading to the next. Arriving at the first of the Hacker's three locations, Screwball was met by the police and Spider-Man, the result of an anonymous tip naming her the ringleader of a gang planning to rob the location. Escaping with a note indicating the next spot, Screwball continued to be pursued, only narrowly avoiding capture at the second location thanks to Spider-Man (who'd learned Screwball wasn't planning to rob the bank by this time).
   Arriving at the old Maxell's Building, the third and final location, Screwball leapt to save the child from dropping off the roof, but failed to reach him. Leaving while Spider-Man saved the boy with his webbing, Screwball returned to her home base and chewed out the Mad Hacker for using real explosives and having her cousin's son be the hostage.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#600) - Screwball was at the Bar with no Name during an attack on it's clientele by Spider-Man and Daredevil. Staying out of harms way, she alerted the others to the arrival of police officers and made a break for it.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#608 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball was intercepted by Spider-Man while robbing an investment firm.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#608) - Fleeing, Screwball took offense to Spider-Man describing her as a "bad guy", instead thinking of herself as a performance artist. Captured, Screwball threw away the stolen ten million dollars in bearer bonds, using Spider-Man's attempt to collect them to escape.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#609/Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son I#1/2 (fb) - BTS) - Hacking into New York's Gypsy Cab Fleet, Screwball recorded a message for Spider-Man, calling him out for a fight because of the added traffic his presence brought to her site, often bringing her millions of additional visitors.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#609 - BTS) - The message was later seen by Spider-Man during a tussle with his renegade clone, Kaine.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#610 (fb) - BTS) - Spider-Man contacted Screwball to accept her challenge, secretly planning to use her as a diversion during a confrontation with Raptor and Kaine.

(Amazing Spider-Man II#610) - Making a splashy arrival at May Parker's home in Forest Hills, Queens (the site of Spider-Man's confrontation with Raptor and Kaine), Screwball began fighting back when Raptor opened fire on her but was quickly knocked unconscious by Spider-Man, her purpose as a distraction served. As the fighting escalated, Screwball came to and made a fast exit.

(Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son#1/2) - Screwball encountered Sider-Man during another robbery. Pleased by the increase in visitors he'd bring to her website, Screwball was surprised when Spider-Man took her helmet and fled. Following Spider-Man to the Coffee Bean, Screwball was furious when she realized Spider-Man was using her camera (and website) to advertise the shop; she attacked, sending Spider-Man flying into a nearby wall. Watching as Spider-Man was attacked by the Coffee Bean's broom-wielding owner Harry Osborn, Screwball was awestruck by actress and TV personality Mary Jane Watson who arrived to lend her support to the struggling Coffee Bean. As a large crowd gathered, Screwball signed autographs for her adoring public.

Comments: Created by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin

Screwball received profiles in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day Yearbook and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 11.

While the Basher seemed to be a phony super-villain hired by the Bookie, it's implied in Screwball's handbook profile that the Basher is a super-villain who actually did fall into deep obscurity.

Profile by G Morrow.

CLARIFICATIONS: Screwball has no known connections to

JAMESJames

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5 (fb) - BTS) - James (also referred to as "Jimmy"), is the son of Screwball's cousin. As part of a plot involving a member of Screwball's crew posing as the sinister "Mad Hacker", James was kidnapped and suspended atop the Old Maxell's Building, with Screwball given an hour time limit to rescue him.

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5) - James was eventually located by Screwball with Spider-Man's help, but the Mad Hacker, believing that Spider-Man's presence voided his agreement to free James, set off a bomb that destroyed the structure suspending James. James was caught by Spider-Man, who safely returned him to the Maxell's Building rooftop.

--Amazing Spider-Man Family#5

 

 

 

THE MAD HACKERMad Hacker

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5 (fb) - BTS) - Screwball arranged for a member of her crew to pose as the sinister "Mad Hacker". The Mad Hacker took his role too seriously however, and kidnapped the son of Screwball's cousin to use as bait in their plan.

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5) - Claiming to be sick of Screwball's antics, the Mad Hacker interrupted her live feed and informed her of the treasure hunt required to save James' life. When Screwball finally found James atop the Maxell's Building, the Mad Hacker congratulated her but, feeling Spider-Man's aid voided their agreement, still dropped James from the Maxell's roof. When Screwball returned to her base of operations she wasted no time telling the Hacker off for using a kid in their plan, much less the son of her cousin. Punched in the face, the Mad Hacker was told his cut of the pay was going to James and he was lucky he didn't get turned into the cops.

--Amazing Spider-Man Family#5

 

 

SCREWBALL'S CREWScrewball's CrewScrewball's Crew

(Amazing Spider-Man II#559 - Several members of Screwball's crew, including Josh, recorded her fleeing a robbery at an off-track betting parlor. Keeping up with her as she faced across rooftops and away from Spider-Man, the footage was transmitted to her team at their home base, and from there, live to the internet.

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5) - While filming Screwball for another live show, Josh, the cameraman, got a message that their signal was seemingly being interrupted by the Mad Hacker. Screwball's race to save a child from harm was covered by her team of cameramen and and intercepted CCTV signals. Josh later told Screwball that they made a killing on online payments and advertising for the day's broadcast.

--Amazing Spider-Man II#559 (Amazing Spider-Man Family#5

 

 

unidentified cousin

(Amazing Spider-Man Family#5 - BTS) - James' parent, Screwball's cousin. Screwball was furious that her cousin's son was used in her plans.

--Amazing Spider-Man Family#5

images: (without ads)
Amazing Spider-Man II#559, p2, pan1 (main image)
Amazing Spider-Man II#562, p21, pan1 (unmasked)
Amazing Spider-Man Family#5, p40, pan5 (James)
Amazing Spider-Man Family#5, p33, pan6 (Mad Hacker)
Amazing Spider-Man Family#5, p42, pan4 (Josh)
Amazing Spider-Man II#559, p3, pan4 (other crew member)

Other Appearances:
Amazing Spider-Man II#559 (July, 2008) - Dan Slott (writer), Marcos Martin (art), Stephen Wacker (outsourced)
Amazing Spider-Man II#562 (August, 2008) - Bob Gale (writer), Mike McKone (pencils), Andy Lanning (inks), Stephen Wacker (doppelgangster)
Amazing Spider-Man II#568 (October, 2008) - Dan Slott (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Yearbook (February, 2009) - Mike Fichera (head writer/coordinator), John Rhett Thomas and Jennifer Grünwald & Mark D. Beazley (editors)
Amazing Spider-Man Family#5 (May, 2009) - Tom DeFalco (script, plot and pencils), Marc Sumerak, Tony Lee, and Tom DeFalco (writers), Sal Buscema (finished art), Todd Nauck (artist), Mark Robinson and Shawn Moll (pencils), Walden Wong and Robert Campanella (inks), Tom Brennan and Stephen Wacker (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#600 (September, 2009) - Dan Slott, Mark Waid, Bob Gale, Marc Guggenheim, Zeb Wells, Joe Kelly, Jeph Loeb, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and Brian Bendis (writers), Stan Lee (story), John Romita Jr., and Mike McKone (pencils), Klaus Janson, and Andy Lanning (inks), Marcos Martin, Colleen Doran, Mario Alberti, Mitch Breitweiser, Derec Donovan, Max Fiumara, and Klaus Janson (art), Stephen Wacker and Tom Brennan (editors)
Amazing Spider-Man II#608 (December, 2009) - Marc Guggenheim (writer), Marco Checchetto and Luke Ross & Rick Magyar (art), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#609 (December, 2009) - Marc Guggenheim (writer), Marco Checchetto and Luke Ross & Rick Magyar (art), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#610 (January, 2010) - Marc Guggenheim (writer), Marco Checchetto and Luke Ross & Rick Magyar (art), Stephen Wacker (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son I#1 (July, 2010) - Brian Reed and Joe Caramagna (writers), Phillipe Briones (penciler), Todd Nauck (artist), Thomas Brennan (editor)

First Posted: 09/04/2009
Last updated: 09/25/2013

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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