GLADYS JONES

Real Name:  Gladys Jones

Identity/Class: Human (1930s era)

Occupation: Champagne dancer and lodge house entertainer.

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Jeffrey Winters

Known Relatives: Unidentified mother

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Manhattan

First Appearance: Marvel Preview#16 (Fall 1978)

Powers/Abilities: Gladys was presumably a decent dancer, as she made her living that way.

Height: 5'8" (by approximation)
Weight: 135 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed

History:
(Marvel Preview#16 (fb) - BTS) - Gladys Jones' mother always told her daughter she would come to no good. Living in Manhattan in the 1930s, she was put out of her unspecified work (presumably something related to a speakeasy) when prohibition was repealed in 1933. but she began a new career as a champagne dancer and lodge-house entertainer, performing for drunken men in crowded rooms and playing to their fantasies. Though she encountered her fair share of weirdos she felt she held her own, sustained by her own fantasies about where her future might go. Over time though, she began to feel the whole scene was dying, and that champagne baths were no longer getting to her male clientele like they used to.

(Marvel Preview#16) - In 1937 (see comments) Gladys was traveling on the Manhattan El train on a night with a full moon, unaware she was sharing the carriage with a young werewolf, Jeffrey Winters, hiding among them in his human form. Other passengers in the car included middle-aged amateur detective Mildred Argot, the curmudgeonly retired soldier Colonel Witherspoon, and the disheveled and lovelorn Randy, who soon left the compartment to seek air on the gangway between their carriage and the next one. Gladys failed to notice Jeffrey follow and murder Randy. At the next station two new passengers, the detective Hodiah Twist and his companion Conrad Jeavons, got on, drawing Gladys' momentary attention until she swiftly decided they were simply another example of the types of weirdos her life had exposed her to.  

   Moments after the train moved off again Jeffrey "discovered" Randy's corpse. Everyone, including Gladys, piled into the next car to see what had (seemingly) distressed the boy. Having reached the body first, Twist instructed his fellow passengers that it would be best if they remained seated, but Gladys responded in disgust at the thought of being forced to stay on the train in the presence of a corpse, and insisted that she would be getting off at the next stop. In answer to this, Twist stated that none of them could be allowed to leave until the murder was solved, but did agree that they should all disembark together at the next stop to wait for the authorities. To prevent this, Jeffrey covertly cut power to the lights, then in the darkness swiftly warped all the exit doors, trapping everyone in the carriage. Some limited light was swiftly restored to the room via candles provided by Mildred, by which time Jeffrey had returned to his human form.

   Terrified that she was about to die, Gladys bemoaned that her mother had always said she would come to no good, and Witherspoon cruelly retorted that in his estimation she had a bad beginning too. Increasingly overcome with fear, Gladys began begging to be let off, and moved away from the rude colonelto the end of the carriage where Twist, Jeavons and Argot were examining the damaged doors. 

(Marvel Preview#16 - BTS) - With Witherspoon now momentarily isolated, the others' backs turned and darkness cloaking his actions, Jeffrey resumed his lupine form and quickly slaughtered Witherspoon, then hung his body up, using one of the hanging straps as a noose.

(Marvel Preview#16) - Unaware of this, Gladys demanded Twist stop playing games and let her off, insisting she was not staying just so the colonel could insult her, Twist could subject her to his "Victorian melodramas," and she could be forced to stare at Randy's remains. Turning to listen to Gladys' complaints, Jeavons noticed Witherspoon's absence from his seat, and as the group moved closer they discovered Witherspoon's corpse. Horrified, Gladys moved to the other end of the carriage while Twist, Jeavons and Mildred examined the new corpse. After a couple of minutes, Jeffrey took advantage of them being focused on the colonel's body and became the wolf again. He stunned the inattentive Gladys with a blow from behind, then doused the candle. With the carriage once again in darkness, Jeffrey quickly killed Mildred, then reverted to his innocent looking human appearance before Twist could restore the light. Noticing that neither Gladys nor Jeffrey had audibly reacted to the incident from their end of the carriage, Twist and Jeavons hurried to check on their safety, and found Gladys just waking up, with her head on Jeffrey's lap. The dancer informed the detective that she had been struck by someone, and having concluded that neither Gladys nor Jeffrey were physically capable of the murders, Twist told Jeavons that they would have to maintain vigilant and all stay together at all times so prevent the mysterious killer claiming further lives. Gladys bemoaned that they would all die on the train, then waxed philosophically about how everything was dying anyway and how her life had turned out. While she did so, Twist relayed to Jeavons his conclusion that since no one could enter or leave the carriage, the killer had to still be present, and announced that since it wasn't Gladys or Jeffrey, Witherspoon must still be alive, and had only faked his injuries and demise. Moving over to the corpse, Twist demanded the colonel stop his pretense, but as he did so, Jeffrey transformed again, this time in front of everyone. This time the creature went for Gladys, who backed away in terror. To save her, Twist jumped between them and blew burning ash from his pipe into the werewolf's eyes. Roaring in pain it ripped open the carriage roof and jumped onto the top of the speeding train.

(Marvel Preview#16 - BTS) - Gladys stayed inside the carriage as Twist and Jeavons followed the beast and slew it.

Comments: Created by Don McGregor (writer, uncredited), Richard Marschall (editor, credited instead) and Gene Colan (penciller) and Tony de Zuniga (inker).

   The date of the werewolf incident isn't given in the story, but we do have some clues as to when it took place. Gladys mentions that if they die on the train they'll never know if La Guardia will get re-elected as mayor; while she could be saying this any time after he was initially elected (1933), her comment gives the impression that it's close to the time that he needs to run for office again, which happened in 1937 and 1941. Gladys, who appears to be no older than her late twenties, remembers his previous campaign, in 1933, and recalls that the repeal of prohibition (in December 1933) put her out of work, which counts against the story taking place in 1941. Additionally, the elevated trains went into serious decline around the late 1930s, with the Sixth Avenue line closing in 1938 and other following over the next few years. So it would seem most likely that the werewolf on the El incident took place some time in 1937.

Profile by Loki, expanding on the sub-profile first written by Jean-Marc Lofficier for the Hodiah Twist entry.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Gladys Jones should not be confused with

images: (without ads)
Marvel Preview#16, p21, pan1 (main)
Marvel Preview#16, p9, pan2 (headshot)
Marvel Preview#16, p23, pan4 (menaced by werewolf) 

Appearances:
Marvel Preview#16 (Fall 1978) - Don McGregor (writers), Gene Colan (pencils), Tony DeZuniga (inks), Richard E. Marschall (editor)

First Posted: 10/24/2021
Last updated: 10/24/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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