Philip Jones (Earth-712/"Earth-S"; Squadron Supreme character; Arcanna husband)

jones-philip-712-sqsup1-full-kids PHILIP JONES jones-philip-712-sqsupnwo-face

Real Name: Philip "Phil" Jones

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-712/"Earth-S") human;
citizen of the USA, no criminal record

Occupation: Homemaker

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Crowley (pet cat), Mrs. Brennan, Adrienne Dore, Howard Shelton, Shape (Raleigh Lund), Madeline, Stanley, and Tina Stewart; Squadron Supreme (Amphibian/Kingsley Rice, Ape X/Xina, Arcanna (aka Moonglow; Arcanna Jones, Blue Eagle/James Dore Jr., Doctor Anton Decibel, Doctor Spectrum/Joseph Ledger, Foxfire/Olivia Underwood, Hyperion/"Mark Milton," Lady Lark/Linda Lewis (later Skylark), Moonglow/Melissa Hanover, Nuke/Albert Gaines, Power Princess/Zarda Shelton, Quagmire/Jerome Michaels, Shape/Raleigh Lund, Tom Thumb/Thomas Thompson, Whizzer/Stanley Stewart; possibly Haywire/Harold Danforth, Inertia/Edith Freiberg, Redstone/Michael Redstone, Thermite/Sam Yurimoto); unidentified pet fish
formerly Golden Archer (Wyatt McDonald; later Black Archer), Lamprey/Donald McGuiggin, Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond);
certainly, on some level, he considered Mysterium (Thomas Raymond) as an enemy for causing him to lose touch with his son Benjamin

Enemies: Formerly Institute of Evil (Ape X/Xina, Doctor Anton Decibel, Foxfire/Olivia Underwood, Lamprey/Donald McGuiggin, Quagmire/Jerome Michaels, Shape/Raleigh Lund), the New World Order, and the N^th Man (Thomas Lightner);
indirectly everyone Arcanna opposed

Known Relatives: Arcanna Jones (wife; aka Arcanna and Moonglow), Andrew Jones, Benjamin Thomas Jones (sons), Drusilla Jones, Katrina Jones (daughters)

Aliases: "Love," "Lover" (from Arcanna)

Base of Operations: Last seen in their home in Pommerschen (see comments), in upstate New Troy;
formerly a home in the residential section of Squadron City in the Great America Desert;

First Appearance: Squadron Supreme I#1 (September, 1985) jones-philip-712-sqsup1-face

Powers/Abilities: Possessing no superhuman abilities, Phil was experienced with living with a magical-using wife and children (and cat), and he appreciated and facilitated his family's personal, magical, and heroic needs.

Although not engaging in physical conflict, he was not intimidated by superhuman powers, and he acted as a both stern and loving parent as needed.

Whether it required any magical skills or not, Phil could communicate with their pet cat, Crowley, who presumably acted as Arcanna's familiar.

Height: Unrevealed (he looked to be just a couple inches taller than Arcanna, so perhaps 5'10-6"-ish)
Weight: Unrevealed (he seemed fairly lean, so perhaps 170-180 lbs.)
Eyes: Apparently green (based on likelihood and the one image I saw showing his eyes closely enough to assess)
Hair: Auburn

History:
jones-philip-712-sqsup1-seated (Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Philip Jones married Arcanna, who at the time worked as a psychic medium.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Philip and Arcanna had three children: Drusilla, Katrina, and Andrew.

(Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#10: Squadron Supreme entry: Arcanna sub-profile) - At some point after being married, Arcanna decided to support their family as a professional crime fighter. Phil stayed at home to raise their children.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (fb) - BTS) - Drusilla, Katrina, and Andrew were all colicky.

(Avengers West Coast Annual#4/5) - After the defeat of the Serpent Cartel, Arcanna was joyfully reunited with Philip.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Arcanna established a spell of camouflage to hide her family's home in the forests of Pommerschen, New Troy.

(Defenders I#114 (fb) - BTS / Defenders I#112 (fb) - BTS) - Reality-616's demonic Null the Living Darkness had the Eternian gestalt Over-Mind take control of US President Kyle Richmond (aka Nighthawk) of the United States, after which Null took refuge in Richmond's body.

(Defenders I#112 (fb) - BTS) - Over-Mind defeated and took mental control over the Squadron, including Arcanna, although Hyperion escaped.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - At least after Arcanna had been freed from the influence of the Over-Mind and was in the process of aiding the Squadron Supreme in surveiling the world's status, Arcanna sent ravens to tell Phil where she was and what was happening.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 - BTS) - After the Squadron had voted to resolve their world's current chaos via implementing the Utopia Program, Arcanna traveled to Pommerschen to visit her family.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Sensing Arcanna's presence, Crowley told Philip he felt her to be nearby.

(Squadron Supreme I#1) - As Arcanna magically opened the door to their home, Philip and the kids greeted her, with Philip noting that Crowley had told him he felt her to be nearby. Holding their youngest, Andrew, Philip watched as Drusilla demonstrated how she had learned to levitate her doll.

When Arcanna had Drusilla take Katrina and Andrew to the playroom, Philip advised the kids that their mother and he wanted to talk about grown-up stuff. Twenty minutes later, Arcanna told Philip how glad she was to be home, and he assured her he would give her a chance to show him. After confirming that he had received the messages she had sent via ravens, Philip asked how long she would be back. When she told him she had to leave by tomorrow afternoon, he suggested they not waste a moment. As the two embraced, one of the kids (presumably Drusilla) shouted that Katrina wanted a cookie.

(Squadron Supreme I#4 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Phil and Arcanna conceived another child.

(Squadron Supreme I#4 (fb) - BTS) - Arcanna learned she was pregnant again.

(Squadron Supreme I#5 (fb) - BTS) - As the Squadron became busy with their Utopia program, intended to solve America's woes within a year, Arcanna was only able to see her family less than once a week.

jones-philip-712-arcanna-husband-hostage (Squadron Supreme I#5 (fb) - BTS) - As part of a plan to use the Squadron's families to force the heroes to surrender, Ape X sent Lamprey to upstate New Troy to abduct Phil and the children (see comments); the other Institute of Evil members were sent to abduct Power Princess' husband, Howard Shelton; Whizzer's wife, Madeline, and daughter, Tina; and Blue Eagle's mother, Adrienne Dore. Phil and the kids were imprisoned in a fenced in area with barbed wire at the top inside the Institute's base alongside the other family members and the previously captured Golden Archer.

(Squadron Supreme I#5 - BTS) - With Doctor Decibel having forced the Golden Archer to tell them how to operate the Squadron's Behavior Modification device (B-mod; with which the Squadron had been re-programming/rehabilitating criminals), the Institute captured Tom Thumb, took over the Squadron's base and then lured the rest of the Squadron back to their base.

(Squadron Supreme I#5) - When the Squadron attacked the Institute members, the criminals showed the Squadron members footage of their hostages, forcing the heroes to surrender and then submit to the B-mod. jones-philip-712-sqsup6-daisychain

(Squadron Supreme I#5 - BTS) - However, unbeknownst to the Institute members, Tom Thumb had programmed the B-mods to recognize the Squadron members' brain patterns and reject any alterations to them (see comments). As a result, the Squadron were unaffected; although they had not known they would be immune, the Squadron members had the sense to play along so they would be brought to the hostages.

(Squadron Supreme I#5) - To ensure the hostages safety, the Squadron members played along until the Institute brought them back to the Institute's base. Holding Andrew, Phil called out to Arcanna, after which Ape X noted the Squadron's defeat. However, the Squadron then swiftly defeated the Institute members and freed their hostages. Arcanna asked Phil if he had been worried, and he admitted, "A bit."

(Squadron Supreme I#6 (fb) - BTS) <A week before the main story> - Arcanna, Philip, and their family moved their home into Squadron City in the Great America Desert.

jones-philip-712-sqsup7-upper (Squadron Supreme I#6) - Holding Andrew and standing beside Drusilla and Katrina, Philip watched as Arcanna mystically camouflaged Squadron City. Telling the kids to hold tight, like mommy had told them, Philip then took Arcanna's hand in his left hand and Drusilla's in his right, with Katrina, Andrew, and Crowley in succession as Arcanna mystically flew them into the city, explaining how they could see it as soon as they penetrated its illusory hemisphere. Therein, Arcanna introduced Phil to Madeline Stuart, but Phil noted that they had already met.

(Squadron Supreme I#6 - BTS) - Arcanna announced her pregnancy to the rest of the Squadron at the next meeting, which presumably influenced the Squadron's decision to make the now behavior-modified former Institute members of the Squadron.

(Squadron Supreme I#7) - After Hyperion was replaced by his Reality-616 Grandmaster-created duplicate who then feigned amnesia and eventually faked a natural death of Howard Shelton so he might be able to romance Power Princess, Phil and Arcanna had Stan (Whizzer) and Maddy Stewart (the only other married couple associated with the Squadron) over to their home. jones-philip-712-sqsup9-upper

Phil noted that even though Zarda had to be mentally prepared for her elderly husband's imminent death, it would still hit her hard when it actually happened. He then asked how Zarda was holding up, having to lead the Squadron until "Hyperion" was back to normal. After Stan noted how Zarda was pouring herself into her work, Maddy noted that she was spending a lot of time with "Hyperion," and she added that she had always thought they would make a great couple.

(Squadron Supreme I#9) - At the tennis courts in Squadron City's Richmond Field, Phil and Arcanna watched alongside Maddy as Stan played tennis against Lamprey, whom he had allowed to siphon off some of his speed to make it an even competition. Noting that watching too blurs zigzag all over the court was giving him eyestrain, Phil decided to go check on the kids, and he told Arcanna to let him know if he missed anything good.

Seeing former Institute member Shape acting as a trampoline for his kids (plus the Whizzer and Maddy's daughter, Tina), Phil considered how some of the Squadron's more bizarre members, like Shape and Tom Thumb, turned out to be such gentle souls. Phil asked Shape if the kids weren't hurting him jumping around on him, but Shape assured him that it tickled. After Phil told Shape that if he wanted a break from the babysitting chores to give a yell, Shape remarked, "Shape like kids."

(Squadron Supreme I#12) - Phil was present as Arcanna had an examine by her midwife Mrs. Brennan, who noted that she could go into labor any time within the next week. As their kids were stressing out Mrs. Brennan's nurse, Phil suggested Arcanna get Andrew and he would handle the girls. After Phil had settled down the girls, Drusilla asked when mommy was having the new baby, and he told her "Real soon, punkin, real soon!"

jones-philip-712-sqsup12-benborn

(Squadron Supreme I#12) - While many combatants on both sides perished and the Squadron agreed to surrender and dismantle the Utopia program, Arcanna gave birth to Benjamin Thomas Jones in Squadron City's Hospital Complex under the care of Mrs. Brennan.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (fb) - BTS) - Over the next week, Phil was amazed to hear nothing but contented sighs from Benjamin.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe) - As Shape entertained Katrina and Andrew in their home in Squadron City, Philip scolded Drusilla for levitating the fishbowl, plucking it from the air and informing her that the slightest "oops" could have killed them.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (fb) - BTS) - Drusilla apparently was put in "time-out" or something, and she sat unhappily in a chair.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe) - Phil subsequently noted how contented Benjamin always seemed to be, compared to how colicky the other kids had been. Noting that they

Philip further wondered what Benjamin's magical aptitude would be, as it seemed to vary in each of their kids, and Arcanna noted that she had a feeling about this little guy, that he was going to be a real toughie.

Philip was later present with Arcanna as the Squadron prepared to depart for space to investigate the invading N^th Man (Thomas Lightner), and Power Princess refused to allow Arcanna to go, instructing her to stay home with Benjamin.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (fb) - BTS) - With Moonglow afraid of traveling into space, she agreed to allow Arcanna to impersonate her and accompany the Squadron in their mission against the immense invader.

Carrying Benjamin on her chest in a Baby Bjorn-sort-of-deal, Arcanna impersonated Moonglow and participated in the mission.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe - BTS) - It was ultimately Benjamin who saved the universe, mystically traded destinies with Lightner. Benjamin had been destined to succeed Imam as Earth-712’s new wizard supreme,
but instead he became the new N^th Man, dedicating himself to retracing Lightner’s path and restoring the universes Lightner had consumed. Lightner regained human form, inheriting Professor Imam’s wizard supreme title and the magical powers that came with it.

(Quasar I#13 - BTS / Squadron Supreme: New World Order - BTS) - As the Squadron flew their spaceship back to Earth, Master Menace exiled the Squadron to Earth-616; because of a crisis elsewhere in the Omniverse, Lightner blocked their initial attempts to return for their own safety.

(Squadron Supreme: New World Order (fb) - BTS) - Crowley told Arcanna's family that she would come back to them.

(Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual 1998 - BTS / Squadron Supreme: New World Order (fb) - BTS/ Squadron Supreme: New World Order - BTS) - Discovering an N^th Projector owned by Imus Champion, the Squadron returned them to their home universe. jones-philip-712-sqsupnwo-witharcanna

(Squadron Supreme: New World Order) - Arcanna returned to her family in their mystically-shielded Pommerschen home, thankful that the wards she had placed had held true against the passage of time.

    Katrina opened the door, and she and Phil greeted Arcanna, with Katrina telling her father that she had told him to listen to Crowley when he said she would be back. Phil replied, "Yes, well...I could tell there was a lot he wasn't telling us, even if he is a cat." Phil then asked about Benjy, and Arcanna explained how Benjamin was lost to them, as he was restoring the existence of the universes the N^th Man had consigned to the void, and he was not a transcendental child of pure creation. Arcanna then noted that while that had been the only way to save their universe, but she asked if it was wrong of her that sometimes she felt that she would trade eternity to just hold Benjamin for one more minute. Phil told he that, as Benjy's mother, there would be something wrong with her if she did not feel that way. Arcanna told Phil that while she was the sorceress of the family, he always knew the magic words to banish the darkness for her.

    Telling Arcanna he hoped that that was a knack he could keep hold of, he prepared to tell her of how that world had gotten a lot darker. However, they were then interrupted by Mysterium (the newest alias for Thomas Lightner); although Arcanna initially raged against him, Mysterium apologized, noting that he regretted her loss and wished it could be undone, and he further referenced the price he, too, had paid, of the burdens of knowledge he must bear or the path he now walked.

    Regardless, Mysterium brought a warning and advice, informing Arcanna that the continuum had changed beyond that which she already perceived, vast alterations of the balance 'twixt the eldritch powers had occurred, and to tamper with such forces without first devoting herself to careful study of the New Order would be most unwise. He told her that she was once again a novice in the mystic arts, capable of inadvertently unleashing the catastrophic until she had learned anew. He told her to let her teammates cover the road that they now walked without her, as, for the nonce, she could only bring further danger to them.

(Squadron Supreme: New World Order (fb) - BTS) - Arcanna remained with her family for an extended period of time as she reacquainted herself with the alterations in her world's magic, allowing the Squadron to deal with the New World Order.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Bob Hall, and John Beatty.

I'm not sure how Lamprey found Arcanna's family if their home was mystically hidden...maybe he waited until they went into town for something.

Tom Thumb programmed the B-mod to protect the Squadron after correctly suspecting that the Golden Archer had used the device to force Lady Lark to fall hopelessly in love with him after she had broken up with him.

Back to Pommerschen:

When Arcanna/Moonglow returned to Earth-712 after an extended absence, she visited her family who had since relocated to their mystically camouflaged home in Pommerschen, which appeared to be the same place as they lived before.
I would guess that when the Squadron failed to return, especially with the whole New World Order pushing Earth-712 into a more hostile environment, Arcanna’s husband, Phil, relocated their family back to their house in the woods.
In Squadron Supreme I#6, I had always ASSumed that Arcanna had magically relocated their Pommerschen home to Squadron City, but when Arcanna and the Squadron were banished from their reality by Master Menace, she and her family had still been living in their home in Squadron City. Arcanna would not have had a chance to relocate their home back to Pommerschen.
So, perhaps they had a new home in Squadron City (the exterior of the Pommerschen was never shown, so there is no comparison), but she maintained their Pommerschen home and its wards as a back-up.
Or, perhaps she had set up a failsafe so that if Squadron City were no longer safe, their home would be magically transported back to Pommerschen with its camouflage/wards in place. I realize that moving a house isn't as simple as moving the above-ground portion but...you know...magic...

Pommerschen, not Dommerschen

    On a semi-related note, I was sure their hometown was spelled Dommerschen in its first appearance and then Pommerschen in New World order, but when I checked the digital copy of Squadron Supreme I#1 on Marvel.com, it says Pommerschen...so I scanned and then blew up the image from my original copy of Squadron Supreme...so it is...
    Pommerschen is the German word for Pomeranian, the little dogs named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe.
    Per Wikipedia, Pomerania is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany
    Dommerschen doesn't come up with anything under a search, other than Dummerchen meaning "silly-billy" or ninny...
    Regardless, to me, it makes me want to sing "Pommerschen, darling, Pommerschen" in the style of "Danke Schoen" by Wayne "Newton.

Also on the spelling note, Philip was consistently a one "l" guy, and New World Order misspelled him as Phillip. Who's the Dommerschen now?

Mark Gruenwald's Squadron Supreme maxi-series and Death of a Universe remain amongst the best storylines in my 44+ (as of 2022) years of comic reading and my nearly 40,000 comics.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Philip Jones should be distinguished from:

Phil Jones of Earth-616 - NYPD detective--Werewolf by Night II#6
other "Phil" or "Jones" characters, of which there are a lot...

Pommerschen, New Troy home

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Arcanna established a spell of camouflage to hide her family's home in the forests of Pommerschen, New Troy.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - At least while Arcanna was in the process of aiding the Squadron Supreme in surveiling the world's status, Arcanna sent ravens to tell Phil where she was and what was happening.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 - BTS) - After the Squadron had voted to resolve their world's current chaos via implementing the Utopia Program, Arcanna traveled to Pommerschen to visit her family.

(Squadron Supreme I#1 (fb) - BTS) - Sensing Arcanna's presence, Crowley told Philip he felt her to be nearby.

(Squadron Supreme I#1) - As Arcanna magically opened the door to their home, Philip and the kids greeted her.

(Squadron Supreme I#5 (fb) - BTS) - As part of a plan to use the Squadron's families to force the heroes to surrender, Apex sent Lamprey to upstate New Troy to abduct Phil and the children .

(Squadron Supreme I#6 (fb) - BTS) <A week before the main story> - Arcanna, Philip, and their family moved their home into Squadron City in the Great America Desert.

(Squadron Supreme: New World Order) - Arcanna returned to her family in their mystically-shielded Pommerschen home, thankful that the wards she had placed had held true against the passage of time.

-- Squadron Supreme I#1 (5 - BTS, Squadron Supreme: New World Order

Note: Obviously these images only show the camouflaged exterior and the open door. Some of the images in the main profile show some of the home's interior.
If someone wants to add images, etc. to make this more complete, feel free.

Squadron City home

(Squadron Supreme I#6 (fb) - BTS) <A week before the main story> - Arcanna, Philip, and their family moved their home into Squadron City in the Great America Desert.

(Squadron Supreme I#7) - Phil and Arcanna had Stan (Whizzer) and Maddy Stewart (the only other married couple associated with the Squadron) over to their home.

(Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe) - Shape entertained Katrina and Andrew in their home in Squadron City, while Arcanna nursed Benjamin, and Phil scolded Drusilla for levitating the fishbowl and endangering the fish.

--Squadron Supreme I#6 (7, Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe

Note: Obviously these images only show the exterior. Some of the images in the main profile show some of the home's interior.
If someone wants to add images, etc. to make this more complete, feel free.

images: (without ads)
Squadron Supreme I#1, pg. 32, panel 1 (forest home; cloaked);
            panel 2 (forest home; uncloaked);
            panel 3 (Drusilla levitating doll);
            panel 4 (family together; Phil bending down);
            panel 5 (seated with Arcanna);
    #5, pg. 15, panel 3 (hostage);
    #6, pg. 4, panel 1 (flying in daisy chain);
    #7, pg. 20, panel 1 (face; thicker beard; front);
    #9, pg. 8, panel 2 (upper body);
    #12, last page, last panel (with Arcanna and newborn Benjamin);
Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe, pg. 16, panel 4 (home);
        pg. 17, panel 2 (full; lecturing Drusilla)
Squadron Supreme: New World Order pg. 10, panel 1 (holding Arcanna);
            panel 3 (face)

Appearances:
Squadron Supreme I#1 (September, 1985) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Bob Hall (pencils), John Beatty (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Squadron Supreme I#5 (January, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Bob Hall (pencils), Sam De La Rosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Squadron Supreme I#6 (February, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (pencils), Sam De La Rosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Squadron Supreme I#7 (March, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), John Buscema (pencils), Jackson Guice (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Squadron Supreme I#9 (May, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (pencils), Sam De La Rosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Squadron Supreme I#12 (August, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (pencils), Sam De La Rosa (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Avengers West Coast Annual#4/5: Saga of the Serpent Crown: Crisis Management (1989) - Peter Sanderson (writer), Mark Bagley (penciler), Keith Williams (inker), Gregory Wright (managing editor), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (1989; Graphic Novel) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Ryan (pencils), Al Williamson (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Squadron Supreme: New World Order (September, 1998) - Len Kaminski (writer), Anthony Williams (pencils), Andy Lanning (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First posted: 10/12/2022
Last updated: 12/18/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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