We are officially one episode into She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and viewers have already been scouring the internet for answers as to who the “the baddie” behind the MCU’s latest iteration will be. Luckily for you, you don’t have to search anywhere because we have all the answers (or so we think) right here.
Judging from what we’ve seen, heard and read about so far, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will feature not one but two “big bads”, namely Abomination and Titania. Neither name will be new to fans of the comics, as both villains have featured pretty prominently across Hulk, She-Hulk and Secret Wars comic runs. But for those unfamiliar with the comics, here is everything you need to know.
Abomination and Titania Explained
Emil Blonsky A.K.A Abomination
One of the biggest villains to have been hinted at in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law thus far is none other than Abomination. Longtime MCU fans should remember the character from his on-screen debut in 2008s The Incredible Hulk, and his cameo in Shang-Chi. Although it has been a while since the audience gave much thought to the character so let’s quickly go over his origin story.
The comic and on-screen versions of the character have pretty similar-ish backstories, so to simplify: Emil Blonsky, more commonly known as Abomination, is a Soviet spy who worked for the KGB. Eventually, he becomes part of a U.S. government scheme to reinvigorate the Super Soldier program using gamma radiation. When General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross decides he wants to try and weaponize the Hulk, he gives Blonsky a chance to fight against the Hulk and take on similar abilities through a mix of the Super Soldier Serum and gamma radiation. This mixture turns Blonsky into a hideous, deformed monster known as Abomination.
During the events of The Incredible Hulk, we saw Hulk beat Blonsky in a big “hulking” battle and then in the twenty-something subsequent films, we never really thought of the character again. Until now.
Essentially, Abomination’s powers are similar to those of Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters’ Hulk. He has superhuman strength, stamina, durability, and regenerative healing. However, unlike the Hulk or She-Hulk, Blonsky’s Abomination form is stable, meaning he doesn’t revert to his human form – at least in the comics. However, stable doesn’t mean better. Because Abomination’s state doesn’t ever fluctuate, his strength doesn’t either. While “Smart Hulk” would be destroyed by Abomination, the character stands very little chance against the raw power of “Savage Hulk”.
Mary MacPherran A.K.A Titania
One of the significant moments from the debut of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was when She-Hulk took on a mysterious villain comic book fans will recognise as Titania. The character created by Jim Shooter first made her debut in Secret Wars in 1984.
While her appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law marks the character’s first live-action appearance, the character is no stranger to the screen. Over the years, Titania has popped up in various animated features such as Hulk, Avengers Assemble and Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Titania is also a playable character in the Marvel: Future Fight mobile game.
While not much is known about the live-action version of Titania, her comic origin story ties in very closely with the upcoming phase of the MCU. In the comics, Titania’s origin occurs during the Secret Wars’ chaos. The same Secret Wars set to hit the big screen in 2025. In the comics, a cosmic being called the Beyonder teleports Marvel’s strongest fighters to a planet called Battleworld. However, an ordinary civilian, Mary MacPherran, is accidentally sent along for the ride.
When Doctor Doom (another character soon to be included in the MCU) comes across Mary in Battleworld, he offers to empower her on the condition that she fights in his army. Mary accepts and instantly finds herself imbued with super strength, durability and endurance. Now known as Titania, Mary faces off against She-Hulk in Battleworld and wins, starting a long-standing rivalry between the two women.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is available Thursdays on Disney+. If you enjoyed this post and want more, check out our post on the hidden QR codes and free comics you can find by watching She-Hulk every week by clicking here.
Also, if you’ve been thinking about buying a physical comic or two, or three, remember to head over to Critters and Comics or click here.