Elizabeth Allan-Osborn, who usually goes by the name Liz Allan (commonly misspelled, even in the published comics themselves, as Liz Allen), is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In the character's earliest appearances, she was an attractive, popular girl at the high school of the nerdy Peter Parker, who is secretly Spider-Man. She has been a regular supporting character in the various Spider-Man series on an on-and-off basis, and has ties to his adversaries the Green Goblin and Molten Man.
Fictional character biography
Liz Allan was a high school classmate of Peter Parker when they attended Midtown High School together, and a minor love interest of Parker and Flash Thompson.
An unnamed blonde female high school student in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) appears to be Liz Allan. Liz Allan is first named in The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (September 1963), the same issue in which Betty Brant first appears. Initially, Peter likes Liz. However, she is Flash Thompson's girlfriend and initially considers Peter Parker something of a loser, even taking part in the general ridicule that Peter endures on a daily basis. Her earliest appearances depict her as flighty and rather thoughtless - not outright cruel, but lacking the empathy necessary to perceive Peter's attractive qualities.
However, after she hears an ailing Peter had donned a Spider-Man costume in order to save Betty Brant from Doctor Octopus, she develops a crush on him. By this time, however, Peter's interest has waned considerably, as he notes that Liz never showed any real interest in him until he began dating Betty Brant, and assumes that Liz's feelings are little more than a schoolgirl crush. Betty and Liz clash several times over Peter, as Betty mistakenly thinks that Peter reciprocates Liz's interest in him.
In Amazing Spider-Man #28 (September 1965), Peter and Liz graduate from high school. At the graduation ceremony, Liz admits her feelings to Peter, and says she has come to accept the fact that they are unrequited. In the same issue, Spider-Man battles the Molten Man, who in later issues is revealed to be Liz's stepbrother Mark Raxton.
She does not reappear for a few years, during which time Peter developed relationships with Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. When Liz returns, she dates then marries Harry Osborn, whom she meets at Betty Brant's wedding to Ned Leeds, becoming Liz Allan Osborn. The couple have a son, Normie Osborn. Their family history turns tragic, however, after Harry Osborn has a mental breakdown. In the guise of the Green Goblin, Harry kidnaps Liz, Normie, and Mark, and terrorizes them within an old family mansion. Liz is deeply traumatized by this experience, and falls into a state of denial about her husband's problems. Harry's madness leads to his death shortly after. Struggling to put Harry behind her, Liz breaks ties with his friends Peter and Mary Jane.
In the graphic novel Spider-Man: Legacy of Evil, Harry attempts to pass the legacy of the Green Goblin down to Normie Osborn but fails due to the efforts of Spider-Man, Mark Raxton and Ben Urich.
Later, Liz Allan became a supporting character in Daredevil, serving as a love interest for lawyer Foggy Nelson. The couple breaks up after Mysterio manipulates Foggy into having an affair in a plot to drive Daredevil insane. Liz feels like Foggy has let her down and ends their relationship.
After Spider-Man publicly reveals his real identity in the "Civil War" storyline, Liz becomes resentful of him, blaming Peter for bringing so much death into their lives. However, after the events of the "One More Day" storyline, the public revelation of Peter's identity has been forgotten and Harry is still alive but he and Liz are no longer married.
Liz and Normie are present when the Molten Man is given the antidote to his condition. Raxton, who had escaped the basement in which Liz was keeping him for his own safety, is cured thanks to Oscorp. Liz is last seen attending a party to help Flash Thompson deal with the loss of his legs.
Recently, she has been shown in a new alliance with Norman Osborn as he attempts to re-establish himself as a corporate figure - apparently using an alias as his activities as the Green Goblin have made his true name too public -, working with him to ensure her son's future. Following a confrontation between Spider-Man 2099 and an agent of a time-travel organization from 2211 in the Alchemax Building, Liz has deduced that the 'new' Spider-Man must work in the company and is determined to enlist him to her cause, foreshadowing the time-traveler's claims that Liz Allan and Spider-Man 2099 will have some significant impact on future history.
Other versions
MC2
In the MC2 continuity, Liz Allan married Foggy Nelson after the death of Harry Osborn. She developed a fatal illness (of a non-specified nature), which contributed to her son Normie's breakdown and finally choosing to adopt the mantle of the Green Goblin.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
In Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Liz Allan is portrayed as Mary Jane Watson's ditzy and feisty best friend. Liz is a cheerleader and has recently reconciled with her boyfriend Flash Thompson after breaking up with him because he declared that he loved Mary Jane at homecoming.
Ultimate Marvel
In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Liz Allan goes to the same high school with Spider-Man and Mary Jane. She is close friends with Mary Jane. In Ultimate Spider-Man #4 (February 2001), a drunk Liz attempts to make out with Peter, who refuses her advances when Mary Jane sees them. They later have a very personal moment when both students are called to talk about the Green Goblin's attack on the school, which affected her greatly. Otherwise, there is no instance of any relationship between Peter and Liz. Liz claims to have had an uncle who was a mutant, who died, though she never explained what exactly happened. As a result of this, Liz has a phobia of mutants (in particular) and super-powered beings (in general), and it has been suggested by other characters that she worries that she herself is a mutant. When Johnny Storm joined her school briefly, she became extremely attracted to him and they shared a happy date - until he accidentally lit himself on fire, revealing himself as the Human Torch. Mary Jane reveals to Johnny that Liz believes that she lit him on fire. Due to her phobia, she refused to see him ever again, and he leaves the school.
With the arrival of Kitty Pryde, a publicly known mutant and former X-Man, at Midtown High, Liz has been complaining to anyone that will listen that Kitty should be with her "own kind" and even accused Kitty of thinking she was better than everyone else due to her being a former X-Man, at which point Kitty rebutted Liz' accusations. Liz' best friend, Mary Jane, has also told Liz to keep her mutant phobia to herself when she's around MJ, and that she'd prefer it if Liz kept those thoughts to herself in general.
It is subsequently revealed that Liz is a mutant herself, and the Ultimate version of Firestar. Her powers manifest and are witnessed by her friends during a beach party. At first, she accuses her date, Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), of making her super-powered. After a talk with the X-Men's Iceman and Spider-Man, and upon recalling that her 'uncle' was a mutant, she accepts that she may be a mutant herself.
Magneto appears after detecting the manifestation of her powers and reveals that years ago, her father asked Magneto to reach her after the manifestation of her mutant powers. Magneto promised to him, whether Liz is a mutant or not, he will tell Liz of what her father has sacrificed. Magneto revealed to Liz that her father is a mutant and one of the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Magneto, intending to keep his promise of reaching Liz, is delayed by the combined efforts of Iceman and Spider-Man. However, they are no match for Magneto, though they are able to buy Liz the time she needs to get away. Liz returns home, and demands her mother tell her the identity of her father. Her mother reveals that her Uncle Frank, otherwise known as the Blob is actually her father and not her uncle after all. This conversation is interrupted by Magneto, who tells Liz that she must go with him to see her father. This is prevented when the X-Men arrive at her doorstep. Liz is pressured to decide between the Brotherhood or the X-Men. After asking Spider-Man's advice, she decides she doesn't want to follow either group, and that she is angry at her mother for lying to her all these years, and flies away. Spider-Man figures out that she's going to Mary Jane's house, and follows.
After Liz arrives at Mary Jane's home, MJ suggests that she should talk to Kitty Pryde about being a mutant. Spider-Man arrives, and to gain Liz' trust, unmasks himself revealing that he is Peter Parker, one of her friends. Liz promises not to tell his secret just as Iceman arrives, offering Liz a place at Xavier's School so she may learn to control her newfound powers. Liz, unwilling to return to her mother's house, decides to be with the X-Men until she can figure out what to do next. She promises to call Peter and MJ soon.
In Ultimate X-Men #94 it is shown that Liz has taken the codename Firestar and is now seemingly getting along with the X-Men and has better control of her powers. In the Ultimate X-Men/Fantastic Four Annual, she is revealed to be the "Human Torch member" of the future Fantastic Four team. The modern version helps the X-Men and FF battle various threats raised by the future team.
It is shown that she will be in the fourth installment of Ultimate Comics: X, and she is a part of the Tomorrow People (Runaways), a government-funded mutant team with Jimmy Hudson, "Karen Grant", Derek Morgan aka the Guardian, and The Hulk
In other media
- Liz Allan appears in the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, voiced by Marla Rubinoff. She appears as a friend and confidant of Mary Jane Watson. She is attracted to Harry Osborn, even after his brief stint as the second Green Goblin. Eventually, Liz attended Peter Parker and Mary Jane's wedding, which was attacked by Harry, who'd returned to his role as the second Green Goblin and threatened to blow up the church and everyone in it if the minister didn't perform a wedding between himself and MJ. Liz then appealed to Harry that his friends do love him, and told him finally that she desired to be more than friends. Shocked by the revelation that somebody loved him, Harry relented, and passively returned to the hospital where he'd been receiving treatment.
- Liz Allan appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Alanna Ubach. She is friends with Sally Avril and dates Flash Thompson in the start of the series, but shows interest in Peter Parker after he begins tutoring her. She even expresses slight regret after Flash and the popular clique reject him. After spending some time with Peter at Coney Island in "Reaction", she broke up with Flash and has become openly complimentary towards Pete. This seems to match the portion of the comics where Liz developed a crush on Peter. In the episode, "Shear Strength", she revealed her feelings to Peter and kissed him on the lips. In the following episode, Peter and Liz begin dating, but Peter's extracurricular activities often complicated their relationship, as do his feelings for Gwen Stacy. In "Final Curtain" he breaks up with her to be with Gwen, leaving her angry and heartbroken; but to save face in front of her peers, she makes it seems that she was the one who broke up with him. In this incarnation Liz is Hispanic and she and Mark are biological siblings. Also, unlike most modern versions she is not close to Mary Jane Watson at first, as Mary Jane is depicted as preferring Peter date Gwen.
- According to the novelization, Liz Allan appears in a small scene in Spider-Man, played by Sally Livingstone. At the beginning of the movie, Peter attempts to share a seat on a bus with a girl with thick glasses, to which the girl (Liz) responds, "Don't even think about it."
Bibliography
- Amazing Fantasy Vol. 1 #15
- Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #1-15, 17-20, 22, 24-26, 28, 30 132-135, 139, 143, 156-157, 160, 163 166-167, 169-17, 180-181, 188, 192, 199, 244, 249, 260-262, 263, 265, 326, 343, 365, 369, 379-380, 581, 622, Annual #1, 6
- Daredevil Vol. 2 #8
- Marvel Saga #1-2, 9-10
- Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1 #24, 29, 60, 189-190. 199-200, 240, 250, 255, Annual #3
- Sensational Spider-Man Vol 2 30
- Shadows and Light #2
- Spider-Man Unlimited Vol. 1 #1-2
- Spider-Man Vol. 1 #35, 37, 75
- Spider-Man: Chapter One #3-5, 10, 12
- Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #2
- Spider-Man: Legacy of Evil' #1
- Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1
- Untold Tales of Spider-Man #21, 25
- Web of Spider-Man Vol. 1 #61, 65, 60, 77, 101, 103, 105
References
External links
- Liz Osborn at the Marvel Universe
- Liz Allan at Spiderfan.org
- Liz Allan at the Internet Movie Database