Big Bertha (comics)
Encyclopedia
Big Bertha is a fictional character
, a superhero
appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics
, notably as a member of the Great Lakes Avengers
. The character was created by John Byrne and first appeared in West Coast Avengers
vol. 2 #46 (July 1989).
's advertisement for a hero team, the team would become the Great Lakes Avengers. It was revealed in the G.L.A. mini-series that Ashley is in fact a mutant
.
When not using her powers, Ashley is a proverbial 'big fish in a small pond', being the most famous fashion model in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, her hometown. Although offers have come her way numerous times for more prospective opportunities, she has declined them all, choosing to stay in Milwaukee with the team she considers family.
Bertha was with the rest of the Great Lakes Avengers when the team first encountered Hawkeye
and Mockingbird
. With the team, she then assisted Hawkeye and the West Coast Avengers
against "That Which Endures." They also assisted Mockingbird in a holding action against Terminus.
She is one of the mutants to retain their powers following the events of the House of M
.
mistakenly attempted to apprehend them for violating the Act, only to be defeated by Squirrel Girl
and informed that they had already registered.
Ashley has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative
#1.
In an attempt to evict Deadpool from their Initiative-sponsored headquarters, Big Bertha agrees on one date. Confusion reigns as she appears for the date in her slim form. After saving lives in a dockside all-you-can-eat restaurant Bertha realizes that Deadpool was only attracted to her large form. She lectures him, telling of her experiences of only being valued for her looks in her slim form. In response, Deadpool removes his mask revealing his cancer-scarred face. Bertha promptly vomits in the parking lot, much to Deadpool's chagrin. Bertha's colleagues manage to evict Deadpool.
In addition to her mutant powers, Ashley is also a skilled pilot of conventional jet aircraft.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, notably as a member of the Great Lakes Avengers
Great Lakes Avengers
The Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
. The character was created by John Byrne and first appeared in West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
vol. 2 #46 (July 1989).
Fictional character biography
Not a lot is known of Bertha's life before she responded to Mr. ImmortalMr. Immortal
Mr. Immortal is a comic book character, a mutant superhero in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He is the leader of the Great Lakes Avengers and first appeared in the pages of the Avengers West Coast in 1989.-Profile:Mr...
's advertisement for a hero team, the team would become the Great Lakes Avengers. It was revealed in the G.L.A. mini-series that Ashley is in fact a mutant
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
.
When not using her powers, Ashley is a proverbial 'big fish in a small pond', being the most famous fashion model in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, her hometown. Although offers have come her way numerous times for more prospective opportunities, she has declined them all, choosing to stay in Milwaukee with the team she considers family.
Bertha was with the rest of the Great Lakes Avengers when the team first encountered Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
and Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)
Mockingbird is a fictional character, a superhero in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales #6 written by Gerry Conway and pencilled by Barry Smith...
. With the team, she then assisted Hawkeye and the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
against "That Which Endures." They also assisted Mockingbird in a holding action against Terminus.
She is one of the mutants to retain their powers following the events of the House of M
House of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
.
Civil War/The Initiative
All of the Great Lakes Champions have registered with the United States government as required by the Super-human Registration Act, as revealed when the mercenary DeadpoolDeadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
mistakenly attempted to apprehend them for violating the Act, only to be defeated by Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl, real name Doreen Green, is a fictional character and superhero in the . Her first appearance was in Marvel Super-Heroes #8 , in a story plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko and scripted by Will Murray. Her ability to control squirrels is surprisingly powerful and has allowed her to...
and informed that they had already registered.
Ashley has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
#1.
In an attempt to evict Deadpool from their Initiative-sponsored headquarters, Big Bertha agrees on one date. Confusion reigns as she appears for the date in her slim form. After saving lives in a dockside all-you-can-eat restaurant Bertha realizes that Deadpool was only attracted to her large form. She lectures him, telling of her experiences of only being valued for her looks in her slim form. In response, Deadpool removes his mask revealing his cancer-scarred face. Bertha promptly vomits in the parking lot, much to Deadpool's chagrin. Bertha's colleagues manage to evict Deadpool.
Powers and abilities
Big Bertha has the ability to make herself super strong and durable (to the point of being bullet-proof) by becoming extraordinarily obese. It is implied that she has greater control of this ability and can distribute her fat content to select areas (i.e. just her breasts or buttocks or other areas), becoming "every man's dream." She can also purge most fat from her body to take on a slimmer appearance. However, the latter ability is not as surreptitious as the former, since she has to regurgitate the collected fat masses in order to retain her normal shape. This is graphically illustrated in GLA #2; a helpful aside from the narrator (fellow GLA member Squirrel Girl's squirrel colleague "Monkey Joe") points out that "bulimia is never funny". Where this mass comes from originally is not addressed.In addition to her mutant powers, Ashley is also a skilled pilot of conventional jet aircraft.
Television
- Big Bertha makes a cameo appearance in the Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Greetings From Genosha".