Wraith (Yuri Watanabe)

Wraith (Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Wraith
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAs Yuri Watanabe:
The Amazing Spider-Man #600 (July 2009)
As Wraith:
The Amazing Spider-Man #663 (June 2011)
Created byDan Slott
John Romita Jr.
In-story information
Alter egoYuriko "Yuri" Watanabe
SpeciesHuman
PartnershipsSpider-Man
AbilitiesTrained police officer
Fear gas
Access to Chameleon and Mysterio's tech
Yellow elastic straps that can cling onto objects and wrap enemies

Publication history

Yuri Watanabe first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #600, and was created by Dan Slott and John Romita Jr.

Her Wraith persona appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #663.

Fictional character biography

Yuri Watanabe was a captain in the New York Police Department (NYPD) and an ally of Spider-Man's like her friend and mentor Jean DeWolff. However, she was shown to be frustrated with how the justice system and the police were unable to deal with powerful and wealthy criminals who could always find a way to escape justice for their crimes.

Shortly thereafter, a new vigilante, the Wraith, starts targeting Mister Negative's criminal syndicate. During one such attack, the Wraith unmasks to reveal DeWolff's face, although this is later revealed to be one of the Chameleon's masks stolen from police evidence.[1] It is later revealed that the Wraith is really Yuri pretending to be DeWolff's ghost to scare the criminals of New York, using a costume in imitation of Spider-Man to achieve the results she sought.[2]

Wraith accompanies forensic expert Carlie Cooper on a visit to Grand Tauró, where they pursue underworld financier Antoine Morant, searching for information on the secret bank account of the Superior Spider-Man (Otto Octavius's mind in Spider-Man's body). Carlie and the Wraith catch up with Morant shredding some documents out of fear. Carlie recovers one of the documents, discovering that all of the Superior Spider-Man's equipment and technology for the Arach-nauts, as well as the order for Spiderlings, are being paid for using the secret account, putting Carlie one step closer to finding the evidence needed to prove the new Spider-Man's true identity.[3]

After Carlie is kidnapped by the original Goblin King, Yuri investigates Otto hoping to find Carlie's whereabouts. She confronts Otto during the Goblin Nation's attack for info on Carlie but is knocked out by the transformed Carlie. She then aids the Avengers and their ally Cardiac against the Goblin Knight with assistance from Peter Parker who eventually regains his place as Spider-Man from Otto.[4]

In the "Spiral" storyline, Yuri's faith in the justice system is permanently shattered when crime boss Tombstone is released from prison after gunning down one of her friends during a shootout with the police. She receives photographic evidence from Mister Negative that Judge Howell, who signed off on Tombstone's release, received a favor in return and arrests the judge without contacting the NYPD after obtaining more evidence as the Wraith with Spider-Man.[5] She continues to receive tips from Mister Negative on where big crime lords such as Hammerhead and the second Goblin King are meeting so she and Spider-Man can take them down.[6]

Spider-Man notices she is being more brutal in her approach and believes Mister Negative is using her. This is later proven right when Mister Negative begins to take over the territories of his incarcerated rivals and tries to frame the Wraith as a murderer. When Howell dies in prison from a stab wound, Yuri's superior confiscates her badge and she is dismissed from the force. After a fight with the Circus of Crime, she realizes she has been playing into Mister Negative's hands and kills one of his men, declaring that "Watanabe the cop" no longer exists and that only the Wraith is left.[7] When she attempts to kill Mister Negative, Spider-Man tries to convince her to change her ways. She decides that killing criminals rather than arresting them is more fulfilling and attacks her former ally, but Spider-Man knocks her out and goes on to defeat Mister Negative himself. Spider-Man later finds Yuri has abandoned her costume, but kept her Wraith mask.[8]

Powers and abilities

The Wraith primarily used technology obtained by the police from various Spider-Man villains, including a mask of Jean DeWolff's face from Chameleon to hide her true identity, equipment designed by Mysterio, and Mister Fear's Fear Gas. Her primary weapons are yellow elastic straps attached to her costume that wrap up her enemies and allow her to swing around the city similar to Spider-Man.[2]

In other media

Television

Yuri Watanabe appears in the 2017 Spider-Man animated series, voiced by Sumalee Montano.[9] This version is the NYPD Chief of Police rather than a Captain like her comics counterpart. First appearing in the episode "Bring on the Bad Guys" Pt. 4, she engages in a televised discussion with J. Jonah Jameson. When Spider-Man encounters Chief Watanabe later on however, he discovers it was the Chameleon impersonating her. The web-slinger chases him into the Daily Bugle, where the real Chief Watanabe arrives and helps Spider-Man expose Chameleon before apprehending the villain. Following this, Chief Watanabe makes minor reappearances assisting Spider-Man in foiling crimes.

Video games
  • Wraith appears as a playable character in Spider-Man Unlimited.
  • Yuri Watanabe appears as a supporting character in Spider-Man,[10] voiced by Tara Platt. This version is an NYPD Captain and long-time ally of Spider-Man's who aids him in foiling various crimes in New York, continuing to do so even after he is branded a fugitive by Mayor Norman Osborn following the breakout at the Raft organized by Doctor Octopus. In the second chapter of The City that Never Sleeps DLC Turf Wars, she is emotionally compromised when her department's attempts to capture Hammerhead results in the deaths of many of her officers. Taking matters into her own hands after being frustrated with Spider-Man's lack of progress, she goes on a violent quest for revenge against the crime lord. While trying to stop her, Spider-Man discovers that Yuri is a third generation police officer whose father was arrested for taking bribes from Hammerhead and that Yuri has dedicated her entire career to bringing the crime boss down, going from precinct to precinct as her zealousness became too much even for her fellow NYPD cops to handle. Once she catches up to Hammerhead, she nearly shoots and kills him before Spider-Man redirects her shot. Put on administrative leave for her actions, she refuses to give up her vendetta and goes into hiding. She kills one of Hammerhead's top enforcers and uses crime scenes connected to him to lead Spider-Man to the enforcer's body, where she contacts her former ally to tell him she quit the force and intends to take matters into her own hands, becoming a violent vigilante.[11]

References
  1. The Amazing Spider-Man #663
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man #664
  3. The Superior Spider-Man #19
  4. The Superior Spider-Man #31
  5. The Amazing Spider-Man #16.1
  6. The Amazing Spider-Man #17.1
  7. The Amazing Spider-Man #19.1
  8. The Amazing Spider-Man #20.1
  9. "Bring On the Bad Guys Pt. 4". Spider-Man. Season 2. Episode 36. August 6, 2018. Disney XD.
  10. "SPIDER-MAN Takes on Mister Negative and Introduces [SPOILER] in E3 Gameplay Trailer". Nerdist.com. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  11. Insomniac Games (September 7, 2018). Spider-Man (2018 video game) (PlayStation 4). Sony Interactive Entertainment.
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