Back to School

Written by GL

Funnily enough, and if you didn't already know it, superheroes and supervillains had to start somewhere. They are, afterall, fictional representations of normal civilians. They sleep, eat, fall in love, and die just like any one of us. Of course, their lives cross from time to time, and they meet up with each other under weird circumstances. And, they also go to school. It's true in most of the comic franchises, just like it's true in the Marvel Comics Universe - superheroes and supervillains needed an education.

Empire State University is completely fictional, so don't try to apply there. It exists somewhere in New York City and boasts a very colorful alumni list.

Let's start at Spiderman. In the Spiderman: The New Animated Series, which seems to follow along the lines of the movies themselves, Peter Parker, when he's not being your friendly neighbourhood web-slinger, spends his days researching Physics at Empire State University. However, in the movies, this university reference isn't used.

Not only did Peter Parker attend Empire State University, a whole bunch of other characters did too. Harry Osborn (the original Green Goblin), Gwen Stacy (Parker's first love, before Mary Jane, and was murdered by Green Goblin), Debra Whitman (Spiderman's love interest from the 70's version), Marcy Kane (yet another love interest of Spidey's, who turned out to be an alien), and the ever-lasting Mary-Jane Watson, were also students there.

Of the past teachers list, you've got; Dr. Miles Warren (also known as The Jackal, who fused his own DNA with an actual jackal's, and was solely responsible for starting the Clone Wars saga after purposefully cloning Spiderman and Mary-Jane) and Dr. Curt Connors (also known as the infamous Lizard). Both professors had been in the Faculty of Biochemistry.

Let's move on to the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards (also known as Mr. Fantastic) and Ben Grimm (also known as the Thing) started as roomies at Empire State University. Their friendship had gotten off on a rocky start when they were forced to complain against a certain Latverian international exchange student who had let an experiment go too far. That international exchange student was our very own Victor Von Doom. Johnny Storm (also known as the Human Torch) is also on the alumni list, but had been expelled from and sued by Empire State University when he had accidentely burnt down part of a campus building whilst fighting off villains.

Alot of you would be interested, and a little excited, to know that Emma Frost (the sexy, blonde telepath of X-Men's fame) also attended Empire State University before she had joined the Hellfire Club. Along side her had been another X-Man known as Chamber. Chamber had been solely responsible for starting Empire State University's student-to-mutant exchange program with the Xavier Institute.

The list doesn't stop there - there had been a whole bunch of others; ranging from real side-line characters to outstanding main ones:

Prof. Buck Mitty
(also known as Humbug)

Evan Swann
(who had played host to the detached superhero known as Captain Universe)

Edward Lansky
(also known as the supervillain, Lightmaster)

Axel Asher
(also known as the independant hero, Access)

Vance Astrovik
(also known as Justice of The Avengers, and formerly known as Marvel Boy)

Hector Ayala
(also known as the first incarnation of the independant hero, White Tiger)

Brian Braddock
(also known as Captain Britain)

Johnny Gallo
(also known as the independant hero, Ricochet)

Ritchie Gilmore
(also known as Prodigy)

Melissa Gold
(also known as Songbird)

Felicia Hardy
(also known as the tragic Blackcat)

Eddie McDonough
(also known as the independant hero, Hornet)

Steve Rogers
(also known as the Super-Soldier, Captain America)

Richard Rider
(also known as the superhero, Nova)

Greg Salinger
(also known as the 70's western themed hero, Foolkiller)

Cassie St. Commons
(also known as the villain-turned-hero, Dusk)

Phil Ulrich
(also known as the fourth incarnation of Green Goblin)

and, Namorita

So, you see, it's always better to hit the books than to simply be running around town saving lives because, with an education, you'll be able to fight smart, I always say. Everyone needs an education, even the villains within us. And who knows, you just might get to sat next to Emma Frost.