I just did a profile for the Marvel Appendix on the character Will O’ The Wisp. This is a character even more obscure than the Rocket Racer, but also who is minor part of Rocket Racer’s life. Bob and the Wisp met via their mutual “friend” Spider-Man, then became coworkers during Bob’s time with Silver Sable’s mercenary unit the Outlaws.

Wisp’s deal is that he was a scientist named Jackson Arvad who, because of corporate greed and corruption, got into an accident that gave him super powers, but also made him lose touch with his humanity a bit. He’s kind of Dr. Manhattan Lite (though he predates that guy). He can be a bit spooky, which is definitely what Bob and the others thought of him, but Wisp is in general a good person. Heck, when he met up with Bob and the others years later, he even asked how Bob’s mother was doing. Wisp cares is his thing.

Wisp’s life has sucked for sure. He’s often been blackmailed into doing crimes, but when that isn’t the case he had a tendency to wage war against evil corporations (for his own sake and that of others) which was technically a criminal act, but the stories always supported him. He was a noble figure who teamed up with Spider-Man several times. Which is what makes it sad that, as I point out in my Appendix profile, one day Peter Parker decided to do a bit where he pretended not to recognize Wisp. This was when Wisp was on a supervillain team, sure, but I feel it’s safe to assume he wasn’t there willingly given what has come before. Wisp was visibly upset about it and since that time he’s been seen hanging out with those we’d call “villains” a lot more often.

And then, after decades of attacking evil corporations in Spidey’s books and being seen as a good guy, he does it once in an Iron Man book and he winds up in Marvel’s ripoff of Arkham Asylum. I can’t help but wonder of Mr. Tony Stark didn’t arrange that to take a potentially powerful anti-capitalist hero off the board.

Anyway, regarding the title I’ve chosen here, is Wisp really the best coworker that Bob has had? No, that’s probably the Prowler, given that they were actually friends. But Wisp’s whole deal fits with where I’d want the Rocket Racer character to go. Bob SHOULD be a big anti-corporate figure, but actually he’s kind of a sellout and gives into The Man far more often than he should. Bob wants to be accepted by The Man and can’t ever seem to work out that that’s why his life keeps sucking. If Wisp could really get his message through to Bob, they’d both be better off.