Hey Uncle Rog - I am rereading your CLASSIC Avengers run and was wondering about the villanous Yellowjacket (Rita Demara) - what was your original plans for her? Her origin, connections to Hank Pym, how did she get the tech to steal the suit, etc?

Thank you!

I would love to saw her in the thunderbolts as it was the original plan.

By the way, it was announced this week, starting in June we are finally getting a full reprint of the avengers run in Spain. Uncle Rog stories for a new generation of readers, and some of the old too.

I had an entire back story worked up for Rita ... but since she's currently dead, it doesn't matter any more.



Is that through Panini? Too bad Marvel doesn't pay royalties on foreign reprintings.

Oh, well ...

-- Uncle Rog

And I would gladly pay some money more in each tome if I knew that it would go to the authors.

Yes its panini Spain here its some link, they are going to start with the previous comics (212), because our essentials ended there, and probably end with the end of the Simonson run, but they are going to publish everything in between including annuals and the west coast limited series.

http://www.paninicomics.es/web/guest/news?id=48423

We have been here asking for a reprint of the run for years, and finally its here

Can you share your plans for her backstory?

I'd have to dig back through my files to see if any hard copies of my notes still even exist.

If I chance across 'em ... we'll see.

-- Uncle Rog

Where'd you hear this? I might tweet Jeff Parker to put her in it. He tends to love and respect the work of the old masters like Uncle Rog.

I read it in the Comic Book Urban legends column form CBR.

Short Version, She was on the early pitch of the series, but shortly Busiek realized that she died in the Crossing. And that's another reason to hate the Crossing

Uncle Rog, I was impressed how well you salvaged the "insane" Yellowjacket storyline that you inherited from Shooter in Avengers. Were you happy with the changes made in Hank Pym's characterization that Shooter made?

The "changes" were really a series of long-building revelations and realisations that Jim had first started setting up, 'way back in AVENGERS #161, and if Jim'd had time to stay with the book, he would have presided over Hank's eventual redemption and gotten more credit.

As it turned out, I inherited the storyline and brought it to a conclusion in my own way.

I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out. Would have been even happier, if I could have written Hank's next chapter. But other writers got to him before I had a chance.

Thus is life.

-- Uncle Rog

Avengers 161 was a lot of fun. I love when writers/artists show Hank really kicking
butt as Ant-man. But issues 212 and 213 where just 4-5 years away. Ewhhh.

"And unlike death, one can usually return from the state of New Jersey."

Great line.

Every word of it true. I've returned from Jersey many times.

I'm still not convinced that I should take the chance.

If it's any consolation, she was recently brought back to life (along with the original Swordsman, a favorite of mine) in the Chaos War: Avengers limited series. I don't think they've been used since, but I could have missed something.