Jefferson "Jeff" Davis is a supporting character in the Marvel's Spider-Man series. A veteran police officer in New York City, Jeff was known for being honest, dedicated, having a strong moral compass, and for seeing Spider-Man as an ally. He was the older brother of Aaron Davis, the husband of Rio Morales and the father of Miles Morales.
History[]
Early history[]
A young Aaron and Jefferson.
Jefferson Davis was born in New York City around 1974.[1][a] He shared a passion for making music with his younger brother Aaron, searching Manhattan for beat samples.[2] The two almost gained airtime from a station for up and coming artists in Brooklyn but lost out to a group from Staten Island last minute.[3] Jefferson initially aspired to become a doctor, firefighter, or social worker but later decided to join the police force to instigate change from within, influenced by spending time around a local police station.[1][2]
As a rookie police officer, Jefferson witnessed his wife Rio's first teaching job while Aaron assumed the identity of "the Prowler", embarking on a criminal path and putting the two at odds. Jefferson caught Aaron a few times, and after graduating from police academy, at one point told Aaron he could no longer cover for him.[2] The struggle continued, and at one point, Aaron hid in a shipping container for hours to evade Officer Davis' capture.[3]
Davis continued investigating "the Prowler", not knowing it was Aaron. While on Wilson Fisk's payroll, Aaron purchased a penthouse with the money, but Jefferson was ashamed knowing how he got the money.[3] His investigation leading to Prowler clients such as Simon Krieger and Fisk, causing Aaron to confess in a bid to protect Miles and Rio. Jefferson complied with Aaron's request to back off, but severed Miles' contact with his uncle to prevent Miles from following the same path.[2]
Much of Officer Davis' career was spent chasing Wilson Fisk and his associates.[4][5]
Hostile Takeover[]
Officer Davis encountered Spider-Man outside Rosemann's auction house after he had responded to reports of a hostage situation. They briefly spoke, but Spider-Man would not remember his name.[6]
Marvel's Spider-Man[]
In "Wheels within Wheels", Officer Davis was called to the scene of a shipyard owned by Fisk in order to assist Spider-Man in his investigation. Davis greeted Spider-Man warmly, joking that vigilantes could not perform illegal searches, but by bringing a warrant the search would be perfectly legal. Together, the two unlocked the secrets hidden inside, coming up against the Inner Demons who were attempting to steal equipment. Davis helped in their eventual apprehension, but was injured in the process. Following this he was interviewed by Daily Bugle reporter Mary Jane Watson, initially declining her interview until she convinced him she was on the right side.[5]
Due to his heroism, Mayor Norman Osborn presented him with a medal at City Hall, seen as a cynical campaign move.[7] Before the ceremony, Jefferson Davis tipped Spider-Man off to a truck of demons at a Fisk construction site, commencing "Straw, Meet Camel".[8] In "And the Award Goes to..." at the ceremony itself, the Inner Demons, led by Mister Negative, arrived, with a number of them carrying explosives. When the Deputy Mayor was revealed to be one of them and tried to detonate his bomb in the crowd, Davis pushed him away and ended up dying while shielding others.[9]
Miles Morales[]
In post-game, Rio Morales surprised her son Miles on his birthday with a scavenger hunt written on a New York postcard with a USB stick attached to it. When Miles played the USB on his Spider-Man suit, Jefferson's voice was heard introducing him to the scavenger hunt game, which is traditionally done by Miles' parents on each of their birthdays.
Characteristics[]
Peter Parker:Hi, Miles. I just wanted to see how you’re doing with the news about Li. Look, if you didn’t want to work there anymore, May and I would understand.
Miles Morales:I did want to quit when I heard. Then I remembered what my Dad used to say... “a hero’s just a guy who doesn’t give up.”
Officer Davis was a middle-aged African-American man with a bald head and slim physique, with the latter allowing him a certain agility and allowing him to jump otherwise long distances.
Officer Davis epitomized a strong moral compass, unwavering selflessness, and unwavering dedication. Peter Parker held him up as a model of the man he might have become without his spider-powers,[1] and Miles acknowledged him as the guiding force that taught him the difference between right and wrong.[4] Rio observed that Miles' heroic instincts took inspiration from Jefferson's own example,[10] and Aaron recognized that Miles inherited Jefferson's stubbornness.[11] Despite his aversion to public speaking,[8] Jefferson maintained a sense of humor, once humorously remarking to Spider-Man that not all cops were "donut eaters".[5]
Original appearance[]
In the comics, Jefferson Davis first appeared in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man vol. 2 #1 (November 2011).
Notes[]
Annotations[]
Citations[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Marvel's Spider-Man, character bio
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Miles Morales script § "Sound Samples"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Marvel's Spider-Man 2 script § "Prowler Stashes"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Miles Morales menu § "Jefferson Davis"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Marvel's Spider-Man script § "Wheels within Wheels"
- ↑ Marvel's Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover Chapter 18
- ↑ Marvel's Spider-Man script § "Couch Surfing"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Marvel's Spider-Man script § "Straw, Meet Camel"
- ↑ Marvel's Spider-Man script § "And the Award Goes to..."
- ↑ Miles Morales script § "Tinker Tailor Spider Spy"
- ↑ Miles Morales script § "Corporate Espionage"
References[]
- Video games
- Insomniac Games (2018). Marvel's Spider-Man [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 4.
- Insomniac Games (2020). Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.
- Insomniac Games (2023). Marvel's Spider-Man 2 [Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. PlayStation 5.