Empire State University (fictional)
Empire State University (ESU) is a fictional university in the Marvel Comics Universe. It is located somewhere in New York City, United States. Many Marvel Comics characters, especially those associated with Spider-Man, have either attended or worked at the university.
The fictional Empire State University should not be confused with Empire State College or Emporia State University, which are both real colleges.
Spider-Man
Former students of ESU associated with Spider-Man include: Peter Parker, Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Flash Thompson, Mary Jane Watson, Debra Whitman and Marcy Kane. Dr. Miles Warren was a biochemistry Professor at Empire State University, as was Curt Connors. In Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, the university is sometimes shown as Empire State University and sometimes shown as Eastern State University.
In the film Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker attends Columbia University and not ESU, although in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, which is set in between the first two Spider-Man movies, he, Mary Jane and Harry attend ESU. In Spider-Man 3, Robbie Robertson declares that the "Empire State Photography Department" confirms that Eddie Brock's picture of Spider-Man stealing money from a bank in black clothing is a fake.
Fantastic Four
According to Fantastic Four v1 #11 (February 1963), Reed Richards (later Mister Fantastic) and Ben Grimm (later the Thing) first met as roommates at Empire State University. Empire State University also gave a scholarship to the Latverian international student Victor Von Doom (later Doctor Doom); it was at ESU that the rivalry between Doom and Richards first developed.
Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, also attended Empire State University. He was expelled and then sued after he accidentally burned part of a building down in Fantastic Four #371 (December 1992) while engaged in a battle with supervillains.
X-Men
Emma Frost #13-18 (September 2004-February 2005) details how, in her early life before she joined the Hellfire Club, Emma Frost attended Empire State University and was there when an anti-mutant strike broke out.
In Chamber #1-4 (October 2002-January 2003), X-Man Chamber, enrolled briefly at ESU in order to investigate a bombing that killed six people. Chamber's findings resulted in ESU closing their main mutant program, and creating a new human/mutant student exchange program with the Xavier Institute. The first participants of this program were Walter, Chamber's paraplegic, human dorm-mate and Amber, a reptilian mutant student who assisted Chamber in his investigation.
Staff, students, and faculty
Staff
| Character |
| Seen in |
| Notes |
|---|---|---|
Shelly Fisch |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #310 |
Head of Grant Program |
Harvey MacNamara |
||
Debra Whitman |
||
Faculty
| Character |
| Subject Taught |
| Seen in |
| Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Current Faculty Members |
|||
Anne-Marie Baker |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #310 |
Research Assistant to Dr. Evan Swann while getting doctorate, born in France, raised in London |
|
Prof. Ballinger |
Chemistry |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 1 #4 |
|
Professor Marina Caches |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #427 |
Had a son, Fabian. |
|
Corliss |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #70 |
A dean at ESU. |
|
Dr. Henry Croft |
Sub-Mariner vol. 1 #68 |
Member of the Hydro-Men |
|
Dwyer |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #9 |
Former president of ESU. |
|
Chancellor Edward Gorman |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #2 |
||
Mark Howard |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #429 |
||
Prof. Hutton |
Sociology |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #12 |
|
Daniel Ironwood |
Cosmology |
Marvel Team-Up Annual #2 |
Former expert in nuclear physics, kidnapped by the Soviet Super Soldiers, in effort to force him to complete a bomb. |
Irvine |
Emma Frost #13 |
Dean |
|
Dr. Joseph Jennings |
Sub-Mariner vol. 1 #68 |
Member of the Hydro-Men |
|
Dr. Kissick |
Biochemistry |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #221 |
Coerced into formulating poisons for Ramrod. |
Dr. Maxwell Lubisch |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #326 |
Attempted to tap into extradimensional power source, resulted in Spider-Man receiving Captain Universe power, history of failed experiment abroad, blackmailed by Sebastian Shaw. |
|
Prof. Buck Mitty |
Entomology (former) |
Web of Spider-Man #19 |
Left after they cut his funds, established Humbug identity to gain alternate funding. Also known as the Bug-Man of Alcatraz. |
Professor Mason |
Emma Frost #14 |
||
Dean Montesi |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #41 |
||
Dr. Newhall |
|||
Professor Pinter |
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Dr. Benita Sanchez |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #386 |
||
Professor Slattery |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #41 |
||
Dean Morris Sloan |
Entomology |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #32 |
Graduate professor under whom Peter Parker, Phillip Chang, Marcy Kane and Steve Hopkins studied and worked under, inadvertently revived Swarm. |
Evan Swann |
Web of Spider-Man Annual #5 (1989) |
Became one of the hosts for Captain Universe. |
|
Peregrine Took |
Marvel Comics Presents #127 |
||
Damon Walthers |
Sub-Mariner vol. 1 #68 |
Research scientist, developed a force field device, which was stolen by his lab assistant Clay Wilson, who became Force. |
|
Peter Wilcox |
She-Hulk vol. 2 #14 |
Theoretical physicist, college classmate of She-Hulk, once dated Jen Walters, assisted in discovering nature of the compaction receptacles and Encroachiverses. |
|
Former Faculty Members |
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Dr. Ashley Kafka |
|||
Edward Lansky |
|||
Professor Toshiro Mikashi |
Spider-Man: The Arachnis Project |
||
Harrison Turk |
|||
Student body
| Character |
| Seen attending |
| Notes |
|---|---|---|
Current Students |
||
Todd Aiken |
Spider-Man #76 |
|
Amber |
Chamber #1 |
|
Axel Asher |
DC vs Marvel #1 |
|
Kyle Barker |
Doc Samson #1 |
|
Roger "Caps" Cooper |
Nova vol. 1 #1 |
Classmate and college roommate of Richard Rider; Nephew of Megaman; he is aware of Richard Rider's alter ego |
Brad Davis |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #188 |
former star quarterback, dated Mary Jane Watson |
Dee Dee |
Doc Samson #1 |
mutated by Empire State University’s experimental particle accelerator |
Max Devreaux |
Emma Frost #13 |
briefly dated Emma Frost, forced to assault her by Astrid Bloom, suspended |
Bernie Dillon |
Nova vol. 1 #1 |
roommate of Richard Rider, employed at Marvel Burger, aware of Nova’s secret identity |
Harvey K. Farber |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #44 |
|
Holly Gillis |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #18 |
former Empire State University art student, she formerly dated Hector Ayala |
Lillian Hsu |
Marvel Comics Presents #127 |
|
Kai |
Emma Frost #14 |
|
Mr. Landsfield |
Marvel Comics Presents #127 |
dozed off in the classroom of Peregrin Took, who cast frightening illusions into his mind |
Ledge |
Defenders vol. 1 #51 |
badly beaten by Lunatik when he tried to come to Valkyrie's aid, friend of Dollar Bill |
Neutrino Annihilator |
Chamber #1 |
member of on-campus mutant group, Magnetic North |
Christie McDermott |
Emma Frost'' #13 |
of Jack and Jill, former roommate of Emma Frost, briefly dated Ian Kendall, assaulted by him while he was controlled by Emma Frost, pressed charges against him, but forced to act like she was psycho/obsessed with him by Emma to clear Ian |
Brigit O'Neil |
Fantastic Four vol. 1 #366 |
archeology student at Empire State University, acquaintance of Human Torch (Storm) |
Maria de Guadalupe Santiago |
||
Shannons |
Emma Frost #14 |
|
Kovalski twins, Gigi Martin, Alex |
Chamber #1 |
formerly at Empire State University, sought to promote peaceful relationships between humans and mutants, made up of both, several killed when Alex’s powers exploded out of control |
Robin Vega |
Spider-Man vol. 1 #82 |
|
Shantal Wilsk |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #427 |
friend of mj watson-parker |
Former Students |
||
Vance Astrovik |
||
Hector Ayala |
||
Basenji |
Excalibur vol. 1 #53 |
member of the Litter |
Astrid Bloom |
Emma Frost #13 |
Manipulated her own sister to kill their parents after they began neglecting her; manipulated Emma Frost to turn her against humanity. |
Brian Braddock |
Was a brief exchange student. |
|
Dane |
Excalibur vol. 1 #53 |
member of the Litter |
Dollar Bill |
Defenders vol. 1 #51 |
TV producer, attempted to make documentary about Defenders, former roommate of Harrison Turk, later had own cable access show |
Emma Frost |
||
Johnny Gallo |
Member of Excelsior; former member of Slingers |
|
Ritchie Gilmore |
Former member of Slingers |
|
Melissa Gold |
||
Felicia Hardy |
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do #6 |
Dated and was raped by a boy named "Ryan", who also attended the university. |
Eddie McDonough |
Former member of Slingers |
|
Namorita |
||
Candace Nelson |
Daredevil #108-115 |
Research project on the Sallis Papers got her in trouble with the government. |
Harry Osborn |
||
Kevin Wilson |
Excalibur vol. 1 #53 |
member of the Litter |
Poodle |
Excalibur vol. 1 #53 |
member of the Litter |
Steve Rogers |
Captain America v1 #225 |
|
Richard Rider |
||
Greg Salinger |
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #58-60 |
Attended some undergraduate courses taught by Peter Parker before resuming his Foolkiller identity. |
Cassie St. Commons |
Former member of Slingers |
|
Gwen Stacy |
Died before completing term |
|
Jonothon Evan Starsmore |
Chamber #1 |
|
Johnny Storm |
||
Monte Devlin |
Excalibur vol. 1 #53 |
member of the Litter |
Eugene Thompson |
||
Phil Urich |
||
Valkyrie |
||
Walter |
Chamber #1 |
Chamber's roommate; on exchange program with the Xavier Institute |
Mary-Jane Watson |
Majored in Psychology after returning to the college |
|
Graduate Students |
||
Dr. Bradley Bolton |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #155 |
Co-creator of the WHO computer; sacrificed life protecting daughter from Paine, who wanted information on WHO in Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #155 |
Phillip Chang |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #184 |
took vow of peace, assaulted by white dragon ii. skilled martial artist |
Chip |
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25 |
partnered with Ethan in agro-lab, attempted to develop plant growth accelerator, slain by Carnage |
Benjamin J. Grimm |
||
Ethan |
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25 |
Agro-Lab, partnered with Chip in project to accelerate plant growth |
Roger Hochberg |
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #223 |
friend of Peter Parker, dated Mia Carrerra, encountered Red Ghost and Super-Apes |
Steve Hopkins |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #30 |
with Peter Parker, biophysics major, practical joker |
Marcy Kane |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #32 |
Kaina) - Contraxian, posed as science grad student at Empire State University, former lover of Jack of Hearts, friend + co-worker of Peter Parker |
Mary Kelleher, |
||
Chip Martin |
Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 #36 |
|
Carlos Munoz |
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25 |
assisted in Nuform experiments for Roxxon |
Peter Parker |
||
Reed Richards |
||
Paul Stacy |
||
Victor von Doom |
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sv:Empire State University