Warning: Contains spoilers for Venom War #3! The Fantastic practice are Marvel’s First Family, meaning they have a relationship with almost every character in the Marvel Universe, no matter how seemingly insignificant. One particularly noteworthy is someone the Fantastic Four have known since the beginning of their superhero career, and although he has been a powerless ally for more than 60 years, he finally gets his own superpowers.
In a preview for poison war #3 by Al Ewing and Iban Coello The zombies are attacking New York City, and no one is safe, not even the Fantastic Four’s oldest ally: Willie Lumpkin, also the Fantastic Four’s postman.
Willie Lumpkin is standing in the streets of New York in full uniform, making his rounds as he has been doing duty for decades, when he is suddenly attacked by a zombie. The ‘zombie-symbiotes’ (which infect anyone they bite) have been unleashed by Meridius, a corrupted future version of Eddie Brock. Meridius plans to conquer the world, and this is how he is doing it in the ongoing poison war. Now, Willy Lumpkin is the latest victim in this hellish war, and even though he’s become a mindless symbiote monster, he’s getting some pretty sweet ‘Venom’ powers as a result.
The Fantastic Four’s mailman, Willie Lumpkin, becomes a venom-powered zombiote
Willie Lumpkin finally has superpowers of his own (but maybe not for long)
In the final panel of the preview, the ‘venomized’ Willie Lumpkin attacks an innocent civilian, threatening to turn her into a zombie. However, before he gets the chance to attack, he hears a voice call out from behind him, “Hey, postman!“, and as he turns to look at who shouted at him, the foreweek ends. Was it Spider-Man, Daredevil or the Fantastic Four who had come to take down the newly empowered Willy Lumpkin? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess, but anyone could end Wily’s reign as Marvel’s newest superhuman right as it starts.
However, even if Willy Lumpkin is defeated by whoever the superhero is, he still won’t die – and he won’t be permanently killed by the zambiont infection. in Black Panther vs Deadpool #5, Willy is given something from a healing factor cocktail – The combined star cells and the cells taken from Deadpool’s body. Once introduced to his body, Willy became immortal. T’Challa promised that he would find a way to return his immortality, but he still hasn’t come. So, Willy is all good, and can flex his newfound superpowers without fear of getting killed in the process.
This isn’t the first time Willy Lumpkin has been roped into Spider-Man lore
Willie Lumpkin once dated May Parker
While Willie Lumpkin may be most famous as the Fantastic Four’s postman, he was certainly wrapped up in Spider-Man Study several times. Back in The Amazing Spider-Man #342, Willie asks out May Parker, and the two carry on a relationship for quite a long time. The two eventually grew apart (probably just because the Marvel writers didn’t want to keep the side story), but it was a major part of Willy’s character arc. And now, Willie finds himself right in the middle of it Spider-Man Learn all over again, only this time, the more terrifying side of it.
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Willy Lumpkin may not be the most notable Marvel Comics character, but he’s still a mainstay nonetheless. This is why he was a consistent presence in the lives of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, why he was immortal, and why he is now the last member of the zombie horde. And with this terrible upgrade, the Fantastic practices oldest ally finally gets his own superpowers.
Poison War #3 by Marvel Comics is available October 2, 2024.