Featuring the following heroine!

Nefertiti Jones

by Keith R.A. DeCandido

AKA: Nef. Deputy Field Commander Jones. Major Jones.

First appearance: "Spider-Man and Iron Man: Sabotage" (novel)

Favorite quote: "Hail this." ("Spider-Man and Iron Man: Sabotage." Major Jones responds to HYDRA's standard one-liner with a pithy comment and a rifle blast).

Team affiliation: Strategic Action For Emergencies (SAFE). SAFE first appeared in the novel "Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk: Rampage;" the organization was created after S.H.I.E.L.D. went international. SAFE is a domestic organization that deals with paranormal threats to the United States. Jones is one of SAFE's most valued lieutenants and a top-notch field agent; in "Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four: Wreckage," she was promoted to Deputy Field Commander. She was a cop for the LAPD, where she was recruited by the CIA, and worked for them and S.H.I.E.L.D. before being hired by SAFE. (Note: Nef is the only person on this site who appears solely in novels. This may change if some comics writer decides SAFE is worth using -- Marvel owns it, after all -- but for the nonce, SAFE is an organization unique to the books.)

Powers: Like any good secret agent, Nef is expert at hand-to-hand combat and heavy weapons. She also has the ability to not be in the least bit intimidated by anyone, whether it be Spider-Man, HYDRA agents, the Hulk, the Super-Skrull, or Dr. Doom.
Favorite storyline: All of them so far. To be fair, she's only played a supporting role in four novels thus far (see Future for the Character), but she's been quite nifty in all of them. In "Sabotage" she kicked some HYDRA butt (see the Favorite Quote); in "Wreckage" she (and the rest of SAFE) is as much a part of the fight against Dr. Doom as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man; and the same holds true for the fight against the Super-Skrull in "Warrior's Revenge." Nef does not fit any of the usual military stereotypes a super hero has to deal with: she isn't crusty-but-lovable, she isn't a violence-hungry moron, she isn't a stiff, and she isn't incompetent.
Least favorite storyline: Hasn't had one yet!

Future For the Character: In addition to "Sabotage," she had a good-sized supporting role in the novel "Spider-Man Super Thriller: Warrior's Revenge." She will also be seen in "Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four: Wreckage," the 1998 novel "Fantastic Four: Countdown to Chaos," and the '98 story "Playing it SAFE" in "The Ultimate Hulk." (SAFE also plays a role in "The Incredible Hulk: Abominations," in which Nef does not appear.)

Editor's Note: Keith edits the various novels published about the Marvel Universe, so he has a pretty good handle on where Nef is and isn't going to be showing up! -- editor Jeanne