History

J. Jonah Jameson was born to David and Betty Jameson. His father was a United States Army officer and a veteran war hero. But David Jameson was an abusive man and would regularly beat his wife and son, which caused Jonah to grow up convinced that even heroes could be and indeed were evil. During high school Jonah was active in boxing and photography. When he joined the photography club he met Joan, who would eventually become his wife. When some bullies began bullying Jonah, he fought back and beat all of them. Joan was impressed and the two of them started dating soon after. They would marry after high school.

Journalist Work

The Daily Bugle

After World War II, Jonah and Joan had a son, whom they named John. When the Korean War started, Jonah went out on the field to cover that war also. Eventually returning home, Jonah discovered that his wife had been killed by a mugger. Jonah became obsessed with his work in hopes of forgetting the pain the loss of his wife caused. Jonah worked so hard that he was eventually promoted to Chief Editor of the Daily Bugle. During his time as a reporter, Jonah had contributed in helping to bring down organized crime, and also supported civil rights.

The War Against Spider-Man

Spider-man

Jameson's and Spider-Man’s relationship existed this way for a long time. Jameson’s anger only grew with time because he was convinced that no hero ever stayed a hero indefinitely. He would print countless articles attempting to prove that Spider-Man was a criminal. However, he always ended up having to print retraction articles soon after when Spider-Man again proved him wrong. Due to David Jameson’s abuse, Jonah Jameson would stay convinced that every hero always had a hidden agenda and that all their agendas were always against the law.

Jameson would always post rewards for anyone who would capture Spider-Man or uncover his true identity, and he even went so far as to work with Spencer Smythe’s Spider-Slayer in trying to capture Spider-Man. Jameson hired Mac Gargan to test out a genetic enhancement which transformed Gargan into the Scorpion because a scorpion was the spider’s main enemy. The Scorpion instead tried to kill Jameson for what he had done to him, only to be stopped by Spider-Man. Eventually Jameson hired Silver Sable to try and capture Spider-Man.

Later Jameson hired Dr. Marla Madison to create new Spider-Slayers because Spider-Man had destroyed all the previous ones and Spencer Smythe, who had created them, was now one of Jameson's enemies. Madison became interested with the challenge Spider-Man brought and kept working with Jameson. Eventually the two married, making her Jonah’s second wife. They adopted Mattie Franklin soon after.

The Hobgoblin later blackmailed Jameson with the information that Jameson had commissioned the creation of the criminal known as the Scorpion. Not wishing to be blackmailed, Jameson instead revealed his role in having created the Scorpion to the general public. Jameson then stepped down as Chief Editor and gave the job to Robbie Robertson.

Civil War

When Spider-Man revealed to the world that he was Peter Parker, Jameson was crushed. He had always believed Parker to be an honest kid, whom he loved like a son. He loved the fact that Parker would ignore Jameson’s rudeness and still bring photo after photo to him. Jameson thought he had a bond of trust with Parker, but after Parker revealed himself to be Spider-Man, that bond was shattered. Jameson believed that Parker kept working at the Bugle to gain a laugh at Jameson for being so stupid as not to realize that he was Spider-Man. Jameson became so hateful of Parker as to want to ruin him, even though Parker had sided with the Super-Human Registration Act. Jameson
tried to sue Parker for fraud for all the photos he had taken of himself as Spider-Man, but the government gave Parker immunity to these charges because of all his good deeds and because he was a registered hero.

Jameson’s son John later married attorney Jennifer Walters, the crusading adventuress known as the She-Hulk. This angered Jameson even more, and he even sent a Spider-Slayer to attack the She-Hulk. The She-Hulk instead defeated it easily and tried to work things out with Janmeson. As Jennifer Walters, she offered to take the case to prove Spider-Man was a fraud, but she later told John that all she really intended to do was drag the case out for a long time to make Jameson mad.

When Spider-Man went rogue from Captain America’s Secret Avengers, Jameson posted another reward to bring Spider-Man in. Later it was revealed that Betty Brant had been secretly giving information to a rival paper about libel reports on Parker.

Alternate Versions

Marvel 1602 (Earth-311)

In the year 1602, Jameson is Irish colonist and is the publisher of the "Daily Trumpet." He assigned Peter Parquagh to investigate the "Spider" as he thinks that he could be a threat to the colony.

Earth X (Earth-9997)

When Black Bolt released the Terrigen Mists into the earth's atmosphere, it gave all humans superpowers. Jameson was turned into a donkey, making him a "jackass." Also Jameson revealed that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, which ruined his reputation.

House of M (Earth-58163)

In this reality where mutants are the majority, Jameson is the publicist of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, who is beloved as a superhero. When the Green Goblin (Peter Parker made the goblin out of his own guilt of not being a born mutant) gave Jameson Peter's journal which contains his confessions that he is actually a mutate. Jameson publicizes this but regretted it when Spider-Man appears to have committed suicide.

MC2 Universe(Earth-982)

In the near future, Jameson is still the publisher of the Daily Bugle, and the prime supporter of "Project Human Fly." When the flight suit was stolen and the test pilot was killed, he thought that the thief was the one responsible. He didn't knew that the one who currently possess the suit is his grandson Jack Jameson aka The Buzz. He also hires Mayday Parker as his photographer, and in contrast with his feelings for Spider-Man in the past, he actually liked Spider-Girl as a superhero.

Marvel Zombiverse (Earth-2149)

In this reality, Jameson was eaten by a zombified Spider-Man in his office.

Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)

Jameson is still the same character as in Earth-616 except that he is younger in this universe. He has hired Peter as the newspaper's webmaster.