Finesse (character)

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Comics character

Jeanne Foucault
Finesse

Finesse battling her biological father Taskmaster.

Publication information
Publisher| Marvel Comics
First appearance| Avengers Academy #1
(June 2010)
Created by| Christos Gage
Mike McKone
In-story information
Alter ego| Jeanne Foucault
Species| Human
Team affiliations| Avengers Academy
G.I.R.L.
A.I.M.
Notable aliases| Finesse
Abilities|

* Master martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
* Expert swordsman, marksman, and archer
* Master assassin and tactician
* Photographic reflexes
* Eidetic memory
* Voice mimicry

Jeanne Foucault is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Christos Gage and artist Mike McKone, the character first appeared in Avengers Academy #1 (June 2010).[1] Foucault is known under the codename Finesse.[2] She is the daughter of the supervillain Taskmaster. Like her father, she possesses photographic reflexes, allowing her to replicate any fighting style.[3]

Finesse occupies a morally ambiguous space in the Marvel universe. In some of her appearances, she has been depicted as a frenemy to superhero Nadia Pym / The Wasp.[4] She partnered with Stryker during Infinity when they were chosen for the Contest of Champions. After her time at Avengers Academy, she joined A.I.M. to further develop her abilities, which led to a conflict with Nadia Van Dyne and her team. However, she later switched allegiances and worked alongside G.I.R.L. in Unstoppable Wasp.[5]

## Publication history

[edit]

Jeanne Foucault debuted in Avengers Academy #1 (June 2010), created by Christos Gage and Mike McKone.[6] She was a regular character in the series through its final issue #39 (January 2013). She later appeared in the 2014 Inhumanity: The Awakening series.[7][8]

## Fictional character biography

[edit]

Finesse's past is unclear, as her parents were once criminals who trained under Taskmaster, her abilities as a polymath manifested at a young age which stunted her emotional growth and social abilities, making her very unsociable at times. She was approached by Norman Osborn and accepted his offer, and in fact was a willing participant in his test, only making her better while giving Osborn what he wanted.

Finesse is recruited into the Avengers Academy along with five other students who have been affected by Osborn.[9] Finesse blackmails Quicksilver into training her the way Magneto trained him.[10] She figures out that she may, in fact, be the biological daughter of Taskmaster, but due to his position during Dark Reign all possible evidence has been deleted or sealed. They have a confrontation but no straight answer as the information of his "Photographic reflexes" overwrites his actual memories so he can't remember the previous day, let alone the year she was born, but knows it's a possibility. After a sparring session, Taskmaster can remember her movements and with at least knowing she's possibly his child, they part ways.[11]

Her ability to perceive even the slightest facial movements makes her a human lie detector. She is able to deduce that Jeremy Briggs, also a former Osborn torture victim, is trying to manipulate the students to quit the team and join his evil corporation.[12]

Despite her lack of emotions, she volunteers to sacrifice herself to save the rest of the team from Greithoth and Skirn during the "Fear Itself" storyline. Pym rescues the students before the bomb detonates.[13]

In a possible future it is shown that Finesse and Reptil have married, had a daughter and gotten divorced. It is revealed that she has completely lost her memory and can only remember people by their movements. She divorced Reptil due to the emotional strain on both of them and their daughter, as well as the fear that she will treat her daughter as her father treated her.[14]

Finesse became friends with X-23 due to their lack of emotion.[15] Finesse also stood by X-23 when she opposed the X-Men locking their students on the Academy grounds during the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline.[16] However, their friendship took a turn for the worse when Jeremy Briggs tried to release a superhuman cure. After Briggs took out X-23 and tried to acid burn her, Finesse grabs X-23's arms and fatally stabs Briggs in the radial and femoral arteries, causing him to bleed profusely. She begins to wrap him a tourniquet, but then changes her mind and lets him bleed out.[17] X-23 first thought she killed him, but when she finds out it was Finesse, she was furious. X-23 agrees to keep Finesse's secret, but declares they are no longer friends, upsetting Finesse. The faculty promotes the students, and Finesse immediately hits the databanks to test out her new security clearance, loading beta files.[18]

She is still with the Academy and is undisturbed by Reptil and X-23's mysterious disappearance caused by Arcade.[19]

Finesse is featured in the four-part series called Infinity: The Hunt. A friendly competition between various schools for super-powered teenagers turns serious when Thanos targets all of Earth's young super-beings. Finesse's new classmate 'Crimson' is murdered in the initial attack. The various schools work together to survive and bring the attack back to Thanos' forces.[20]

Finesse appears in the pages of Avengers Undercover, where she and Striker visit Hazmat in the S.H.I.E.L.D. detention center after she apparently kills Arcade.[21]

Finesse is part of an A.I.M. team kidnapping G.I.R.L. from a scientific exhibition led by Nadia Van Dyne, the current Wasp. A.I.M. had fooled their soldiers into believing that the attack, while violent, was ultimately intended to benefit the Earth through forced defensive weaponry invention. The A.I.M. team is repelled, all members ultimately captured. Finesse, along with other A.I.M. soldiers, is allowed 'probation' via working with Wasp, her scientists and the Avengers. Finesse's skills were suitable for bodyguard needs and repeated, exact repetitions of scientific experiments.[22]

## Powers and abilities

[edit]

Jeanne Foucault is a polymath with photographic reflexes,[23] allowing her to comprehend complex systems and effortlessly replicate any physical action she observes.[24] Whether mastering complex martial arts techniques or absorbing advanced scientific knowledge, she retains everything she has learned.[25] Furthermore, Foucault's ability to perceive minute facial movements has enabled her to become a human lie-detector.[26]

The similarity in this ability to Taskmaster's "photographic reflexes" has caused Foucault to suspect that Taskmaster may be her actual father, but after a confrontation with him, the suspicions remain unconfirmed. Taskmaster did alert her to the same problem he has faced with his abilities -that over time older memories become lost, overwritten as new skills are learned.[11] This was in part shown to be a possibility in an alternate future where Foucault was only able to remember people by their movements.[27]

## Reception

[edit]

Matthew Meylikhov of Paste highlighted Jeanne Foucault, as a character with untapped potential. He noted that while Avengers Academy aimed to guide potential villains toward heroism, Finesse stood out as the one most likely to become a supervillain. Despite her aloof and dangerous demeanor, Meylikhov emphasized that Finesse possessed immense potential and could captivate audiences if given the opportunity to truly shine.[28] Deirdre Kaye of Scary Mommy called Sabra a "role model" and a "truly heroic" female character.[29]

Oliver VanDervoort of Game Rant described Foucault as an intriguing character. While she may not have the same widespread recognition as iconic heroes like Iron Man or Captain America, VanDervoort highlighted Finesse's unique abilities and complex backstory, which have earned her a dedicated fanbase. He noted that her character particularly appeals to readers who enjoy morally gray figures, making her stand out.[30] Thomas Bacon of Screen Rant named Foucault one of the best new superheroes of the last decade. He described her as a fascinating character, a "shades-of-grey" superhero, who struggles with social situations but consistently demonstrates ruthless skill. Bacon emphasized that her complexity and abilities made her one of the most captivating characters in recent superhero comics.[31]

## In other media

[edit]

* Finesse appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel's Avengers.[32][33]
* Jeanne Foucault / Finesse appears in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, voiced by Anjali Kunapaneni.[34][35][23] This version works with Daredevil, who assigned her to infiltrate Oscorp as an intern and spy on Norman Osborn on his behalf.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ George, Joe (January 29, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Episode 1 and 2 Bring Back Deep-Cut Marvel Characters". Den of Geek. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
2. ^ Erdmann, Kevin (February 4, 2025). "The MCU Just Introduced 3 New Potential Recruits For The Avengers Replacement I'd Love To See In Live-Action". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
3. ^ Fink, Richard (January 29, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Biggest Easter Eggs and References in Episodes 1 & 2". MovieWeb. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
4. ^ Zachary, Brandon (March 15, 2022). "These Avengers Academy Members Deserve Another Shot". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
5. ^ Allan, Scoot (November 29, 2020). "Avengers Academy: Where Are They Now?". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
6. ^ Dodge, John (July 13, 2021). "Avengers: How Marvel Predicted Black Widow's Taskmaster Twist". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
7. ^ Morris, Steve (September 10, 2013). "Marvel Announce Pixie-Featuring Miniseries Inhumanity: The Awakening". ComicsBeat. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
8. ^ Richards, Dave (September 17, 2013). "Inhumanity Prepares Marvel's Teen Heroes for an "Awakening"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
9. ^ Avengers Academy #1 (June 2010)
10. ^ Avengers Academy #2 (July 2010)
11. ^ a b Avengers Academy #9 (February 2011)
12. ^ Avengers Academy #15. Marvel Comics.
13. ^ Avengers Academy #19. Marvel Comics.
14. ^ Avengers Academy #25. Marvel Comics.
15. ^ Avengers Academy #29. Marvel Comics.
16. ^ Avengers Academy #31. Marvel Comics.
17. ^ Avengers Academy #37. Marvel Comics.
18. ^ Avengers Academy #39. Marvel Comics.
19. ^ Avengers Arena #13. Marvel Comics.
20. ^ Infinity: The Hunt #1-4 (2013). Marvel Comics.
21. ^ Avengers Undercover #4 (2014). Marvel Comics.
22. ^ The Unstoppable Wasp #9-10 (2019). Marvel Comics.
23. ^ a b Schedeen, Jesse (January 29, 2025). "5 Ways Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Transforms Peter Parker's Origin Story". IGN. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
24. ^ "The History of Avengers Academy". Marvel.com. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
25. ^ Poisuo, Pauli (January 29, 2025). "The Marvel Heroes & Villains You Missed In Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man". SlashFilm. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
26. ^ Avengers Academy #15. Marvel Comics.
27. ^ Avengers Academy #25. Marvel Comics.
28. ^ Meylikhov, Matthew (May 19, 2015). "10 C-List Marvel Heroines A-Force Should Spotlight". Paste. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
29. ^ Kaye, Deirdre (November 16, 2020). "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic". Scary Mommy. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
30. ^ VanDervoort, Oliver (January 30, 2025). "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man: Who is Jeanne Foucault?". Game Rant. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
31. ^ Bacon, Thomas (December 13, 2019). "The Best New MARVEL Superheroes of The Last Decade". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
32. ^ Furn, Daniel (December 17, 2023). "LEGO Marvel's Avengers Cheat Codes and How to Redeem Them". Radio Times. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
33. ^ Thielenhaus, Kevin (August 12, 2017). "Unlock Characters & Powers in LEGO Marvel's Avengers With These Cheats". The Escapist. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
34. ^ "Jeanne Foucault Voice - Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved February 5, 2025. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
35. ^ Raymond, Charles Nicholas (August 10, 2022). "Every Character Confirmed For Spider-Man: Freshman Year". ScreenRant. Retrieved October 21, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Avengers Academy

* Christos Gage
* Mike McKone

Initial characters|

| Current Faculty|

* Giant-Man / Hank Pym (headmaster)
* Tigra
* Quicksilver
* Jocasta
* Hawkeye / Clint Barton

|

Former Faculty|

* Justice
* Speedball

Guest instructors|

* Iron Fist
* Valkyrie
* Captain America
* Doctor Strange
* Protector
* Spider-Man
* Hercules

Current Trainees|

* Finesse
* Hazmat
* Mettle
* Reptil (Student Leader)
* Striker
* Batwing
* Butterball
* Hollow
* Juston Seyfert
* Lightspeed (Teacher's Assistant)
* Power Man / Victor Alvarez
* Ricochet / Johnny Gallo
* She-Hulk / Lyra
* Spider-Girl
* Thunderstrike / Kevin Masterson
* Turbo/Michiko "Mickey" Musashi
* White Tiger / Ava Ayala
* Wiz Kid
* X-23
* Loa

Former Trainees|

* Veil
* Machine Teen
* Rocket Racer
* Hybrid / Jimmy Marks

Supporting characters|

* Avengers
* Hawkeye
* Iceman
* Jessica Jones
* Thunderbolts
* X-Men
* Young Allies

Enemies|

* Absorbing Man
* Arcade
* Blackout
* Enchantress
* Grizzly
* Korvac
* Mandrill
* Masters of Evil
* Mentallo
* Norman Osborn
* Ruby Thursday
* Sinister Six
* Slug
* Taskmaster
* Whirlwind

Related series|

* The Avengers
* Avengers: The Initiative
* Avengers Arena
* Avengers Undercover
* Avengers Academy: Marvel's Voices

In other media|

* Marvel Avengers Academy

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