J Jonah Jameson

Personality
Integrity. Responsability. Openness. Those three words are among those used to describe John Jonah Jameson Jr. Other three words would be stubborn, ambitious and short-tempered. J Jonah Jameson is a determined figure who has the true spirit of a reporter and investigator and believing in the heart of the truth. This along with his incorruptible nature have made him a beacon of the spirit of journalism. At the core though. J Jonah Jameson harbors a gruff cynicism as a result of his past, both personally and professionally. He harbors intense distrust at figures who hide their identities, rooted in the two-faced nature of his father and as such, champions more down-to-earth everyman heroes. As such, his opinions on heroes can vary wildly and while he can be a harsh critic, his heart is usually in the right place. He is unafraid of authority and has often defied standards and norms, such as defending civil rights, challenging the mob up front and other bold claims. He has often cowed greater men of authority through sheer force of will and personality.

He is often cankterous and belligerent of his employees though also protective of them and many have compared him to be a gruff but caring parental figure. At the same time, he can be dismissive of their problems and have a caustic sense of humor. He also presents himself with sharp judgment though often he can be stubborn when evidence is shown to be wrong. However, he does have his softer side as he shows unstrained pride in his son John, who is an accomplished astronaut and has looked out for his niece Mattie. Additionally, he assisted Betty Brant and even watches out for Peter Parker, even if he confesses to having suspicions of the kid. At the same time, his journalistic integrity has been questioned by his open suspicions and hostile opinion pieces on Spider-Man.

Youth & Journalism
John Jonah Jameson II was born on August 5, 1945 to Bethany "Betty" Jameson and David Jameson. David Jameson was a popular war hero from WW2 and used the GI Bill to find his education and support his wife and newborn son in living the American dream. Growing up, J Jonah Jameson looked up to his warhero father. However, that admiration would soon sour as his father turned increasingly hostile and physically abusive as he grew older. The only refuge they got was when David's brother, John Jonah Jameson I, would visit though the two brothers would fight with one another. Jameson would interpret two lessons from this time growing up: that "No one's a hero every day of the week" and "Even the real heroes can't keep it up all the time." It was this sort of mentality that would led to his more cynical and distrustful view of "heroes" along with increased value in honesty and integrity. In his youth, he turned to the Boy Scouts to escape his troublesome homelife and expanded his extracurricular activities as he grew older. In high school, his interests were mainly boxing and photography. The former was started as a way of self-defense while the latter was a hobby he was introduced to by his sister and when he joined the photography club, he would meet his high school sweetheart and future wife, Joan. The three began dating after J Jonah Jameson defended her from sexual harassment from some of the school's jocks.

His long career within the Daily Bugle began back in high school, as his photography was often submitted to the Daily Bugle, thanks to the help of his great-uncle Walter Jameson. He continued this work in college, butting heads with the editor of the college paper, Barney Bushkin. While JJJ was hot-headed and worked toward results, Barney was methodical and objective, often questioning those who worked under him. This trend continued when in a moment of surprise, J Jonah Jameson went overseas and became a war correspondent for the US Army during the Vietnam War. While many people were surprised by this, given his opposion toward David, he was inspired by Captain America, his childhood hero. However, he remained there to capture many of the wartime horrors and atrocities of the Vietnam War, something which embittered him even more during his return. It was only through sheer guts and guile that he avoided any major consequences for refusing to hide the truth of what was really going in Vietnam. He also stayed behind because of the news that his beloved Joan was expecting and he would become a family man. He was determined to become a better father than David ever was. However, during the birth of JJJ III, Jonah discovered that David was actually his stepfather and his biological uncle, while his biological father being none other than the man he was named after. While he gained a form of understanding toward David in light of this along with also seeing combat, it just incentivized to be a better father toward his son. This drive was reinforced when his beloved Joan died when his son was just a child, leaving him a widower.

Rise to the Bugle
His recent tragedies had him double down on his work in the Daily Bugle, where he worked to being promoted to head editor though he would be dealing with the Daily Bugle floundering financially. However, thanks to financial assistance along with help from the family, he was able to get the money needed to begin hisgoal. Initially using it to fund his wife's dream of making her own magazine, which he created as NOW Magazine, he would also use the resources of his new publication company to purchase the Daily Bugle and moved it to new headquarters thanks to inheriting partial ownership of its future home through Walter and after ousting the previous man in control, he moved it to the building and made it the new headquarters. Under his pen, it soared to new heights and became one of the most well-respected papers in New York City once more, attracting a new audience with his confrontational style and fiery rhetoric. All while raising his son with the help of his sister and helping to become a good man, with Jameson's proudest day being when he learned his son was accepted into NASA. Returning the favor to his sister, he would also watch over Maddie.

However, things took a turn for the strange with the rise of strange costumed heroes and Jameson found himself on-edge and distrustful of the colorful crime-fighting crusader known as Spider-Man. While initially more ambivalent, he did grow more frustrated with the crimefighter over time, especially after being snubbed suppsoedly for an interview. At the same time, his paper did become the only source for Spider-Man photographs, courtesy of his new employee of sorts, Peter Parker.

Trivia

 * When asked on his disdain for Spider-Man, his reasons included but not limited to:
 * blaming Spider-Man for the rise of "super-powered criminals"
 * believing that Spider-Man is too soft on criminals, disdain on how he has taken attention away from "real heroes"
 * crimes of vigilantism
 * Spider-Man's insistence on hiding his identity through a mask (he concedes the point on eyewear for practical purposes.)


 * Others have speculated he does not actually hate Spider-Man, but uses the hero as a way to increase the sale of papers for the Daily Bugle. Others noted it was the result when the hero refused an exclusive interview with the Bugle and general secretive nature.


 * He has once worked under and admires infamous gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in his youth. The two still communicate to this day.


 * He was once accused of committing tax fraud in the past. He was found not guilty.


 * John Jonah Jameson has considered a career in politics though finds his current work in the Daily Bugle too important for him to consider running for office. He has been a popular write-in choice for Mayor though.


 * Jonah has mentioned that his strong sense of civil rights comes from him "hating everyone equally". This defense of minorities has been extended to mutants, mutates and even aliens and has often published scathing articles in response to politicians or hate-groups capitalizing on the so-called "mutant menace". In his words, "the only menaces are these #$%& monsters masquerading as men."


 * While he gets along somewhat fairly with all employees, he has one of the more distinct relationships with Peter Parker. On the one hand, he does like the kid and sees a bit of himself in him regarding temper and supporting himself, even if he does enjoy messing with Parker often. However, he also mentions that he feels he is hiding something and is partially why the relationship is contract-based rather than salary based.


 * He considered introducing his niece Mattie to Peter in the hopes that it would do him some good and help Mattie gain a more pro-active sense of responsability, but ultimately decided against it since it may be seen as unprofessional. He is however not usually bothered by workplace romances given how he accepted his secretary Betty Brant having a relationship with Peter Parker and later with Ned Lee.


 * He is usually seen smoking cigars despite the potential health concerns mentioned otherwise.


 * He is a large fan of Captain America and the Liberty Legion, which is considered one of the reasons why he can be more even-handed toward costumed heroes that have either open identities or identities protected by government law due to acting as sanctioned agents.


 * He has taken to practicing Tai Chi to help cope with his blood pressure and has even mixed it in with his boxing.