Everything You Need to Know About Marvel Rivals’ Best Boy, Jeff the Land Shark

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Jeff the Land Shark is a recently-created character from the Marvel Universe who has grown in popularity thanks to NetEase’s new video game, Marvel Rivals. Jeff is an adorable creature,originally introduced in 2019. He even has other Marvel characters falling in love with him, including his many owners and even Emma Frost, who thought he was so cute, she wanted to turn him into a handbag.

Jeff has jumped from comic series to comic series, tending to follow a certain character at a time. In 2021, Jeff starred in his own Infinity Comic exclusively on the Marvel Unlimited app in that featured short, nearly dialogue-free adventures. Called It’s Jeff!, the Infinity comic was written by Jeff’s co-creator Kelly Thompson and drawn by Gurihiru, now known for being the artist behind many of Jeff’s kookiest hijinks.

After the rise of Jeff’s popularity, Marvel Comics has announced that the beloved Land Shark will be starring in his own print-first limited series called Jeff the Land Shark, written by Thompson and with art by Tokitokoro, starting June 2025. This series will piggyback off of Jeff’s popularity in Marvel Rivals to introduce fans of the game to the comics.

Jeff the Land Shark’s Origin Story Ties Him to Some of Marvel’s Most Charming Characters

Full Name: Jeffrey the First of His Name of the Former Staten Island

Jeff the Land Shark was introduced in West Coast Avengers #7 by Thompson, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Tríona Farrell, and Joe Caramagnaas one of the land sharks created by M.O.D.O.K. Superior to exact revenge on the entire city of Los Angeles. The reason why he needed revenge was simple: after he made himself handsome and went by the name B.R.O.D.O.K., all the women still rejected him. The scheme attracted the attention of the West Coast Avengers, who put a stop to B.R.O.D.O.K.’s plans. Jeff joined the army of land sharks, but didn’t stick around for long and quickly went off on his own.

Following the West Coast Avengers’ confrontation with the Masters of Evil West Coast, Gwenpool found Jeff on his own and adopted him, unable to resist his cuteness. The rest of the team was unsure about Jeffrey at first, constantly afraid of being bitten, and only let him stay because Gwen made him a part of the team rather than just being a pet. Over time, Jeff proved his loyalty and usefulness as part of the team and put all his effort into battle, eventually winning over the rest of the West Coast Avengers.

A Loyal Friend to Many Masters

First adopted by Gwenpool, Jeff the Land Shark followed her after her time with the West Coast Avengers into her own limited series, Gwenpool Strike Back! by Leah Williams and David Baldeón. Gwen spent the entirety of this series proving why she should continue to exist in the Marvel Universe, but with the constant fear that she would be canceled, she passed ownership of Jeff onto a more stable character: Deadpool. Though he missed Gwen, Jeff created a strong bond with Deadpool, who was, at the time, the King of Monsters on the island formerly known as Staten. Jeff was loyal to King Deadpool, and even helped him fight the X-Men.

Besides Gwenpool and Deadpool, Jeff had a few other companions, including Elsa Bloodstone, who worked with Deadpool, and developed a fondness for the Land Shark. In the anthology Marvel Comics #1000, Elsa ponders her mission to hunt monsters, but vows to kill anyone who ever tries to hurt Jeff. Later, Jeff came under the care of Hawkeye Kate Bishop. There is even a line in Marvel Rivals where Hawkeye Clint Barton asks where Jeff has been, as Kate is looking for him.

Jeff the Land Shark’s Powers and Abilities Go Beyond Being Absolutely Adorable

Getting Into Trouble Leads to Surprising Powers

As a Land Shark, Jeff was created to live on land without the need for water like a regular shark. However, Jeff retained his gills and can still breath underwater, as well as maneuver efficiently with his tail. Jeff is also incredibly intelligent, choosing to make friends with humans and acting as a house pet even though he is more than capable of taking care of himself. Jeff once demonstrated that he knows how to mix chemicals, as he created a concoction similar to Pym Particles that allowed him to grow into a kaiju.

Along with Jeff’s regular powers comes a spew of temporary abilities that he discovers whenever he’s causing chaos. With the help of Quentin Quire’s telekinetic powers, Jeff performed a Jeff-nado. While hanging out with Doctor Strange, Jeff ate some of the Sorcerer Supreme’s magical stones and temporarily gained tentacles and optic blasts. Jeff once used a device that allowed him to teleport and steal food from the Hulk, and he even has a symbiote suit that he keeps in his costume closet.

Jeff the Land Shark Takes Center Stage in Marvel Rivals

Marvel’s Best Boy Is Now a Playable Character

Jeff is part of Marvel Rivals’ original line-up of playable characters, which is one of the best things that Marvel has ever done. A relatively unknown (and adorable) character like Jeff the Land Shark had casual Marvel fans turning to the comics to find out more about this cute shark. Now with Jeff’s own full-length limited series arriving this summer, piggybacking on the popularity of the game, Marvel is about to see an uptick in comic readers. Jeff is a little different in the game than in the comics in terms of size and powers, but that’s how things work in the multiverse.

The Marvel Rivals version of Jeff, who heals allies and swallows enemies whole, can be seen again in the Marvel Rivals one-shot coming in April 2025. Marvel Rivals #1will even include a code to unlock a special Jeff the Land Shark “Unlimited Appetite” spray to use in the game, another fantastic strategy to bring Marvel gaming fans to the comics.

Jeff the Land Shark #1 is available June 4th, 2025, and Marvel Rivals #1 is available April 2nd, 2025, both from Marvel Comics.

Sources: Marvel.com

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