Marvel launched its line of adult comics under the MAX imprint in 2001, beginning with the hit series Alias. From the very first word, Alias established itself as something shockingly mature compared to the comics in print at the time. Of course, the real reason people loved the series was its protagonist, Jessica Jones, who made her debut in the comic yet effortlessly seemed to fit into the history of the greater Marvel Universe.
Time and again, Alias astounded readers with its bold creative decisions, and while the content was often graphic, it never felt unnecessary -- which is not to say it wasn't shocking. In fact, there were the ten most shocking moments in Alias.
10 The First Word
As the first comic published under Marvel's new MAX imprint for adults, Alias had a lot riding on its success. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos needed to impress readers with a great story while also clearly establishing the tone that would define not just their book but the entirety of Marvel MAX.
The first panel of the first page opened with a shot of a closed door, the words ALIAS INVESTIGATIONS printed on the glass. From the other side of the door, someone spoke, saying a single word: "F*ck!" This word -- down to the exclamation mark -- made for a powerful statement and a great shocking beginning.
9 The Sex Scene
One of the most talked-about moments in Alias is the sex scene in the first issue. While feeling particularly low, Jessica hooked up with a friend of hers as a way to distract herself from her emotional pain.
Michael Gaydos drew all the panels as close-ups on her face, while Bendis scripted Jessica's thoughts as she tried anal sex with Luke Cage (apparently for the first time). Her thoughts included this telling line: "I don't care what he feels like. I just wanted to feel something. It doesn't matter what."
8 The Toilet
One reason Brian Michael Bendis is so beloved by fans is his unconventionally organic style of writing dialogue. In Alias, he used this to great effect, extending the nature of speech to inner monologues as Jessica Jones worked through her issues.
Of course, it can be difficult to keep text interesting and engaging. One way Bendis played with this technique was to have a scene where Jessica sat on the toilet, working through her thoughts. This was tastefully done, but fans were not used to seeing superheroes taking prolonged bathroom breaks.
7 The Face of America
Secret identities used to be closely guarded. In other words, they were actually secret. Captain America, Iron Man, and Daredevil worked hard to keep people from knowing their real names. That was what made it so shocking when Jessica learned the real identity of Captain America.
She guarded this secret with her life, even after armed goons came after her and rich influencers tried to weaponize her knowledge against the President.
6 Self-Love
Masturbation is a taboo topic. However, it is something almost every human on the planet partakes in. Despite its commonality, people avoid discussing the topic, especially when it relates to women.
This made it a bold statement when the comic featured a scene of a young Jessica getting herself off while thinking about a guy she liked. It was a purely human moment of the pursuit of pleasure.
5 Backstory
Jessica Jones was a hot mess years before she became a private investigator. When her backstory was finally explored, the reason for her struggles became clear, as she gained her powers in the car accident that killed her family.
Beyond this, Jones was abducted by the Purple Man, who violated her psyche and broke her in ways that only a sociopath with mind control powers could. On a less dark note, one interesting facet of her backstory is that she had a crush on Peter Parker in high school.
4 Purple Prose
When Jessica confronted the Purple Man in prison, he went on a deranged monologue in which he broke the Fourth Wall, describing his existence within the pages of the comic.
While Deadpool might be funny when he makes jokes about being part of a comic book universe, this was utterly harrowing when the Purple Man monologued about this fact.
3 Squashing Ant-Man
After surviving a harrowing encounter with the Purple Man, Jessica Jones and her boyfriend Scott Lang went out for a meal. He smiled, relieved that they had gotten through something so terrible.
Scott told her he thought they had a real shot at a happy future together, and that surviving the Purple Man proved they could get through anything. Then Jessica told him she was pregnant, it belonged to someone else, and she was dumping him. Ouch.
2 Pregnancy
Shortly after dumping Ant-Man, Jessica approached her old fling Luke Cage. The two had shared a rocky relationship as friends with benefits for some time. However, the nature of their dynamic came into question when Jessica told him the news that she was pregnant.
Luke Cage might have indestructible skin, but this was something that touched him at his core. To his credit, he handled the news well, respecting Jessica and what this meant for her.
1 Keeping It
Abortion is possibly the most divisive political topic in the United States. To be clear, Jessica Jones believes in the right of a woman to have control over her body (her pro-choice stance was unambiguously extrapolated upon in her Netflix series). She also never gave any indication that she had any desire or capability of being a mother.
Despite this, when Luke Cage asked what she planned to do about being pregnant, she chose to keep the pregnancy, and eventually got married to Luke. The two have since become one of the most iconic couples in all of Marvel Comics.