Why Jessica Jones’ Powers Are So Inconsistent In Her Marvel Show

Jessica Jones is a different type of hero than those the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought so far, and viewers have pointed out that her powers are pretty inconsistent in her Marvel show – but why and what exactly are Jessica Jones’ powers? The MCU has been in constant expansion since its beginning in 2008 with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, and while it has now successfully branched out to TV/streaming, it had a failed attempt back in 2015 with Marvel’s Netflix TV series: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron First, The Defenders, and The Punisher.

Jessica Jones was released in November 2015, and it was so well-received by critics and viewers, that it was renewed for a second season – but as it (infamously) happens with many Netflix shows, it was canceled after its third season. Jessica Jones was darker than anything the MCU had seen at the time, and it followed the title character (played by Krysten Ritter), a former superhero who opened her own detective agency. Over the course of three seasons, Jessica struggled with her inner demons and a lot of past trauma – from the death of her parents and little brother to the abuse she went through with her partner, Kilgrave (David Tennant).

When compared to the rest of the MCU, Jessica Jones was not only darker but more grounded, as her superpowers weren’t on a fantasy side (like, let’s say, Thor or Doctor Strange) and the main focus of the series was her career as a private investigator rather than her superhero side. However, over the years, viewers have pointed out that Jessica Jones’ powers are very inconsistent throughout her show, which in turn raises the questions of what exactly are her powers, their origins in the comics, and how these changed when she made the jump to TV/streaming.

Jessica Jones’ Powers & Abilities In Marvel Comics

Jessica Jones was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos and made her first appearance in Alias #1 in 2001, though she was retroactively established to have first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, in 1962, as an originally unnamed classmate of Peter Parker (and so Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are also credited as creators). Born “Jessica Campbell”, she was actually present when Peter was bitten by the spider that gave him superpowers, but that’s not the only hero linked to her backstory, as her father worked for Tony Stark. One day, Jessica’s father received tickets for Disney World from Tony, but on the way home, the Campbells’ car collided with a military convoy carrying radioactive chemicals. Jessica’s family was killed and she spent months in a coma, and after waking up, she was adopted by the Jones family. Some time later, Jessica learned that the radiation exposure gave her superhuman abilities, and later decides to use them for good.

Jessica Jones’ powers and abilities as established in Marvel Comics are superhuman strength and flight, though the latter is an ability that she never fully mastered, and while she was able to fly quite well during her early years as a superhero, she said her ability degenerated while she was no longer an active hero. Following her time under Kilgrave’s control, Jessica underwent psychic therapy with Jean Grey in order to protect her mind from further mind control, and so this ability was officially added to the list. Jessica Jones is best known for her incredible strength, along with her skills as a detective and investigative journalist.

Jessica Jones’ Powers & Abilities In The Defenders Saga

Unsurprisingly, the powers and origins of Jessica Jones in The Defenders Saga are different from those in the comics. In the series, Jessica Jones was the daughter of Brian and Alisa Jones and the older sister of Phillip, who constantly pissed her off, but she was still very protective of him. One day, during a car trip with her family, she and her brother started arguing about a Gameboy, causing their father to become distracted, leading to their car hitting the back of the truck in front of them. Her father and brother died in the accident (and it was believed that her mother was killed too, but she was revealed to be alive in season 2), and she fell into a coma at the hospital. During her time at the hospital, she was secretly experimented on with gene editing therapy, granting her special abilities. Jessica was then adopted by Dorothy Walker as a publicity stunt to promote her daughter’s TV show.

Jessica Jones’ powers in The Defenders Saga are superhuman strength, enhanced durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, regenerative healing factor, superhuman leaping, and psychic resistance. Jessica was initially susceptible to Kilgrave’s mind control powers, but she developed resistance after being forced to kill Reva Connors, and this resistance is what helped her defeat Kilgrave for good. All this, of course, along with her skills as a detective and her expertise in combat.

Why Jessica Jones’ Powers Are So Inconsistent In Her Show

As mentioned above, viewers have pointed out over the years that Jessica Jones’ powers in her TV show were quite inconsistent. Many fans have complained about how she could land from a significant height and absorb the impact but she could be knocked out when hit in the head with a plank and broke her ribs when hit by a truck. While some have justified this by explaining she has enhanced durability but is still vulnerable, her strength is also inconsistent over the course of those three seasons. The reason for that is rooted in her personal struggles: from the moment the audience meets Jessica Jones, she’s dealing with PTSD as a result of the abuse she went through with Kilgrave, and she was also an alcoholic. The inconsistency of her powers was a result of her PTSD and also depended on whether she was sober or not so much.

How Powerful Is Jessica Jones Compared To Other Defenders?

Jessica Jones joined Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in The Defenders, and while some of them have similar powers to hers, they are not at the same level. Out of the Defenders, the most powerful one is Luke Cage, whose powers are pretty much the same as Jessica’s (minus the psychic resistance), with the big difference of his skin being extremely durable and bulletproof, and he’s also an expert combatant and investigator. Then there’s Iron Fist, who has the same abilities as Jessica and Luke but he also possesses chi manipulation, through which he can augment his physical and mental capabilities. Through this, he can do the Iron Fist punch, chi blast (the release of powerful waves of concussive force upon impact), chi sense (feel another person’s inherent life force and impurities infecting the body), and is also a master martial artist.

Last but not least is Daredevil, whose abilities are enhanced senses (all of them), and with that come more specific powers like echolocation, lie detection, thermoreception, and electroreception. Daredevil also has enhanced reflexes and is extremely skilled in different types of combat. Jessica Jones, then, is one of the most powerful members of the Defenders but not the one at the top of the list, but that doesn’t make her any less valuable to the team. It’s still unknown if Jessica Jones will formally join the MCU just like Daredevil did in Spider-Man: No Way Home or not, but it would be fun to have another look at her many abilities and how they can come in handy in the ever-changing MCU.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3269 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

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Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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