- "He made me jump for hours, as high as I could. He said I was never as good as you."
- ―Hope Shlottman to Jessica Jones[src]
Hope Shlottman was a girl from Omaha who was raped by Kilgrave and forced to kill her own parents under his command. Sentenced to two life sentences, Jessica Jones tried to prove her innocence by capturing Kilgrave and forcing him to either confess or expose his powers in order to free Shlottman. Knowing that Jones would always refrain from ending Kilgrave's life so long as she was alive, Shlottman took her own life, begging Jones with her last words to put an end to Kilgrave.
Biography[]
Track Star[]
Hope Shlottman was the daughter of Bob and Barbara Shlottman and the older sister of Owen. Shlottman left Omaha, Nebraska and became a student at New York University, getting an apartment with her best friend Mei. As she attended New York University, Shlottman joined the school's track team; she was extremely proud of her accomplishments and called her parents constantly to update them.[3] In the event of "Long Jump", Shlottman became number two in the state.[4]
Disappearance[]
Shlottman met Kilgrave. Soon after, she quit the track team, stopped contacting her parents[3], except, on Kilgrave's permission, to call her mother for her birthday,[5] and told Mei to sell her items in order to get the expected rent money for their apartment.[3] Shlottman used her credit card, an item her parents gave her for emergencies since she was taught to be frugal, to buy expensive clothes and a man's suit.
When the one-month anniversary of her relationship with Kilgrave came, he took her to a restaurant; however, the table Kilgrave wanted was occupied. Shlottman saw the maitre'd ask the seated couple to vacate their table for her and Kilgrave. Since Niku did not make the dish that Kilgrave requested, Kilgrave had the chef find the former restaurant's chef and get the recipe.[3]
Rescue of Hope Shlottman[]
After dinner, Kilgrave and Shlottman stayed at the Plaza Hotel together, where she was repeatedly raped by Kilgrave. Knowing that Jessica Jones would be on his tail, Kilgrave fled the hotel room, ordering Shlottman not to move from the bed. When Jones arrived, she pulled the fire alarm to clear out almost every room; however, Shlottman refused to exit Kilgrave's room as per his command, lying in bed and watching the alarm clock as she counted the minutes since Kilgrave left. Jones entered the hotel room and requested that Shlottman follow her, although Shlottman refused. Understanding what was happening to Shlottman, Jones forcibly carried her from the bed. She screamed and fought, refusing to go. However, during her struggle, Shlottman hit her head on a door frame, rendering her unconscious.
Ultimately, Jones took Shlottman to the Alias Investigations Office and called the student's parents. Jones let Shlottman know that nothing Kilgrave had her do was her fault and had her repeat the phrase so that it could be internalized.[3]
A Not-So-Happy Reunion[]
Bob and Barbara Shlottman arrived at the office and were elated to see their daughter and decided to take her home to Nebraska, but Kilgrave had placed one more command in her. While in the elevator with her parents, Shlottman pulled a gun from her purse. Jessica Jones saw the gun and ran to the elevator, but it closed and proceeded downward before she could enter. Meanwhile, Shlottman killed her parents, shooting them multiple times. When the elevator opened at the ground floor, Shlottman, still holding the gun, turned to Jones and said for her to smile. Suddenly, Shlottman regained her senses and started to scream in horror as she saw the bullet-ridden bodies of her parents.[3]
Detention[]
Jessica Jones' Visit[]
Shlottman was visited in detention by Jessica Jones who wanted information about Kilgrave and Shlottman's time with him; she just looked out the window, saddened. Her first response was to ask Jones about her jumping ability because Kilgrave would force her to jump for hours and would compare her efforts to Jones'. Hope later said that she was upset because her brother Owen was now all alone, at the age of twelve. Jones told her that she will try to prove her innocence, but Shlottman did not believe her and had a temper tantrum. As Jones exited, a doctor entered and insisted that Shlottman take her medicine willingly or he would force her to ingest it.[4]
Jeri Hogarth's Visit[]
Jeri Hogarth entered Shlottman's visiting room and told her that she was Shlottman's lawyer and that if she had kept the public defender provided by the state, she would have two life sentences to regret her decision. Shlottman said nothing. Hogarth then said that she was referred by Jessica Jones who believed in her innocence and decided to find others that were abused by Kilgrave. This caused Shlottman to turn to Hogarth in disbelief; she did not know that there were others beside her and Jones. Hogarth, taking a seat, asked her to reveal everything to her.[4]
Talk Radio Interview[]
Shlottman was convinced by Jeri Hogarth to participate in a phone interview with Trish Walker on her talk show at WNEX Station. Hogarth sat with Shlottman as she spoke over the phone. During the interview, Shlottman described how she tried hard to resist the command of Kilgrave to kill her parents, but ultimately his directive prevailed. She revealed that she loved her parents and, though she is remorseful for what she did, she does not believe it was her fault. Hogarth then spoke as if Shlottman was insane, so Walker defended her to her listeners. When Walker began taking phone calls, Kilgrave himself called and asked Walker the wisdom in insulting him if he truly had mind control powers. Shlottman screamed and rattled her chains upon hearing her tormentor's voice.[5]
Need for Abortion[]
- "Every second it's there, I get raped, again and again; my parents are shot, again and again."
- ―Hope Shlottman to Jessica Jones[src]
Shlottman was transferred to the Northeastern Correctional Facility to await her trial.
Shlottman had Sissy Garcia as a cellmate, who slept on the bottom bunk.[1] Discovering that she was pregnant and hating the fetus growing inside her because it reminded her of her rape and her parents' murder, Shlottman promised Garcia that she would give her fifty dollars cash and a carton of cigarettes if Garcia beat her up.[6]
Shlottman called the cell phone of Jessica Jones and asked her to visit her in the Facility, but to bring cash with her. As the two talked, with Shlottman insisting from Jones to hand her the cash as opposed to putting the money in her commissary, they were interrupted by Sissy Garcia, who wanted Shlottman to hurry her conversation so they could watch television together. Jones tried to give Shlottman hope, but after she took the cash, Shlottman dismissed her.
That evening, Shlottman was awakened by Garcia telling her to stay quiet as she beat on her.[1]
Shlottman was hospitalized from her beating; when Jeri Hogarth visited her, she refused to tell her anything. Later, Jones came to visit her, knowing her arrangement with Garcia but not why. Shlottman told Jones about her pregnancy and her hatred for the unborn child, referring to the fetus as a tumor. Jones told her that she would handle her situation.
When Jones and Hogarth returned days later, Jones gave Shlottman an abortion-inducing pill; as Jones was telling her to be certain before taking it, Shlottman wholeheartedly swallowed it. Over the next few hours, Shlottman had unbearable pains; Hogarth stayed by her bedside.[6]
Plea Bargain[]
Shlottman got a visit from Jeri Hogarth where her attorney told her that the state wanted her to cop a plea bargain in which Shlottman was to plead guilty and her charges would be diminished to twenty years instead of possibly two life sentences. Hogarth tried to convince her to take the deal since Shlottman was young enough, in her opinion, to do the time and be released still able to have a family and continue her life. Shlottman said that she wished to consult with Jessica Jones before making a decision.
Shlottman called Jones who told her that she had captured Kilgrave, and that with patience, Jones was working on getting her exonerated with the telepath's confession. Hesitant, because she was running low on faith and options, Shlottman allowed Jones to convince her to refuse the plea bargain.[7]
Release from Prison[]
- "I have Hope. The person, not the feeling. Well, the feeling, too. I'm a hopeful man."
- ―Kilgrave to Jessica Jones[src]
Once Kilgrave managed to break from Jessica Jones' captivity, he went to the District Attorney and used his powers on both him and a judge to convince them of Shlottman's innocence, leading to release papers he brought to Jones in her apartment. After Jones rendered Kilgrave prisoner again, she called Shlottman, surprising her with the claim that the following day Shlottman would be free from prison. Skeptical, Shlottman listened as Jones tells her that she will take her to a restaurant to celebrate her freedom; when Jones tells her that she can return to Nebraska, Shlottman revealed that she has no home, as everyone from her old town has blamed her, disowning here and ostracizing her, and her brother Owen has been led to believe that she too died with their parents. Essentially, she is an outcast and can never return to Nebraska. Jones promised that she will not be late in retrieving her from prison.[8]
Suicide[]
However, an incident led to Jessica Jones being knocked out and Kilgrave's escape, and thus she was late in picking up Shlottman from the Northeastern Correctional Facility upon her release. So Shlottman called Jones to remind her of her promise. With the sound of panic in her voice, Jones told Shlottman not to move or to hide in a bathroom until she arrived; Shlottman realized that Kilgrave was no longer Jones' captive. Kilgrave arrived at the prison before Jones could and forced Shlottman to go with him, leaving Jones a message with a correctional officer that they could be found at Niku.
At Niku, Shlottman was unable to move as she sat at a table with Kilgrave while Malcolm Ducasse, Robyn, Jackson and Donald were made to stand on the bar with nooses around their necks. When Jones entered with Albert Thompson, she demanded an exchange for Shlottman; Kilgrave exerted control by having the four step closer to the edge and the possibility of being hung.
Shlottman begged Jones to kill Kilgrave as he commanded his father to walk towards him without relinquishing control over Shlottman; he told Shlottman that Jones wanted to remain a hero by trying to keep him alive for Shlottman's sake. As Kilgrave hugged Thompson, Shlottman grabbed a glass on the table and shattered it; Kilgrave gloated that she was incapable of killing him. Shlottman remarked that Jones had the power and stabbed herself in the neck. While blood poured from her jugular with every heartbeat, Shlottman watched as Kilgrave ran with Thompson while telling the four to leap from the bar. Jones chose to save the four before attending to Shlottman. As Shlottman died, she begged Jones to promise her that now that she was no longer a factor that she could kill Kilgrave; Jones vowed that she would, ultimately fulfilling her promise at the end.[8]
When the police arrived, the others told the authorities that they witnessed the death of Shlottman, omitting the involvement of Kilgrave.[9]
Personality[]
Shlottman used to be an innocent girl until she met Kilgrave. Kilgrave mind controlled her to do anything she wanted, and she obeyed despite wanting to run. Sometimes he made her jump until she collapsed. One time, he told her to kill her parents, which put her in jail. Throughout all of this trauma, she became cold and sad. She even admitted to losing her sanity. Once she found out she was pregnant with Kilgrave's child, she paid Sissy Garcia to beat her up so that she could kill the fetus. When that didn't work, she took a pill to throw it up. When she was finally set free, she gained some of her sanity back. However, Kilgrave got to her again to lure Jessica Jones. Seeing all of the people in danger, Shlottman realized it could've been avoided if Jones had killed him instead of trying to get a confession to free her. So Shlottman killed herself in order for Jones to be free to kill Kilgrave.
Abilities[]
- Marksman: While enthralled by Kilgrave, Shlottman used a gun to kill both of her parents.
- Tactician: In prison, Shlottman developed better strategy to survive including forcing Jessica Jones to give her money for Sissy Garcia to beat her up to try and kill Kilgrave's baby that was gestating inside of her.
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
This section requires expansion |
- Revolver: Shlottman was given a revolver so that she could kill her parents.
Facilities[]
- Plaza Hotel: Kilgrave kept Shlottman at the Plaza Hotel where she was found by Jessica Jones
Prisons[]
- Northeastern Correctional Facility: Following the murder of Bob and Barbara Shlottman, Hope was held at the Northeastern Correctional Facility whilst awaiting trial.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Allies[]
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Enemies[]
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Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Hope Shlottman is the first main character from The Defenders Saga not to be derived from the original Marvel Comics.
Behind the Scenes[]
- Roxanne Roca was a stunt double for Erin Moriarty in the role of Hope Shlottman.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jessica Jones: 1.05: AKA The Sandwich Saved Me
- ↑ Jessica Jones: 1.13: AKA Smile
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Jessica Jones: 1.01: AKA Ladies Night
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Jessica Jones: 1.02: AKA Crush Syndrome
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jessica Jones: 1.03: AKA It's Called Whiskey
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jessica Jones: 1.06: AKA You're a Winner!
- ↑ Jessica Jones: 1.09: AKA Sin Bin
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jessica Jones: 1.10: AKA 1,000 Cuts
- ↑ Jessica Jones: 1.11: AKA I've Got the Blues