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For other uses, see Ruben (disambiguation)

"If you just wake up and don't know him, maybe you're a bit racist. They say everyone is, a little."
"Everyone's a little what?"
"Everyone's a little racist? Like if you see someone like Malcolm, you make a snap judgement, you know? It's something to overcome."
―Ruben and Jessica Jones[src]

Ruben was a neighbor and admirer of Jessica Jones. He lived in an apartment alongside his sister, Robyn, until he was forced to kill himself by Kilgrave, who got jealous when Ruben declared his naïve love for Jones.

Biography[]

Family Life[]

Youth with Robyn[]

Ruben was born a fraternal twin with his sister Robyn. While growing up, their parents had a hard time controlling the behavior of Robyn, who always acted dominant, much to the subjugation of Ruben.[3] However, the siblings remained close and decided to live together, getting an apartment in Jessica Jones' Apartment Building.[3]

Apartment Neighbors[]

Issues with Jessica Jones[]

Ruben and his sister, Robyn, lived on the sixth floor of Jessica Jones' Apartment Building, directly above Jessica Jones. They both bickered, Robyn being more loud, and Jones could hear it in her room, downstairs.[4] Ruben liked to make banana bread with his sister, which another neighbor, Malcolm Ducasse, liked enough to say it was "like crack". One day, Ruben's chinchilla chewed through his charger cord, forcing him to order another through the mail. Robyn would not allow him to get it through express shipping, because she felt it was too expensive.[5]

One day, Ruben and Robyn decided to have chicken cordon bleu for a meal. Robyn noted that Ruben did not wash his hands after handling the raw chicken; she feared that he would spread salmonella throughout the apartment and, loudly, let him know her worries. An annoyed Jessica then knocked on the door, and Robyn told him to answer. Once Ruben opened the door, but leaving the chain lock attached, Jessica said she wanted them to lower their voices. While Ruben attempted to act cordially, Robyn fussed and told Jones to mind her business. Ruben asked Jones to be a deciding factor in their argument, but Robyn insisted that Jones was too ignorant to help them. Suddenly, Jones kicked in the door and grabbed Robyn; as she lifted Robyn in the air, Ruben saw Jones tell them that she care nothing for their affairs as long as it stopped disturbing her. Ruben came outside the door in his underwear as Jones, leaving, told the pair to get self-respect. Ruben helped Robyn from the floor after she demanded he help; then he was rushed inside because, as Robyn said, he was half-naked.

Later, Ruben stood with Jones as a repairman was put into an ambulance; he joked how different men seemed to leave Jones' apartment in ambulances. Since Jones seemed to ignore him, Ruben thanked her for chastising his sister, as his parents did not even have that ability. Jones was surprised that they were siblings. Ruben then commented on Jones' strength. She left, as Ruben stared. [3]

Unintimidated[]

Robyn heard commotion downstairs coming from the Alias Investigations Office and sent Ruben to tell Jones that she is too loud. Ruben looked inside Jones' partially opened door and watched as she had sex with a Black man. Jones spotted him peeping; Ruben delivered the message as she slammed her door.

Malcolm Ducasse entered Robyn's Apartment as she slept in order to eat some peanut butter. Robyn felt intimidated by Ducasse's presence, so Ruben escorted him downstairs to his apartment. In the stairwell, Ruben had to give instructions on how to walk because Ducasse was utterly intoxicated and Ruben was not strong enough to continue holding him upright. Jessica Jones ran over to assist and placed Ducasse in his apartment. Ruben desired small talk with Jones and told her about what happened upstairs. Ruben theorized that his sister was intimidated because she was partially prejudiced; Jones listened to the theory, then walked away.[6]

Fearing that Jessica Jones was hurt after hearing a loud crash, Ruben went downstairs to the Alias Investigations Office. He made her banana bread, without his sister knowing. When he asked if she liked banana bread, she said no and took it anyway. The next evening, Ruben entered the elevator to the apartment building seconds after Jones did and found Malcolm Ducasse slumped over on the elevator's floor. Fearing that Ducasse as overdosed, Ruben suggested that Jones take him to a hospital, but Jones decided to return Ducasse to his apartment. On the ride upwards, Ruben asked Jones for a date to the movies; she stared at him in disbelief. [1]

Murdered by Kilgrave[]

Ruben meets kilgrave

Ruben encounters and greets Kilgrave.

"My name is Ruben. I'm her neighbor. I made her banana bread."
"Why?"
"Because I love her."
―Ruben and Kilgrave[src]

A few days later Ruben brought more banana bread to Jessica Jones' room. Even though he noticed it was dark inside her apartment, he knocked on the door multiple times. Eventually the door is opened and he is met by Kilgrave, who has broken into the room. Not knowing who Kilgrave was, Ruben asked him a few questions. After answering the questions Kilgrave asked him why he was there, and Ruben told him that he brought banana bread because he loved Jones. Kilgrave almost immediately found him irritating and felt the desire to punch him.

Ruben death

Ruben is forced to violently commit suicide

Finding Ruben unbearable and wanting to send a message to Jessica Jones, Kilgrave ordered Ruben to commit suicide by cutting his own throat in Jones' bed. Ruben is later discovered dead on her bed by Jones, with his throat slit and a knife in his hand. As a result, Jones tried to hand herself over to the police so she could be thrown into a supermax prison, taking credit for Ruben's death in order to trick Kilgrave into walking into a trap to prove his powers. To shock the police, Jones cut off Ruben's head, after retrieving it since Malcolm Ducasse dropped his body in the sea, leaving his sister Robyn unaware of his death.[7] The package that Ruben had ordered days earlier finally arrived, causing Robyn to cry as she remembered the grief she caused her brother as he ordered it.[5]

Personality[]

Ruben was shy and harbors an unrequited crush on Jessica Jones. He was much more timid than his overbearing twin sister, Robyn. He was often the one to talk to Jones for Robyn or offered Jones gifts due to his affection for her.

Facilities[]

Relationships[]

Family[]

  • Father
  • Mother
  • Robyn - Sister

Allies[]

Enemies[]

Appearances[]

In chronological order:

Trivia[]

  • According to his sister Robyn, he and his sister are Pisces.

Behind the Scenes[]

Gallery[]

References[]

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