She-Hulk’s Leap-Frog goes from Marvel Comics loser to rogue villain

She-Hulk: Lawyer settled into a comfortable rhythm in the latter half of its first season: each episode brings a different terribly obscure Marvel Comics character to the live-action screen to play. The show began its run with Titania – relatively known as the closest thing She-Hulk has to a nemesis – and has continued with the likes of Mister Immortal, Luke Jacobson and more.

This week is no different, with a cameo that’s miles ahead of the rest.

[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 8.]

Image: Marvel Studios

This week’s legal conspiracy involves Eugene Patilio, an aspiring superhero-turned-villain almost instantly, who uses his father’s money and clout to fund his ambitious costume life as a leap-frog. Patilio’s powers seem to include claims to having lots of money and using it to pay for a rocket boot suit – but what he’s really doing in the episode is building a door She Hulk‘s highly anticipated cameo appearance from Daredevil.

Is Leap Frog a real Marvel Comics superhero?

Image: JM DeMatteis, Kerry Gammill/Marvel Comics

Of course he is! He’s a lot nicer for that. Marvel Comics’ Eugene Patilio is the son of Vincent Patilio, who had a nefarious career as the supervillain Leap-Frog. Vincent served his time but never recovered emotionally or financially, and after the death of his wife, he really began to struggle. A very good boy, Eugene took it upon himself to salvage his father’s past by associating frog-based adventurers with good, not evil.

He donned his father’s old costume—complete with the spring-loaded boots Vincent invented—and began putting a stop to crime as Frog-Man. Frog-Man was never a big player in Marvel Comics (don’t act so surprised), but he’s the kind of character who reliably shows up when a writer needs to let you know something downright stupid is about to happen. He teamed up with the mutant Toad, was hunted by Kraven in a menagerie of animal-themed cartoon characters, and was replaced by a Skrull during the Secret Invasion.

He’s the kind of guy who gets chosen for a cosmic adventure with Iron Man and suggests the team’s name be “the Space Buddies”. And while his niche right now is “absolute nobodies who still can’t be hated,” that just means he’s one really good story away from superstar status. After all, it happened to Squirrel Girl.

Image: Marvel Studios

She-Hulk: Lawyer Maybe I needed a little-known superhero to play the jerk in this episode, and I respect that. The needs of adaptation must sometimes outweigh the needs of less. But I choose to remember Eugene as Frog-Man, not Leap-Frog.

Because he’s a good frog, Brent. 13.10.