Mary Skrenes

Mary Skrenes is an American comic book writer and screenwriter, best known as the co-creator of Marvel Comics' *Omega the Unknown* alongside Steve Gerber. Born in the United States, she began her professional career in the early 1970s at DC Comics, writing horror and romance stories under editor Dick Giordano. She later published several horror tales for DC under the pseudonym Virgil North.

Skrenes’s most enduring contribution may be her creation of Beverly Switzler, the companion of Howard the Duck, who was inspired by Skrenes herself. For *Omega the Unknown*, she developed supporting characters Amber Grant and Dian Wilkins. She also wrote for other Marvel titles, including *The Defenders* and *Guardians of the Galaxy*. A long collaboration with writer Steve Skeates saw her co-writing mystery stories that were submitted solely under Skeates’s name due to tensions with editor Joe Orlando.

In the 1980s, Skrenes wrote episodes of animated series such as *Jem*, *G.I. Joe*, and *Transformers*. She reunited with Gerber in 2004 to co-write the short-lived series *Hard Time*, though contractual reasons limited her credit to the second season despite her involvement from the start. Her career spanned from 1971 to 2021, with credits on 46 issues. Skrenes’s work is noted for its character-driven storytelling and offbeat sensibilities.