If you’re diving into Marvel Rivals, you’ve probably encountered the adorable yet deadly Jeff the Land Shark. This pint-sized strategist may look cute, but his abilities make him one of the most versatile and entertaining heroes in the game. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about mastering Jeff, from his gameplay mechanics to his rich backstory in the Marvel Universe.
Jeff is classified as a Strategist, which means he primarily supports his team through healing and utility. However, Jeff’s unique abilities also make him a formidable force when played aggressively. His healing output is exceptional, and his mobility tools and crowd-control options allow him to adapt to various situations. Whether your team needs a healer, a disruptor, or even a temporary tank, Jeff can handle it all. While his strengths include high healing and versatility, his large hitbox and vulnerability to crowd-control enemy abilities require careful positioning and awareness to avoid becoming an easy target.
Jeff’s primary fire unleashes a continuous stream of healing water, perfect for keeping teammates alive from a safe distance. With infinite range, this ability allows Jeff to sustain his allies even from across the map. Proper positioning is key to maximizing its utility while avoiding enemy fire.
This secondary fire launches a high-speed water sphere that deals area damage and creates a lingering spell field upon impact. It’s great for disrupting clustered enemies or securing kills. When paired with Luna Snow, it transforms into Frozen Spitball, adding a slow effect for increased crowd control.
Healing Bubble allows Jeff to create bubbles that heal allies upon collection and boost their overall healing received. These bubbles persist on the map, making them invaluable for sustaining prolonged fights or controlling objectives. Strategic placement near choke points or high-traffic areas is essential.
Jeff’s mobility tool lets him dive underground, vastly increasing his movement speed and reducing his hitbox. This ability is perfect for repositioning, scouting, or escaping dangerous situations. While submerged, Jeff is immune to crowd control, adding survivability in critical moments.
Jeff’s ultimate allows him to swallow both enemies and allies in a large radius, dealing damage to foes while healing teammates. Timing is everything with this ability; it can disrupt enemy formations or save teammates in critical situations. Be mindful of environmental hazards like ledges to maximize its impact.
This passive reduces damage taken from critical hits by 50%. While it mitigates headshot damage, Jeff’s large frame still makes him a target. Awareness of enemy snipers is crucial to avoid unnecessary damage.
Jeff’s kit synergizes exceptionally well with heroes who can amplify his healing or enhance his utility. Luna Snow’s Frozen Spitball complements Jeff’s Aqua Burst by adding a slowing effect, increasing its effectiveness against clustered enemies. Groot’s tanking capabilities pair well with Jeff’s healing output, making them a durable duo in extended fights. When teamed with Mantis, their combined healing potential becomes a nightmare for enemies trying to secure eliminations. Heroes like Namor add aquatic synergy, enabling powerful map control on water-based terrain.
To play Jeff effectively, focus on map awareness and positioning. Use Hide and Seek to escape dangerous situations or reposition for optimal support. This ability also allows you to scout enemy movements and create opportunities for ambushes or counterplays.
Anticipate where fights will occur and pre-place Healing Bubbles near choke points or objectives. This ensures your team has access to healing during critical engagements. Combining bubble placement with Joyful Splash can create a strong defensive setup.
Jeff’s ultimate, It’s Jeff!, requires patience and precision. Use it to disrupt enemy formations or protect your teammates when they’re vulnerable. Keep an eye on enemy groupings and environmental hazards to make the most of its area-of-effect capabilities. Properly timed, this ability can turn the tide of battle in your team’s favor.
Jeff’s flexibility allows him to switch between healing and offensive roles depending on the situation. Adapt your playstyle to what your team needs, whether it’s sustaining allies during a prolonged fight or applying pressure to the enemy team with Aqua Burst.
Constantly reposition yourself to avoid becoming an easy target. Use Hide and Seek liberally to confuse enemies and reduce incoming damage. Mobility is one of Jeff’s greatest assets, so always stay on the move.
Coordinate with your team to maximize the impact of Jeff’s abilities. Effective communication about bubble placements or ultimate usage can elevate your team’s overall effectiveness and turn fights in your favor.
Cooldown management is critical for success. Proper use of Healing Bubble and Aqua Burst can save lives or secure eliminations. Always keep track of your cooldowns to avoid being caught without resources in crucial moments.
Some heroes, like Ironman and Peni Parker, can exploit Jeff’s vulnerabilities. Stay aware of enemy picks and adjust your playstyle to mitigate their impact on your performance.
Diving too deep with Hide and Seek can leave you isolated and vulnerable. Always have an escape route planned and be mindful of enemy movements.
Standing still while using Joyful Splash can make you an easy target. Always position yourself where you can heal effectively without exposing yourself to unnecessary risk.
Poorly placed Healing Bubbles can waste their potential. Make sure to place them strategically in areas where teammates are likely to need them during fights.
Spitting allies or enemies at the wrong time can disrupt your team’s strategy and give opponents an advantage. Ensure your timing aligns with your team’s needs to maximize the impact of It’s Jeff!
Jeff the Land Shark is an adorable yet formidable character who first appeared in Marvel Comics. Created by MODOK, Jeff was rescued by Gwenpool and quickly became a fan-favorite for his mischievous antics and insatiable appetite. Unlike his vicious land sharks kin, Jeff is loyal, playful, and a fierce protector of his friends. His unique charm and surprising power make him a standout character in the Marvel universe.
In Marvel Rivals, Jeff finds himself trapped in the Collector’s intergalactic menagerie. This strange zoo of galactic lifeforms becomes the backdrop for his journey to freedom. Despite his captivity, Jeff’s cheerful demeanor and fierce loyalty shine through. Teaming up with unlikely allies, including Mantis, Jeff becomes a key player in the fight against the Collector’s oppressive control. His gameplay reflects this duality of being both adorable and ferocious, allowing players to experience his mischievous yet heroic nature firsthand.
As Jeff the Land Shark swam another lap around his small glass enclosure, frustration finally began to settle in. He had tried so hard to stay his usual optimistic self, even after he lost track of how long he had been held captive here inside this strange Theme Park created by the enigmatic Elder of the Universe known as the Collector.
Jeff didn't really know how he got here in the first place. One second, he was frolicking in the endless waves lapping at the California coast with his BFF Gwen. The next, he was here, trapped within a tiny tank that he couldn't seem to chomp his way out of, no matter how wide he opened his powerful, little jaws.
But since his unexpected arrival, Jeff had pieced together why he was here. Surrounding his own enclosure were countless other holding cells, each containing unique specimens of lifeforms he had never seen before. Some almost looked like the human friends he had made back home, but others were so bizarre and alien that they couldn't possibly have lived on the land or beneath the waves of his native world. Jeff had visited a zoo before with another of his friends, the archer called Kate. And now, he thought that he was probably in one — just another exhibit on display in an intergalactic menagerie on the edge of the known universe.
Jeff didn't love being confined in his tank, but he had taken some comfort in the fact that he wasn't here alone. And while none of the other creatures around him seemed to be fluent in landshark, there was one fellow captive whose thoughts Jeff could hear in his own head. She said her name was Mantis and that she was a friend. And if there's one thing that Jeff loved — other than devouring everything in his path — it was new friends!
But one thing that Jeff hated was when those friends were in trouble... which brings us back to why Jeff had suddenly lost his cheerful demeanor in the first place. Jeff had felt Mantis's psionic scream as she was removed from her cell and dragged away. He had heard the guards talking about taking her to some sort of arena where the Collector's prisoners were forced to fight for their lives against multi-dimensional variants of themselves. Jeff had no idea what any of that meant. But he did know that Mantis was in trouble. He couldn't hear her voice in his head anymore. He couldn't feel her calming presence. He couldn't see where she was or if she was safe. And that made Jeff mad!
Jeff began to swim frenzied circles in his tank, increasing his speed by swishing his tail and paddling his tiny legs as fast as he could. When he had built up enough momentum, he propelled himself toward the wall that separated him from freedom. But the only result was sharp pain as his sweet little face smooshed against the crystal clear wall. Not even the slightest chip or crack could be seen in the glass... though a few may have been left behind in his teeth. It was clear that Jeff would need another plan if he wanted to escape.
As he floated there, dazed from the impact, Jeff wondered what his friends back home would do if they were in his situation. Kate would probably use an explosive arrow. Gwen would find an unexpected way to break through a wall (probably the fourth one). Elsa would have hidden some ancient enchanted blade in her ponytail to slice through the impenetrable glass. And Wade would simply sweet talk the guards into letting him out, winning their favor with false promises of money and tacos. None of those options would work for Jeff. He was stuck here, and the thoughts of his lost friends — including Mantis — left him feeling more and more alone with every second that passed.
But then he sensed it. A familiar tingle in his brain. Mantis was alive! And she was coming back... for him! Jeff couldn't help but grin as his friend approached, flashing several rows of serrated teeth in her direction. This was the first time he had seen Mantis in person, but while he may not have known her face, he immediately recognized her mind. Now that mind was clearly focused on one thing only — escaping from captivity once and for all.
"MMMRRRRR!!!!"
"He's going to draw the guards," another voice said.
In all his excitement, Jeff hadn't even noticed that Mantis was not alone. She had another humanoid with her, this one far more dark and brooding in demeanor. She did not look nearly as happy to see Jeff as Mantis did. And, to be honest, Jeff wasn't convinced that he liked her much either.
"Mrrr?" Jeff grunted quizzically, noticing the way the second woman was looking at him. He felt as though she was sizing him up, preparing to strike him down the second there was no longer any glass between them.
"Don't mind her," Mantis said as she started to activate the release mechanism on the side of Jeff's enclosure. "She wants to get out of here as badly as we do. And she knows the only way we can make that happen is if we work together."
Jeff smiled at Mantis, and she smiled back. Despite the fact that they were attempting to break out of the Collector's exhibition, with no real idea how to escape or where they would go if they did get free, there was something about this humanoid that made Jeff feel like everything was going to be all right. And it was clear he had the same effect on her.
Mantis continued to fiddle with the latch on Jeff's tank just as a squadron of armed guards came into view. As the guards shouted something in an alien language, Jeff could sense that Mantis was already reaching out with her mind in hopes of diverting them. But as quick as Mantis's thoughts were, somehow their new friend managed to get to the Collector's crew first. Her blades flashed in a glittering dance, and in seconds, the guards were down for the count. Jeff couldn't have been more impressed.
"Mrrr," Jeff said, trying to express his appreciation to the purple-haired warrior. Her cold gaze never softened. Jeff could sense that her mind was powerful, just like Mantis's, but her thoughts and emotions were heavily guarded. Jeff wanted his newest friend to like him as much as Mantis did, but for now he would simply have to accept that she no longer seemed to want to kill him or leave him behind.
Mantis finally managed to swing open the door of Jeff's tank, releasing a flood of water into the hallway. Jeff emerged from the miniature wave it created, propping himself up on his stubby legs and giving his body a quick shake to expel the excess moisture from his skin. Mantis laughed with pure delight as a deluge of droplets rained down on her. The other woman was not nearly as amused.
"Let's go," Mantis said, beckoning to her unlikely pair of partners. She began to run through the Collector's menagerie with a determination that made Jeff believe she knew where she was going. The warrior woman stayed close at Mantis's side, so Jeff felt the best thing to do was bound along right behind them.
As Mantis and her companion forged ahead, Jeff suddenly found himself distracted by an unusual smell. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered before, either on land or in the sea. It smelled delicious... and powerful...
Before he realized what he was doing, Jeff had veered off from his companions, entering the Collector's private gallery. Here, the Elder of the Universe had gathered some of the most powerful items and artifacts in all of existence and was displaying them for his wealthiest patrons to gaze upon. Jeff didn't know what any of these strange things were. Not the six colorful stones, nor the glowing cube, nor the otherworldly crimson gem, nor the flaming demonic scroll. But he did know one thing. He hadn't eaten in a very long time...
Jeff's instincts took control. He opened his tiny jaws wide and started to swallow down almost everything in the gallery as quickly as he could. Alarms began to blare, but it didn't stop Jeff from consuming one object of power after another!
"There you are, Jeff!" Mantis cried as she and her mysterious ally entered the now-empty gallery. "We thought we had lost you. Are you... okay...?"
"Mrrr...URP!" Jeff belched in response. His tiny tummy had started to rumble after he had gulped down a little metal vial marked PYM.
As Jeff blushed with embarrassment, Mantis chuckled. Even the steel-willed stranger couldn't help but smirk. But all levity instantly faded as another group of guards arrived in the gallery.
"Tivan is going to have our heads!" one guard shouted, as he realized that all of the artifacts in the private gallery had somehow vanished.
"Not if we bring him theirs first," another guard responded, aiming his weapon directly at Mantis and pulling the trigger.
"MRRRRR!"
Without a second of hesitation, Jeff leapt between the guard and Mantis, instinctively shielding his friend from the oncoming blast. But as he intercepted the attack, something extraordinary happened. Jeff grew to ten times his regular size!
"Hmm," mused the warrior woman. "Must've been something he ate..."
The enlarged Jeff let out a delighted squeal as he charged toward the guards, all of whom dropped their weapons and retreated as swiftly as possible.
As soon as they were in the clear, Jeff beckoned Mantis and her friend to follow him.
"That's not the right way, friend," Mantis said. "We found the hangar. It's in the other direction. That hall will just lead you back to your cell."
"Mrrr," Jeff said confidently, fully aware of what he was doing.
"Oh, I see," Mantis said with a smile. "Good boy, Jeff."
The women raced after the giant Jeff, back into the heart of the menagerie.
"Stand back, everyone," Mantis cried out directly into the minds of all the captive creatures.
As the alien assemblage took cover within their cells, the massive land shark gave a mighty twirl, swinging his tail with tremendous force and shattering through the outer glass walls of countless enclosures. The lifeforms once trapped within suddenly emerged from holding and scattered in all directions, each seeking their own way out of the Collector's custody.
"Mrrr?" Jeff asked as he began to shrink back down to his normal size.
"I know, Jeff," Mantis responded. "But we don't have time to save them all. At least not yet."
"Come on," their curious companion said, leading Jeff and Mantis through the chaos and back toward the hangar. "This may be our only chance."
Together, they entered the hangar, and Mantis located a spacecraft similar to the one she had flown during her time with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Relief washed over her as she led her new teammates onto the ship and powered it up.
"We're finally free," the other woman said with relief. "We can go home now..."
But the stoic warrior paused. She didn't need Mantis's empathic abilities to sense the sadness radiating through Jeff's mind as he looked back toward the creatures rampaging through the Theme Park below them.
"And they will be free, too," Mantis said reassuringly, placing a hand on Jeff's smooth fin and giving it a gentle rub. "We will find help and come back for them. We will free every single one of them. And we will make sure the Collector pays for what he has done. How does that sound, little one?"
As the ship lifted off, Jeff responded as only he could. With a toothy grin and an emphatic:
"MMMRRRRRR!!!"
Jeff the Land Shark is more than just a cute face in Marvel Rivals. With the right strategies and team composition, he can turn the tide of battle and secure victory for his team. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, mastering Jeff’s unique abilities will ensure you’re always making waves on the battlefield. So gear up, dive in, and let Jeff show the Marvel Universe what a land shark can do!
