Real Name
Eric Koenig
Occupation
Formerly Howling Commandos PMC operative, H.A.M.M.E.R. agent, S.H.I.E.L.D.
division in Bonn, Germany (director), pilot, commando, Nazi agent
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Citizenship
German
Place of Birth
Unrevealed
Known Relatives
Ilsa Koenig (sister)
Group Affiliation
Howling Commandos PMC, formerly H.A.M.M.E.R., S.H.I.E.L.D., Howling Commandos, Nazi Germany, Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht
Education
Unrevealed
Height
6'
Weight
176 lbs.
Eyes Blue
Hair
Blond
Powers
None
Abilities
Eric Koenig was a skilled pilot, able to fly anything from one-man
biplanes to passenger jets. He was trained as a Nazi, ranger, and
S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, granting him extraordinary talents in combat and
espionage.
Other Info
Eric Koenig and his friend Wilheim Hauser were members of the Nazi Youth Group. Then in 1935, when Hitler came to power, to two friends joined the Wehrmacht. However, in the 1939 invasion of Poland, Eric
began to doubt Hitler's leadership. Wilheim, on the other hand, was completely
devoted to Hitler and the two men began drifting apart. (To learn about the group above, just click on their highlighted name.)
Later, Eric joined the Luftwaffe in Nazi Germany, but was transferred
out of that service when he became an aide to Dr. Draus. During this time, Eric began to resent Dr. Draus due to the way the doctor treated him as a mere underling. At one point, while at an inn with Dr.
Draus, Nick Fury
was discovered and the began fighting with the German soldiers. The doctor ordered Koenig to protect him; however, Fury convinced Koenig to switch
sides and to work for people who would appreciate his talents. Therefore, Eric
turned on Dr. Draus and Koenig and Fury forced him to pilot a plane back to
England. Upon arrival, the two placed Dr. Draus into custody. It was then that Eric was
introduced to Sam Sawyer. As part of his defection to the Allies, Eric shared all of the intelligence he had with them about the Axis powers. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about Nick Fury. Note: Beware of a low-cut outfit worn by one in the background of Nick Fury's bio page.)
Soon after, Eric was assigned to assist Nick Fury and others in rescuing some of the Howling Commandos
from Germany. Some people on their team didn't trust Eric. This led to even some fights; however, Koenig remained adamant about his decision to fight
for the Allies. When the team's cover seemed to had been blown, Eric
took them to his sister, Ilsa. She told the group that the Howling Commandos were going to be executed in Berlin by
Hitler himself. Therefore, the team worked together and managed to sneak in and save the Howlers--though Dino Manelli was badly injured. Ilsa helped them escape out of Germany, and they returned back to England. (Click on the highlighted team above to learn more about them.)
After their return, Sawyer named Koenig as Manelli's replacement on the Howling Commandos until Manelli recovered from his injuries. Even later, when Izzy Cohen became a prisoner of war, Koenig took his place on the team. However, when Cohen returned, Koenig was asked to stay on as offical member of the Howling Commandos. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about the character.)
At one point, it seemed as if Koenig had defected back to join the Nazis; however, Koenig was actually working as an undercover spy. In the position, Eric was able to help the Howling Commandos on several occasions. Eventually, Eric was retrieved by
the Commandos, along with his girlfriend Coral Liebowitz and put on trial--where he was cleared of all charges.
After WWII, Koenig was one of the Howlers that joined Nick Fury in forming S.H.I.E.L.D. (To learn about S.H.I.E.L.D., just click on the highlighted name above.)
Much later, when S.H.I.E.L.D. was dismantled and replaced by Norman Osborn's H.A.M.M.E.R., Koenig remained on the team, despite the fact many of his former teammates (including Dum Dum Dugan and Gabe Jones) resigned and created the Howling Commandos Private Military Company (PMC). However, it was
later revealed that Koenig was once again working undercover as a spy for the the Howling
Commandos PMC and assisted them with multiple H.A.M.M.E.R. Hellicarriers raids. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the character, teams, and/or vehicle.)
More recently, Eric and his Howling Commando teammates took part in
raiding a secret Hydra base. However, as the team was flying away in their Hellicarriers, several Hydra
Dreadnoughts appeared and shot down both of their ships. This left Eric and many of his team mates
parachuting down to the ground. Once landing though, they had to engage their enemies on
foot. Unfortunately, Koenig was shot during the fight and appears to have been killed in action. (To learn about the Hydra and/or their Dreadnaughts, just click on the highlighted name above.)
There is nothing there, but here is the Marvel.com bio link to Eric Koenig, marvel.com/universe/Koenig,_Eric.
Agent Koenig appears in the TV show, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Real Name
Brock Rumlow
Occupation
Mercenary; (Formerly) assassin, instructor at Taskmaster's school for criminals, pilot
Citizenship
U.S.A. (with a criminal record)
Place of Birth
Unrevealed
Known Relatives
None
Group Affiliation
D.O.A.; (Formerly) Thunderbolts, Skeleton Crew, Taskmaster's
school for criminals, Savage Crims Street Gang
Education
Taskmaster's
school for criminals
Height
6' 4"
Weight
290 lbs.
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black (dyed brown; shaved bald)
Powers
None; (Formerly) Energy blasts from the Terrigen Mist.
Abilities
Crossbones is one of the world's best hand-to-hand fighters with extensive
experience in street-fighting, various forms of martial arts, and military
combat techniques. He is also an expert marksman with crossbows,
guns, and throwing knives. In addition, he is an expert pilot.
Other Info
When he was younger, Brock Rumlow led the Savage Crims Gang on New York's lower east side. One day he assaulted a fifteen year old Rachel Leighton. In response, two of her brothers came after Brock. In the ensuing conflict, Brock ended up killing the oldest brother. Afterward, Rumlow fled. (To learn about Diamondback, click on her highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the form-fitting outfit worn by Diamondback on her bio page.)
Soon after, Rumlow entered into Taskmaster's
school for criminals. Within three years, he became an instructor at the school and went by the name of "Bingo Brock." (To learn about the Taskmaster, click on his name above.)
Later on, as a mercenary, Brock enlisted with the Red Skull (Albert Malik) in Algeria. However, when he was sent to invade Arnim Zola's Switzerland chateau, Brock was the only member of the team that survived the assault. It was there that Rumlow met and impressed the Nazi Red Skull (Johann Shmidt). This Red Skull ended up hiring Brock and gave him the code-name "Crossbones." (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or team.)
Later, Crossbones was assigned to observe Helmut Zemo's progress in acquiring the five Bloodstone fragments. When Zemo began battling with Captain America, Crossbones knocked out Captain America's pilot, John Jameson, and stole two of the fragments. Then, when he got near the other three fragments, the five combined together and re-animated Heinrich Zemo's
corpse; however, it was under the control of the alien Hellfire Helix. Therefore, he ended up destroying the Helix. Knowing that his master would be infuriated by the loss of the Bloodstone, Crossbones kidnapped Diamondback and took her to Madripoor, using her as bait to trap Captain America. But, when
the Red Skull learned of Crossbones' involvement with Captain America, he
ordered Crossbones to return back to their headquarters. (To learn about the highlighted characters and/or place above, just click on their names.)
When the Red Skull went missing, Crossbones recruited from the Red Skull's henchmen and led the team known as the Skeleton Crew. At one point, in their attempt to rescue the Red Skull, Crossbones and his Skeleton Crew were captured by the Schutz-Heilligruppe (Blitzkrieg, Vormund, and Zeitgeist). However, Arnim Zola ended up rescuing them. Then after the Red Skull was rescued, he actually fired Crossbones because he questioned the Red Skull's decision to ally with the Viper. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the different characters.)
After this, Crossbones became a mercenary and
assassin for a number of organizations and people such as Super Pro and Hydra. However, it was when he tried to assassinate Gambit (even with the help of Batroc the Leaper and Zaran) that he was defeated by the combined efforts of the New Orlean's assassin' and thieves' guilds. Afterward, Crossbones was imprisoned in the Raft. (To learn about the above highlighted team, characters, and/or place, just click on their names.)
Later on, when Electro broke into the Raft, Crossbones took the opportunity and escaped. It was after this that the Red
Skull rehired Crossbones. It was here that Crossbones met and became romantically involved with Sin (Synthia Schmidt)--the Red Skull's daughter. Crossbones was aiding the Red Skull in re-powering the Cosmic Cube when Alexander Lukin’s Winter Soldier
assassinated the Red Skull and stole the Cube. Afterward, Crossbones and Sin worked together to hunt down Lukin. It was later revealed that the Red Skull had actually used the Cosmic Cube
while dying to transfer his mind into Lukin's body. (To learn about the above highlighted characters and/or object, just click on their names.)
Following the events of the Civil War, when Captain America and his Anti-Registration heroes surrender, Sharon Carter of S.H.I.E.L.D. (brainwashed by Doctor Faustus) ended up shooting Captain America. However, Crossbones also sniper shot Cap as well. Crossbones tried to escape in a helicopter, but was captured by Falcon and
the Winter Soldier, and subsequently turned over to S.H.I.E.L.D. While Crossbones was in custody, Wolverine and Daredevil sneaked aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier with the help of Doctor Strange. The two interrogated and beat up Crossbones to get information out of him, but he revealed no knowledge of his hiring by the Red Skull. Afterward, S.H.I.E.L.D Director Tony Stark arranged for Professor X to scan Crossbones' mind for information; however, Professor X discovered that someone had erased several parts of Crossbones' memory in order to prevent someone from scanning his memory. Eventually, Sin and a new incarnation of the Serpent Squad broke Crossbones out of S.H.I.E.L.D custody. However, after some future conflicts, Crossbones was shot several times and was taken back into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the event, characters, and/or teams.)
Later, Crossbones was recruited to the Thunderbolts led by Luke Cage. While on a mission in New Guinea, Crossbones breathed in the Terrigen Mist
and gained energy blasting powers. Then while on a mission with the Avengers,
Crossbones, Juggernaut, and Ghost threw off the teleportation signal and ended
up in a different dimension together with the Avengers. Crossbones took this opportunity to try to kill Captain America; however, he was thrown into a strange pool of water
that reversed the effects of the Terrigen Mist and cost him his powers.
After the mission, he was removed from the Thunderbolts and returned to
incarceration. (To learn about the above highlighted teams, character, and/or item, just click on their names. Also, Crossbones with his energy blast powers is shown in the fifth picture posted above.)
Some time later, when the Juggernaut became one of the "Worthy"
and destroyed the Raft, Crossbones seized this chance and escaped. Crossbones was on the run and ended up teaming with Sin and fought Valkyrie and the Avengers. Later on, in a brutal
fight with Wolverine, Crossbones was critically injured, but was healed
by Daimon Hellstrom. Crossbones and Sin then joined the division of Hydra known as the Department of Occult Armaments (D.O.A.). (Click the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or team.)
After many missions with the D.O.A., on one specific mission, many members of the team including Crossbones went missing. Therefore, Crossbones' current whereabouts are unknown.
To learn a little bit more about Crossbones, click on the following Marvel.com bio link, http://marvel.com/universe/Crossbones.
Our victor by a long shot for the Battle Ultimate 5 is...GRAVITON!
Receiving 7 of the 9 votes, Graviton wins with no contest, and is now officially the "People's Choice of the Strongest Marvel Characters"
(of the last 50 Marvel characters highlighted on the Marvel Madness
blog anyway)!
The only other character that received votes was Bor with 2 votes.
Graviton will be going head-to-head with the winner of the future Battle Ultimate 6 winner for Battle Supreme 3! However, that won't be for another 50 Marvel character highlights--about a year away!
Thank you for all you Marvel Maniacs that participated in the poll!
Real Name
Alexander Goodwin Pierce
Occupation
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Secret Warriors (leader)
Citizenship
United States
Place of Birth
Long Island, New York
Known Relatives
None
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Group Affiliation
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Education
Unrevealed
Height
6' 0"
Weight
175 lbs.
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Brown
Powers
None
Abilities
Alexander Pierce is a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, and is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and marksman.
Other Info
Alexander Pierce majored at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy in civilian surveillance. He served in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s
Accounting Department before he became a "sleeper agent" for S.H.I.E.L.D.
as an expert in decoding dispatches from the subversive
organization HYDRA. (To learn about the teams highlighted above, just click on their names.)
Later, when S.H.I.E.L.D. was secretly taken over by the Deltites (artificially created duplicates of human beings), the Deltites forced
S.H.I.E.L.D. Public Director Nick Fury
into the role of a renegade and fugitive. It was Fury who recruited Alexander Pierce to
function as his right-hand man. The two worked together in a series of
break-ins at different S.H.I.E.L.D. installations. The information they acquired was then carefully leaked and inaccurate. Pierce then functioned as a contact between Nick Fury and Tony Stark. Afterward, he accompanied Fury to Hong Kong following false leads in search of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stolen Helicarrier Power Core. After escaping an ambush at HYDRA's Hong Kong base, Pierce accompanied Fury to the Himalayas, along with their prisoner, Madame Hydra.
Unable to withstand the bitter cold, they were saved from certain death
when they were seized by the Deltites and brought to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s
orbiting satellite. However, with the aid of Madame Hydra, Pierce and a group of
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were able to escape and took part in a battle that led to the
destruction of the Deltites. (To learn about the above highlighted characters and/or vehicle, just click on their names. Note: Beware of the low-cut outfit worn by one in the background on Nick Fury's bio page.)
At one point, S.H.I.E.L.D. was disbanded, and Alexander Pierce stayed on as a custodian of the skyscraper that once served as the team's headquarters. However, after the Death’s Head Squadron attacked, former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Contessa Valentina Allegro De Fontaine and Al MacKenzie
called on Alexander Pierce to find out where Fury was located. Afraid that Fury would be
next on the squadron's list, Pierce joined the two agents in finding Fury. (To learn about the character above, just click on her highlighted name.)
Later on, Alexander Pierce joined the new version of S.H.I.E.L.D. that Fury organized. He was given command of Team Black--one of Fury's three Secret Warriors teams with his newly organized S.H.I.E.L.D. With Pierce at the lead, Team Black's objective was to gather intelligence on HYDRA.
More recently, the time had come for the major offensive attack against HYDRA that Nick Fury had been
building toward. Their target was Hell's Heaven--a secret HYDRA in China. Alexander Pierce and his Team Black were sent by Fury, along with two Helicarriers full of members of the Howling Commandos Private Military Company--led by
Dum-Dum Dugan--to carry out the attack. HYDRA's forces were
overwhelmed by the assault. Pierce and his Team Black breached the facility's security
along with a small unit of Howling Commandos and planted an explosive
right in the heart of Hell's Heaven. Then Pierce and his team left as the base was destroyed behind them. (Click on the highlighted name above to learn about Dum Dum Dugan.)
There is nothing there, but here is the link to Alexander Pierce's bio on Marvel.com, http://marvel.com/universe/Pierce,_Alexander.
We've had Battle Royal 17, 18, 19, and 20! Therefore, another 50 Marvel characters have been highlighted! This means
only one thing...BATTLE ULTIMATE 5 SHALL COMMENCE!
Normally, we
would take the top 8 winners of the past four Battle Royals (top 2 for
each Battle Royal) and put them
head-to-head in a giant Battle Ultimate! However...because there was a two-way tie for 2nd place on Battle Royal 17, a three-way tie for 2nd place on Battle Royal 19, and a two-way tie for 2nd place on Battle Royal 20, we will only be having the top 5 characters go head-to-head in the Battle Ultimate 5!
Put the "good" and "evil" notion
to the side. It's EVERYONE vs. EVERYONE. No alliances! Just pure
power and abilities versus others' powers and abilities! Only ONE
can be left standing! Please choose who you think would win among
the people's chosen 5 strongest Marvel characters.
Also, if you have time,
please leave the reason why you think the character you chose would
win in the "Comment" section below. This way, we can all see your
reasoning in choosing your winner. Who will be the victor? Only you can decide!
The people's chosen 5 strongest characters in the past 50 highlighted characters: Sauron, Viper, Silver Samurai, Graviton, and Bor. (If
you have forgotten some of these characters' powers/abilities, go
ahead and check out their bios right here on the Marvel Madness
blog.)
Real Name
Samuel Thomas Wilson
Occupation
Adventurer, city planner, social worker; (Formerly) criminal
Citizenship
U.S.A.
Place of Birth
New York City, New York
Known Relatives
Paul Wilson (father, deceased), Darlene Wilson (mother, deceased), Sarah Wilson Casper (sister), Gideon Wilson (brother), Jody Casper (nephew), Jim Wilson (nephew, deceased)
Group Affiliation
Avengers; (Formerly) S.H.I.E.L.D., Heroes For Hire, partner of Captain America, Secret Avengers, Defenders, Night People, Queen's Vengeance, "Defender for a Day"
Education
High school dropout, later extensively self-educated
Height
6' 2"
Weight
240 lbs.
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Black
Powers
Originally possessed the ability to telepathically communicate with his
pet falcon Redwing, but that ability has grown into the ability to
telepathically communicate with any birds within an unknown radius.
Through this telepathic link he is also able to receive mental images of
what the birds see.
Abilities
Excellent trainer of birds, and has been highly trained in gymnastics and hand-to-hand combat by Captain America.
Other Info
Sam Wilson grew up in a rough Harlem neighborhood with his parents and two siblings: Sarah and Gideon. Their father was aminister, and was killed one day while trying to stop a fight. Sam tried to make good choices and do the right thing; however, later on when his mother was killed by a mugger, Sam's grief and anger consumed him and he began a life of crime. He began working for the mob, going by the name "Snap" Wilson.
After an assignment, on the way to Rio de Janeiro, Sam's plane crashed in a remote Caribbean island. It was here that the Red Skull and his henchmen (the Exiles) were hiding out. The Red Skull tried to use Wilson as a pawn against Captain America,
who was currently on the island searching for the Red Skull. To do so, the Red Skull used the Cosmic Cube to give Wilson the ability to telepathically
communicate with birds, especially a bird that Wilson had bought named
Redwing. Wilson and Captain America battled one another until Cap was able to shake Wilson of the
Red Skull's programming. After this, the two worked together to fight against the Red Skull. Afterward, Wilson became Cap's partner for some time as the "Falcon." (To learn about the above highlighted characters, team, and/or object, click on the names above. Also, Falcon with Redwing can be seen in the first and third pictures posted above.)
Later, the Falcon was drafted to join the Avengers by Henry Gyrich to fill an "affirmative action" quota. However, soon after, Wilson resented being the "token" black member of the team and quit. (To learn about the team and/or character above, just click on their highlighted names.)
Returning to New York, Wilson became a social worker in his regular identity and fought crime as the Falcon--defending the streets of his hometown
both in and out of his costume. As the Falcon, Wilson mainly stayed to rooftop-swinging until he received help from the Black Panther, who crafted a new costume for Sam which included glider wings which were powered by sunlight and was linked to Sam's brain which allowed him to fly. (Click the highlighted name above to learn about the Black Panther.)
At one point, the Scarlet Witch accidentally destabilized the Falcon's mind, pushing him back towards
his "Snap" persona. He continued to work with Captain America; however, due to his old persona, the two's relationship became strained, until, finally, Cap felt that he
had no choice but to stop working with him. (To learn about the Scarlet Witch, click on the highlighted name above. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits worn by the Scarlet Witch on her bio page.)
Later on, after the enactment of the Superhuman Registration Act, the Falcon was actually the first to join Captain America in opposition of the Act. When Cap later became incapacitated, Falcon temporarily assumed leadership of the rebel group known as "Secret Avengers." However, following Captain America's assassination, the Falcon registered with the government and was made
responsible for Harlem, although he remained in contact with the
underground New Avengers. (To learn about the event and/or teams above, just click on their highlighted names)
Later, S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited the Falcon and Sharon Carter to investigate Captain America's assassination by locating the Winter Soldier and tracking down the Red Skull. (To learn about the team and/or characters above, just click on their highlighted names.)
At one point, Falcon helped the Avengers in their conflict with the mutants of Utopia. Falcon was sent with She-Hulk and Moon Knight to keep an eye on the Jean Grey School. However, while there, a fight broke out, after Frenzy
goaded Moon Knight. Then when She-Hulk injured some kids, believing that
they were greater threats, the conflict turned into a full blown battle with the school faculty. (Click on the highlighted names above to learn about the characters and/or places. Note: Beware of the revealing outfits worn by She-Hulk and Frenzy on their bio pages.)
More recently, Falcon has rejoined the Avengers after Iron Man and Captain America chose to expand the team's roster. (To learn about Iron Man, click on his name above.)
To learn a little more about the Falcon, click on the following Marvel.com bio link, http://marvel.com/universe/Falcon_%28Sam_Wilson%29.
