Crossbones (character)

Young Brock Rumlow led the Savage Crims gang on New York City's Lower East Side.^[1] After he brutalized fifteen-year-old Rachel Leighton, two of her brothers assaulted Rumlow and he killed them. Rumlow fled, entering the Taskmaster's school for criminals, and within three years he became an instructor there under the name Bingo Brock.^[2]

As a mercenary, Rumlow enlisted with Albert Malik in Algeria, serving him as Frag until he was sent to invade Arnim Zola's Switzerland chateau. Ultimately the only team member to survive the assault, Rumlow met and impressed Red Skull, who accepted Brock’s services and codenamed him "Crossbones".^[3]

The Red Skull sends Crossbones to observe Helmut Zemo's progress acquiring the Bloodstone fragments and to obtain them.^[4][5] Crossbones stows away aboard Captain America's flagship and enters Zemo's ship to steal the Bloodstone fragments. Crossbones is forced to shatter the Bloodstone fragments when the Hellfire Helix uses it to take control of Heinrich Zemo's body; the destruction of the Bloodstone discorporates the Hellfire Helix. Knowing that his employer would be infuriated by the Bloodstone's loss, Crossbones kidnaps Rachel Leighton (now Diamondback). He challenges Captain America to retrieve Diamondback, but the Captain defeated him, although Diamondback escaped, and the Red Skull ordered Crossbones to desist and return to headquarters.^[6]

Crossbones assembles the Skeleton Crew from the Red Skull's henchmen and led them on a search for the Red Skull, who had been missing since Magneto imprisoned him in an underground bunker.^[7] Crossbones is fired for questioning the Red Skull's alliance with Viper. Desperate to regain his position as leader of the Skeleton Crew, Crossbones kidnaps Diamondback.^[8] The two are captured and imprisoned, with Red Skull rehiring Crossbones on a temporary basis.^{[volume and issue needed]}

At the start of the "Heroic Age" event, Crossbones joins the new Thunderbolts team formed in the aftermath of Norman Osborn's siege of Asgard.^[9] Government agents, working with Luke Cage, add Crossbones to the team knowing that he cannot be reformed, hoping that his extreme methods will alienate the other Thunderbolt members and push them towards rehabilitation.^[10] During the team's first mission, Crossbones was exposed to corrupted Terrigen Mist.^[11] Crossbones manifests the ability to fire a powerful, piercing beam of energy from his face, which is theorized to have originated from his exposure to the Mist.^[12] Crossbones is discharged from the Thunderbolts after killing a police officer and apparently loses his powers.^[13][14]

During the "Devil's Reign" storyline, Crossbones appears as a member of Mayor Wilson Fisk's Thunderbolts.^[15]

An expert combatant trained in warfare, Crossbones is an accomplished military tactician, and is thus able to formulate strategies on the battlefield. He also has extensive training in martial arts, street-fighting, marksmanship, and various forms of hand-to-hand combat. He once served as a student at the Taskmaster's school for criminals before becoming an instructor there himself.^{[volume and issue needed]} Physically, Crossbones is tall and well built, but moves with an athletic grace uncommon for a man of his bulk. In addition, he is proficient in the use of various weapons, such as guns, bows, and throwing knives. One of Crossbones' primary weapons are spring-loaded stiletto blades housed in his gauntlets. He also has experience with torture and brainwashing, having effectively "reprogrammed" Sin,^{[volume and issue needed]} and nearly so with Diamondback.^{[volume and issue needed]}

As a member of the Thunderbolts, Crossbones was exposed to corrupted Terrigen Mists during a mission,^[11] and shortly after manifested the ability to generate a circle of energy in front of his face which could fire energy beams capable of piercing and burning targets.^[12] The ability developed to the point where flames engulfed the entirety of his head while still allowing him to fire focused energy beams.^[13] Crossbones is not impervious to the flames he generates.^[13]