Killing is his business, and business is good.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we will explore the comic book origins
of the amoral assassin known as Crossbones.
IRON MAN: S'up, Crossbones?
Wanna just give up and save yourself the embarrassment?
As with most comic book characters, there are often reimaginings and different versions to a character's past.
We've chosen to primarily follow the storylines which unfolded in Captain America, Volume 1, #360,
383, and 400 to 404,
as well as Captain America, Volume 2, #3,
and Volume 5, #25.
-[dart whistles] -[grunts]
Thanks.
Yeah. You seemed pretty helpless without me.
Crossbones, a.k.a. Brock Rumlow, is one of Captain America's most determined and closely-matched foes,
thanks to his extensive proficiencies in hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, and military strategy.
Although Rumlow doesn't possess any superpowers,
his accomplished skill and relentless thirst for violence give Marvel's heroes plenty of reason to fear him.
Crossbones's first appearance can be traced back to Captain America #359,
where the costumed killer appears as shadowy figure stalking Captain America.
Crossbones's true motive isn't made clear until he assaults Cap's partner and lover, Rachel Leighton,
also known as former Serpent Society member Diamondback.
Crossbones reveals his codename to Diamondback before knocking her unconscious,
as it's explained that he'd been following both Cap and the villainous Baron Zemo
as they searched for pieces of the valuable artifact, the Bloodstone.
It wouldn't be long before we were treated to our first glimpses of Rumlow's incredible physical prowess,
fighting skill, and innate talent with weapons.
This is also where the tumultuous and troubled history between Rumlow and Leighton would first be established.
Indeed, Diamondback's own origins revealed a close, tragic relationship with Crossbones.
Years prior, Brock Rumlow was a New York City gang leader, who violently assaulted Leighton,
an attack which ended with Rumlow on the run for the murder of one of Leighton's older brothers.
Diamondback and Crossbones both coincidentally ended up at the Taskmaster's school for criminals.
Crossbones, already a seasoned criminal, quickly rose to the ranks of instructor,
under the moniker of "Bingo Brock."
Rumlow would earn his living as a mercenary in the years to follow with his time with Taskmaster,
signing up with Albert Malik, a KGB agent who posed as the Red Skull.
Malik sent Crossbones and a team of agents on a mission to invade the Swiss home
of noted Hydra biochemist, Arnim Zola.
Crossbones was the only living survivor,
after having been captured by both Zola and the original Red Skull, who was revealed to be very much alive.
It is said that, together, the Avengers can face threats no single hero can.
Then...
it is only fitting that we, their greatest foes, work together
in order to destroy them!
Skull enlists Crossbones as an ally and further trains him in the art of combat,
skills which would go on to define him as a formidable enemy of Captain America for years to come.
I just want you to know, Cap... this isn't personal!
[electricity buzzing]
-[electricity buzzing] -[Cap yells]
It kind of feels personal.
In 1997, Crossbones's personality underwent a bit of a change during the Rob Liefeld and Jeph Loeb era.
His noted reputation as a bit of a motormouth gave way to a quieter and more menacing Crossbones.
This is gonna hurt.
There are no prisoners with Hydra.
Just order.
And order only comes through pain.
You ready for yours?
Man, shut the hell up.
Still at the right hand of the Red Skull as the wannabe dictator's ruthlessly effective assassin,
this Crossbones certainly prefers to let his fists do the talking.
as he assaults Captain America in a graveyard
without ever speaking a taunt, insult, or even a word to his enemy.
Move away from your station.
Like he said...
[scattered shouting]
Captain's orders.
You picked the wrong side, agent.
Depends on where you're standing.
This silent but deadly version of Crossbones was dropped from Marvel's
Civil War storyline in 2007, however,
as the infamous assassin is captured as the gunman responsible for the apparent murder of Captain America.
This killing shocks the Marvel universe down to its very core,
although it's later revealed that Crossbones only managed to wound Cap in the shoulder,
with S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter, under hypnosis, actually firing the "fatal" shot.
Still, Crossbones's important place in this equally memorable Captain America storyline
makes him one of the hero's most iconic adversaries.
Are you a fan of the ruthless killer known as Crossbones?
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[gunfire]