Batroc the Leaper
Encyclopedia
Batroc the Leaper is a fiction
al villain
from Marvel Comics
. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966. He is a mercenary and a master of the French form of kick boxing known as savate
.
s belong), along with his clumsy vocabulary with which he has the tendency to insert whole French words (which are sometimes erroneous, ex. "mon capitan"), Dali
-like moustache, lack of superpowers, and an apparent inability to win a fight have made him a very comedic character.
In later years, some writers have attempted casting Batroc in different light. In an issue of Mark Waid
’s run on Captain America
he was portrayed as a comical but highly talented martial artist capable of holding his own against Hawkeye
and the Captain at the same time. In Ed Brubaker
's Captain America, Batroc appears even more formidable, squaring off with the new Captain America twice and twice escaping with his prize intact (albeit it both times with assistance). Cap cites Batroc's martial arts style as a particularly dangerous one.
Sporting a new costume designed by John Romita, Jr.
, Batroc served as Klaw's top lieutenant in the first arc of the 2005 re-launch of Black Panther
.
, France
, and served in the French Foreign Legion
. He is a French
costumed mercenary
who specializes in savate
(also known as "La Boxe Française"), a form of kickboxing
. Although he has primarily appeared in the pages of Captain America
, he has also faced off against the Punisher
, Spider-Man
, Deadpool
, Hawkeye
, Iron Fist, and Gambit
. Batroc has occasionally led his own team, "Batroc's Brigade", whose membership has changed over time. The group has primarily fought Captain America.
He has functioned as a member of Baron Zemo
's Masters of Evil
(one of the stronger recurring villain teams that plague the heroes of Avengers
).
In Batroc's first appearance, he was hired by THEM
to steal the Inferno-42 cylinder. He first battled Captain America
during this mission. When Batroc introduced himself with typical bluster, Cap revealed, to Batroc's delight, that he had already heard of the mercenary: "Batroc the Leaper, eh? A master of la savate, the French art of boxing with the feet!" Later, he was again hired by HYDRA and abducted Sharon Carter
for them. He lured Captain America into a rematch, in which he insisted Hydra not intervene, and again lost; however, when Hydra agents prepared to kill both Cap and himself, Batroc, incensed at such "men wizout honair," switched sides to help Cap against Hydra. In both of these stories, Batroc was regarded as a deadly combatant, his skill respected by enemies and employers alike.
Batroc was then hired by a foreign power to locate a "seismo-bomb" with the first known Batroc's Brigade (consisting of the original Swordsman
and the Living Laser
). Batroc battled Captain America again. The Machinesmith
's Baron Strucker
android known as "the Hood" then hired a new Batroc's Brigade (consisting of Porcupine
and Whirlwind
) to battle Captain America.
Batroc then formed a third Batroc's Brigade, which consisted of various unnamed henchmen rather than known supervillains since supervillains had failed Batroc in the past. The alien Jakar, concealing his true nature and intent, hired this group to abduct children from New York and to battle Captain America and the Falcon
. Although Batroc felt no compunction about abducting children, upon learning Jakar's true nature and his intent to use the children's souls to revive his comatose race, he felt his "sense of honair" had been violated by the deception, and he again switched sides, aiding Captain America and the Falcon to rescue the children. Ward Meachum then hired Batroc's Brigade, who battled Iron Fist and a ninja warrior, several Brigade members dying in the process.
For a while after that, Batroc operated without a Brigade. Alongside an extra-dimensional demon
ally, Batroc attempted a theft of transuranium, but was stopped by Captain America and Spider-Man
. Batroc was also a member of the ersatz "Defenders", a group of villains who were impersonating the actual Defenders
. They committed robberies while posing as members of the Defenders, until stopped by a Defenders contingent. Alongside Mister Hyde
, Batroc attempted an extortion scheme against Manhattan. He battled Captain America, but when Mister Hyde decided to carry out the threat, which would kill thousands, Batroc, again showing that there were some lines he would not cross, aided Captain America against Hyde, saving the city.
Batroc then formed a new, longer-lasting lineup of Batroc's Brigade - this one consisting of Zaran the Weapons Master and Machete
. This team was first seen when Obadiah Stane
contracted them to steal Captain America's shield
and Batroc finally succeeded. Trick Shot
then hired Batroc's Brigade to battle Hawkeye
. Baron Helmut Zemo then hired Batroc's Brigade to acquire the fragments of the Bloodstone
. They battled Captain America and Diamondback
. Alongside Snakebite, Batroc also battled the Punisher
.
Later, the Leaper showed up as member of a small army of villains organized by Klaw to invade Wakanda, which included Rhino
, Radioactive Man, the Cannibal, and the villainous Black Knight. However, he was still ultimately defeated by Black Panther
's royal bodyguards.
Batroc was next seen as an inmate of the extremely high-security prison The Cage. The prison sports a field that mentally suppresses inmates' abilities to use their superpowers. Wolverine
states: "It doesn't matter how big you were on the outside. In here, combat experience is everything. Thugs like Wrecker
and Thunderball
might throw their weight around, but they'd never even dream of touching the big shots. Guys like Batroc and Kangaroo
. Yeah, I know."
Batroc has a daughter who is teamed in villainy with the daughter of similar B-list supervillain Tarantula
. Both daughters take their fathers' respective costumes and titles. The Taskmaster
expresses his shock that Tarantula and Batroc are heterosexual before soundly beating the two villains' offspring, tossing them effortlessly off of a building, noting that he also "hates ethnic stereotypes."
Batroc is mentioned to have faced the Runaways when he came to Los Angeles looking to take over after the deaths of the supervillain group known as the Pride. He was apparently defeated quickly, as he is referred to as "Batroc the Loser."
Batroc briefly served among the group of villains forcibly drafted into Baron Zemo
's Thunderbolts
army. However after returning to federal custody, Batroc registered with the Superhuman Registration Act
and was sent to a superhuman training facility located at Marine Corps Base Quantico
in Virginia
to train recruits in martial arts before being transferred over to Camp Hammond.
Ultimately, however, Batroc found government work unsatisfactory and returned to his mercenary life, confronting the new Captain America
while on a job to steal an item from the United Nations
. Also, he was working with The Man with No Face, a mysterious being from Captain America's past. It is soon revealed that Batroc was stealing the remains of the original Human Torch for reverse engineering.
(French-style kickboxing). He is also a skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.
Batroc is also an experienced thief and smuggler, and can speak both French and English. Although, as a mercenary, he does not hesitate to perform any number of criminal acts for his clients, Batroc has, by his own rights, a strong sense of honor, and he will turn against any client whom he feels has unfairly deceived him into committing crimes to which he might not otherwise have agreed.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
from Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966. He is a mercenary and a master of the French form of kick boxing known as savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
.
Publication history
Batroc's stereotypical accent ("Batroc ze Leapair"), and funny name (Batroc resembles "Batrachia", a older name for Anura, the animal class to which frogFrog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s belong), along with his clumsy vocabulary with which he has the tendency to insert whole French words (which are sometimes erroneous, ex. "mon capitan"), Dali
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
-like moustache, lack of superpowers, and an apparent inability to win a fight have made him a very comedic character.
In later years, some writers have attempted casting Batroc in different light. In an issue of Mark Waid
Mark Waid
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America...
’s run on Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
he was portrayed as a comical but highly talented martial artist capable of holding his own against Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
and the Captain at the same time. In Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
's Captain America, Batroc appears even more formidable, squaring off with the new Captain America twice and twice escaping with his prize intact (albeit it both times with assistance). Cap cites Batroc's martial arts style as a particularly dangerous one.
Sporting a new costume designed by John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
, Batroc served as Klaw's top lieutenant in the first arc of the 2005 re-launch of Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
.
Fictional character biography
Georges Batroc was born in MarseilleMarseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and served in the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. He is a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
costumed mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
who specializes in savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
(also known as "La Boxe Française"), a form of kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
. Although he has primarily appeared in the pages of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, he has also faced off against the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Deadpool
Deadpool (comics)
Deadpool is a fictional character, a mercenary and anti-hero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 Deadpool (Wade Winston Wilson) is a fictional character, a mercenary and...
, Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, Iron Fist, and Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
. Batroc has occasionally led his own team, "Batroc's Brigade", whose membership has changed over time. The group has primarily fought Captain America.
He has functioned as a member of Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
's Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
(one of the stronger recurring villain teams that plague the heroes of Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
).
In Batroc's first appearance, he was hired by THEM
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
to steal the Inferno-42 cylinder. He first battled Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
during this mission. When Batroc introduced himself with typical bluster, Cap revealed, to Batroc's delight, that he had already heard of the mercenary: "Batroc the Leaper, eh? A master of la savate, the French art of boxing with the feet!" Later, he was again hired by HYDRA and abducted Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter
Sharon Carter, alias Agent 13, is a fictional character, a secret agent in the Marvel Comics universe. She is an ex-field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D...
for them. He lured Captain America into a rematch, in which he insisted Hydra not intervene, and again lost; however, when Hydra agents prepared to kill both Cap and himself, Batroc, incensed at such "men wizout honair," switched sides to help Cap against Hydra. In both of these stories, Batroc was regarded as a deadly combatant, his skill respected by enemies and employers alike.
Batroc was then hired by a foreign power to locate a "seismo-bomb" with the first known Batroc's Brigade (consisting of the original Swordsman
Swordsman (comics)
Swordsman is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. His first appearance was in Avengers Vol.1 #19 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. The Swordsman was introduced as an enemy of Hawkeye and the Avengers...
and the Living Laser
Living Laser
The Living Laser is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #34 and was created by Stan Lee, Artie Simek and Don Heck.-Publication history:...
). Batroc battled Captain America again. The Machinesmith
Machinesmith
Machinesmith is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. He specializes in robotics, and is able to make convincing doubles of other superhumans...
's Baron Strucker
Baron Strucker
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
android known as "the Hood" then hired a new Batroc's Brigade (consisting of Porcupine
Porcupine (comics)
Porcupine is the name of three fictional characters in Marvel Comics. Two of them are super-villains.-Fictional character biography:Alexander Gentry, was originally a scientist who worked as a weapons designer for the United States Army, conceived the idea of designing a battle-suit in imitation of...
and Whirlwind
Whirlwind (comics)
Whirlwind is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales To Astonish #50 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
) to battle Captain America.
Batroc then formed a third Batroc's Brigade, which consisted of various unnamed henchmen rather than known supervillains since supervillains had failed Batroc in the past. The alien Jakar, concealing his true nature and intent, hired this group to abduct children from New York and to battle Captain America and the Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
. Although Batroc felt no compunction about abducting children, upon learning Jakar's true nature and his intent to use the children's souls to revive his comatose race, he felt his "sense of honair" had been violated by the deception, and he again switched sides, aiding Captain America and the Falcon to rescue the children. Ward Meachum then hired Batroc's Brigade, who battled Iron Fist and a ninja warrior, several Brigade members dying in the process.
For a while after that, Batroc operated without a Brigade. Alongside an extra-dimensional demon
Demons (Marvel Comics)
The Marvel Comics universe hosts a number of demons, many of whom are at times at conflict with gods and angels. All possess varying degrees of mystical power, feed upon souls for self-sustenance, and are inclined towards dark or “black” magic - evil....
ally, Batroc attempted a theft of transuranium, but was stopped by Captain America and Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. Batroc was also a member of the ersatz "Defenders", a group of villains who were impersonating the actual Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
. They committed robberies while posing as members of the Defenders, until stopped by a Defenders contingent. Alongside Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
, Batroc attempted an extortion scheme against Manhattan. He battled Captain America, but when Mister Hyde decided to carry out the threat, which would kill thousands, Batroc, again showing that there were some lines he would not cross, aided Captain America against Hyde, saving the city.
Batroc then formed a new, longer-lasting lineup of Batroc's Brigade - this one consisting of Zaran the Weapons Master and Machete
Machete (comics)
- Machete :The first known Machete was Ferdinand Lopez, a member of Batroc's Brigade and Doom's Brigade. He was also a former revolutionary of San Diablo in South America. He became a mercenary to finance a revolution but was reportedly killed by Zeitgeist...
. This team was first seen when Obadiah Stane
Iron Monger
The Iron Monger is an identity used by several fictional supervillains published by Marvel Comics. The first and most notable person to take up the identity is Obadiah Stane...
contracted them to steal Captain America's shield
Captain America's shield
Captain America's shield is a fictional item, the primary defensive and offensive piece of equipment used by the Marvel Comics superhero Captain America; he is seldom seen without it. Over the years, Captain America has had the use of several different shields of varying composition and design...
and Batroc finally succeeded. Trick Shot
Trick Shot (comics)
Trick Shot is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Solo Avengers #1 and was created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Bright...
then hired Batroc's Brigade to battle Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
. Baron Helmut Zemo then hired Batroc's Brigade to acquire the fragments of the Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone
Ulysses Bloodstone is a fictional character, an immortal monster-hunter in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:John Warner has explained the development of Ulysses Bloodstone: "Len Wein and Marv Wolfman came up with the spark that would become Bloodstone—the premise of a man who fights...
. They battled Captain America and Diamondback
Diamondback (comics)
Diamondback is the name of four fictional characters appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Diamondback first appeared in Captain America #310 , written by Mark Gruenwald and illustrated by Paul Neary.-Willis Stryker:The first Diamondback was a foe of Luke Cage...
. Alongside Snakebite, Batroc also battled the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
.
Later, the Leaper showed up as member of a small army of villains organized by Klaw to invade Wakanda, which included Rhino
Rhino (comics)
The Rhino is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita, Sr., the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41 The Rhino (Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich) is a fictional character that appears in comic...
, Radioactive Man, the Cannibal, and the villainous Black Knight. However, he was still ultimately defeated by Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
's royal bodyguards.
Batroc was next seen as an inmate of the extremely high-security prison The Cage. The prison sports a field that mentally suppresses inmates' abilities to use their superpowers. Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
states: "It doesn't matter how big you were on the outside. In here, combat experience is everything. Thugs like Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
and Thunderball
Thunderball (comics)
Thunderball is a Marvel Comics supervillain and a frequent enemy of Thor and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 .-Fictional character biography:Dr. Eliot Franklin was born in...
might throw their weight around, but they'd never even dream of touching the big shots. Guys like Batroc and Kangaroo
Kangaroo (comics)
The Kangaroo is the alias of two fictional Spider-Man villains in the Marvel Universe. The first was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #81 in 1970; the second was first seen in Cage #13 in 1993 and made his debut in The Spectacular Spider-Man #242 in 1997...
. Yeah, I know."
Batroc has a daughter who is teamed in villainy with the daughter of similar B-list supervillain Tarantula
Tarantula (Marvel Comics)
Tarantula is the alias of a number of fictional characters appearing in publications from Marvel Comics.-Clay Riley:The Tarantula is a Zorro-like western-era villain equipped with a scourge and has a mysterious Mexican accent. He first appears in Ghost Rider #2 . He is the leader of the villainous...
. Both daughters take their fathers' respective costumes and titles. The Taskmaster
Taskmaster
Taskmaster is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. The character is primarily a supervillain but is often portrayed as an antihero. The Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers vol.1 #195 and was created by David Michelinie and George Pérez...
expresses his shock that Tarantula and Batroc are heterosexual before soundly beating the two villains' offspring, tossing them effortlessly off of a building, noting that he also "hates ethnic stereotypes."
Batroc is mentioned to have faced the Runaways when he came to Los Angeles looking to take over after the deaths of the supervillain group known as the Pride. He was apparently defeated quickly, as he is referred to as "Batroc the Loser."
Batroc briefly served among the group of villains forcibly drafted into Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
's Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
army. However after returning to federal custody, Batroc registered with the Superhuman Registration Act
Registration Acts (comics)
The Registration Acts—the Mutant Registration Act and Superhuman Registration Act —are fictional legislative bills that have been plot points used in various comic books published by Marvel Comics which, when passed into law, enforce the mandatory registration of superpowered individuals with...
and was sent to a superhuman training facility located at Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to train recruits in martial arts before being transferred over to Camp Hammond.
Ultimately, however, Batroc found government work unsatisfactory and returned to his mercenary life, confronting the new Captain America
Bucky
Bucky is the name of several fictional characters, masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1 , published by Marvel's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics...
while on a job to steal an item from the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. Also, he was working with The Man with No Face, a mysterious being from Captain America's past. It is soon revealed that Batroc was stealing the remains of the original Human Torch for reverse engineering.
Powers and abilities
Batroc has no superhuman abilities, but is in peak physical condition in every respect. He is an Olympic-level weightlifter and has extraordinary agility and reflexes. His leg muscles are particularly well developed enabling him to leap great distances with the equity of an Olympic athlete. He is an expert hand-to-hand combatant and specializes in savateSavate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
(French-style kickboxing). He is also a skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.
Batroc is also an experienced thief and smuggler, and can speak both French and English. Although, as a mercenary, he does not hesitate to perform any number of criminal acts for his clients, Batroc has, by his own rights, a strong sense of honor, and he will turn against any client whom he feels has unfairly deceived him into committing crimes to which he might not otherwise have agreed.
Television
- Batroc the Leaper appears in the Captain America segment of The Marvel Super Heroes.
- Batroc the Leaper appears in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "Stranger From a Savage Land", voiced by A.J. Buckley. He assists SabretoothSabretooth (comics)Sabretooth is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne. The character first appeared in Iron Fist #14...
, ThunderballThunderball (comics)Thunderball is a Marvel Comics supervillain and a frequent enemy of Thor and a somewhat reluctant ally of the Wrecker and the Wrecking Crew. The character was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema and first appeared in Defenders #17 .-Fictional character biography:Dr. Eliot Franklin was born in...
, and ToadToad (comics)Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
into stealing ZabuZabuZabu is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe, a superhero who is connected primarily to the Savage Land, and the X-Men, and most recently the Avengers . He first appeared in X-Men #10 . He is the last known living Smilodon and is a companion and ally of Ka-Zar.-Fictional character...
from the Super Hero City Zoo. - Batroc the Leaper appears in the 2010 Black Panther: The Animated SeriesBlack Panther (TV series)Black Panther is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation in partnership with BET, based on the popular Marvel Comics superhero of the same name...
, voiced by JB BlancJB BlancJean-Benoît Blanc is an Anglo-French actor.- Biography :He was born in Paris, France to a French father and an English mother...
. He is among the supervillains recruited by Klaw to invade Wakanda. - Batroc appears in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes in a cameo with the other villains locked up in the various SHIELD facilities. In the tie-in comic he and Batroc's Brigade battle and are captured by Captain America.
External links
- Batroc the Leaper at Marvel.com