Justine Hammer
Encyclopedia
The Crimson Cowl is a fictional character
from the Marvel Comics
universe. She was a recurring adversary of the Thunderbolts
. Justine was the second villain to use the alias
, Ultron
being the first. Edwin Jarvis
was framed as the first Crimson Cowl by Ultron. Dallas Riordan
was framed as the second by Justine.
. Despite being the daughter of one of the richest men in the world Justine's life was not one of privilege. Justin never approved of his daughter and Justine was always trying to prove her worthiness. Justine eventually decided to follow in her fathers footsteps and use the supervillain community to accumulate power for herself.
Shortly after the Avengers
and the Fantastic Four
seemingly died in battle with Onslaught
, Justine donned the costume and name of the Crimson Cowl, an identity once used by Ultron
, and like Ultron, she formed a new group of super villains called the Masters of Evil
. Working for HYDRA
, they hoped to win the favor of the New York
crime families. All of this enraged the members of the new superhero team the Thunderbolts because they were actually another faction of the Masters of Evil led by Baron Zemo
aka Citizen V
. Helmut Zemo's father Heinrich was the original founder of the Masters of Evil and Helmut himself had once led the Masters in their siege on Avengers' mansion. As such the legacy of the Masters was important to Helmut and it angered him to see them now reduced to being hired mercenaries. When the Thunderbolts faced the Masters of Evil in battle she and her team escaped due to the blinding flash that accompanies the Crimson Cowl's teleportation effect. When next they fought Crimson Cowl escaped again.
After the Thunderbolts had turned on Zemo and Techno
, they found themselves fugitives hated by heroes and villains alike. The Crimson Cowl saw this as an opportunity to induct the remaining Bolts into her Masters of Evil. She sent Cyclone
to bait the Thunderbolts into walking into an ambush. After defeating the T-bolts she made her "proposal:" join her and enjoy all the amenities that come with being in her organization or defy her and she would tell all of the Thunderbolts enemies how to find them. The Thunderbolts were given time to think over the situation but in the end decided they would rather take down the Crimson Cowl instead. When next they fought, it looked like the Crimson Cowl had won until Hawkeye
disguised as Dreadknight
saved the team. Hawkeye offered to become the new Thunderbolts leader and one of his first actions as leader was to promise the media the capture of the Masters of Evil.
The Masters began a plan to use a weather machine to blackmail world leaders for a billion dollars. The Masters' numbers had grown under the Cowl from 6 members to 25. Realizing they were outnumbered, Hawkeye decided to use Moonstone
and her reputation as a traitor to infiltrate the Masters. Moonstone was tempted to side with the Masters for real but eventually decided against it and took the Cowl down instead. Moonstone unmasked the Crimson Cowl and the Thunderbolts were shocked to find she was Dallas Riordan
, their former liaison to the office of the New York city mayor.
In reality, Dallas Riordan was actually the new Citizen V
. She had been knocked unconscious when she began to interfere with the Cowl's plans for the weather machine. At the last moment, Justine had teleported out of her costume and placed Dallas into it. Dallas didn't tell the Thunderbolts the truth because she was still bitter about being fired as the mayor's liaison because of the Thunderbolts deception as heroes. Eventually Dallas was rescued from jail by her team the V-Battalion
.
Eventually Dallas parted company with the V-Battalion after they ordered her to assassinate Henry Gyrich
and she refused. Dallas came back to America to get aid from the Thunderbolts. During a battle between the V-Battalion and the Thunderbolts, the Crimson Cowl had Dallas teleported to her hideout, which was on the border of Symkaria and Latveria. Dallas was briefly held prisoner but soon escaped. She and Justine fought a long battle that ended with Dallas falling off a bridge which left her paralyzed.
Silver Sable
was apparently friends with Justine and allowed her to stay in Sable's country of Symkaria when Justine moved their after inheriting her father's fortune. Silver Sable was unaware that Justine was a super villain for quite some time.
Eventually, the Crimson Cowl created a new Masters of Evil. Hawkeye, Songbird, and Plantman defeated most of them and convinced several of them that the Crimson Cowl would kill them with a bio-toxin Justine's father had surreptitiously placed in the majority of super villains he had employed over the years. Hawkeye inducted several of these Masters into the Thunderbolts. The Crimson Cowl was eventually defeated by Skein
who used her powers to deconstruct Justine's costume leaving her naked even when she was put in her own cell by the Thunderbolts. Though Skein managed to stitch most of it back together for Silver Sable.
and Diamondhead
trying to escape the superhuman prison, the Raft
. She teleported to the security center, knocking out both guards and released all the prisoners. Razor Fist, holding Robbie Baldwin as a hostage/human shield, cut Baldwin which released his kinetic energy, rendering most of the prisoners unconscious, maimed, or possibly dead. Justine was found knocked out cold by guards.
to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act.
) and begin promoting their own line of mechanized battlesuits to sell to both the military and private interests, Detroit Steel. While the initial presentation is considered a bust, as the investors have little interest with Tony Stark
's return, Stark then announces his leaving of the weapons industry, and his interest in using repulsor technology to give free energy to the world, making the military interested again in Detroit Steel. She also is seen buying surplus H.A.M.M.E.R.
equipment, being sold with the fall of Norman Osborn
.
Justine Hammer is an adept athlete and unarmed combatant. She is also a shrewd businesswoman and negotiator, making her a formidable leader and criminal organizer.
originally intended Alice Nugent the former lab assistant to Henry Pym
to be the Crimson Cowl. The next Thunderbolts writer Fabian Nicieza
revealed that Justin Hammer
's previously unknown daughter Justine was the new Crimson Cowl. Nicieza would later use Alice Nugent himself and make her the new Doctor Spectrum
.
universe in Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars
#1, where she has broken into one of Tony Stark's
secret laboratories in hopes of finding a cure for her "superhuman sickness". She helps Tony in battling the Ultimate version of Ghost
, but he disappears before they are able to defeat him. In exchange for saving her life, Justine agrees to help Tony recover his stolen "ornament" from Ghost and his employers.
In the final issue, it is revealed that she was manipulating Tony on behalf of her and the Ghost's employer: Howard Stark Sr. (Tony's grandfather). The "ornament" turns out to contain the head of a Tony Stark from an alternate universe, whose armor destroys unidentified nanotechnology. While Tony's armor is protected, the nanomachines used to save Justine's life are affected, and she dies.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the 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...
universe. She was a recurring adversary of the 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:...
. Justine was the second villain to use the alias
Crimson Cowl
Crimson Cowl is an identity which has been used by four Marvel Comics characters to varying degrees:*Ultron used the identity in his debut as Ultron-5 to conceal his sentience, while using:**Edwin Jarvis as a "frontman" under the identity....
, Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
being the first. Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
was framed as the first Crimson Cowl by Ultron. Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan is a character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Dallas Riordan's family had a long storied history of being police officers. Dallas was once an NYPD officer and a soldier before she went into politics and became the aide to the New York mayor...
was framed as the second by Justine.
Fictional character biography
Justine claims to be the daughter of industrialist and super villain financier Justin HammerJustin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
. Despite being the daughter of one of the richest men in the world Justine's life was not one of privilege. Justin never approved of his daughter and Justine was always trying to prove her worthiness. Justine eventually decided to follow in her fathers footsteps and use the supervillain community to accumulate power for herself.
Shortly after the 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...
and the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
seemingly died in battle with Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
, Justine donned the costume and name of the Crimson Cowl, an identity once used by Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
, and like Ultron, she formed a new group of super villains called the 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....
. Working for HYDRA
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...
, they hoped to win the favor of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
crime families. All of this enraged the members of the new superhero team the Thunderbolts because they were actually another faction of the Masters of Evil led by 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...
aka Citizen V
Citizen V
Citizen V, is the codename of several fictional superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original Citizen V was an obscure hero from the Golden Age of Comic Books, but the character's identity was revived in the modern day in the pages of Thunderbolts. The various incarnations of the...
. Helmut Zemo's father Heinrich was the original founder of the Masters of Evil and Helmut himself had once led the Masters in their siege on Avengers' mansion. As such the legacy of the Masters was important to Helmut and it angered him to see them now reduced to being hired mercenaries. When the Thunderbolts faced the Masters of Evil in battle she and her team escaped due to the blinding flash that accompanies the Crimson Cowl's teleportation effect. When next they fought Crimson Cowl escaped again.
After the Thunderbolts had turned on Zemo and Techno
Fixer (comics)
The Fixer is a name used by two fictional characters, both of are which were introduced as villains in the Marvel Comics universe.-Roscoe Sweeney:...
, they found themselves fugitives hated by heroes and villains alike. The Crimson Cowl saw this as an opportunity to induct the remaining Bolts into her Masters of Evil. She sent Cyclone
Cyclone (comics)
Cyclone is the alias of a number of fictional characters appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics.-André Gerard:André Gerard was born in Lyons, France...
to bait the Thunderbolts into walking into an ambush. After defeating the T-bolts she made her "proposal:" join her and enjoy all the amenities that come with being in her organization or defy her and she would tell all of the Thunderbolts enemies how to find them. The Thunderbolts were given time to think over the situation but in the end decided they would rather take down the Crimson Cowl instead. When next they fought, it looked like the Crimson Cowl had won until 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...
disguised as Dreadknight
Dreadknight
Dreadknight is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #102 Dreadknight is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #102 Dreadknight is a...
saved the team. Hawkeye offered to become the new Thunderbolts leader and one of his first actions as leader was to promise the media the capture of the Masters of Evil.
The Masters began a plan to use a weather machine to blackmail world leaders for a billion dollars. The Masters' numbers had grown under the Cowl from 6 members to 25. Realizing they were outnumbered, Hawkeye decided to use Moonstone
Moonstone (comics)
Moonstone is a fictional character, both a supervillain and superheroine in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
and her reputation as a traitor to infiltrate the Masters. Moonstone was tempted to side with the Masters for real but eventually decided against it and took the Cowl down instead. Moonstone unmasked the Crimson Cowl and the Thunderbolts were shocked to find she was Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan is a character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Dallas Riordan's family had a long storied history of being police officers. Dallas was once an NYPD officer and a soldier before she went into politics and became the aide to the New York mayor...
, their former liaison to the office of the New York city mayor.
In reality, Dallas Riordan was actually the new Citizen V
Citizen V
Citizen V, is the codename of several fictional superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original Citizen V was an obscure hero from the Golden Age of Comic Books, but the character's identity was revived in the modern day in the pages of Thunderbolts. The various incarnations of the...
. She had been knocked unconscious when she began to interfere with the Cowl's plans for the weather machine. At the last moment, Justine had teleported out of her costume and placed Dallas into it. Dallas didn't tell the Thunderbolts the truth because she was still bitter about being fired as the mayor's liaison because of the Thunderbolts deception as heroes. Eventually Dallas was rescued from jail by her team the V-Battalion
V-Battalion
The V-Battalion is the name of two incarnations of a fictional secret organization composed of Golden Age superheroes and their descendents in stories from Marvel Comics...
.
Eventually Dallas parted company with the V-Battalion after they ordered her to assassinate Henry Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
and she refused. Dallas came back to America to get aid from the Thunderbolts. During a battle between the V-Battalion and the Thunderbolts, the Crimson Cowl had Dallas teleported to her hideout, which was on the border of Symkaria and Latveria. Dallas was briefly held prisoner but soon escaped. She and Justine fought a long battle that ended with Dallas falling off a bridge which left her paralyzed.
Silver Sable
Silver Sable
Silver Sable is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, a female mercenary, hunter of war criminals, the leader of the Wild Pack, and CEO of Silver Sable International...
was apparently friends with Justine and allowed her to stay in Sable's country of Symkaria when Justine moved their after inheriting her father's fortune. Silver Sable was unaware that Justine was a super villain for quite some time.
Eventually, the Crimson Cowl created a new Masters of Evil. Hawkeye, Songbird, and Plantman defeated most of them and convinced several of them that the Crimson Cowl would kill them with a bio-toxin Justine's father had surreptitiously placed in the majority of super villains he had employed over the years. Hawkeye inducted several of these Masters into the Thunderbolts. The Crimson Cowl was eventually defeated by Skein
Skein (comics)
Skein is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
who used her powers to deconstruct Justine's costume leaving her naked even when she was put in her own cell by the Thunderbolts. Though Skein managed to stitch most of it back together for Silver Sable.
Civil War
Justine appeared as part of a crew alongside Razor FistRazor Fist
Razor Fist is a Marvel Comics supervillain. There have actually been 3 characters, all virtually identical in appearance and ability, to go by this title. The original Razor Fist was killed off in the comic books many years ago. The next two characters to take the title were brothers...
and Diamondhead
Diamondhead (comics)
Diamondhead is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Diamondhead first appeared in Nova vol 1 #3 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and Sal Buscema....
trying to escape the superhuman prison, the Raft
The Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
. She teleported to the security center, knocking out both guards and released all the prisoners. Razor Fist, holding Robbie Baldwin as a hostage/human shield, cut Baldwin which released his kinetic energy, rendering most of the prisoners unconscious, maimed, or possibly dead. Justine was found knocked out cold by guards.
New Avengers
Crimson Cowl has been hired by the HoodHood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act.
Heroic Age
Justine has since ostensibly left supervillainy to take the reins of Hammer Industries, along with her daughter (Sasha HammerSasha Hammer
Sasha Hammer is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of Justine Hammer and The Mandarin, the granddaughter of Justin Hammer, and an enemy of Iron Man.-Fictional character biography:...
) and begin promoting their own line of mechanized battlesuits to sell to both the military and private interests, Detroit Steel. While the initial presentation is considered a bust, as the investors have little interest with Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
's return, Stark then announces his leaving of the weapons industry, and his interest in using repulsor technology to give free energy to the world, making the military interested again in Detroit Steel. She also is seen buying surplus H.A.M.M.E.R.
H.A.M.M.E.R.
H.A.M.M.E.R. is a fictional espionage and law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe led by Norman Osborn. The organization is formed in Secret Invasion #8 to replace S.H.I.E.L.D.. The organization plays a large part in Marvel's "Dark Reign" and Siege events.What H.A.M.M.E.R. stands for,...
equipment, being sold with the fall of Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
.
Powers and abilities
The Crimson Cowl's main power is her prehensile cloak—its many billows seem capable of elongating, strangling and grappling, and pummeling (and even forming sharp edges with its corners.) The cloak also contains devices enabling her to levitate and to teleport herself and her teammates away from the scene, with a brilliant, debilitating flash of light just prior to the effect.Justine Hammer is an adept athlete and unarmed combatant. She is also a shrewd businesswoman and negotiator, making her a formidable leader and criminal organizer.
Original plans for the character
Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
originally intended Alice Nugent the former lab assistant to Henry Pym
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
to be the Crimson Cowl. The next Thunderbolts writer Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza
Fabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
revealed that Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
's previously unknown daughter Justine was the new Crimson Cowl. Nicieza would later use Alice Nugent himself and make her the new Doctor Spectrum
Doctor Spectrum
Doctor Spectrum is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character to date - three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging to the team Squadron Sinister and two heroes from different...
.
Ultimate Justine Hammer
Justine Hammer is introduced into the Ultimate MarvelUltimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
universe in Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars
Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars
Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars is an American comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. The series is set in the Ultimate Universe, and is written by Warren Ellis and pencilled by Steve Kurth....
#1, where she has broken into one of Tony Stark's
Ultimate Iron Man (character)
Ultimate Iron Man , is the Ultimate Marvel version of the fictional superhero Iron Man that first appeared in Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #4, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Mike Allred. He later appeared in the Ultimates and often appears in the same titles they do...
secret laboratories in hopes of finding a cure for her "superhuman sickness". She helps Tony in battling the Ultimate version of Ghost
Ghost (Marvel Comics)
Ghost is a fictional character appearing in comics books set in the . He first appears in Iron Man #219 and was created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, the character is later portrayed as more of an anti-hero or mercenary.-Fictional character...
, but he disappears before they are able to defeat him. In exchange for saving her life, Justine agrees to help Tony recover his stolen "ornament" from Ghost and his employers.
In the final issue, it is revealed that she was manipulating Tony on behalf of her and the Ghost's employer: Howard Stark Sr. (Tony's grandfather). The "ornament" turns out to contain the head of a Tony Stark from an alternate universe, whose armor destroys unidentified nanotechnology. While Tony's armor is protected, the nanomachines used to save Justine's life are affected, and she dies.