Rose (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
The Rose is the alias of four fictional character
s that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The original Rose first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man
#253 (June 1984), and was created by Tom DeFalco
who took over writing Amazing Spider-Man when Roger Stern
left the book. Stern at the time had created the mysterious Hobgoblin
but told DeFalco to make the Hobgoblin whomever he chose to. DeFalco was pulled off the book before he was able to reveal the identity of either villain. DeFalco has since stated that the Rose was originally intended to be Roderick Kingsley and that it was his intention to reveal that Richard Fisk
was the Hobgoblin. The Rose was revealed as Richard Fisk in a story written by Jim Owsley and Roger Stern returned to write the Hobgoblin and reveal him as Roderick Kingsley. So the reverse of DeFalco's choices turned out to be lasting continuity.
s and always wear a leather lilac-colored mask.
, the son of Wilson Fisk, who sought to overthrow his father. He later became a Punisher-like vigilante
, calling himself Blood Rose
and wife Mary Jane Watson
, mistakenly thinking that Peter had discovered information that would blow the lid off of the Kingpin's organization, thus revealing Blume as a double agent.
, who took up the identity as payment for saving the life of crime lord Don Fortunato
many years earlier. This Rose was loyal solely to Fortunato, as at the time the Kingpin had not returned to power, and his principal enforcer was the cyborg powerhouse known as Delilah
. Conover faced a repeated threat to his territory from the Argentinian
crime lord known as the Black Tarantula
, eventually being present without his Rose disguise when the Tarantula launched a direct assault on Fortunato's home. Preparing to gun down the Tarantula and a roomful of witnesses, Conover was stopped by Spider-Man and carted off to jail.
. He deals in "Ebony" shipments, a synthesized drug created from Corruptor's sweat-glands. He managed to slip under the superhero radar for a while, but Jackpot was getting closer to discovering his involvement. After he discovered the secret identity of his opponent (through a coincidence resulting from being Sara Ehret
's co-worker), he hires Boomerang
to track Sara down at her house and murders her husband in front of her and her daughter. He is later arrested and unmasked, much to Sara's shock.
The Roses always carries a handgun and often carries a variety of mini-grenades.
#106 and 108 as one of the Kingpin's assistants; as he had no resemblance to any of the previous 616 Roses, nor even the familiar costume, it can be presumed that his name was merely a nod to 616 continuity; also, the Kingpin's command to Rose that business must never be discussed in front of her is very reminiscent of the 616 Vanessa Fisk's concerns over the life of crime adopted by her son & husband.
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...
s that appears in the comic books published by 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...
. The original Rose first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
#253 (June 1984), and was created by Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
who took over writing Amazing Spider-Man when Roger Stern
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
left the book. Stern at the time had created the mysterious Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin (comics)
The Hobgoblin is the alias of several fictional characters that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known Hobgoblin is Roderick Kingsley. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #238, and was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Sr...
but told DeFalco to make the Hobgoblin whomever he chose to. DeFalco was pulled off the book before he was able to reveal the identity of either villain. DeFalco has since stated that the Rose was originally intended to be Roderick Kingsley and that it was his intention to reveal that Richard Fisk
Richard Fisk
Richard Fisk is a fictional character, a criminal in the , featured in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the son of the Kingpin and his wife Vanessa Fisk...
was the Hobgoblin. The Rose was revealed as Richard Fisk in a story written by Jim Owsley and Roger Stern returned to write the Hobgoblin and reveal him as Roderick Kingsley. So the reverse of DeFalco's choices turned out to be lasting continuity.
Character history
The character of Rose is depicted as a well-dressed, calm, calculating and gentleman-like crime lord who favors roseRose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s and always wear a leather lilac-colored mask.
Richard Fisk
The first Rose was Richard FiskRichard Fisk
Richard Fisk is a fictional character, a criminal in the , featured in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the son of the Kingpin and his wife Vanessa Fisk...
, the son of Wilson Fisk, who sought to overthrow his father. He later became a Punisher-like vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
, calling himself Blood Rose
Sergeant Blume
The second Rose was Sergeant Blume (first name unrevealed), a police officer seeking revenge on the Kingpin for the death of his brother, another policeman. While Blume allied himself with Richard in hopes of doing good by breaking the Kingpin's hold on the city, he ended up implicated in several crimes while in the Kingpin's service. He ultimately was shot and killed in a confrontation with Richard's men in the Catskills after he had kidnapped Peter Parker (Spider-Man)'s Aunt MayAunt May
May Reilly Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared as May Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and wife Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
, mistakenly thinking that Peter had discovered information that would blow the lid off of the Kingpin's organization, thus revealing Blume as a double agent.
Jacob Conover
The third Rose was Jacob Conover, a reporter at the Daily BugleDaily Bugle
The Daily Bugle is a fictional New York City newspaper that is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most prominently in Spider-Man comic titles and their derivative media...
, who took up the identity as payment for saving the life of crime lord Don Fortunato
Don Fortunato
Vincente Fortunato is an elderly crime boss and enemy of the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. He first appeared in Spider-Man #70. He is affiliated with the Maggia and HYDRA, and a competitor to the Kingpin.-Fictional character biography:...
many years earlier. This Rose was loyal solely to Fortunato, as at the time the Kingpin had not returned to power, and his principal enforcer was the cyborg powerhouse known as Delilah
Delilah (comics)
Delilah is a fictional Marvel Comics character, a Spider-Man villain from the 1990s and an enforcer of the Rose. She first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #414 , created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Bagley.-Fictional character biography:...
. Conover faced a repeated threat to his territory from the Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
crime lord known as the Black Tarantula
Black Tarantula
Black Tarantula is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as an unseen character in The Amazing Spider-Man #419 , and makes his first full appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #432...
, eventually being present without his Rose disguise when the Tarantula launched a direct assault on Fortunato's home. Preparing to gun down the Tarantula and a roomful of witnesses, Conover was stopped by Spider-Man and carted off to jail.
Phillip Hayes
The fourth Rose was doctor Phillip Hayes. He took up the rose mask after he lost his funding in the gene therapy research after an accident in the Phelcorps laboratory, as a result of which was the new heroine JackpotJackpot (comics)
Jackpot is the hero name shared by two fictional comic book characters, Sara Ehret and Alana Jobson, owned by Marvel Comics and primarily appearing in Spider-Man's stories...
. He deals in "Ebony" shipments, a synthesized drug created from Corruptor's sweat-glands. He managed to slip under the superhero radar for a while, but Jackpot was getting closer to discovering his involvement. After he discovered the secret identity of his opponent (through a coincidence resulting from being Sara Ehret
Jackpot (comics)
Jackpot is the hero name shared by two fictional comic book characters, Sara Ehret and Alana Jobson, owned by Marvel Comics and primarily appearing in Spider-Man's stories...
's co-worker), he hires Boomerang
Boomerang (comics)
Boomerang is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #81....
to track Sara down at her house and murders her husband in front of her and her daughter. He is later arrested and unmasked, much to Sara's shock.
Powers and abilities
The Roses have no super human powers. Richard Fisk is trained in the use of guns and has some martial arts training, Sergeant Blume is a trained police officer and Jacob Conover is trained in the use of firearms and has a number of criminal contactsThe Roses always carries a handgun and often carries a variety of mini-grenades.
Ultimate Rose
A 'Mr. Rose' briefly appeared in Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man was a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2009. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
#106 and 108 as one of the Kingpin's assistants; as he had no resemblance to any of the previous 616 Roses, nor even the familiar costume, it can be presumed that his name was merely a nod to 616 continuity; also, the Kingpin's command to Rose that business must never be discussed in front of her is very reminiscent of the 616 Vanessa Fisk's concerns over the life of crime adopted by her son & husband.