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Speedball (comics)
Encyclopedia
Robert "Robbie" Baldwin is a comic book
superhero
character
, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics
.
Originally known as Speedball, the character was created by artist Steve Ditko
and writer Tom DeFalco
, initially as a candidate for Marvel's separate New Universe
imprint.
Baldwin first appeared
in The Amazing Spider-Man
Annual #22 (1988). The character's origin and early exploits as Speedball were depicted soon after in a solo series. After that series was cancelled, he appeared as a member of the superhero team the New Warriors
, in the monthly title of the same name.
In the Marvel Comics crossover "Civil War
", Baldwin's powers change, and he changes his name and appearance to Penance. Following this change, Baldwin becomes a member of the Thunderbolts
. As of the first issue of "Avengers Academy
", he has reverted to Speedball and a modified version of his first appearance. Despite the outward change, Baldwin still seems to have issues with guilt and depression. However, he is also making a genuine attempt to move past those feelings and make positive changes.
, who also supplied the covers. It was co-written by Tom DeFalco
and inked by several different artists.
After the series' cancellation, the Speedball character primarily appeared in New Warriors and its related comics, written primarily by Fabian Nicieza
. Speedball continued to be the most consistent character through the second and third volumes of the New Warriors.
Baldwin became a featured character in Paul Jenkins
' Civil War: Front Line
, after it was revealed that he was the only New Warrior to survive the Stamford disaster. Baldwin's character underwent a drastic change in this series, in which his powers alter and he takes the name Penance, joining the Thunderbolts. He would also feature in his own limited series
, Penance: Relentless, also written by Jenkins, which examines the background to these changes. In the Thunderbolts comics series, Mike Deodato
based Baldwin's appearance on actor Edward Norton
.
born in Springdale, Connecticut
to a mother who co-starred in a soap opera
with Mary Jane Watson
. As a high school student, he becomes a costumed adventurer and crimefighter after an accident at the Hammond Research Laboratory where he works part-time as a laboratory worker. When Hammond scientists try to tap into a mysterious other-dimensional energy source, the energy bombards Baldwin. Baldwin survives the experience but finds himself surrounded by energy bubbles and clad in an odd costume.
Minutes afterwards, during a battle with some thieves who want to raid the lab, Baldwin discovers that his body now generates a kinetic energy field that protects him from impact and makes him a bouncing dynamo of kinetic energy
. Calling himself Speedball, Baldwin becomes a crime-fighter in his hometown of Springdale, Connecticut. Baldwin's father Justin, a successful district attorney
, and his mother Madeline, a former soap opera star-turned teacher, have marital problems while Baldwin secretly leads his double life. This situation leads to domestic stress that escalates over time, driven partly by the conflict between Robbie and his father, who as district attorney is expected to uphold Springdale's ordinance against costumed superheroes and has an extreme prejudice against these "vigilante
s".
The energy source also affects Niels, a cat belonging to one of the scientists, giving him the same powers. Speedball makes a number of attempts to catch the cat, hoping that study of Niels would give him better control of his powers. He would later learn that a villainous scientist, Clyde, was also after the cat, hoping to gain Speedball-like powers, and had allegedly created most of the supervillains in Springdale to this end. Speedball would later adopt the cat.
While still an inexperienced crime-fighter, Speedball meets Spider-Man
and Daredevil
during a turf war between the Kingpin
's and the High Evolutionary
's henchmen.
with his mother, he joins a battle between Terrax
and a number of superheroes. The heroes become the founding members of the New Warriors
, and Baldwin agrees to join the team. He is seen with the New Warriors, aiding Thor
in battle against the Juggernaut
. The commute from Connecticut to New York City is difficult — he is depicted jumping in front of a speeding train to get enough of a kinetic charge to bounce into the city — and Baldwin is frequently late for Night Thrasher's formal meetings. With the New Warriors, he battles Psionex
. He revealed his double identity to the New Warriors before long. With the New Warriors, he battles the Force of Nature
, where on this occasion his mother learned of his superhero identity (his father would also learn the truth some time later).
With the New Warriors, he battled the White Queen
and the Hellions, and then met Darkhawk
. With the New Warriors, he was manipulated by the Puppet Master
into battling the Fantastic Four
. With the New Warriors and the Fantastic Four, Speedball battled Terrax again. Speedball and the New Warriors were captured by Gideon
. Later, superhuman research done by the Sphinx
raised questions regarding the make up of Speedball's kinetic field.
After Baldwin's mother discovers his secret identity, his parents' marriage ends and Baldwin moves permanently to New York City. Baldwin finds friendship with all of his fellow New Warriors, but his closest friendships were with Nova
and Rage
. After Baldwin is transported to the dimension his powers derive from, Darrion Grobe joins the New Warriors as Speedball, although the other members think he is Baldwin. Baldwin returns from the kinetic dimension and begins a brief relationship with Timeslip
.
At the beginning of the "Civil War
" storyline, the New Warriors attempt to apprehend a group of supervillains in Stamford, Connecticut
for their television
reality show
. Nitro
, one of the criminals, creates an explosive blast that kills 612 civilians, including 60 children, as well as the New Warriors with the exception of Baldwin. This event triggers the push for superhero registration at the heart of "Civil War". Baldwin is presumed dead after the incident, but he is found alive after the blast launches him over 500 miles (804.7 km); his kinetic field keeps him alive, but it "burns out" as a result.
After awakening from a coma, Baldwin is arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D.
and placed in federal prison. Furthermore, his own mother disowns him. After he discovers his powers are still functional, Baldwin is taken to the new penitentiary called Negative Zone Prison Alpha. Reed Richards
, the facility's creator, offers Baldwin the chance to testify before Congress
; however, on the Capital steps, Baldwin is shot by an assailant and taken away in an ambulance. Baldwin recovers from the wound (yet bullet fragments remain inoperably lodged near his spine), and Richards determines that Baldwin's powers are evolving. Baldwin thwarts an escape from the prison and says that he will comply with the Superhuman Registration Act.
Overcome by guilt and driven insane by his treatment, Baldwin orders a new suit of armor that features 612 internal spikes (the number of Nitro's victims from Stamford) to trigger his powers. Baldwin then rechristens himself "Penance" and is assigned to the Thunderbolts
.
The Penance revamp of the character is satirized in Deadpool/Great Lakes Avengers
Summer Fun Spectacular, in which Squirrel Girl
(who has a crush on Speedball, who was her first kiss) confronts Robbie after learning of his transformation into Penance. Robbie tells Squirrel Girl that he became Penance not out of guilt, but to become "deep" and to escape his comedy-character background. Furthermore, he reveals that he has created a similar costume for his pet cat Niels (who he has renamed "P-Cat, the Penitent Puss") while banging his head against the wall.
's new government sponsored Thunderbolts
team. This team mostly comprises supervillain
s who are being forced to reform, or at least give the appearance that they have in public. On one of the new team's first missions, Norman Osborn sends Bullseye
and Penance to deal with a vigilante named Americop
, Bullseye turns against Baldwin in order to force him to use his powers to cripple the vigilante. After finding out that Norman gave the order to Bullseye to do this, Baldwin destroys an expensive, one-of-a-kind eavesdropping device of Osborn's with his powers, while reminding him that unlike many of the Thunderbolts under Norman's leadership, he has no failsafe nanites in him that force his compliance. This causes Norman to gain a newfound respect for Penance.
During the team's mission to capture the Steel Spider, Penance suffers a mental breakdown and ends up slamming his head into a brick wall while remarking that he is "not good enough". Found by teammate Radioactive Man (who remarks that Baldwin is a "broken toy, forced to live in a world he was never meant for"), Penance is eventually brought back to the Thunderbolts Mountain where he experiences another episode of violence when he brutally assaults one of the prisoners after he taunts Baldwin for his role in the Stamford tragedy. Osborn comes close to killing Baldwin, but is stopped by the team's field leader, Moonstone
, who initially found Baldwin and his mental problems related to survivor's guilt to be an annoyance, but is now convinced that he could be manipulated and exploited as a Hulk-level enforcer for Osborn's sinister schemes and is able to persuade Osborn to let the boy live.
However, because of the increasing signs of instability Baldwin is showing, Doc Samson
arrives at Thunderbolts HQ to give Robbie additional psychiatric assistance, much to Moonstone's professional jealousy, as Moonstone wanted to be named Baldwin's therapist instead so that she could exploit Penance's fragile mental state to her own ends. During this time, Samson is able to help Penance focus his powers back to their original state, which he uses to defeat Moonstone in combat when (under the influence of a group of renegade telepaths) she tries to kill Samson.
Robbie participates in the Thunderbolts' fight with his former New Warriors teammate and best friend Nova
who had recently returned to Earth. After the fight Robbie confronts Nova at his home and urges him to register with the Initiative. Seeing Robbie in this state prompts Nova to return to space; upon his departure he urges Robbie to not let them turn him into something he is not.
Ultimately, in the five issue Penance mini-series, Baldwin goes AWOL
from the Thunderbolts and leads them on a complicated series of wild goose chases as Baldwin, with Wolverine's help, makes his way to Latveria
to bring back Nitro and make him stand trial for his act of mass murder. During this adventure, Baldwin steals the ill-gotten fortune of Norman Osborn's former employee and rival, Mendall Stromm after stealing information Norman obtained on Stromm illegally via his position with the Thunderbolts. He also defeats Doctor Doom (who was holding Nitro prisoner, for Namor the Sub-Mariner) and held his own against Wolverine in combat, before convincing the X-Man to aid him in his quest After secretly donating Stromm's fortune to charity, for the rebuilding of Stamford, Baldwin arranges for a new Penance suit (with the same appearance, but less spikes than the previous one) built after locking Nitro in the previous one. Nitro is imprisoned, but Robbie remains in the suit and after going AWOL, returns to the team.
During the Secret Invasion
, the Thunderbolts are sent to protect Washington from the Skrulls. A large group of Skrulls shape-shift into walking corpses, posing as the victims of the Stamford disaster. Initially unnerved by this ploy, Penance is reminded by Osborn that he had memorized the faces of all those who had died that day, and realizes that the Skrulls look nothing like them, which enables him to defeat them.
Shortly after the events of Secret Invasion, Moonstone would get her revenge against Penance for defeating her in combat. After mocking his costume and survivor's guilt, Moonstone drugs Penance and proclaims that, in her capacity as a psychiatrist, she is going to have Penance permanently committed to the nearest corrupt maximum security hospital she could find.
, at Camp H.A.M.M.E.R., and has psychotherapy sessions with Trauma
, the camp therapist, who had been ordered by Osborn to keep Penance in his mentally fragile state. Through Trauma's "pet therapy" method, Penance is unknowingly reunited with his cat, Niels. When the Avengers Resistance
, consisting of many of Penance's New Warriors teammates, come to Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. seeking to release a captured teammate, Taskmaster
orders Penance to attack them. Penance's brainwashing prevents him from remembering his friends, and his costume prevents them from recognizing him, leading to an all-out battle. Their fight is interrupted by Nightmare
, who had taken over the body of his son, Trauma. Nightmare forces Penance to remember the Stamford incident, causing him to pass out in mental anguish. Tigra
revives him, using her powers of empathy to help him see Trauma's predicament. With this knowledge, and having already experienced his worst nightmare, Penance is able to talk Trauma into freeing himself from his father's control. Penance then helps the Avengers Resistance escape Osborn's forces by rupturing a gas main. He refuses Vance's offer to join their team, not wanting his old friends to see how much he had changed.
as part of the academy's teaching staff. Although on the surface he seems to have fully recovered, he still secretly cuts himself using his Penance helmet and uses the blue energy aura associated with that identity. Apparently only Justice knows he is doing so and offered his help.
Speedball decided to take the Avengers Academy students on a field trip to Stamford to show them the memorial of the people who died during the Stamford incident, to show them what happens when you make an ill-advised mistake against a supervillain. But news broke out about this, and they were attacked by a group of men called "the Cobalt Men", who had named themselves after one of the villains involved in the Stamford incident. Not wanting them to ruin the memorial of the dead, Speedball quickly defeated them himself.
Speedball later admitted he cuts himself to store up the energy he used as Penance because this power is more useful in a fight. He acknowledged that he should not have kept this a secret, and Hank Pym offered to help him find a better way to activate those powers. After that realization, Robert seemed to have really improved himself on an emotional level. Although he is still very depressed and still feels terrible for what happened in Stamford, he seems to have cheered up a little and regained his sense of humor. After returning to the Academy, Speedball announces to the students and teachers that he quitting the faculty (but still offers to help them anytime) and later leaves, with Justice joining him.
When Speedball uses his superhuman powers, his voices alters in an unknown fashion and solid force bubbles of residue kinetic field energy appear on his body and, when he bounces, in his wake. While bouncing, he is immune to any kind of harm caused by physical contact. Speedball's power activates automatically when any physical contact occurs above a low level that has not yet been precisely determined. When Speedball's kinetic field activates, his body increases in height and mass (drawn from an extradimensional source); he reverts to his normal size and mass on deactivating the field. Early in his career, the slightest touch, such as snapping his fingers, would turn on this field, but he eventually gained conscious control over it. The field repelled all energy that struck it, especially kinetic energy. As such, bullets, punches, and all other physical attacks bounced off him. A side effect of this, though, was that he, too, would bounce in the opposite direction. Baldwin often used this to his advantage, such as purposely running into a wall in order to gain momentum and thus hit an opponent with twice the force.
While with the Warriors, Baldwin gained far greater control over his powers via a combination of experience in battle and Night Thrasher's mentorship off the battlefield. Whereas previously Baldwin could barely bounce in the direction he wanted, he eventually became more proficient at controlling his leaps and using his powers in various ways, such as to deliver impressive blows, and even to project a stream of kinetic energy
from his bubble field at a distance. He eventually learned to mentally "throw" the bubbles that surrounded his field to use as concussive force attacks. He was able to somewhat deflect Siena Blaze
's electromagnetic attack that "no one short of the Hulk
could have withstood", as well as resist the omnipath Gamesmaster
's telepathy, one of the few people in the world to do so.
Penance can achieve a variety of effects with his new found powers. The most commonly used are explosive energy blasts from his hands but he is capable of firing them from any part of his body via the conduits on his spikes. He can create storm-like fields of energy around him capable of harming those around him and smashing objects. He can focus the energy on parts of his body, often on his hands to form superpowerful punches. He can also engulf himself in an energy forcefield which gives him a degree of invulnerability and allows him to levitate off the ground.
Baldwin's powers are constantly evolving and his original Speedball powers are shown to be returning to him. Robbie no longer needs the Penance suit to activate his powers but chooses to wear it anyway to remedy the guilt he feels.
and leads the Annihilation Wave
to Earth; Robbie (as Speedball) is one of the remaining superpowers, alongside Quentin Quire
and his Exiles
.
from the ice, the group goes out to fight Blood. Lost members of the Marvel 616 universe, the main Marvel universe, take a wounded Baldwin back home with them and get him medical treatment. He elects to stay, explaining that his entire ape-centric earth will reject him for helping humans. In the epilogue he tries applying for the Avengers.
series and related miniseries. At some point he became a member of the Avengers, but has since left the team.
's Marvel Team-Up
(vol. 3), featuring a group of C-list heroes dubbed "The League of Losers". A group of heroes including Gravity
, Darkhawk
, Dagger
, Araña
, X-23
, Sleepwalker
, and Terror
(although Araña dies along the way) go to the future to prevent the villain Chronok from stealing Reed Richards
' time machine, Chronok having come to the present and already having killed all of Marvel's major heroes.
It is revealed Chronok is from the same time period as Kirkman's Mutant 2099
; the group stays with him and his mentor Reed Richards to wait for Chronok. The team defeats Chronok, but at the end of the story, Richards reveals they cannot go back to their present, due to time-travel and alternate timelines. The group decides to stay in the future, satisfied with the impact they made, however unnoticed. Mutant 2099 suggests reforming the Avengers
or the "Fantastic Nine".
Due to the Marvel Universe
's method for resolving time travel paradoxes, the League of Losers' actions created an alternate universe. This is the alternate future visited by Squirrel Girl
, a superhero with a crush on him, in Deadpool
/GLI
Summer Fun (2007). She tries to convince him to return, suggesting that no-one would mix him up with the Penance from her time, but before he can decide, the 2099 version of Mr Immortal, Squirrel Girl's GLI leader, tells her she needs to return to the present.
; where a few human survivors were hiding. Later, he is seen in the ruins of New York. He is one of the many casualties in the conflict waged against the Silver Surfer
, ending up torn apart by the Power Cosmic
.
version of Speedball is mentioned in Ultimate Spider-Man
#81. In Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #2 (2006), an overweight man in a Speedball costume is depicted in police custody. Likewise, Spider-Man jokes that Speedball is faster than the Human Torch during the Ultimate Spider-Man video game.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
character
Character (arts)
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...
, appearing in 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...
.
Originally known as Speedball, the character was created by artist Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
and writer 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:...
, initially as a candidate for Marvel's separate New Universe
New Universe
The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco and edited by Michael Higgins.In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics'...
imprint.
Baldwin first appeared
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
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...
Annual #22 (1988). The character's origin and early exploits as Speedball were depicted soon after in a solo series. After that series was cancelled, he appeared as a member of the superhero team the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, in the monthly title of the same name.
In the Marvel Comics crossover "Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
", Baldwin's powers change, and he changes his name and appearance to Penance. Following this change, Baldwin becomes a member 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:...
. As of the first issue of "Avengers Academy
Avengers Academy
Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the...
", he has reverted to Speedball and a modified version of his first appearance. Despite the outward change, Baldwin still seems to have issues with guilt and depression. However, he is also making a genuine attempt to move past those feelings and make positive changes.
Publication history
Marvel Comics published ten issues of the monthly comic book series Speedball from 1988 to 1989. The series was primarily plotted and penciled by Steve DitkoSteve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
, who also supplied the covers. It was co-written 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:...
and inked by several different artists.
After the series' cancellation, the Speedball character primarily appeared in New Warriors and its related comics, written primarily by 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...
. Speedball continued to be the most consistent character through the second and third volumes of the New Warriors.
Baldwin became a featured character in Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins (writer)
Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
' Civil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line
Civil War: Front Line is an 11-issue, limited series tie-in to Marvel Comics's Civil War event which started in August 2006.Part of the story is told from the perspective of two reporters embedded in the opposite camps of the war...
, after it was revealed that he was the only New Warrior to survive the Stamford disaster. Baldwin's character underwent a drastic change in this series, in which his powers alter and he takes the name Penance, joining the Thunderbolts. He would also feature in his own limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, Penance: Relentless, also written by Jenkins, which examines the background to these changes. In the Thunderbolts comics series, Mike Deodato
Mike Deodato
Mike Deodato , sometimes credited as Mike Deodato Jr., is the professional pseudonym of Brazilian comic book artist Deodato Taumaturgo Borges Filho.-Biography:...
based Baldwin's appearance on actor Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
.
Fictional character biography
Robbie Baldwin is a PresbyterianPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
born in Springdale, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
to a mother who co-starred in a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
with 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...
. As a high school student, he becomes a costumed adventurer and crimefighter after an accident at the Hammond Research Laboratory where he works part-time as a laboratory worker. When Hammond scientists try to tap into a mysterious other-dimensional energy source, the energy bombards Baldwin. Baldwin survives the experience but finds himself surrounded by energy bubbles and clad in an odd costume.
Minutes afterwards, during a battle with some thieves who want to raid the lab, Baldwin discovers that his body now generates a kinetic energy field that protects him from impact and makes him a bouncing dynamo of kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
. Calling himself Speedball, Baldwin becomes a crime-fighter in his hometown of Springdale, Connecticut. Baldwin's father Justin, a successful district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
, and his mother Madeline, a former soap opera star-turned teacher, have marital problems while Baldwin secretly leads his double life. This situation leads to domestic stress that escalates over time, driven partly by the conflict between Robbie and his father, who as district attorney is expected to uphold Springdale's ordinance against costumed superheroes and has an extreme prejudice against these "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....
s".
The energy source also affects Niels, a cat belonging to one of the scientists, giving him the same powers. Speedball makes a number of attempts to catch the cat, hoping that study of Niels would give him better control of his powers. He would later learn that a villainous scientist, Clyde, was also after the cat, hoping to gain Speedball-like powers, and had allegedly created most of the supervillains in Springdale to this end. Speedball would later adopt the cat.
While still an inexperienced crime-fighter, Speedball meets 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...
and Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
during a turf war between the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
's and the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
's henchmen.
The New Warriors
When Baldwin is shopping in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his mother, he joins a battle between Terrax
Terrax
Terrax the Tamer is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #211 and was created by Marv Wolfman and John Byrne.-Fictional character biography:...
and a number of superheroes. The heroes become the founding members of the New Warriors
New Warriors
The New Warriors is a Marvel Comics superhero team, traditionally consisting of young adult heroes. They first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 .-General publication history:...
, and Baldwin agrees to join the team. He is seen with the New Warriors, aiding Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
in battle against the Juggernaut
Juggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
. The commute from Connecticut to New York City is difficult — he is depicted jumping in front of a speeding train to get enough of a kinetic charge to bounce into the city — and Baldwin is frequently late for Night Thrasher's formal meetings. With the New Warriors, he battles Psionex
Psionex
Psionex are a team of comic book supervillains and occasional anti-heroes in the Marvel Comics universe. They were created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley, first appearing in New Warriors vol. 1 #4.-Profiles:*Pretty Persuasions - Heidi P...
. He revealed his double identity to the New Warriors before long. With the New Warriors, he battles the Force of Nature
Force of Nature (comics)
The Force of Nature is a group of super villains in the Marvel Comics Universe who each have elemental themed powers: earth, fire, water, and wind...
, where on this occasion his mother learned of his superhero identity (his father would also learn the truth some time later).
With the New Warriors, he battled the White Queen
Emma Frost
Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 , and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne....
and the Hellions, and then met Darkhawk
Darkhawk
Darkhawk is a fictional comic book superhero who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1...
. With the New Warriors, he was manipulated by the Puppet Master
Puppet Master (comics)
The Puppet Master, real name Phillip Masters, is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Fantastic Four comics. His first appearance was in Fantastic Four volume 1 #8...
into battling 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...
. With the New Warriors and the Fantastic Four, Speedball battled Terrax again. Speedball and the New Warriors were captured by Gideon
Gideon (comics)
Gideon is a fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza...
. Later, superhuman research done by the Sphinx
Sphinx (comics)
The Sphinx is the name of two fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the Sphinx first appeared in Nova #6 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Sal Buscema...
raised questions regarding the make up of Speedball's kinetic field.
After Baldwin's mother discovers his secret identity, his parents' marriage ends and Baldwin moves permanently to New York City. Baldwin finds friendship with all of his fellow New Warriors, but his closest friendships were with Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
and Rage
Rage (comics)
Rage is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is African American. Rage was created by Larry Hama and Paul Ryan in The Avengers vol. 1 #326...
. After Baldwin is transported to the dimension his powers derive from, Darrion Grobe joins the New Warriors as Speedball, although the other members think he is Baldwin. Baldwin returns from the kinetic dimension and begins a brief relationship with Timeslip
Timeslip (comics)
Timeslip is a fictional mutant character, a Marvel Comics superhero and the last addition to the New Warriors before the cancellation of their original series. Timeslip first appeared in New Warriors #59 and was created by Evan Skolnick and Patrick Zircher.-Origin:Rina Patel is an Indian mutant,...
.
"Civil War"
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
" storyline, the New Warriors attempt to apprehend a group of supervillains in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
for their television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
. Nitro
Nitro (comics)
Nitro is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Captain Marvel #34 and was created by Jim Starlin....
, one of the criminals, creates an explosive blast that kills 612 civilians, including 60 children, as well as the New Warriors with the exception of Baldwin. This event triggers the push for superhero registration at the heart of "Civil War". Baldwin is presumed dead after the incident, but he is found alive after the blast launches him over 500 miles (804.7 km); his kinetic field keeps him alive, but it "burns out" as a result.
After awakening from a coma, Baldwin is arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
and placed in federal prison. Furthermore, his own mother disowns him. After he discovers his powers are still functional, Baldwin is taken to the new penitentiary called Negative Zone Prison Alpha. Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
, the facility's creator, offers Baldwin the chance to testify before Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
; however, on the Capital steps, Baldwin is shot by an assailant and taken away in an ambulance. Baldwin recovers from the wound (yet bullet fragments remain inoperably lodged near his spine), and Richards determines that Baldwin's powers are evolving. Baldwin thwarts an escape from the prison and says that he will comply with the Superhuman Registration Act.
Overcome by guilt and driven insane by his treatment, Baldwin orders a new suit of armor that features 612 internal spikes (the number of Nitro's victims from Stamford) to trigger his powers. Baldwin then rechristens himself "Penance" and is assigned to 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:...
.
The Penance revamp of the character is satirized in Deadpool/Great Lakes Avengers
Great Lakes Avengers
The Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
Summer Fun Spectacular, in which Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl, real name Doreen Green, is a fictional character and superhero in the . Her first appearance was in Marvel Super-Heroes #8 , in a story plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko and scripted by Will Murray. Her ability to control squirrels is surprisingly powerful and has allowed her to...
(who has a crush on Speedball, who was her first kiss) confronts Robbie after learning of his transformation into Penance. Robbie tells Squirrel Girl that he became Penance not out of guilt, but to become "deep" and to escape his comedy-character background. Furthermore, he reveals that he has created a similar costume for his pet cat Niels (who he has renamed "P-Cat, the Penitent Puss") while banging his head against the wall.
Thunderbolts
After the events of "Civil War", Baldwin joins Norman OsbornGreen 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 ....
's new government sponsored 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:...
team. This team mostly comprises supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s who are being forced to reform, or at least give the appearance that they have in public. On one of the new team's first missions, Norman Osborn sends Bullseye
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
and Penance to deal with a vigilante named Americop
Americop
Americop is a fictional vigilante published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Captain America #428 , and was created by Mark Gruenwald and Dave Hoover.-Fictional character biography:...
, Bullseye turns against Baldwin in order to force him to use his powers to cripple the vigilante. After finding out that Norman gave the order to Bullseye to do this, Baldwin destroys an expensive, one-of-a-kind eavesdropping device of Osborn's with his powers, while reminding him that unlike many of the Thunderbolts under Norman's leadership, he has no failsafe nanites in him that force his compliance. This causes Norman to gain a newfound respect for Penance.
During the team's mission to capture the Steel Spider, Penance suffers a mental breakdown and ends up slamming his head into a brick wall while remarking that he is "not good enough". Found by teammate Radioactive Man (who remarks that Baldwin is a "broken toy, forced to live in a world he was never meant for"), Penance is eventually brought back to the Thunderbolts Mountain where he experiences another episode of violence when he brutally assaults one of the prisoners after he taunts Baldwin for his role in the Stamford tragedy. Osborn comes close to killing Baldwin, but is stopped by the team's field leader, Moonstone
Moonstone (comics)
Moonstone is a fictional character, both a supervillain and superheroine in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
, who initially found Baldwin and his mental problems related to survivor's guilt to be an annoyance, but is now convinced that he could be manipulated and exploited as a Hulk-level enforcer for Osborn's sinister schemes and is able to persuade Osborn to let the boy live.
However, because of the increasing signs of instability Baldwin is showing, Doc Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
arrives at Thunderbolts HQ to give Robbie additional psychiatric assistance, much to Moonstone's professional jealousy, as Moonstone wanted to be named Baldwin's therapist instead so that she could exploit Penance's fragile mental state to her own ends. During this time, Samson is able to help Penance focus his powers back to their original state, which he uses to defeat Moonstone in combat when (under the influence of a group of renegade telepaths) she tries to kill Samson.
Robbie participates in the Thunderbolts' fight with his former New Warriors teammate and best friend Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
who had recently returned to Earth. After the fight Robbie confronts Nova at his home and urges him to register with the Initiative. Seeing Robbie in this state prompts Nova to return to space; upon his departure he urges Robbie to not let them turn him into something he is not.
Ultimately, in the five issue Penance mini-series, Baldwin goes AWOL
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
from the Thunderbolts and leads them on a complicated series of wild goose chases as Baldwin, with Wolverine's help, makes his way to Latveria
Latveria
Latveria is a nation in the . It is an isolated European country ruled by the supervillain Doctor Doom, supposedly located in the Banat region. It is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, and also borders the Symkaria to the south. Its capital is Doomstadt.-Publication history:Latveria first...
to bring back Nitro and make him stand trial for his act of mass murder. During this adventure, Baldwin steals the ill-gotten fortune of Norman Osborn's former employee and rival, Mendall Stromm after stealing information Norman obtained on Stromm illegally via his position with the Thunderbolts. He also defeats Doctor Doom (who was holding Nitro prisoner, for Namor the Sub-Mariner) and held his own against Wolverine in combat, before convincing the X-Man to aid him in his quest After secretly donating Stromm's fortune to charity, for the rebuilding of Stamford, Baldwin arranges for a new Penance suit (with the same appearance, but less spikes than the previous one) built after locking Nitro in the previous one. Nitro is imprisoned, but Robbie remains in the suit and after going AWOL, returns to the team.
During the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, the Thunderbolts are sent to protect Washington from the Skrulls. A large group of Skrulls shape-shift into walking corpses, posing as the victims of the Stamford disaster. Initially unnerved by this ploy, Penance is reminded by Osborn that he had memorized the faces of all those who had died that day, and realizes that the Skrulls look nothing like them, which enables him to defeat them.
Shortly after the events of Secret Invasion, Moonstone would get her revenge against Penance for defeating her in combat. After mocking his costume and survivor's guilt, Moonstone drugs Penance and proclaims that, in her capacity as a psychiatrist, she is going to have Penance permanently committed to the nearest corrupt maximum security hospital she could find.
"Dark Reign"
Penance, brainwashed and heavily drugged, is persuaded by Osborn to join his new InitiativeAvengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
, at Camp H.A.M.M.E.R., and has psychotherapy sessions with Trauma
Trauma (comics)
Trauma is a fictional comic book character. He is a teenage superhero in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe...
, the camp therapist, who had been ordered by Osborn to keep Penance in his mentally fragile state. Through Trauma's "pet therapy" method, Penance is unknowingly reunited with his cat, Niels. When the Avengers Resistance
Counter Force (Marvel Comics)
This second team of New Warriors is a superhero team in the Marvel Comics continuity composed mostly of former members of the original team of New Warriors.-Fictional history:...
, consisting of many of Penance's New Warriors teammates, come to Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. seeking to release a captured teammate, 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...
orders Penance to attack them. Penance's brainwashing prevents him from remembering his friends, and his costume prevents them from recognizing him, leading to an all-out battle. Their fight is interrupted by Nightmare
Nightmare (Marvel Comics)
Nightmare is a fictional character, a supernatural being who has appeared in many Marvel Comics stories, most commonly as one of Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider's major enemies.-Publication history:...
, who had taken over the body of his son, Trauma. Nightmare forces Penance to remember the Stamford incident, causing him to pass out in mental anguish. Tigra
Tigra
Tigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
revives him, using her powers of empathy to help him see Trauma's predicament. With this knowledge, and having already experienced his worst nightmare, Penance is able to talk Trauma into freeing himself from his father's control. Penance then helps the Avengers Resistance escape Osborn's forces by rupturing a gas main. He refuses Vance's offer to join their team, not wanting his old friends to see how much he had changed.
"Siege"
Penance turns against Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. and helps the "Avengers Resistance" fight the Hood and those that are with him. During the battle, he finally revealed his identity to his other ex-New Warriors teammates."Heroic Age"
Robbie has returned to using the Speedball identity in Avengers AcademyAvengers Academy
Avengers Academy is a Marvel Comics comic book series that debuted in June 2010 as part of the "Heroic Age". The series is written by Christos Gage, with artwork by Mike McKone and tells the story of a group of young super-powered persons who were selected to join a training academy for the...
as part of the academy's teaching staff. Although on the surface he seems to have fully recovered, he still secretly cuts himself using his Penance helmet and uses the blue energy aura associated with that identity. Apparently only Justice knows he is doing so and offered his help.
Speedball decided to take the Avengers Academy students on a field trip to Stamford to show them the memorial of the people who died during the Stamford incident, to show them what happens when you make an ill-advised mistake against a supervillain. But news broke out about this, and they were attacked by a group of men called "the Cobalt Men", who had named themselves after one of the villains involved in the Stamford incident. Not wanting them to ruin the memorial of the dead, Speedball quickly defeated them himself.
Speedball later admitted he cuts himself to store up the energy he used as Penance because this power is more useful in a fight. He acknowledged that he should not have kept this a secret, and Hank Pym offered to help him find a better way to activate those powers. After that realization, Robert seemed to have really improved himself on an emotional level. Although he is still very depressed and still feels terrible for what happened in Stamford, he seems to have cheered up a little and regained his sense of humor. After returning to the Academy, Speedball announces to the students and teachers that he quitting the faculty (but still offers to help them anytime) and later leaves, with Justice joining him.
As Speedball
As a result of the mutagenic effects of irradiation by an unknown form of energy, Robbie Baldwin possesses the superhuman ability to create a kinetic force field of unknown energy, manifested as iridescent bubbles, around himself which absorbs all kinetic energy directed against him and reflects it with even greater force against whatever object with which he is in contact. Hence, if he struck a wall, he would travel at a greater velocity in the opposite direction.When Speedball uses his superhuman powers, his voices alters in an unknown fashion and solid force bubbles of residue kinetic field energy appear on his body and, when he bounces, in his wake. While bouncing, he is immune to any kind of harm caused by physical contact. Speedball's power activates automatically when any physical contact occurs above a low level that has not yet been precisely determined. When Speedball's kinetic field activates, his body increases in height and mass (drawn from an extradimensional source); he reverts to his normal size and mass on deactivating the field. Early in his career, the slightest touch, such as snapping his fingers, would turn on this field, but he eventually gained conscious control over it. The field repelled all energy that struck it, especially kinetic energy. As such, bullets, punches, and all other physical attacks bounced off him. A side effect of this, though, was that he, too, would bounce in the opposite direction. Baldwin often used this to his advantage, such as purposely running into a wall in order to gain momentum and thus hit an opponent with twice the force.
While with the Warriors, Baldwin gained far greater control over his powers via a combination of experience in battle and Night Thrasher's mentorship off the battlefield. Whereas previously Baldwin could barely bounce in the direction he wanted, he eventually became more proficient at controlling his leaps and using his powers in various ways, such as to deliver impressive blows, and even to project a stream of kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
from his bubble field at a distance. He eventually learned to mentally "throw" the bubbles that surrounded his field to use as concussive force attacks. He was able to somewhat deflect Siena Blaze
Siena Blaze
Siena Blaze is a mutant in Marvel Comics's X-Men comics series. Introduced as a villain in the Marvel Universe, she later became a hero during her brief period in the Ultraverse. Following a long absence, the character returned in X-Force, vol...
's electromagnetic attack that "no one short of the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
could have withstood", as well as resist the omnipath Gamesmaster
Gamesmaster (comics)
Gamesmaster is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe. His first appearance was in Uncanny X-Men #283 .-Fictional character biography:...
's telepathy, one of the few people in the world to do so.
As Penance
After the events of Stamford, Baldwin believed his powers to be burned out. However, they still exist, but now only manifest when he feels pain. While his powers are still kinetically based, they no longer appear to manifest as a "bubble field"; rather, his powers seem far more explosive in nature. In order to stimulate his powers, his Penance suit constantly rakes his flesh. Baldwin tolerates this to a masochistic degree, once stating that he would "wear [the suit] all the time if I could." By wearing the suit he has developed a natural tolerance to pain.Penance can achieve a variety of effects with his new found powers. The most commonly used are explosive energy blasts from his hands but he is capable of firing them from any part of his body via the conduits on his spikes. He can create storm-like fields of energy around him capable of harming those around him and smashing objects. He can focus the energy on parts of his body, often on his hands to form superpowerful punches. He can also engulf himself in an energy forcefield which gives him a degree of invulnerability and allows him to levitate off the ground.
Baldwin's powers are constantly evolving and his original Speedball powers are shown to be returning to him. Robbie no longer needs the Penance suit to activate his powers but chooses to wear it anyway to remedy the guilt he feels.
Exiles
In a reality where the Hulk, after being sent into space, kills AnnihilusAnnihilus
Annihilus is a fictional character in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. In 2009, Annihilus was ranked as IGN's 94th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.-Publication history:...
and leads the Annihilation Wave
Annihilation (comics)
"Annihilation" was a 2006 crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics, highlighting several outer space-related characters in the Marvel Universe. The central miniseries was written by Keith Giffen, with editor Andy Schmidt.-Publication History:...
to Earth; Robbie (as Speedball) is one of the remaining superpowers, alongside Quentin Quire
Quentin Quire
Quentin Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in New X-Men #122 , although he went unnamed until New X-Men #134...
and his Exiles
Exiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
.
House of M
Robbie appears as a member of the Wolfpack. He appears in his Speedball costume.Marvel Apes
In the Marvel Apes universe, a chimp version of Speedball appears alongside an ape-hero called Ape X. The two seem to act as partners and are both Avengers. He seems loyal to them, but at the end of the second issue he is seen with a group of what would usually be considered "his enemies". He asks Marty Gibbon about the human version of Speedball, but Marty does not have the heart to tell him about the Stamford incident. He's later revealed to be part of a group trying to reveal that the Captain America leading the Ape-vengers is Baron Blood in disguise. After freeing the real CapCaptain 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...
from the ice, the group goes out to fight Blood. Lost members of the Marvel 616 universe, the main Marvel universe, take a wounded Baldwin back home with them and get him medical treatment. He elects to stay, explaining that his entire ape-centric earth will reject him for helping humans. In the epilogue he tries applying for the Avengers.
MC2
An older version of Speedball exists in the MC2 universe, and appears sporadically in the Spider-GirlSpider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
series and related miniseries. At some point he became a member of the Avengers, but has since left the team.
Marvel Team-Up: League of Losers
Speedball features in an arc of Robert KirkmanRobert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics, and Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt...
's Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story...
(vol. 3), featuring a group of C-list heroes dubbed "The League of Losers". A group of heroes including Gravity
Gravity (comics)
Gravity is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Gravity #1 and was created by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton.-Publication history:...
, Darkhawk
Darkhawk
Darkhawk is a fictional comic book superhero who first appeared in his own self-titled series, Darkhawk #1...
, Dagger
Cloak and Dagger (comics)
Cloak and Dagger are a fictional comic book superhero duo in the . They were created by writer William "Bill" Mantlo and designed by artist Edward Hannigan.-Publication history:...
, Araña
Anya Corazon
Anya Sofia Corazon is a fictional half Mexican and half Puerto Rican superheroine in the . She formerly went by the codename Araña, but is currently known as Spider-Girl.-Publication history:...
, X-23
X-23
X-23 is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men. X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine.-Publication history:...
, Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker (comics)
Sleepwalker is a Marvel Comics character created by Bob Budiansky. He is named after his race, and is the star of a self-titled comic book which ran for 33 issues from June 1991 to February 1994, with one Holiday Special. All but two of the issues were written by Budiansky, with Tom Brevoort and...
, and Terror
Terror Inc.
Terror Inc. was an American comic-book horror series from Marvel Comics starring the antihero Terror. Terror is an eternal entity that absorbs the talents of others through their dismembered limbs. He was created by writers Dan Chichester and Margaret Clark and artist Klaus Janson as the villain...
(although Araña dies along the way) go to the future to prevent the villain Chronok from stealing Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
' time machine, Chronok having come to the present and already having killed all of Marvel's major heroes.
It is revealed Chronok is from the same time period as Kirkman's Mutant 2099
Mutant 2099
Mutant is a fictional character in the Marvel Knights 2099 universe, published by Marvel Comics, and created by Robert Kirkman.-Publication history:...
; the group stays with him and his mentor Reed Richards to wait for Chronok. The team defeats Chronok, but at the end of the story, Richards reveals they cannot go back to their present, due to time-travel and alternate timelines. The group decides to stay in the future, satisfied with the impact they made, however unnoticed. Mutant 2099 suggests reforming 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...
or the "Fantastic Nine".
Due to the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
's method for resolving time travel paradoxes, the League of Losers' actions created an alternate universe. This is the alternate future visited by Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl, real name Doreen Green, is a fictional character and superhero in the . Her first appearance was in Marvel Super-Heroes #8 , in a story plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko and scripted by Will Murray. Her ability to control squirrels is surprisingly powerful and has allowed her to...
, a superhero with a crush on him, in 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...
/GLI
Great Lakes Avengers
The Great Lakes Initiative, originally known as The Great Lakes Avengers , are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters were first introduced in West Coast Avengers vol. 2, #46 , and were created by John Byrne.-Publication history:The team...
Summer Fun (2007). She tries to convince him to return, suggesting that no-one would mix him up with the Penance from her time, but before he can decide, the 2099 version of Mr Immortal, Squirrel Girl's GLI leader, tells her she needs to return to the present.
Marvel Zombies
A zombified Speedball participates in a multi-zombie attack on the castle of Doctor DoomDoctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
; where a few human survivors were hiding. Later, he is seen in the ruins of New York. He is one of the many casualties in the conflict waged against the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, ending up torn apart by the Power Cosmic
Power Cosmic
The Power Cosmic is a fictional type of cosmic energy that appears in comic books published by Marvel, most commonly mentioned in stories involving the cosmic entity Galactus and his heralds...
.
Ultimate Speedball
An 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...
version of Speedball is mentioned in Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate 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...
#81. In Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #2 (2006), an overweight man in a Speedball costume is depicted in police custody. Likewise, Spider-Man jokes that Speedball is faster than the Human Torch during the Ultimate Spider-Man video game.
Television
- On Fantastic FourFantastic Four (1994 TV series)Fantastic Four is the third animated television series based on Marvel's comic book series of the same name. Airing began on September 24, 1994, until ending on February 24, 1996...
, Speedball makes a brief cameo appearance at the beginning of the episode "Doomsday".
Video games
- In The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal FoesThe Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal FoesThe Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes is an action video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System that was released only in Japan. Aside from Spider-Man, characters featured included Beetle, Lizard, Mysterio, Alistair Smythe, Green Goblin, Scorpion, Venom, Doctor Octopus, and...
video game (which was only released in Japan), Speedball makes a brief appearance between levels to talk with Spider-Man.
- Speedball is mentioned in the Ultimate Spider-ManUltimate Spider-Man (video game)Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released for most sixth generation consoles, including PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Microsoft Windows, as well as a mobile phone...
video game. While racing the Human TorchHuman TorchThe Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
, Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-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...
jibes: "Speedball is faster than you!" He is also mentioned in the game while Peter researches himself on a website on mutants; one article is noticed by Peter with Speedball claiming "He's the coolest guy since the UltimatesUltimatesThe Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
."
- Baldwin (as Penance) is a playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Benjamin DiskinBenjamin DiskinBenjamin Isaac "Ben" Diskin is an American voice actor. He is known as the voices of Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 in the animated series Codename: Kids Next Door....
. The voice of Speedball is heard during the Stamford cutscene. Baldwin appears in two audio logs - the first is a commercial for The New Warriors Reality Show, and the second is as he is getting his new costume, where he goes into detail about who the costume is for, and why. Both She-Hulk and Firestar express their shock at Robbie's sudden change during conversations with him. During She-Hulk's conversation with Iron Man, he apologizes for trying to deter her from defending Baldwin, only for her to say that, given Baldwin's current state, she did not do him any favors. The heroes later encounter him guarding the portal to Prison 42 in the Negative Zone. During the fight with him, some prisoners break free and defeat him. After the prisoners are defeated and Nick Fury arrives, Penance helps the heroes get into Prison 42, noting that he respects the players for their interest in saving innocents while the other heroes are busy fighting each other in the Civil War. In the Wii version, Penance can be recruited as a playable character by completing a side-mission featuring him under the conditions 75 nanite-controlled enemies are defeated, a mini-boss is defeated, and the player scores a certain amount of points by defeating enemies.
External links
- Robbie Baldwin at Marvel.com
- Review of Relentless #1, September 21, 2007