Justine Hammer

Last updated
Justine Hammer
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Thunderbolts vol. 1 #3 (June 1997; as Crimson Cowl)
Thunderbolts vol. 1 #67 (September 2002)
Iron Man vol. 7 #1 (October 2024; as Iron Monger)
Created by Kurt Busiek
Mark Bagley
Fabian Nicieza
In-story information
Team affiliations Masters of Evil
Hammer Industries
Roxxon
Notable aliases Crimson Cowl
Iron Monger
AbilitiesCrimson Cowl's cowl allowed her to levitate and teleport
Superhuman durability

Justine Hammer is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been also known as the (second) Crimson Cowl and the (most recent) Iron Monger .

Contents

Publication history

The character, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, debuted in Thunderbolts #3 (June 1997) as the Crimson Cowl while her true identity was revealed in Thunderbolts #67 (September 2002) by Fabian Nicieza. [1]

Fictional character biography

Justine is the daughter of Justin Hammer who disapproved of her so she constantly tries to prove her worthiness and uses the supervillain community to accumulate power for herself as the second Crimson Cowl. [2] Shortly after the Avengers' and Fantastic Four's apparent deaths, the Crimson Cowl forms her own version of the Masters of Evil while working for Hydra to win New York City's crime families' favor which enrages the Thunderbolts led by Baron Helmut Zemo as Citizen V. When the Thunderbolts face the Masters of Evil in battle, the Crimson Cowl and her team escape when her teleportation ability creates a blinding flash in the first fight and she escapes for the second fight. [3]

After the Thunderbolts turn on Zemo and Techno which caused villains and heroes alike to hate, the Crimson Cowl attempts to induct the group into the Masters of Evil. She sends Cyclone to bait the Thunderbolts into an ambush. After defeating the Thunderbolts, she attempts to blackmail the group into joining her, threatening to turn the group over to enemies. [4] The Thunderbolts decline her offer and are saved by Hawkeye disguised as Dreadknight. [5]

The Masters of Evil, outnumbering the Thunderbolts with 25 members, then plan to use a weather machine to blackmail world leaders for one billion dollars. Hawkeye infiltrates the group, using Moonstone's reputation as a traitor for attempting to unmask the Crimson Cowl who had teleported Dallas Riordan into her Crimson Cowl costume before her so-called unmasking. [6]

During a battle between the V-Battalion and the Thunderbolts, the Crimson Cowl teleports Riordan to her hideout on the border of Symkaria and Latveria as a prisoner. Riordan escapes and falls off a bridge during a fight with the Crimson Cowl, paralyzing Riordan and nearly unmasking her. [7]

Hammer is friends with Silver Sable who allows her to stay in the country of Symkaria after inheriting her father's fortune, initially unaware that she's a supervillain. The Crimson Cowl creates a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil, but Hawkeye, Songbird and Plantman defeat most of its members and convince several of the members that the Crimson Cowl would kill the group with a biotoxin. Hawkeye also inducts several members of the Masters of Evil into the Thunderbolts. She's defeated when Skein deconstructs her Crimson Cowl costume, leaving her naked and allowing the Thunderbolts to place her in a cell. [8]

During the "Civil War" storyline, Hammer forms a crew with Razor Fist and Diamondhead in an attempt to escape a superhuman prison. She teleports to the security center, knocking out both guards and releasing all of the prisoners. Razor Fist holds Robbie Baldwin as a hostage and accidentally releases Baldwin's kinetic energy, rendering most of the prisoners unconscious, maimed or dead; Hammer is found knocked out. [9]

The Crimson Cowl is later hired by the Hood to take advantage of the superhero community split caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. [10]

Justine is later a recurring adversary to Iron Man, in which she has left behind her Crimson Cowl identity to lead Hammer Industries and is revealed as the mother of Sasha Hammer. Beginning with the Iron Man storyline "Stark Resilient", mother and daughter promote Detroit Steel to investors (such as corrupt military General Bruce Babbage) while Stark Resilient promoted repulsor technology as free energy to the world. Justine also buys surplus H.A.M.M.E.R. equipment sold after Norman Osborn's fall for her personal line of mechanized battle suits. [11] Hammer continues as an adversary alongside the Mandarin in subsequent Iron Man storylines ("Demon", "The Long Way Down" and "The Future"), additionally antagonizing War Machine and Pepper Potts. [12] [13] [14] After Iron Man and Zeke Stane join forces, Justine is warned to which she ignores before Zeke and Sasha kill her for revenge for the Mandarin's abuse. [15]

Hammer is resurrected by Belasco as the new Iron Monger for a plot with Roxxon and A.I.M. to take over Stark Unlimited. She uses a magic virus on Iron Man's armor, and utilizes Flying Tiger, Tiger Shark, the Strikeforce B.E.R.S.E.R.K.E.R.s, and Force II as diversions. At Stark Tower, Hammer has Doctor Druid and Monica Rappaccini as her brokers and the board of directors initially found in her favor, resulting in a fight with Iron Man where Justine's demonic deal is revealed. This gets stopped by Iron Man convincing Justine's demonic benefactors to cease and the board of directors in changing the vote. After being dropped off back at Stark Tower, Justine surrendered her Iron Monger armor to Iron Man as she leaves. [16]

Powers and abilities

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.

Equipment

Hammer's main equipment is her Crimson Cowl prehensile cloak. Its many billows seem capable of elongating, strangling and grappling, and pummeling as well as even forming sharp edges with its corners. Her Crimson Cowl 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. [17] Justine later utilized her own Iron Monger armor via a special broach. [18]

Other versions

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of Justine Hammer is a tech-based enhanced individual. In Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars , she suffered from a sickness from her enhancements as she assists Iron Man before it's revealed she actually working for Howard Stark Sr. which culminated in a technological disruption device that killed her. [19]

In other media

Television

A character resembling Justine Hammer named Sasha appears in Iron Man: Armored Adventures , voiced by Paula Lindberg. [20] This version is Justin Hammer's assistant.

Video games

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References

  1. ↑ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 95. ISBN   978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ↑ Thunderbolts #69. Marvel Comics.
  3. ↑ Thunderbolts #3. Marvel Comics.
  4. ↑ Thunderbolts #18. Marvel Comics.
  5. ↑ Thunderbolts #20. Marvel Comics.
  6. ↑ Thunderbolts #23–25. Marvel Comics.
  7. ↑ Thunderbolts #40–42. Marvel Comics.
  8. ↑ Thunderbolts #64, 67 & 69. Marvel Comics.
  9. ↑ Civil War Front Line #9. Marvel Comics.
  10. ↑ The New Avengers #35. Marvel Comics.
  11. ↑ Fraction, Matt  ( w ), Larroca, Salvador  ( a )."Stark Resilient Part 1: Hammer Girls"The Invincible Iron Man,vol. 5,no. 25(August 2011).Marvel Comics.
  12. ↑ Fraction, Matt ( w ),Larocca, Salavdor ( a )."Demon Part 2: Exposure"The Invincible Iron Man,no. 511(February 2012).Marvel Comics.
  13. ↑ Fraction, Matt ( w ),Larroca, Salavdor ( a )."The Long Way Down Part 2: How to Make a Madman"The Invincible Iron Man,no. 517(July 2012).Marvel Comics.
  14. ↑ Fraction, Matt ( w ),Larroca, Salavdor ( a )."The Future: Part 4: Armor War"The Invincible Iron Man,no. 524(November 2012).Marvel Comics.
  15. ↑ Invincible Iron Man #527 (December 2012). Marvel Comics.
  16. ↑ Iron Man Vol. 7 #1-3. Marvel Comics.
  17. ↑ Thunderbolts #3. Marvel Comics.
  18. ↑ Iron Man Vol. 7 #1. Marvel Comics.
  19. ↑ Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars #1-4. Marvel Comics.
  20. ↑ "Sasha Voice - Iron Man: Armored Adventures (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 10, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  21. ↑ Djordjevic, Pavle (January 30, 2016). "How To Unlock Detroit Steel & Sentry | Lego Marvel's Avengers". Gosu Noob.
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