Rose (Marvel Comics)

Last updated
Rose
Amazingspiderman253.jpg
Cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #253 (Jun 1984). Art by Rick Leonardi.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Amazing Spider-Man #253 (Jun 1984)
Created by Tom DeFalco
In-story information
Alter ego- Richard Fisk
- Sergeant Blume
- Jacob Conover
- Philip Hayes
Species Human

The Rose is an alias used by several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Rose first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #253 (June 1984), and was created by writer Tom DeFalco. [1]

Contents

Publication history

Tom DeFalco recounted:

When I created the Rose, I wanted a character in middle management. We had all the big crimelords, and then the second-tier crimelords, and this guy was supposed to be second-tier. He doesn't fight, he hires people to do the fighting. I put him in a mask to make him distinctive. It was not a plan that he would have a secret identity. But at some point later on, I was reading something about the big mystery of "Who is the Rose?" I didn't realize there was a mystery! So I realized I'd have to come up with something for the Rose, and I figured I'd use Roderick Kingsley, because we'd already eliminated him as the Hobgoblin but he fit perfectly as the Rose. [2]

DeFalco was fired from The Amazing Spider-Man by editor Jim Owsley before he could reveal the Rose's identity. [2] A subsequent issue of Web of Spider-Man , written by Owsley, revealed the Rose to be Richard Fisk.

Fictional character biography

The character of Rose is depicted as a well-dressed, calm, calculating and gentleman-like crime lord who favors roses and wears a leather, lilac-colored mask.

Richard Fisk

The first version of Rose was Richard Fisk, the son of Wilson Fisk, who sought to overthrow his father after learning the latter was the Kingpin of Crime. He later became a Punisher-like vigilante, calling himself Blood Rose. He was eventually shot dead by his own mother Vanessa Fisk. [3] However, he is later brought back by his father using the tablet of life.

Sergeant Blume

The second version of 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's Aunt May 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. [4]

Jacob Conover

The third version of Rose was Jacob Conover, a reporter at the Daily Bugle , who took up the Rose identity as payment for saving the life of crime lord Don Fortunato many years earlier. He was loyal solely to Fortunato, as the Kingpin had not returned to power at the time, 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.

Phillip Hayes

The fourth version of Rose was Dr. Phillip Hayes. He took up the Rose persona after he lost his funding in gene-therapy research after an accident in the Phelcorps laboratory, a result of which was the new heroine Jackpot. 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. [5]

Powers and abilities

The various interactions of Rose have no superhuman 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 contacts. The versions of Rose always carries a handgun and often carries a variety of mini grenades.

Other characters named Rose

Rose Gilberti

Rose Gilberti is the adopted mother of Bastion. The character was created by Mike Higgins, Karl Bollers and Martin Egeland, and first appeared in X-Men vol. 2 #68 (August 1997). Gilberti disagreed with Sebastion Gilberti's lack of tolerance utilizing Prime Sentinels so she assisted the X-Men. [6] Rose later talked with Sebastion but she was killed by government agents fumbling containment which resulted in Sebastion's elimination of any humanity from his mother figure's influence. [7]

Rose O'Hara

Rose O'Hara is a friend of Wolverine. She first appeared in Origin #1 (September 2001), and was created by Bill Jemas, Paul Jenkins, Joe Quesada and Andy Kubert. An orphan servant on the Howlett estate in the late 19th century located in Alberta, Canada, Rose is a friend of James Howlett. [8] She had to deal with Dog Logan making unwanted sexual advances toward her before James foiled Dog's attempt by Dog to assault Rose sexually, ultimately resulting in both Dog's expulsion. Rose later witnesses Dog and Thomas Logan try to take Elizabeth Howlett and accidently kill John Howlett, Jr. to which James uses bone claws against Thomas and Dog, resulting in Thomas's death and Dog's face being slashed severely. [9] James runs away with Rose pursuing while Dog fraudulently-reports to the police that Rose was responsible. Rose and James travel to the north of Canada, ending up in a small mining community deep within Canada; Rose claims James is her cousin Logan and the two settle. [10] Rose had a journal by hand in which she had described the events of her life. After several years, James feels very attracted towards Rose but these romantic feelings are not mutual. [11] Rose falls in love with Brendan "Smitty" Smith and they make plans to marry much to James's grief. [12] Unfortunately, Dog had tracked the pair down and the brothers fight; Rose tries to intervene and, tragically, is stabbed and killed accidentally when she falls onto James's claws. [13]

Reception

Other versions

An Ultimate Marvel equivalent of Rose is a maskless associate of the Kingpin. He was present in the Ultimate Knights storyline where he auditioned Ronin to be a part of the Kingpin's organization and was ordered by the Kingpin to blow up Midtown High, but was arrested by the cops. [15]

In Marvel Adventures continuity, the Rose is a criminal with enough financial resources to bid a fortune on highly sophisticated battlesuits. [16]

Rose O'Hara appears in Wolverine Noir . [17] [18] [19]

In other media

Rose Gilberti appears in the X-Men '97 multi-part episode "Tolerance is Extinction", voiced by Kari Wahlgren. [20] [21] This version is a bigot as well as Bastion's biological mother.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverine (character)</span> Marvel Comics superhero

Wolverine is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, often in association with the X-Men. He is a mutant with animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, a powerful regenerative ability known as a healing factor, a skeleton reinforced with the unbreakable fictional metal adamantium, significantly delayed aging and a prolonged lifespan and three retractable claws in each hand. In addition to the X-Men, Wolverine has been depicted as a member of X-Force, Alpha Flight, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. The common depiction of Wolverine is multifaceted; he is portrayed at once as a gruff loner, susceptible to animalistic "berserker rages" despite his best efforts, while simultaneously being an incredibly knowledgeable and intelligent polyglot, strategist, and martial artist, partially due to his extended lifespan and expansive lived experiences. He has been featured in comic books, films, animation, and video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingpin (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Kingpin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50. The "Kingpin" name is a reference to the crime lord title in Mafia slang nomenclature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Knights</span> Imprint of Marvel Comics

Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe (Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles to Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti's company Event Comics; Event hired the creative teams for the Knights line while Marvel published them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammerhead (comics)</span> Comics character

Hammerhead is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is primarily depicted as an adversary of the superhero Spider-Man. He is a temperamental mobster who often dresses and acts in the 1920s style, and a prominent member of the Maggia, a fictional organized crime syndicate. Following an accident, he had most of his skull replaced with an inflexible steel alloy by Jonas Harrow, giving his head a flattened shape and near-indestructibility, hence his nickname. The Hammerhead crime family, of which he is the second and current head, is named after the character.

<i>Origin</i> (comics) Marvel comic book series

Origin is a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics from November 2001 to July 2002, written by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada and Paul Jenkins, and illustrated by Andy Kubert (pencils) and Richard Isanove (color).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Logan</span> Comics character

Thomas Logan is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as the biological father of X-Men member Wolverine. He was created by Bill Jemas, Joe Quesada, and Paul Jenkins. He was featured in the limited series Origin, which detailed the youth and formative years of Wolverine and was published from November 2001 to July 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariko Yashida</span> Comics character

Mariko Yashida is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as Wolverine's romantic interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hand (comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional group

The Hand is a supervillain organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Hand first appeared in Daredevil #174 and was created by writer/artist Frank Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Fisk</span> Comics character

Richard Fisk is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #83 and was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. He is the son of Wilson Fisk and Vanessa Fisk. Although originally portrayed as a villain, he later became an antihero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bastion (comics)</span> Comics character

Bastion is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Scott Lobdell and Pascual Ferry, and first made a cameo appearance in X-Men #52 while his first full appearance was in The Uncanny X-Men #333.

Richard Isanove is a French artist and painter working in the American comic book industry.

<i>Operation: Zero Tolerance</i> Marvel Comics storyline

"Operation: Zero Tolerance" was a crossover storyline that ran through Marvel Comics' X-Men related titles during 1997. The story followed from the "Onslaught Saga" and focused on individuals, including Bastion and Henry Peter Gyrich, within the United States government and their attempts to use their positions to hunt and kill all mutants across the country. Within the story, the program is known as "Operation: Zero Tolerance".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitro (character)</span> Fictional comic book villain

Nitro is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Tarantula</span> Comics character

Black Tarantula is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #419, and makes his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #432. Black Tarantula was created by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Steve Skroce. The name was allegedly inspired by a Harry Belafonte song.

<i>Ultimate Origins</i> Comic book series by Marvel

Ultimate Origins is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics, released in June 2008. It falls under Marvel's Ultimate Marvel imprint. It is written by Brian Bendis and illustrated by Butch Guice. It is intended to be a chapter in the development of Ultimatum, a crossover event that begun in September 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Noir</span> Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction

Marvel Noir is a 2009–2010 Marvel Comics alternative continuity combining elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. The central premise of the mini-series replaces superpowers with driven, noir-flavored characterization. The reality of Marvel Noir is Earth-90214.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenuichio Harada</span> Comics character

Kenuichio Harada, also known as the original Silver Samurai, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Bob Brown, the character first appeared in Daredevil #111. Kenuichio Harada belongs to the subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. He is a recurring antagonist of the superhero Wolverine. The character is known under the codename Silver Samurai.

"Devil's Reign" is an American comic book event written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto, published from December 2021 to May 2022 by Marvel Comics.

References

  1. Brevoort, Tom; DeFalco, Tom; Manning, Matthew K.; Sanderson, Peter; Wiacek, Win (2017). Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 218. ISBN   978-1465455505.
  2. 1 2 Greenberg, Glenn (August 2009). "When Hobby Met Spidey". Back Issue! (35): 15.
  3. "Richard Fisk Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel".
  4. "Rose (Blume) Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel".
  5. Morbius: The Living Vampire vol. 2 #9
  6. X-Men vol. 2 #68-69
  7. Machine Man/Bastion '98 #1
  8. Origins #1
  9. Origins #2
  10. Origins #3
  11. Origins #4
  12. Origins #5
  13. Origins #6
  14. Chrysostomou, George (2022-10-03). "10 Spider-Man Villains That Are Smarter Than They Seem". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  15. Ultimate Spider-Man #106
  16. Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #21 (January 2007)
  17. Wolverine: Noir #1. Marvel Comics.
  18. Wolverine: Noir #3. Marvel Comics.
  19. Wolverine: Noir #4. Marvel Comics.
  20. Outlaw, Kofi (May 1, 2024). "X-Men '97 Director Reveals Animated Series Origins of Bastion's Parents". ComicBook.com . Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  21. Wahlgren, Kari [@KariWahlgren] (May 15, 2024). "Young Rose, old Rose, and young Sebastian... such a fun challenge to play multiple roles on Episode 8 of X-Men 97! Always a joy to be part of the X-Men universe..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024 via Twitter.