Solo (Marvel Comics)

Last updated
Solo
Solo (Marvel Comics).jpg
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Web of Spider-Man #19 (October 1986)
Created by David Michelinie (writer)
Marc Silvestri (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoJames Bourne
Team affiliations Six Pack
Omega Strike
Heroes for Hire
Mercs for Money
Force Works
AbilitiesMaster hand to hand combatant
Expert marksman
Gifted intellect
Limited teleportation
Wears a bullet-proof quilted Kevlar armor
Use of conventional weapons and firearms

James Bourne, also known as Solo is a fictional character, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #19 in October 1986 and was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Marc Silvestri.

Contents

A former citizen of the United States who renounced his citizenship, Solo works as a bodyguard and counter-terrorism operative. He is a master hand-to-hand combatant and expert marksman, and utilises a range of conventional weapons, although he also possesses limited teleportation abilities, allowing him to "jump" from place to place for short distances. He is known for his catchphrase, "While Solo lives, terror dies!"

Publication history

Solo first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #19 (October 1986). He was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Marc Silvestri.

Solo has had his own self-titled 4-issue limited series in 1994, which guest-starred Spider-Man.

After appearing in Deadpool and the Mercs for Money , he was given a second 5-issue limited series in 2016.

Fictional character biography

Born in the United States but having renounced his citizenship to any country, Solo works as a counter-terrorism operative, and makes limited appearances in the Marvel Comics universe. He is known for his catchphrase, "While Solo lives, terror dies!"

In his first appearance, Solo teleported inside a foreign embassy in West Germany and killed all the terrorists inside. [1] He next foiled ULTIMATUM's plot to destroy the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. [2] He also shot ULTIMATUM terrorists who were trying to destroy Ellis Island, and then joined forces with Spider-Man to capture ULTIMATUM's commanding officer. [3] Outside Barcelona, Spain, Solo assassinated Toro Mendoza, leader of the Cascan separatists. [4]

When the Sinister Six reform and defeat both Spider-Man and the Hulk, Solo aids the web-slinger in his second fight against the super villain team. Things take a turn for the worse when Mysterio uses an illusion to make Solo believe he is attacking the Six, when in reality he is attacking Spider-Man while the Six escape. [5] Solo escapes and Spider-Man is rescued by Cyborg X and Deathlok. [6] Soon after, Solo rejoins Spider-Man to aid him in a final assault on the Six aided by the Hulk, Ghost Rider, Sleepwalker, Nova, Deathlok and the Fantastic Four. With the villains defeated, Solo disappears. [7]

Solo later fought La Tarantula. [8] He defeated a Sicilian crime syndicate, [9] and then joined forces with Spider-Man against the agents of the Taskmaster and the Red Skull. [10] A rematch with La Tarantula ended with each combatant wrongly believing he had killed the other. [11] Solo then joined forces with Black Cat against the terrorist organization called ARES, and stopped their money laundering operation. He encountered their leader Deathstorm who revealed he had ties with Solo's past. [12] Solo later joined forces with Nick Fury against the Viper. [13]

Solo also once helped Spider-Man take on criminally-trained specialist versions of Captain America, Hawkeye, and Spider-Man himself. [14]

Later, Solo assists dozens of other heroes in battling a seemingly rampaging Wolverine (he was being mentally influenced). He confronts Wolverine, side-by-side with Cardiac. Solo is swiftly defeated, suffering deep lacerations in the process. Cardiac is subdued by falling masonry. [15]

Solo is hired by G. W. Bridge to join the new Six Pack alongside Hammer, Domino, Anaconda, and Constrictor in their mission to take down Cable. Like Bridge and Hammer, Solo is captured and placed in suspended animation. He is eventually released. [16]

During the "Civil War" storyline, Solo sides with other heroes who oppose registration, including Battlestar and Typeface. While waiting to make contact with the resistance led by Captain America, Solo and the others are arrested by Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. [17]

Solo has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes. [18] [19] Solo was hired along with Clay, as bodyguards to protect Wally and Molly, cheery twins who sing anti-Mutant hate-songs. They chained up M, tied up Siryn and taped her mouth shut, and locked both women in a desert bunker after they tried to round two kids up in order to enforce the kids grandparents' court granted visitation rights. [20]

During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Solo was hired by a man later revealed to be Bullseye's father to capture Bullseye. Bullseye threw a shard of glass into Solo's left eye, but Solo survived and managed to capture Bullseye after tasering him. [21] The assassins chasing Elektra attempt to hire Solo to assist but fail. [22]

Following the eight month ellipsis after the "Secret Wars" storyline, Solo is seen as part of Deadpool's new Mercs for Money. He attempts to steal a classified drive in Seoul, and ends up in a fight with the Korean heroine White Fox. [23] Solo takes a specific interest in Deadpool's morality, such as when he urges him to destroy a robot whose knowledge of the future threatens innocent lives. [24]

During the "Iron Man 2020" event, Solo appears as a member of Force Works. During a raid on a robot hideout, one of the robots self-destructs when cornered by War Machine and Gauntlet. Maria Hill mentioned to War Machine that Solo quit because he felt that War Machine was not teammate material. [25]

Powers and abilities

Solo has somewhat limited teleportation abilities, allowing him to "jump" from place to place for short distances. There appears to be a limit to the distance and the amount of time between Solo's teleports. He has a gifted intellect, and is a master of many forms of hand-to-hand combat. He is highly adept in the use of conventional weapons and firearms and is an expert marksman.

Solo wears bullet-proof quilted Kevlar with pouches to hold weapons and ammunition. He carries an arsenal of portable conventional weaponry, including sub-machine guns, automatic rifles, automatic pistols, hand grenades, combat knives, etc., and has been known to use ninja climbing claws.

Collected editions

TitleMaterial CollectedPublished DateISBN
Solo: The One-Man War on TerrorSolo (vol. 2) #1-5June 13, 2017 978-1302904807

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deadpool</span> Character appearing in Marvel Comics

Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in New Mutants #98. In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is initially depicted as a supervillain of the New Mutants and X-Force, though later stories would portray him as an antihero. Deadpool is the alter ego of Wade Wilson, a disfigured Canadian mercenary with superhuman regenerative healing abilities. He is known for his tendency to joke incessantly and break the fourth wall for humorous effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kraven the Hunter</span> Fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics

Kraven the Hunter is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #15 as an adversary to the superhero Spider-Man, he has since endured as one of the web-slinger's most formidable foes, and is part of the collective of adversaries that make up Spider-Man's rogues' gallery. Kraven has also come into conflict with other heroes, such as Black Panther and Tigra. He is the half-brother of the Chameleon and one of the founding members of the Sinister Six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deathlok</span> Fictional character from Marvel Comics

Deathlok is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first Deathlok, Luther Manning, appeared in Astonishing Tales #25, created by Rich Buckler. At least five subsequent Marvel characters have used the "Deathlok" identity since then: Michael Collins, Jack Truman, Rebecca Ryker, Henry Hayes, and Jemma Simmons. A recurring theme among these characters is that a dead human has been reanimated with cybernetic technology. "Deathlok technology" has also been used thematically by Marvel writers in other stories.

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

Bullseye is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and John Romita Sr. 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. He is also an enemy of the Punisher. Although he possesses no superpowers, Bullseye is able to use almost any object as a lethal projectile, be it weapons like shuriken and sai or seemingly harmless objects like playing cards and pencils. His marksmanship is uncanny, at a nearly supernatural level.

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

Arcade is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in 1978's Marvel Team-Up #65, the creation of writer Chris Claremont and writer/artist John Byrne. The character is a combination of an evil genius and a hitman who carries out his assassinations via various elaborate traps, often referred to as Murderworld.

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

Taskmaster is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer David Michelinie and artist George Pérez, the character made his debut in The Avengers #195. Possessing photographic reflexes that allow him to mimic any fighting style at the cost of his long and short-term memory, he has served as an adversary of Marvel Universe superheroes such as Captain America, Ant-Man, and Spider-Man. He is usually depicted as a mercenary hired by criminal organizations to act as a training instructor, and is the biological father of Finesse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Sable</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Silver Sable is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, Silver Sable first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #265. She is usually depicted as a mercenary, hunter of war criminals, leader of the Wild Pack, and owner of Silver Sable International. Her work as a mercenary has sometimes brought her into conflict with several superheroes. Silver Sable is primarily an ally and occasional opponent of Spider-Man.

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

The Trapster, also known as Paste-Pot Pete, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

<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 who stole the name from a Harry Belafonte song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroes for Hire</span> Group of fictional characters

Heroes for Hire are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #54, and was created by Ed Hannigan and Lee Elias. The team continued to appear in comics regularly over the years, and has made guest appearances in television productions and game environments featuring other superheroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag-Smasher</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

The Flag-Smasher is the name used by two anti-nationalist supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics: Karl Morgenthau and Guy Thierrault. The original version was most often a foe of Captain America while other adversaries include the Punisher, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, the Runaways, the Liberteens and Deadpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Suydam</span> American comic book artist (born 1953)

Arthur Suydam is an American comic book artist known for his work on Marvel Zombies, Deadpool, Black Panther, and KISS Zombies. He has done artwork for magazines including Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated and National Lampoon, while his comic book work includes Batman, Conan, Tarzan, Predator, Aliens, Death Dealer, and Marvel Zombies.

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

Coldblood-7 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Marvel Comics Presents #26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Way</span> American comic book writer

Daniel Way is an American comic book writer, known for his work on Marvel Comics series such as Wolverine: Origins and Deadpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Femme Fatales (comics)</span> Fictional comic book group

The Femme Fatales are a fictional group of female characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are often depicted as antagonists to the superhero character Spider-Man and Captain America.

<i>Dark Reign</i> (comics) 2008 - 2009 Marvel Comics Event

Dark Reign is a 2008 to 2009 comic book branding used by Marvel Comics. It deals with the aftermath of the "Secret Invasion" storyline, which leads to a shift of power in the Marvel Universe toward Norman Osborn. The title refers to Osborn's rise to national power and the ramifications thereof. Joe Quesada, then-editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, stated that "Dark Reign is not really an event, it's what's happening in the Marvel Universe." He believes that "Dark Reign leads to an interesting place in the Marvel Universe. I think you'll see a pulling back at the end of Dark Reign, but you'll understand at the end of it what we were trying to get to."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercs for Money</span> Fictional comic book merc

Mercs for Money is a fictional superhero mercenary team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

References

  1. Web of Spider-Man #19. Marvel Comics.
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man #323. Marvel Comics.
  3. The Amazing Spider-Man #324. Marvel Comics.
  4. The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #24. Marvel Comics.
  5. Spider-Man #20-21. Marvel Comics.
  6. Spider-Man #21. Marvel Comics.
  7. Spider-Man #23. Marvel Comics.
  8. Marvel Comics Presents #88. Marvel Comics.
  9. The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26. Marvel Comics.
  10. The Amazing Spider-Man #367. Marvel Comics.
  11. Marvel Comics Presents #124. Marvel Comics.
  12. The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #27. Marvel Comics.
  13. S.H.I.E.L.D. #44-45. Marvel Comics.
  14. The Amazing Spider-Man #367. Marvel Comics.
  15. Wolverine vol. 2 #134 (February 1999). Marvel Comics.
  16. Cable & Deadpool #7-12. Marvel Comics.
  17. Civil War #6. Marvel Comics.
  18. Avengers: The Initiative #1. Marvel Comics.
  19. Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map
  20. X-Factor vol. 2 #22-23. Marvel Comics.
  21. Dark Reign: Hawkeye #4. Marvel Comics.
  22. Dark Reign: Elektra #4-5 (March 2009). Marvel Comics.
  23. Deadpool vol. 4 #1. Marvel Comics.
  24. Deadpool & The Mercs for Money #5 (2016). Marvel Comics.
  25. 2020 Force Works #1. Marvel Comics.