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Bushwacker (comics)
Encyclopedia
Bushwacker is a fictional character
, a supervillain
in the , who is primarily an enemy of Daredevil
, although he has had dealings with the Punisher
and Wolverine
. He first appeared in Daredevil #248 (November 1987).
, Carl Burbank abandoned his vows following the drug-related deaths of young parishioners. He joined the C.I.A., which outfitted him with a cybernetic arm and made him an assassin under the codename "Bushwacker", but ultimately he became a freelancer.
At some point, an event took place that compelled Bushwacker to begin a war against all mutants
. Bushwacker began hunting and assassinating mutants, most often those mutants whose abilities Bushwacker perceived as making them especially talented in "the arts". Bushwacker also claimed that he was paid large sums of money to kill mutants, but this has yet to be verified. Burbank's killing spree brought him into conflict with both Wolverine
and Daredevil. Wolverine learned of Bushwacker's activities and began to hunt the killer himself. At the same time, Bushwacker's wife Marilyn believed her husband was insane and needed to be placed in a hospital. She sought aid from lawyer Matt Murdock (secretly the hero Daredevil). Daredevil found Wolverine fighting Bushwacker, and he would have killed him if Daredevil had not stopped him. Unfortunately, this allowed Bushwacker to escape and continue his rampage. Bushwacker was ultimately tracked down and defeated by the two heroes, which left the right side of his face horribly scarred, and he was placed in police custody.
Later, Bushwacker joined with Typhoid Mary
and other enemies of Daredevil in a plan to beat up their common foe. After the completion of the plan, Mary took Daredevil's body, and Bushwacker was left to his own activities.
Entering the Kingpin
's employ, Burbank attacked the Punisher, but was left for dead. It was during this time that his wife finally left him. He reappeared in the employ of drug lord Nick Lambert, who hired Bushwacker to kill reporter Ben Urich
, who was about to run a story of his illegal activities. Instead, when Bushwacker learned the truth, he allowed Urich to live and to complete the exposé. However, it was Bushwacker that was proved right, as the drug lord managed to bribe himself out of jail. Bushwacker then killed him. Bushwacker was later freed by Deathlok II from captivity by Mecha Doom.
Subsequent activities brought him into conflict with Daredevil, Nomad
, the Punisher, Boomerang
, and Elektra
. His clash with Nomad was memorable in that was over the life of a baby that Nomad had taken under his care whom Bushwacker believed to be the daughter of Troy Donohue, Burbank's ex-brother-in-law (she was in the fact the daughter of Nomad's foe, the drug lord Umberto Saffilios and a teenaged prostitute). Bushwacker hoped that his wife would approve of his "rescue" and welcome him back into her life.
, Burbank escaped during the mass breakout engineered by Electro
. Burbank was subsequently employed by the Jackal
to kill the Punisher, but was defeated once again by Daredevil. Following this, Bushwacker created a disturbance in downtown Manhattan and took a woman hostage to lure the Punisher
out of hiding and kill him. The Punisher showed up as expected. As it turns out, G.W. Bridge arranged the incident in Times Square with Bushwacker to ambush and capture The Punisher. Although complications arose by an on-site NYPD officer the incident fell through, the Punisher escaped, and Bushwacker was defeated by S.H.I.E.L.D.
operative G. W. Bridge
and put back in jail.
has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helped them fight the New Avengers but was taken down by Doctor Strange.
As part of the Hood's gang, he later joins the fight against the Skrull invading force in New York City. He was with the Hood when he presented the Scorpion costume to whichever crook impressed him until the party was crashed by Scorpion, who stole the costume.
Bushwacker was seen during the Siege
of Asgard
as part of the Hood crime syndicate.
: Sex and Violence #2, Bushwacker was apparently killed by Wolverine after an assassination attempt on him and Domino. He was killed with a middle claw to the throat.
In the Daredevil vs. Punisher miniseries, it was implied that his powers are actually a natural mutation, making the assassin himself one of the mutants he hates so much.
Bushwacker has been trained in CIA hand-to-hand combat techniques, and is trained in infiltration and assassination. He also has familiarity with the workings of international intelligence agencies and their methods.
reality spin-off House of M: Masters of Evil.
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...
, a 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...
in the , who is primarily an enemy of 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...
, although he has had dealings with the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. He first appeared in Daredevil #248 (November 1987).
Fictional character biography
Originally a priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, Carl Burbank abandoned his vows following the drug-related deaths of young parishioners. He joined the C.I.A., which outfitted him with a cybernetic arm and made him an assassin under the codename "Bushwacker", but ultimately he became a freelancer.
At some point, an event took place that compelled Bushwacker to begin a war against all mutants
Mutant (Marvel Comics)
In comic books published by Marvel Comics, a mutant is an organism who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers and abilities...
. Bushwacker began hunting and assassinating mutants, most often those mutants whose abilities Bushwacker perceived as making them especially talented in "the arts". Bushwacker also claimed that he was paid large sums of money to kill mutants, but this has yet to be verified. Burbank's killing spree brought him into conflict with both Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
and Daredevil. Wolverine learned of Bushwacker's activities and began to hunt the killer himself. At the same time, Bushwacker's wife Marilyn believed her husband was insane and needed to be placed in a hospital. She sought aid from lawyer Matt Murdock (secretly the hero Daredevil). Daredevil found Wolverine fighting Bushwacker, and he would have killed him if Daredevil had not stopped him. Unfortunately, this allowed Bushwacker to escape and continue his rampage. Bushwacker was ultimately tracked down and defeated by the two heroes, which left the right side of his face horribly scarred, and he was placed in police custody.
Later, Bushwacker joined with Typhoid Mary
Typhoid Mary (comics)
Typhoid Mary , also known as Typhoid, Walker, Bloody Mary and Mutant Zero, is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Daredevil and Deadpool in the Marvel Comics Universe. She first appeared in Daredevil #254, and was created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita, Jr....
and other enemies of Daredevil in a plan to beat up their common foe. After the completion of the plan, Mary took Daredevil's body, and Bushwacker was left to his own activities.
Entering 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 employ, Burbank attacked the Punisher, but was left for dead. It was during this time that his wife finally left him. He reappeared in the employ of drug lord Nick Lambert, who hired Bushwacker to kill reporter Ben Urich
Ben Urich
Ben Urich is a Marvel Comics character, usually appearing in comic books featuring Daredevil and Spider-Man. Created by Roger McKenzie and Gene Colan, he first appeared in Daredevil #153 ....
, who was about to run a story of his illegal activities. Instead, when Bushwacker learned the truth, he allowed Urich to live and to complete the exposé. However, it was Bushwacker that was proved right, as the drug lord managed to bribe himself out of jail. Bushwacker then killed him. Bushwacker was later freed by Deathlok II from captivity by Mecha Doom.
Subsequent activities brought him into conflict with Daredevil, Nomad
Nomad (comics)
Nomad is the name of a number of superhero characters who have appeared in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Nomad name and costume was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Sal Buscema as an alternate identity for the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, in Captain America #180...
, the Punisher, Boomerang
Boomerang (comics)
Boomerang is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe and first appeared in Tales to Astonish #81....
, and Elektra
Elektra (comics)
Elektra Natchios, usually referred to only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in publications from Marvel Comics.Elektra is a kunoichi – female ninja assassin – of Greek descent. She wields a pair of bladed sai as her trademark weapon. She is a love interest of the superhero...
. His clash with Nomad was memorable in that was over the life of a baby that Nomad had taken under his care whom Bushwacker believed to be the daughter of Troy Donohue, Burbank's ex-brother-in-law (she was in the fact the daughter of Nomad's foe, the drug lord Umberto Saffilios and a teenaged prostitute). Bushwacker hoped that his wife would approve of his "rescue" and welcome him back into her life.
Raft/Civil War
Imprisoned in the super-villain holding facility the RaftThe Raft (comics)
The Raft is a fictional island prison facility in New York City for psychopathic superhuman criminals appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
, Burbank escaped during the mass breakout engineered by Electro
Electro (comics)
Electro is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a supervillain and an enemy of Spider-Man who gained the ability to control electricity after being struck by lightning while working on a power line. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first...
. Burbank was subsequently employed by the Jackal
Jackal (Marvel Comics)
The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 , and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru. In The Amazing Spider-Man #148 The Jackal is a fictional character that appears in...
to kill the Punisher, but was defeated once again by Daredevil. Following this, Bushwacker created a disturbance in downtown Manhattan and took a woman hostage to lure the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
out of hiding and kill him. The Punisher showed up as expected. As it turns out, G.W. Bridge arranged the incident in Times Square with Bushwacker to ambush and capture The Punisher. Although complications arose by an on-site NYPD officer the incident fell through, the Punisher escaped, and Bushwacker was defeated 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....
operative G. W. Bridge
G. W. Bridge
George Washington "G. W." Bridge is a fictional character in the , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. He is a former mercenary and high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently, he is the leader of the Six Pack. He first appeared as an antagonist in X-Force #1.-Fictional character...
and put back in jail.
Hood
The HoodHood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
has hired him as part of his criminal organization to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. He helped them fight the New Avengers but was taken down by Doctor Strange.
As part of the Hood's gang, he later joins the fight against the Skrull invading force in New York City. He was with the Hood when he presented the Scorpion costume to whichever crook impressed him until the party was crashed by Scorpion, who stole the costume.
Bushwacker was seen during the Siege
Siege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
of Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
as part of the Hood crime syndicate.
Death
In X-ForceX-Force
X-Force is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero team, one of several spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. Conceived by writer/illustrator Rob Liefeld, the team was formed in New Mutants, vol. 1 #100 and soon afterwards was featured in its own series.The group was a new incarnation of the 1980s...
: Sex and Violence #2, Bushwacker was apparently killed by Wolverine after an assassination attempt on him and Domino. He was killed with a middle claw to the throat.
Powers and abilities
Bushwacker's right arm has been altered bionically so that it can function as a gun. He can fire bullets from his index finger as if his hand were a pistol. Using his left hand, he can alter the configuration of his right arm, allowing it to function in several modes that replicate the effects of a number of weapons, including a machine gun and a shotgun. He employs powerful gadgets and weapons, most notably a flamethrower, all of which can be created by the mechanical prostheses that have replaced his forearms. He manages to load the weapons by swallowing ammo, such as bullets or flamethrower fuel. Bushwacker's skin can liquefy to seal wounds. There are some versions that take this a step further, having Bushwacker be able to use highly concussive energy weaponry (very similar to that of Iron Man or War Machine), and even be able to morph his arm into blades as a last resort.In the Daredevil vs. Punisher miniseries, it was implied that his powers are actually a natural mutation, making the assassin himself one of the mutants he hates so much.
Bushwacker has been trained in CIA hand-to-hand combat techniques, and is trained in infiltration and assassination. He also has familiarity with the workings of international intelligence agencies and their methods.
House of M
Bushwacker appeared in the House of MHouse of M
House of M is an eight-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, its first issue debuted in June 2005 as a follow-up to the events of the Planet X and Avengers Disassembled...
reality spin-off House of M: Masters of Evil.
Video games
- In the 1993 The PunisherThe Punisher (arcade game)The Punisher is a 1993 arcade game developed and released by Capcom. It stars the Marvel Comics' anti-hero vigilante Punisher, and co-stars S.H.I.E.L.D...
arcade game, Bushwacker is a boss the player fights on a train. - Bushwacker played a role in the 2005 video game The PunisherThe Punisher (2005 video game)The Punisher is a 2005 action game which stars the Marvel Comics antihero, The Punisher. After his family was murdered by the mafia, Frank Castle devoted his life to the punishment of criminals. Players take control of the vigilante hero to track down criminals and kill them...
. He is shown working for the Gnucci family. He first appears after having kidnapped Punisher's neighbor, Joan, and threatens to kill her in Central Zoo. After the Punisher rescues Joan and kills Eddie Gnucci (at his brother's funeral), Ma GnucciMa GnucciIsabella Carmela Magdelena "Ma" Gnucci is a fictional villain from the Punisher comics. She was created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, and appears in the "Welcome Back, Frank" storyline.-Fictional character history:...
calls Bushwacker to her house to protect her. The Punisher uses flashbang grenades against him. After being beaten, his cybernetic arm is ripped out and he is defeated. - Bushwacker is one of several playable characters in the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
downloadable game The Punisher: No MercyThe Punisher: No MercyThe Punisher: No Mercy is a first person shooter video game that was released exclusive on July 2, 2009 to the PSN Store. The game was quietly pulled from PSN as of 2011.-Gameplay:...
.
External links
- Bushwacker at Marvel.com