Crusader is the name of different
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
s appearing in
American comic books published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Two have made significant appearances and other are minor characters or aliases.
The first Crusader first appeared in ''
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
'' #330 (April, 1983) and was created by writer
Alan Zelenetz
Alan Zelenetz is an American film producer and comic-book writer best known for co-creating the series '' Alien Legion'' for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics and a founder of Ovie Entertainment. Zelenetz also wrote several issues of Marvel' ...
and penciller
Bob Hall.
The second is a
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
superhero that first appeared in ''
Marvel Team-Up
''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' vol. 3 #23 (Aug. 2006) and was created by
Robert Kirkman and Andy Kuhn.
Fictional character biography
Arthur Blackwood
Arthur Blackwood was born in
Decatur, Illinois. He was a seminary student in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, who believed that the
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* C ...
should become more active in fighting
paganism and
godlessness
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that ther ...
in modern society. Dismissed from the seminary for getting into an altercation with a disagreeing superior, Blackwood visited his family crypt to meditate on his life. There, he had a religious vision of all of his ancestors who devoted their lives to serving
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
. In this vision, he met the spirit of one of his ancestors who served in the
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...
. This spirit seemingly bequeathed to him the combined power of all his ancestors and dubbed him knight. When Blackwood awoke from this vision, he discovered that a
sword,
shield, and
knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
's
raiment had inexplicably materialized nearby. Blackwood decided to take up the sword and use his newfound power to destroy all pagans and infidels. As his first target, he chose the thunder god
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
, whose claims of godhood seemed blasphemous to him. Calling himself the Crusader, Blackwood attacked
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
at a public assembly. Somehow the strength of his faith granted him sufficient power not only to hold his own in pitched battle with the
Asgardian, but also to inflict upon Thor a seemingly mortal wound. When Thor reappeared a short time later, his wound fully healed by the power of
Odin, the Crusader's belief in his own infallibility was shaken. The Crusader was unable to comprehend how a supposed agent of the devil like Thor could be superior to him, a self-styled messenger of the Lord. When Thor shattered his sword, the Crusader fled, filled with doubts about the righteousness of his cause.
Blackwood re-forged the sword and went back into action. He killed two church thieves, and attacked the Emir of Ghulistan. He then battled the
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
, but was forced to surrender and his sword and shield were shattered.
Blackwood's doubt has often caused him to lose battles rather than win them.
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
was also able to defeat Blackwood after breaking his sword, once again causing Blackwood to doubt his cause leading, in turn, to yet another defeat. His doubt also led him to defeat at the hands of
Nate Grey
Nathaniel Grey (X-Man) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in ''X-Man'' ...
. After this, Blackwood seemingly disappeared from continuing his crusade.
Not too long after the
Avengers were
broken up
Ship-breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sold for re-use, ...
,
Electro conducted the breakout of many famous Marvel villains from The Raft, a prison island for super villains. Blackwood was held as a prisoner there but would soon escape along with many other prisoners. This escape once again inspired Blackwood to continue his crusade, starting with
Doctor Strange. However, his newest crusade would also be his last as Strange would use his powers to send Blackwood back to the Raft.
During the "
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
" storyline, it is revealed that the Crusader is still active and had organized a religious group of thugs for himself. After hijacking a plane filled with money and planning to bomb the headquarters of several super-heroes, the Crusader and his men are stopped by Wolverine after he hears about their operation. In the process, Wolverine gouges out the Crusader's right eye, while quoting the Bible with "An eye for an eye". However, Wolverine is unable to prevent the plane from crashing down into a cornfield. On impact, the plane suddenly explodes, with both Wolverine and Blackwood surviving the crash.
The Crusader attended a meeting organized by the
Hood
Hood may refer to:
Covering
Apparel
* Hood (headgear), type of head covering
** Article of academic dress
** Bondage hood, sex toy
* Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt
Anatomy
* Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris
* Hood, a flap of ...
to take advantage of the split in the superhero community caused by the Superhuman Registration Act. According to his entry in volume 3 of ''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z'', he did not accept Hood's invitation.
Z'Reg
Z'Reg is a
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...
operative who was sent to spy on the
Avengers after his training. However, he arrives on Earth shortly after the
Avengers disbanded.
Falling in love with the planet's customs and superheroes under the civilian identity of Aubrey Thompson, Z'Reg decides to become a superhero and calls himself the Crusader (a name he chose specifically because it gives no clue as to his abilities).
['']Marvel Team-Up
''Marvel Team-Up'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The series was originally published from March 1972 through February 1985, and featured Spider-Man as ...
'' vol. 3 #23. Marvel Comics.
He soon became the mentor of
Freedom Ring.
After Freedom Ring is killed by
Iron Maniac
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The char ...
, Crusader takes the boy's reality-altering ring for himself as a way to honor his fallen comrade. Rather than using the ring to continue his superhero career, Crusader seems to have retired to a life of leisure using it to create fake Skrull women. When
Titannus attacked the US, Crusader helped other superheroes to defeat the monster.
Crusader is later seen on board a bus of new recruits arriving at
Camp Hammond to join the Fifty State Initiative, along with
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several superheroes appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby, Ant-Man's first appearance was in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (January 1962) but first appeared in cost ...
,
Melee
A melee ( or , French: mêlée ) or pell-mell is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. In military aviation, a melee has been defined as " air battle in which ...
,
Geldoff
Geldoff is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in the Ultimate Marvel Universe's ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #40 (July 2003) written by Brian Michael Bendis with art from Mark Bagley. ...
,
Dragon Lord
''Dragon Lord'' (also known as ''Dragon Strike'', ) is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film starring and directed by Jackie Chan, who also wrote the screenplay with Edward Tang and Barry Wong. It was originally supposed to be a sequel to ...
,
Geiger,
Red Nine, and
Diamondback. The clone of
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
known as "KIA" attacked Crusader and the other new trainees, and severed Crusader's hand in the battle. His hand was surgically reattached by the Camp's doctor, Physique. Fearing a medical examination would reveal his true form, Crusader used the fragments of the Cosmic Cube in his ring to make himself appear human to the doctor's medical tests (in fact, an overly average human, so much so that the doctor comments on how generic his readings are).
[''Avengers: The Initiative'' #12 (2008). Marvel Comics.]
During the ''
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 story involves a subversive, long-term in ...
'' storyline, Crusader suspects that camp director
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...
is actually a Skrull impostor named Criti Noll. It turns out they both enjoyed the taste of pickles and strawberries which tastes like a Skrull delicacy.
He almost tells the camp's counselor
Trauma
Trauma most often refers to:
* Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source
* Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event
*Traumatic i ...
, but changes his mind. When
3-D Man arrives in Camp Hammond to announce to everyone assembled that the Initiative has been infiltrated by Skrulls, Crusader fears that he will be exposed as a Skrull despite his good intentions. Crusader uses the ring to reverse the goggles' power so that they cause 3-D Man to see Crusader as human and all humans as Skrulls. Realizing the ramifications of this act, Crusader manages to get Delroy to move out of the ring's range, nullifying the effect. Crusader joins the rest of the Initiative in combating the Skrull invasion of New York. Crusader kills his old friend K'rtem who had given him a scar down his face during Skrull training, which Crusader has worn as a proud reminder. After killing K'rtem, Crusader removes the scar from his form. Crusader witnesses Initiative cadet
Proton being executed by the Skrulls. After some doubt to which side he should fight for (and a personal pep talk by
Nick Fury), Crusader decides to fight for Earth. After the battle, Crusader notices
the Skrull impersonating Pym running off and chases after him. Crusader fights and defeats the impostor, but 3-D Man then realizes that Crusader is a Skrull and shoots him through the head. His fellow Initiative members believe that "human" Crusader had simply been replaced by a Skrull. As Crusader lays mortally injured, he wishes "it could have ended differently" and then disappears.
[''Avengers: The Initiative'' #19. Marvel Comics.]
Powers and abilities
Arthur Blackwood gained superhuman powers after experiencing a religious vision in which he was seemingly bequeathed the combined power of his ancestors who had served God. The Crusader's physical attributes, as well as the power of his sword and shield, are directly related to his will and belief. While he is confident, his strength, speed, stamina, agility, dexterity, reflexes/reactions and resistance to injury are sufficient for him to stand toe-to-toe with the likes of
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
. However, if his faith wavers, his superhuman powers will rapidly disappear. Upon transforming into the Crusader, he instantly summons his mystical body armor, sword, and shield. These items are strong enough to withstand repeated blows by Thor's
hammer before shattering. As the Crusader, he is a master swordsman and jouster. Blackwood has earned a master's degree, though his studies towards Doctorate of Divinity remain uncompleted.
Z'Reg's Skrull physiology enables him to
shapeshift
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...
into virtually any form that he chooses and copy the powers of other heroes. Later, he takes Curtis Doyle's ring as an honor for his death. The ring was crafted from a fragment of a destroyed
Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
which allows the wearer to alter reality within a radius of roughly 15 feet (4.6m) around him, giving him a sphere of reality he can alter.
Other characters named Crusader
* In ''Black Knight Comics'' #1-5, el Alemain was known as Crusader circa 1189 A.D. He was an Englishman and an ally of King Richard. He wore a robe and headdress and used a
scimitar
A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...
.
* An impostor
Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson)
Marvel Boy (Robert Grayson), also known as The Uranian, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is one of several to use the name " Marvel Boy". He was created by writer-editor Stan L ...
was called Crusader in ''Fantastic Four'' #165.
* On Earth-238, Perseus Ablemarle is known as Crusader. He sought vengeance on the criminals that killed his parents and was possibly killed on his first outing. He was trained in various forms of combat and first appeared in ''Rampage Magazine'' #41 and died in ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #388.
* On Earth-9811, Sarah Rogers, the daughter of
Captain America and
Rogue, was known as Crusader. She first appeared in ''What If?'' vol. 2 #114 and ''Avengers Forever'' #11-12.
* In the
Ultraverse
The Ultraverse is a defunct comic book imprint published by the American company Malibu Comics which is currently owned by Marvel Comics. The Ultraverse is a shared universe in which a variety of characters – known within the comics as Ultras †...
, an immortal warrior was called Crusader but was defeated by
Rune
Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...
in 1348 A.D. and later killed by Rune. He first appeared in ''Rune'' vol. 2 #4.
* On Earth-2122, a member of the
Captain Britain Corps
Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain Weekly'' #1 by writer C ...
was called
Crusader X. He was one of the sole survivors of Mastermind's slaughter of the Corps and assisted
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
in his defeat. He first appeared in ''Excalibur'' #21.
References
External links
*
Crusader (Z'Reg)at Marvel.com
Crusader (Arthur Blackwood)at Marvel Wiki
Crusader (Z'Reg)at Marvel Wiki
*
*
{{Skrull
Characters created by Robert Kirkman
Comics characters introduced in 1983
Comics characters introduced in 2006
Fictional characters from Chicago
Fictional characters from Illinois
Fictional swordfighters in comics
Marvel Comics characters who are shapeshifters
Marvel Comics extraterrestrial superheroes
Marvel Comics male superheroes
Marvel Comics supervillains
Skrull