Batroc the Leaper
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Batroc the Leaper (Georges Batroc) is a fictional villain from Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Tales of Suspense vol. 2 #75.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Batroc is a French costumed mercenary who specializes in Savate, a form of kickboxing. Although he has primarily appeared in the pages of Captain America, he has also faced off against the Punisher, Deadpool, Hawkeye, Iron Fist, and Gambit.
His stereotypical accent ("Batroc ze Leapair"), funny name (Batroc resembles "Bat-Rock" or "Batrachia", the animal order to which frogs belong to), clumsy vocabulary with the tendency to insert whole French words (which are sometimes erroneous, such as "mon capitan"), Dali-like moustache, lack of superpowers, and inability to win a fight have made him into more of a comedic character than anything else. However, he has functioned as a member of Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil (one of the stronger recurring villain teams that plague the heroes of Avengers). Batroc was also a member of the ersatz "Defenders", a group of villains who were impersonating the actual Defenders.
Batroc has occasionally led his own team, "Batroc's Brigade", whose membership has changed over time. The group has included the original Swordsman, Whirlwind, Zaran the Weapons Master, Machete, and various unnamed henchmen. The group has primarily fought Captain America[1]
In more recent years, some writers have attempted in casting Batroc in different light. In an issue of Mark Waid’s run on Captain America he was portrayed as a comical but highly talented martial artist capable of holding his own against Hawkeye and the Captain at the same time. Years later, during George Pérez and Kurt Busiek’s long awaited JLA/Avengers crossover, Batroc actually managed to briefly get the drop on Batman. Most recently, the Leaper showed up as member of a small army of villains organized by Klaw to invade Wakanda, which included Rhino, Radioactive Man, the Cannibal, and the villainous Black Knight. Sporting a new costume designed by John Romita, Jr., Batroc served as Klaw’s top lieutenant. However, he was still ultimately defeated by Black Panther’s royal bodyguards.
Batroc also appeared briefly in a Wolverine story as an inmate of the extremely high-security prison The Cage. The prison sports a field that mentally suppresses inmates' abilities to use their superpowers. Narrating, Wolverine explains that: "It doesn't matter how big you were on the outside. In here, combat experience is everything. Thugs like Wrecker and Thunderball might throw their weight around, but they'd never even dream of touching the big shots. Guys like Batroc and Kangaroo. Yeah, I know."
Batroc has a daughter who is teamed in villainy with the daughter of similar B-list supervillain Tarantula. Both daughters take their fathers' respective costumes and titles. In the Agent X series, the Taskmaster expresses his shock that Tarantula and Batroc are heterosexual before soundly beating two villains' offspring.
Recently, Batroc was shown to be among the group of villains forcibly drafted into Baron Zemo's Thunderbolts team.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Batroc has no superhuman abilities, but is in peak physical condition in every respect. He is an Olympic-level weight lifter capable of pressing at least 500 pounds and has extraordinary agility and reflexes. His leg muscles are particularly well developed enabling him to leap great distances with the equity of an Olympic athlete. He is an expert hand-to-hand combatant and specializes in savate (french kick boxing). He is also a highly skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.
[edit] Quotes
Batroc uses many French terms which may strike even the American reader who makes up most of Marvel's audience as stereotypical; a native speaker of French may find Batroc's dialogue not only stereotypical but hilariously badly translated:
- "Zut alors!" (Batroc uses this term even in a totally inappropriate context)
- "Sacre Bleu!"
- "Alas, you are too sensitive, mon cher! But, c'est la vie!"
- "Nom du chien! Your insolence is insupportable-- insufferable!! For zat you shall pay un mille fois!" (Batroc should say "Nom d'un chien" and he shouldn't use the "un" for "mille fois")
- "Is it not très formidable!" (Batroc shouldn't use the "très")
- "Ah, mon pauvre petit!"
Batroc inserts so much mangled French terminology into his speech, that Captain America once asked him: "Who gave you your English lessons? Doctor Doom?"
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- The Batroc Home Page - A humorous fan website about Batroc
- Batroc's entry in Uncyclopedia - Also humorous
