Crossfire (comics)

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Crossfire

Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Marvel Two-in-One #52 (June, 1979)
Created by	Steven Grant Jim Craig

Characteristics
Alter ego	William Cross
Notable aliases	Prisoner V22503
Abilities	Proficient in various arts of espionage, expert marksman, and is skilled in hand to hand combat

Crossfire is the name of a supervillain in the Marvel Comics fictional Marvel Universe. He was created by writer Steven Grant and artist Jim Craig in Marvel Two-in-One #52 (June 1979).

[edit] History

A vengeful Crossfire stalked Hawkeye and Mockingbird to the estate of former film star Moira Brandon who helped the heroes recapture Cross and was then declared an honorary Avenger. The criminal mercenary jugglers known as the Death-Throws freed Cross from police custody, but when he proved unable to pay them, they held him for ransom until Captain America, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird captured the whole gang. Crossfire later escaped and placed a bounty on Hawkeye's arm, hoping to destroy the hero's archery skills and break his spirit. Cross and his small army of superhuman bounty hunters were defeated and captured by Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Trickshot.

At some point during one of his prison stays he befriended Vector of the U-Foes whose secret power nullification technology Cross had hoped to exploit. Recaptured following an encounter with S.H.I.E.L.D., Cross was imprisoned in the Vault where Rozalyn Backus (long since exonerated) was a member of the Vault's Guardsman force. Seemingly aiding and then foiling an escape plot by the U-Foes and Crossfire, Backus turned the criminals against each other, faked her own death, and stole a fortune in cash and goods from the criminals, including Vector's power nullification chamber (which Backus later claimed she secretly destroyed since she felt it was too dangerous to preserve). The criminals were later transferred to the new Raft super-prison and all escaped during Electro's mass breakout, with Crossfire leading a gang of his fellow mind-manipulators: Controller, Corruptor, Mandrill, and Mister Fear (Alan Fagan). Pursuing Backus, the chamber and their grudges against each other, the U-Foes and Crossfire's gang fought a super-powered gang war in New York until the Avengers broke it up. Crossfire and his gang were recaptured (except the Corruptor) and Backus surrendered herself to the authorities.