Rose (Richard Fisk)

 In: Characters
 Posted: 1996
 Staff: Jeanne Burch
File Photo
Attributes
Eyes:

Blue

Features:

Partial to leather lilac-colored masks

Hair:

Blond

Height:

Unknown

Weight:

Unknown

Powers
Abilities:

Richard is highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He also uses yoga techniques for controlling pain and for contorting himself out of sticky situations

Equipment:

The Rose used no special equipment

Limitations:

Richard is inclined to freeze up when it comes to actually putting the kibosh on his dad.

Strength Level:

Normal human strength

Weapons:

The Rose occasionally uses a handgun

Summary
Citizenship:

American

Created By:

Tom DeFalco, Rick Leonardi, Bill Anderson

Current Occupation:

Protected witness against his father

Dual Identity:

Not generally known

Education:

Some college

Former Aliases:

The Schemer

Former Occupation:

Young Man of Leisure, Crime Lord

Known Allies:

Hobgoblin I, Hobgoblin II

Known Confidants:

Ned Leeds, Alfredo Morelli, and his sometime girlfriend Dina

Known Relatives:

Wilson and Vanessa Fisk (parents)

Legal Status:

Protected Witness, presumably all charges dropped

Major Enemies:

Spider-Man, the Kingpin, Alfredo Morelli (Richard Fisk II) and the New Enforcers

Marital Status:

Married to Rebbeca Fisk (I don't know if Richard married her, or Alfredo did)

Place of Birth:

United States Of America

Real Name:

Richard Fisk

Usual Bases:

New York City

Background

Richard Fisk is the son of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. Raised without knowledge of his father's criminal activities, Richard was shocked to discover how his family's fortune was made. Vowing to bring his father to justice, Richard became the crime-lord known as the Schemer. The Schemer targeted and directly attacked the Kingpin's minions, leading to a confrontation with the Kingpin himself. Faced with his father, Richard unmasked. His son's betrayal briefly unhinged the Kingpin's mind. Remorseful, Richard joined H.Y.D.R.A. to try and regain his father's respect. When H.Y.D.R.A. was brought down by Captain America, Richard was nearly killed. Only a bizarre exchange of life forces with Spider-Man saved him.

For many years, Richard stayed out of sight. He never got over his initial revulsion at the Kingpin's career, and eventually returned as the Rose, a crime-lord under the Kingpin's control. In reality, Richard was trying to undermine the organization from within with the help of his friends Alfredo Morelli and Ned Leeds. Richard's plans fell into disarray when a gang war started. During one shoot-out Richard killed a police officer, an act that represented a point of no return for him. Then, Ned Leeds was murdered while on assignment for the Daily Bugle in Berlin. Disillusioned, Richard openly joined his father's organization.

Richard could not long countenance the Kingpin's methods, however. He hatched an elaborate plan with Alfredo to make the Kingpin think he was ready to follow in the family business. Since Alfredo had actual combat experience, he was tapped to become the inside man. Undergoing plastic surgery to look like Richard, Alfredo began to climb the ladder of power within the organization. The Rose's second incarnation was Sergeant Blume, of the NYPD, who was with Alfredo and Richard, because the Kingpin was responsible for the death of his brother, also a cop. When the Kingpin was brought down by Daredevil and H.Y.D.R.A, Alfredo refused to let go of the ruse and took over as the new Kingpin. After he killed Blume, Richard adopted yet another identity, that of Blood Rose, and began a Punisher-esque style of open warfare against the gangs. In Web of Spider-Man #100, Alfredo and Blood Rose nearly finished each other. Richard entered the Witness Protection Program after that.

Rose III, the fourth incarnation of the villain, was assumed to be Richard Fisk, but in fact had no connection to him. He was Jacob Conover, Peter's colleague at the Bugle.

With his father's return to power, Richard surrendered and gave up trying to destroy him, realizing he had no chance to achieve that goal. He returned to his father's organization a defeated man. During a round of drinks with an ambitious Kingpin operative named Silke, Richard realized Silke might have what it takes defeat the Kingpin. He helped Silke's move for power, which ended up with Kingpin (recently blinded), being stabbed almost to death. Returning from Europe, Vanessa Fisk led a swift counter-strike, which quelled the rebellious insurgency. Having triumphed, Vanessa Fisk retailed the Kingpin's territory and sold his operations to minor crime lords, leaving the States soon after with her injured husband, taking him back to Europe to recuperate, but not before she settled things with her son. A moved Richard told his mother "You don't understand, I saved us, don't you see?" Apparently she didn't, as she ruthlessly shot her son dead.

Silke, believing the Kingpin was dead (he was saved almost miraculously by his and Vanessa's doctors), turned himself in to the FBI for protection, with all his men dead, and revealed Daredevil's ID (which Richard had revealed to him) in exchange for protection. The feds decided not to pursue the matter, but one of them secretly sold the info to a tabloid, causing Matt Murdock a problem he is still facing today with vehement denial--public exposure. Silke is currently in police custody, but as we all know, Kingpin's vengeance is swift and deadly. His days are most likely numbered.

After his return, Fisk recruited Digger, an undead Hulk-like monster, to act as his muscle. He and Digger met with Tombstone, Hammerhead, Mister Negative, and Crime Master to discuss a purchase. Tombstone was unimpressed, as the Rose had no territory and thus, no power. They eventually agreed to have their men meet in Harlem, despite Fisk’s displeasure that the exchange would happen in Tombstone’s territory. Afterward, Fisk had Digger blow up Tombstone’s penthouse. (Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #1)

Image Gallery

Appearances

Cover Date Appearance Information
Apr 1970 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #83
  First Appearance Of Richard Fisk (The Schemer)
May 1970 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #84
Jun 1970 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #85
Feb 1972 App: Captain America (Vol. 1) #146
  Joins H.Y.D.R.A.
Mar 1972 App: Captain America (Vol. 1) #147
Apr 1972 App: Captain America (Vol. 1) #148
Dec 1976 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #163
Jan 1977 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #164
Jun 1984 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #253
Oct 1984 App: Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #95
Sep 1984 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #256
Oct 1984 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #257
Nov 1984 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #258
Dec 1984 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #259
Jan 1985 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #260
Feb 1985 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #261
Sep 1985 App: Secret Wars II #3
Apr 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #275
May 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #276
Jul 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #278
Date TBD App: Daredevil (Vol.1) #234
Sep 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #280
Oct 1986 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #281
Mar 1987 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #24
Jan 1987 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #284
Feb 1987 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #285
Mar 1987 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #286
  Kills a police officer.
Apr 1987 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #287
May 1987 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #288
Aug 1987 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #29
Jun 1987 App: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #289
Sep 1987 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #30
  Reminisces about his days with the Hobgoblin and Ned Leeds
Feb 1991 App: Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #173
Jan 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #84
Feb 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #85
Mar 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #86
Apr 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #87
May 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #88
  First becomes Blood Rose
Jun 1992 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #89
Feb 1993 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #97
  Fights Spider-Man, the Enforcers, the Foreigner and the new Kingpin
Mar 1993 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #98
Apr 1993 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #99
May 1993 App: Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #100

Thanks To

 This profile was completed with information used with permission from the Appendix of Marvel Universe website, mantained by Jeff Christiansen (Snood). If you want to find out about that odd-ball character you've only seen once, or even about that character you haven't ever seen, that's the site you're looking for. An impressive amount of obscure characters await you there!

 The assistance of the Marvel Chronology Project is gratefully acknowledged.

 Some of the above information is extracted from the various versions of the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe and the more recent Marvel Encyclopaedias.

 In: Characters
 Posted: 1996
 Staff: Jeanne Burch