Richard Fisk

"The Rose (comics)" redirects here. For other topics, seeRose (disambiguation).

Richard Fiskis a character appearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byMarvel Comics.The character first appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man#83 (April 1970) and was created byStan LeeandJohn Romita Sr.He is the son ofWilson FiskandVanessa Fisk.Although originally portrayed as a villain, he later became anantihero.

Richard Fisk
Richard Fisk as depicted inWeb of Spider-Man#30 (September 1987). Art by Steve Geiger.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man#83 (April 1970)
Created by	Stan Lee(writer) John Romita Sr.(artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Richard Fisk
Species	Human
Team affiliations	Hydra
Notable aliases	The Schemer,The Rose,The Blood Rose
Abilities	Martial artist High-level intellect Carries a handgun and a variety of mini-grenades As Rose: Wears a bulletproof suit

Richard Fisk appeared inSpider-Man(1994), voiced byNick Jameson,and made a cameo appearance inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Publication history

The character Richard Fisk first appears asThe SchemerinThe Amazing Spider-Man#83 (April 1970), created byStan LeeandJohn Romita Sr.He first appeared asThe RoseinThe Amazing Spider-Man#253 (June 1984), but was not revealed as the Rose untilThe Amazing Spider-Man#286 (March 1987).

Fictional character biography

Richard Fisk grew up as a child of privilege, believing that his father Wilson Fisk was a respectable and honorable businessman. Wilson was sometimes abusive to Richard, but Richard still loved him. At one point he and his childhood friendSamuel Silkesaw Wilson roughing up someone. It was when he was attending a prestigious college inSwitzerlandthat he discovered that his father was, in reality, theKingpinof Crime.Realizing the luxuries of his youth had been financed by a criminal empire, Richard was distraught and vowed to make atonement for his father's crimes. When his parents received word that Richard had perished in a skiing accident, they suspected that it was really a suicide after Richard learned the truth of his father's identity. Heartbroken and furious that his son could have acted so spinelessly, the Kingpin sunk into a spell of depression.

Operating as Schemer

Cover ofThe Amazing Spider-Man#83. Art byJohn Romita Sr.

Not long afterward, a new gang emerged in New York, led by a mysterious figure calling himself theSchemer.Unlike most gangs in New York, the Schemer's organization seemed bent solely on dismantling the Kingpin's empire. After a series of confrontations, the Kingpin and the Schemer finally met face to face. It was then that the Schemer revealed that his face was really a mask, and that his true face was that of Richard Fisk.Richard explained that he had faked his death in the Alps and was striking back at his father using his own money. This final shock was too much for the Kingpin to bear, and he collapsed into catatonia. This finally made Richard realize how much he had hurt his father, and he set off to find a way to cure his comatose state.Richard joined the international terrorist groupHydra,becoming a leader of the Nevada fragment of Hydra and eventually rising to the rank of Supreme Hydra.Now with Hydra's expansive resources at his disposal, Richard was able to return his father to full health. The Kingpin, reconciled with his son, proved that he was back to normal by clandestinely taking over as ruler of Hydra.However, it was soon revealed that the true leader of Hydra was theNazisupervillaintheRed Skull,and the Fisks had to team up withCaptain Americaand theFalconto stop the mad dictator. Richard was critically wounded in the final battle, and the Kingpin had his son placed in suspended animation, finally curing him by siphoning some life force fromSpider-Man.

Operating as Rose

Several years later, Richard joined his father's organization, calling himself theRose,a crime lord under the Kingpin's control. However, this was all a ruse to undermine the Kingpin's empire from within. Aiding Richard in this scheme were his good friend Alfredo Morelli andNed Leeds,who was brainwashed to act as the supervillain theHobgoblin.However, the Rose's subterfuge resulted in an explosive gang war that tore New York City apart. During a shoot-out Richard shot and killed a police officer, an act that became a turning point for him - no longer could he consider himself morally superior to his father. After Leeds' death and the end of the gang war, Richard resigned himself to his birthright and rejoined the Kingpin's organization as himself. However, the desire to overthrow his father once again arose, and Richard and Alfredo plotted to make the Kingpin think that Richard was ready to inherit his father's position. Alfredo had plastic surgery to make himself look just like Richard (since he had more combat experience), and slowly began climbing the ladder of power. However, when the Kingpin was overthrown by the combined forces ofDaredeviland Hydra, Alfredo betrayed his old friend by maintaining that he was truly Richard, and took over as the new Kingpin. Richard then becameBlood Rose,aPunisher-like vigilante, and began gunning down criminals in a bloody purge of the city. The Blood Rose even shot and wounded Alfredo, who later returned under the alias of Gauntlet, although he was ultimately defeated byNightWatchand incarcerated. Finally caught by Spider-Man and arrested, Richard entered the Witness Protection Program.

Killed by Vanessa Fisk

Years later, Wilson Fisk once again regained the mantle of the Kingpin, and Richard re-emerged to public life and rejoined the Kingpin's organization, once again vowing to never again attempt to overthrow his father. However, upon meeting his old childhood friend, the ambitious enforcer Silke, Richard thought that he at last had found the perfect way to make his father pay for his crimes. Silke's assassination attempt nearly did succeed, stabbing and seriously wounding the Kingpin (already blinded from an earlier attempt on his life). However, Richard did not count on the tenacity of his mother Vanessa. Vanessa quickly made a startling counterstrike, eliminating the rebellion and selling her husband's territory so he could travel toEuropeand recover. Richard cornered her, insisting that by getting rid of the Kingpin they could be free to have a new life, but Vanessa coldly shot her son dead, eliminating him as a threat once and for all.

Revived by Wilson Fisk

At the time when Wilson Fisk was the Mayor of New York, Richard was later resurrected by his father who used the Tablet of Life and Destiny and the Tablet of Death and Entropy, once again assuming the Rose persona.

During the "Devil's Reign"storyline, Rose assisted his father in apprehending superheroes after Mayor Fisk had them outlawed. After visiting the police station whereBen Reillyas Spider-Man broke out,Beyond Corporationmember Marcus Momplaiser has been ambushed by Rose. Rose is confronted by twoThunderboltsagents who state that Spider-Man got away. After driving away the Thunderbolts agents, Rose goes to Plan B and prepares to torture his Marcus. Rose has been unable to get any useful information out of Marcus and will still have a use for him. Becoming Spider-Man, Ben Reilly finds the Thunderbolts agents arresting someone dressed as Spider-Man. Spider-Man defeats the Thunderbolts agents and finds out that Marcus was dressed as Spider-Man as he advises Spider-Man to get away. Just then, Rose appears with the same S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon some Thunderbolts agents used on him and attacks Spider-Man where he reveals that he spiked Marcus' Spider-Man costume with electrodes which he uses to shock them. Before Rose can finish off Spider-Man, Marcus uses one of the Thunderbolts agents electric sticks which helps him to knock out Rose. The Thunderbolts agents bring to the NYPD someone in a Spider-Man outfit. He is unmasked to be a gagged Rose with the words "Here's Johnny" on the tape that's over his mouth.

Rose later attended a meeting held by Tombstone. He is now accompanied by the gamma mutateDigger.

During the "Gang War"storyline, Rose is shown on the map to have territory inChelsea, Manhattanbefore being kidnapped by Wilson Fisk's men.

While Clea Strange takes the post of Sorcerer Supreme from her (then-dead) husband Doctor Strange, she threatens The Rose into revealing the location of the Blasphemy Cartel, which he knows because, as Clea puts it, "Gangster scum knows gangster scum". She also turns his soldiers into snakes. The Rose retaliates by warning the Blasphemy Cartel of her incoming, and they set up a trap, which fails.

Powers and abilities

Richard Fisk has no superhuman powers, however he is trained in the use of guns and has some martial arts training. He is highly intelligent and also has a number of criminal contacts. As the Rose he wears a bulletproof three-piece suit. He always carries a handgun and often a variety of mini-grenades as well.

Other versions

An alternate universe variant of Richard Fisk from Earth-200111 appears in thePunisher Maxstory arc "Kingpin". This version is a child who was killed by mob boss Rigoletto.

In other media

Richard Fisk (left) andTombstone(right) as depicted inSpider-Man.

• Richard Fisk appears inSpider-Man,voiced byNick Jameson.This version is loyal to his father, Wilson Fisk / Kingpin, and heads a front company called Fisktronics. In the episodes "Framed" and "The Man Without Fear", Wilson hires Peter Parker to work under Richard, who subsequently frames the latter for selling government secrets with theChameleon's help. Parker as Spider-Man joins forces withDaredevilto successfully clear his name, resulting in Richard being arrested. In "Guilty", Richard works withTombstoneto frameRobbie Robertsonand escape prison, but Spider-Man andJ. Jonah Jamesonprove Robertson's innocence while Spider-Man thwarts Richard and Tombstone's escape attempt. In a flashback depicted in "The Prowler",Hobie Brownsaves Richard's life, leading to Wilson releasing the former from prison and hiring him as an enforcer.
• A young Richard Fisk appears inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.This version grew up not knowing of his father's criminal activities until he andVanessa Fiskwitnessed him fightingSpider-Man.While fleeing, they were killed in a car accident, which leads to Wilson creating a Super-Collider to find alternate versions of his family throughout the multiverse.

External links

• Richard FiskatMarvel.com
• Richard Fiskat The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe