By Jim Beard
There's something to be said about a super villain who keeps bouncing back.
Defeat after defeat,
Batroc the Leaper has proven to be one of Captain America's most resilient foes. Master of the martial art of savate—French kickboxing—the indomitable Frenchman rebounds from every beatdown and always, always lands on his feet.
Zut alors!
CAPTAIN AMERICA #44, by Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross and out November 26, brings Batroc into conflict with the new Sentinel of Liberty and the possibility of another deafening defeat—or could the Leaper's luck finally turn? History's definitely against him and we have the proof to back it up!
Sacre Bleu, we do!
TALES OF SUSPENSE #76 (1966)
After debuting in the previous issue to bash the good Captain silly, Batroc enters into a temporary truce with the Avenger as they follow the trail of the deadly Inferno 42 compound. Once gaining the goal, the bouncing baddie runs off to his shadowy taskmasters, unwittingly leading Cap to them, too. A savage battle follows and Batroc makes a cowardly retreat to leap another day.
CAPTAIN AMERICA v1 #130 (1970)
Strapped for cash, Cap agrees to film a public service announcement for a pushy TV producer—who just happens to answer to the mysteriously Machiavellian bad guy known as the Hood. As the dubious production rolls, the Hood sends Batroc and his Brigade—
Whirlwind and the Porcupine—to silence the star. Do we really need to tell you how this ends?
MARVEL TEAM-UP v1 #52 (1976)
Batroc the Leaper befriends a wandering demon? C'est true. Happening upon the creature outside his penthouse, the villain convinces the demon to attack a S.H.I.E.L.D transport carrying "trans-uranium," which of course puts them both on
Spider-Man and Captain America's radar. Batroc sends his other-dimensional ally after the heroes but meets his own defeat for his folly.
CAPTAIN AMERICA v1 #362 (1989)
"The Bloodstone Hunt" nears its end as Batroc and his latest Brigade must retrieve more pieces of the Bloodstone talisman for the nefarious Baron
Zemo. Encountering Captain America while acquiring a fragment, Batroc negotiates a deal between the Baron and Cap and witnesses the seeming supernatural return of the original Zemo. Needless to say, the Gallic goon's in the wrong place at the wrong time,
encore.
CAPTAIN AMERICA v3 #41 (2001)
Tracking the French mercenary, Cap falls prey to Batroc's "neural shock boots" and watches as a stolen S.H.I.E.L.D computer disk inches its way towards the grasp of the
Red Skull. One swift shield throw later leaves the Skull foiled, the disk—containing plans for a high risk offensive maneuver—retrieved, and Batroc the Leaper sent to the pokey.
C'est la guerre.
CAPTAIN AMERICA #44 leaps into stores on November 26, but you can read Batroc's first appearance on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited right now!
Check out the official Marvel Shop for everything Captain America!
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