Roughhouse
Encyclopedia
Roughouse is a fictional character
, a comic book
supervillain
in the Marvel Comics
universe
and the occasional enemy of Wolverine
. His first appearance was in Wolverine vol. 2, #4. The character was created by Chris Claremont
and John Buscema
.
, the mythical home of the Asgardian "gods." In Wolverine vol. 2, #6, Roughouse provides the first clue to his origin by uttering the phrase, "Ymir's icy breath." This is a reference to the giant Ymir, said to be the father of the race of beings known as the Frost Giant
s, the primary enemies of the Asgardian "gods." He is also known to have been systematically abused by his father as a boy
. Some writers have suggested that the reason Roughouse wears long hair and a full beard is to hide scar
s received at the hands of his father.
In recent years, Roughouse has come to the island nation of Madripoor
along with his partner, the "pseudo-vampire" Bloodscream
. They have found employment under General Coy, one of the islands' most powerful crime lords, as special enforcers used to eliminate any threats to his operations. They are sent after the woman called Tyger Tiger
, Coy's primary rival as the supreme crime boss of Madripoor. This brings the two mercenaries into a number of conflicts with Wolverine. The duo are never able to defeat him.
General Coy grows tired of Roughouse's failures and literally sells him to Geist
("Ghost
"), a former high ranking agent of Nazi Germany
in the United Kingdom
and a cyborg
. By the time Roughouse meets him, Geist is financing himself through illegal drug trade
and needs a guinea pig on which to experiment a new drug. Geist's men give Roughouse a dose of this experimental version of cocaine which temporarily drives him mad.
Wolverine holds back in the fight with Roughouse, since Roughouse is not truly even aware of what he is doing. After helping Roughouse escape, they come upon a mysterious nun
of the Roman Catholic Church
known only as Sister Salvation, who possesses the ability to cure those suffering from physical or mental injuries and cure sickness just by touching them with her hands. After several "sessions" she is able to fully purge Roughouse's body of the cocaine induced suffering. Roughhouse decides to stay with Sister Salvation in Tierra Verde to help her rebuild her destroyed mission.
It would be quite a while before Wolverine and Roughouse would cross paths again. In Wolverine #123, Roughhouse and Bloodscream had now renewed their partnership and ambushed Wolverine after the adamantium has been stripped from his skeleton
. They manage to get the upper hand and beat Wolverine unconscious. They bring him to their hideout where they beat him repeatedly over the next few days. Wolverine is able to free himself from the chains by breaking his own wrist, and defeats his captors as Roughouse was on his way to shoot him in the head. This is the last time he crosses paths with Roughouse.
It is unknown why Roughouse renews his partnership with Bloodscream, but as Bloodscream becomes increasingly cannibalistic it is unlikely Roughouse would have stayed with him. Roughouse, while a villain, still had some sense of honor and valued human life. Sure enough, the next time Wolverine encounters Bloodscream, Roughouse is no longer with him. He is instead replaced by the cannibalistic imbecile, Vermin
.
Roughouse is many times stronger than the average human. In Wolverine #123, Wolverine narrates that "He's not Hulk-level strength." but is seen picking up a steamroller or forklift easily with one arm. This would put Roughhouse comparable to Colossus
or Rogue
. At that point Wolverine introduces into the story that Roughouse was descended from Rock Trolls.
Like full blooded Rock Trolls, the various tissues of Roughouse's body have much greater density than those of ordinary humans (contributing somewhat to Roughouse's great strength and size). As a result, Roughouse's body is highly resistant to conventional injury. Roughouse's body can withstand temperature extremes, puncture wounds, impact trauma, and high caliber machine gun shells without being injured. Even though Roughouse can be injured, the force or weaponry required to do so would have to be considerably more powerful than most conventional materials.
Roughouse's superhuman musculature produces far less lactic acid than the musculature of ordinary humans, granting him superhuman levels of stamina in all physical activities.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
and the occasional enemy of Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. His first appearance was in Wolverine vol. 2, #4. The character was created by Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
and John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
.
Fictional character biography
Roughouse is one of the most mysterious opponents that Wolverine has come across. Little is known of his past beyond the fact that Roughouse is descended from one of the races that inhabit the dimension of AsgardAsgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
, the mythical home of the Asgardian "gods." In Wolverine vol. 2, #6, Roughouse provides the first clue to his origin by uttering the phrase, "Ymir's icy breath." This is a reference to the giant Ymir, said to be the father of the race of beings known as the Frost Giant
Frost Giant
Frost Giant is the second album from The Dead Science, released in 2005 on Absolutely Kosher Records. It was recorded in ten days at Bear Creek Studios in December 2004...
s, the primary enemies of the Asgardian "gods." He is also known to have been systematically abused by his father as a boy
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
. Some writers have suggested that the reason Roughouse wears long hair and a full beard is to hide scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
s received at the hands of his father.
In recent years, Roughouse has come to the island nation of Madripoor
Madripoor
The Principality of Madripoor is a fictional island located in Southeast Asia in the Marvel Comics universe. Based on illustrations, it is in the southern portion of the Strait of Malacca, southwest of Singapore.-Publication history:...
along with his partner, the "pseudo-vampire" Bloodscream
Bloodscream
Bloodscream is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and an enemy of Wolverine.-Publication history:Bloodscream's first appearance was in Wolverine vol...
. They have found employment under General Coy, one of the islands' most powerful crime lords, as special enforcers used to eliminate any threats to his operations. They are sent after the woman called Tyger Tiger
Jessan Hoan
Tyger Tiger is a fictional character most often appearing in Wolverine stories in the Marvel Comics universe. She is a former banker turned crime lord.-Fictional character biography:...
, Coy's primary rival as the supreme crime boss of Madripoor. This brings the two mercenaries into a number of conflicts with Wolverine. The duo are never able to defeat him.
General Coy grows tired of Roughouse's failures and literally sells him to Geist
Geist (Marvel Comics)
Geist was a supervillain first appearing in Wolverine #17. He was a cyborg, but had no superpowers. He was encased in a metal shell simply to survive, because he was so old.-Fictional character biography:...
("Ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
"), a former high ranking agent of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. By the time Roughouse meets him, Geist is financing himself through illegal drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
and needs a guinea pig on which to experiment a new drug. Geist's men give Roughouse a dose of this experimental version of cocaine which temporarily drives him mad.
Wolverine holds back in the fight with Roughouse, since Roughouse is not truly even aware of what he is doing. After helping Roughouse escape, they come upon a mysterious nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
known only as Sister Salvation, who possesses the ability to cure those suffering from physical or mental injuries and cure sickness just by touching them with her hands. After several "sessions" she is able to fully purge Roughouse's body of the cocaine induced suffering. Roughhouse decides to stay with Sister Salvation in Tierra Verde to help her rebuild her destroyed mission.
It would be quite a while before Wolverine and Roughouse would cross paths again. In Wolverine #123, Roughhouse and Bloodscream had now renewed their partnership and ambushed Wolverine after the adamantium has been stripped from his skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
. They manage to get the upper hand and beat Wolverine unconscious. They bring him to their hideout where they beat him repeatedly over the next few days. Wolverine is able to free himself from the chains by breaking his own wrist, and defeats his captors as Roughouse was on his way to shoot him in the head. This is the last time he crosses paths with Roughouse.
It is unknown why Roughouse renews his partnership with Bloodscream, but as Bloodscream becomes increasingly cannibalistic it is unlikely Roughouse would have stayed with him. Roughouse, while a villain, still had some sense of honor and valued human life. Sure enough, the next time Wolverine encounters Bloodscream, Roughouse is no longer with him. He is instead replaced by the cannibalistic imbecile, Vermin
Vermin (comics)
Vermin is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character's first appearance was in Captain America #272 .-Fictional character biography:...
.
Powers and abilities
Roughouse possesses various superhuman physical attributes as a result of his unique heritage.Roughouse is many times stronger than the average human. In Wolverine #123, Wolverine narrates that "He's not Hulk-level strength." but is seen picking up a steamroller or forklift easily with one arm. This would put Roughhouse comparable to Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
or Rogue
Rogue (comics)
Rogue was first slated to appear in Ms. Marvel #25 , but the book's abrupt cancellation left her original introduction story unpublished for over a decade, before seeing print in Marvel Super Heroes #11 in 1992. Rogue's first published appearance was in Avengers Annual #10...
. At that point Wolverine introduces into the story that Roughouse was descended from Rock Trolls.
Like full blooded Rock Trolls, the various tissues of Roughouse's body have much greater density than those of ordinary humans (contributing somewhat to Roughouse's great strength and size). As a result, Roughouse's body is highly resistant to conventional injury. Roughouse's body can withstand temperature extremes, puncture wounds, impact trauma, and high caliber machine gun shells without being injured. Even though Roughouse can be injured, the force or weaponry required to do so would have to be considerably more powerful than most conventional materials.
Roughouse's superhuman musculature produces far less lactic acid than the musculature of ordinary humans, granting him superhuman levels of stamina in all physical activities.
Special skills
Aside from his superhuman powers, Roughouse is a formidable hand to hand combatant. He utilizes mostly street fighting techniques that let him make full use of his great size and physical strength. He also has many connections throughout the criminal underworld, where he often hires himself out as a special enforcer.Television
- Roughouse had a cameo in episode 16 of the X-MenX-Men (TV series)X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
series along with BloodscreamBloodscreamBloodscream is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and an enemy of Wolverine.-Publication history:Bloodscream's first appearance was in Wolverine vol...
just like with the first ongoing Wolverine comic series.