Batroc the Leaper

Georges Batroc the Leaper () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #75, 1966. He is a mercenary and a master of the French form of kick-boxing known as savate, commonly depicted as an adversary of Captain America, and a mentor of Gwen Poole. Batroc's name derives from the word batrachia, a classification of amphibians that includes frogs, which also plays on the stereotype of calling French people frogs.

Georges St-Pierre portrays Batroc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and the Disney+ miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and animated series What If...? (both 2021).

Publication history Batroc, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appeared in Tales of Suspense #75 in March 1966. He has reappeared in various Marvel titles ever since.

Sporting a new costume designed by John Romita Jr., Batroc served as Klaw's top lieutenant in the first arc of Reginald Hudlin's 2005 re-launch of Black Panther.Black Panther (vol. 4) #1 (April 2005)

Sporting a muted, subtle redesign by Gurihiru, Batroc served as the primary mentor of Gwenpool in Christopher Hastings' 2016–2018 series The Unbelievable Gwenpool, with their relationship being described as "one of the warmest aspects" of the series.

Fictional character biography Georges Batroc was born in Marseille, France, and served in the French Foreign Legion. He is a French costumed mercenary who specializes in savate (also known as "La Boxe Française"), a form of kickboxing, with acrobatic skills and unusual articulate flexibility. Although he has primarily appeared in the pages of Captain America, he has also faced off against the Punisher, Spider-Man, Deadpool, Hawkeye, Iron Fist, and Gambit. Batroc has occasionally led his own team, "Batroc's Brigade"; his most constant companions are Zaran and Machete, although the membership has changed over time. The group has primarily fought Captain America.

In Batroc's first appearance, he is hired by Them to steal the Inferno-42 cylinder. He first battles Captain America during this mission. When Batroc introduces himself with typical bluster, Captain America reveals, to Batroc's delight, that he had already heard of him.Tales of Suspense #75–76 (March - April 1966) Batroc is later hired by Hydra and abducts Sharon Carter for them. He lures Captain America into a rematch, in which he insists Hydra not intervene, and again loses. Hydra agents prepare to kill Batroc and Captain America; Batroc, incensed at such "men wizout honair", helps Captain America against Hydra.Tales of Suspense #85 (January 1967)

The alien Jakar, concealing his true nature and intent, hires Batroc's Brigade to abduct children from New York and to battle Captain America and the Falcon. After learning Jakar's true nature and his intent to use the children's souls to revive his comatose race, Batroc feels that his sense of honor had been violated by the deception, and aids Captain America and Falcon in rescuing the children.Captain America #149–150 (May - June 1972)

Batroc has a daughter, Marie, who is teamed in villainy with the daughter of similar B-list supervillain Tarantula. Both daughters take their fathers' respective costumes and titles. Taskmaster expresses his shock that Tarantula and Batroc are heterosexual before soundly beating the two villains' offspring. Taskmaster tosses Marie and Tarantula off a building before shooting and killing them.Agent X #6 (February 2003)

Batroc is among the group of villains forcibly drafted into Helmut Zemo's Thunderbolts army. After returning to federal custody, Batroc registers with the Superhuman Registration Act.Avengers: The Initiative #1 Batroc is sent to a superhuman training facility located at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to train recruits in the martial arts before being transferred over to Camp Hammond.The Invincible Iron Man #14 (January 2007)Civil War: Battle Damage Report one-shot (March 2007) Batroc finds government work unsatisfactory and returns to villainy.Captain America (vol. 5) #43 (December 2008)

In the series The Unbelievable Gwenpool, Batroc encounters Gwenpool, who originates from a world similar to the real world.The Unbelievable Gwenpool #2 (June 2016) Batroc is surprised to realise from Gwen's information that he remembers nothing from before his first fight with Captain America, with Gwen explaining that he did not exist before that point due to it being his first appearance.The Unbelievable Gwenpool #3 (August 2016) Batroc decides to make Gwen less of a liability by teaching her actual combat moves and the use of weapons, allowing her to subsequently defeat MODOK.The Unbelievable Gwenpool #4 (September 2016)

After Gwen learns her series is coming to an end as a result of choosing to be a hero rather than a villain, erasing an older alternate "evil" version of herself from existence,The Unbelievable Gwenpool #20 (November 2017)The Unbelievable Gwenpool #23 (February 2018) she convinces Batroc to let her participate in a heist of a casino owned by Chance; having been informed of Gwen's newfound ability to manipulate reality, Batroc has Gwen catch the sound effects as he kicks in the door of Chance's safe, allowing him to do so silently, before escaping with Chance's gold upon being caught by him. Gwen is touched when Batroc reveals that he had put money aside for her into legitimate accounts, and believes life as a hero is better for her than the mercenary life he lives. Accepting her series' cancellation and that future Marvel Comics writers will not provide Batroc the same characterisation he has had in The Unbelievable Gwenpool, instead relegating him to being a henchman and minor antagonist, Gwen bids farewell to him and prepares to face oblivion.The Unbelievable Gwenpool #24 (March 2018) Over a finale montage set over several decades, Batroc joins Gwen in confronting MODOK when he returns from space and remains in contact with her.The Unbelievable Gwenpool #25 (April 2018)

During the "King in Black" storyline, Batroc the Leaper is among the villains recruited by Mayor Wilson Fisk to join his Thunderbolts during Knull's invasion.King in Black: Thunderbolts #1 (March 2021)

Powers and abilities Batroc the Leaper has no superhuman abilities, but is in peak physical condition in every respect. He is an Olympic-level weightlifter and has extraordinary agility and reflexes. His leg muscles are particularly well developed, enabling him to leap great distances equal to an Olympic athlete. He is an expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant who specializes in savate, and he is also adept at other martial arts such as Krav Maga.Heroes for Hire (vol. 3) #6 (July 2011) He is also skilled in parkour. Batroc is a skilled military tactician, having formerly been in the French Foreign Legion.

Batroc is also an experienced thief and smuggler who can speak both French and English.

Other versions Ultimate Marvel An alternate universe version of Batroc the Leaper appears in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #13.Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #13 (October 2012)

MC2 An alternate universe version of Batroc the Leaper appears in the MC2 imprint. This version is the head of a criminal syndicate.American Dream #2 (July 2008)

Marvel Zombies A zombified alternate universe version of Batroc the Leaper appears in Marvel Zombies 3, where he is killed by Absorbing Man.Marvel Zombies 3 #3 (February 2009)

House of M An alternate universe version of Batroc the Leaper appears in "House of M". This version is a member of the Hood's criminal empire until he is killed in an attack by Toad and S.H.I.E.L.D. forces.House of M: Masters of Evil #1 (October 2009)House of M: Masters of Evil #4 (January 2010)

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again An alternate universe version of Batroc the Leaper appears in Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again, where he is killed by Deadpool.Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again #5 (September 2017)

In other media Television Batroc the Leaper appears in the "Captain America" segment of The Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Gillie Fenwick."Batroc Voices (Marvel Universe)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved September 25, 2014. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Batroc the Leaper appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Stranger From a Savage Land!", voiced by A. J. Buckley. This version is a member of Doctor Doom's Lethal Legion. Batroc the Leaper appears in Black Panther, voiced by JB Blanc. Batroc the Leaper makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes episode "The Big House" as an inmate of the titular prison. Batroc the Leaper appears in Ultimate Spider-Man, voiced by Rob Paulsen. This version utilizes a pair of leg bracers that enhance his kicking and leaping power. He is also capable of scaling vertical walls, provided that they have footholds for him to brace his feet against. In the fourth season, Hydra provides Batroc with a full-body energy exoskeleton. Batroc the Leaper makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Savage Land".

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Georges Batroc appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Georges St-Pierre. This version is an Algerian mercenary and pirate. Batroc first appears in the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, wherein he hijacks a S.H.I.E.L.D. ship until a strike team led by Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff neutralize and arrest Batroc and his men. Nick Fury later reveals to Rogers that he hired Batroc to take the ship to give him an excuse to send Romanoff on board so she could steal confidential S.H.I.E.L.D. files pointing to a Hydra conspiracy. Batroc appears in the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, wherein he allies with Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers to seek revenge on Sam Wilson for foiling a heist of his before being killed by Sharon Carter for attempting to extort her. St-Pierre voices an alternate timeline version of Batroc in the Disney+ animated series What If...? episode "What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?".

Video games Batroc the Leaper appears as a mini-boss in Spider-Man and Captain America in Doctor Doom's Revenge. Batroc the Leaper appears as a mini-boss in Marvel Avengers Alliance.Zalben, Alex (March 7, 2014). "Exclusive: Marvel's 'Avengers Alliance' Gets 'Winter Soldier' And 'Guardians of The Galaxy' Upgrades". MTV. Batroc the Leaper appears as a mini-boss in Marvel Heroes.

Miscellaneous Batroc the Leaper appears in the motion comic Marvel Video Comics: Training Day, voiced by Mark Oliver.

Merchandise Batroc the Leaper received an action figure in Hasbro's Marvel Legends toy line.

Batroc the Leaper

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