Rapido
Rapido on the cover of The Punisher Vol. 2, #65 (June 1992)
Art by Doug Braithwaite
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceThe Punisher Vol. 2, #65 (June 1992)
Created byDan Abnett
Andy Lanning
Doug Braithwaite
In-story information
Alter egoRoussel Dupont
SpeciesHuman Cyborg
Place of originEarth-616
Team affiliationsFrench Foreign Legion
Batroc's Brigade
AbilitiesCyborg enhancement grants:
Chain gun as his right arm

Rapido (Roussel Dupont) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Doug Braithwaite, the character made his first appearance in The Punisher Vol. 2, #65 (June 1992). He is an enemy of the Punisher.[1]

Publication history

Rapido was introduced in the "Eurohit" story-arc that ran through The Punisher Vol. 2, #64-70,[2] and returned in the "Suicide Run" installments The Punisher War Journal Vol. 1, #61 and The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #23,[3] as well as the "Eurohit" sequel contained within The Punisher Annual Vol. 2, #7. After an absence of seventeen years, the character reappeared in the one-shot Fear Itself: The Black Widow, and a storyline that occurred in Captain America and Iron Man #633-635.

Rapido also received entries in the handbooks Marvel Encyclopedia #5 (which revealed his real name) and Civil War: Battle Damage Report.

Fictional character biography

A former member of the French Foreign Legion, Rapido at some point left the service, became a mercenary, and had his right arm replaced with a mechanical one that has a chain gun in place of a hand.[4]

When the Kingpin enacts a plot to use the Channel Tunnel as a means of establishing an international crime network, he hires Rapido to assist him, along with fellow assassins Snakebite, Chauffard, and Batroc the Leaper. When the Punisher travels to Europe and begins investigating the Chunnel plan, Rapido and the other mercenaries ambush him and his companion, Morgan Sinclair, and shoot their helicopter down over the Vosges.[5][6] Rapido and the other hitmen then go after a group of Swiss and Italian mobsters in Geneva, but their attempt to kill all of them is foiled by the Punisher and Sinclair.[7] Rapido and his allies track the Punisher and Sinclair down to Spain, but the duo escapes them again, so Rapido and the others reconvene in London.[8]

When the Kingpin arranges a meeting of the heads of various European crime syndicates in central London, Rapido and the other killers in his employ are instructed to assassinate them, so that their organizations can be taken over by the Kingpin. After the Punisher breaks into the building that the sit down is taking place in, Rapido battles one of the vigilante's colleagues, Outlaw.[9] Rapido pursues the vigilante through the edifice, and is incapacitated when Outlaw tricks him into falling through a weakened floor and leaves him to be arrested by the Special Air Service.[10]

Rapido subsequently travels to the United States to attend a crime lord summit that is being held in Manhattan Tower. When the Punisher infiltrates the building, Rapido and the other criminals attempt to ambush him, only for the Punisher to reveal that he has a dead man's switch that can activate a semtex bomb that will demolish Manhattan Tower.[11] In the chaotic scrimmage that follows, the Punisher headlocks Rapido, jams a handgun into his mouth, and orders him to open fire on the other criminals, who are forced to shoot Rapido.[12]

Rapido survived the gunfire and the Punisher blowing up Manhattan Tower, dug himself out of the rubble, and re-allied with Chauffard. With the help of the Architect, Chauffard attempts to reestablish the Chunnel plan, and instructs Rapido to assassinate Morgan Sinclair, Jack Oonuk, and Outlaw, who fake their deaths with the assistance of the Punisher. When the Punisher and his accomplices attack the Chunnel operation, Rapido is left bedridden with numerous broken bones after being hit by a train while fighting the Punisher.[13]

Years later, Rapido is reluctantly hired by the French government to help patrol France's borders, the country having become a hotspot destination for super powered American immigrants in light of the events of Civil War.[14]

During the Fear Itself storyline, terrorists hire Rapido to obtain information pertaining to France's nuclear weapons arsenal through an ancillary Ministry of Defense ops room that is hidden beneath a Marseille cathedral. Rapido obtains the intel, sends it to his employers, and is then defeated by Black Widow and Peregrine.[1][15]

Rapido next appears antagonizing Captain America and Iron Man as a member of the latest incarnation of Batroc's Brigade.[16][17][18][19]

A Rapido Life Model Decoy is later shown among an army of hero and villain-based LMDs that the Chameleon had created using an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. program called Project: Doppelganger.[20]

Powers and abilities

Along with the training he received while a part of the French Foreign Legion, Rapido also has a chain gun in place of a right arm. The gun is capable of firing bullets, grenades and lasers, and can be used as both a bludgeoning weapon and a battering ram.

References

  1. 1 2 X, Superginrai (31 August 2011). "Super Reads 149". theouthousers.com. The Outhousers. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Punisher #64-70". supermegamonkey.net. Super Mega Monkey's Marvel Comics Chronology. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Tobin, Patrick (20 April 2011). "Crossed-Out Crossovers: Suicide Run". multiversitycomics.com. Multiversity Comics. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Andrew Currie (p), Art Nichols (i), Joe Andreani (col), Bill Oakley (let), Don Daley (ed). "Unfinished Business" The Punisher Annual, vol. 2, no. 7 (1994). United States: Marvel Comics.
  5. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson (i), Ian Laughlin (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit 2 of 7: French Connections" The Punisher, vol. 2, no. 65 (July 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  6. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson (i), Christie Scheele (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit 3 of 7: Black Forest, Black Bear" The Punisher, vol. 2, no. 66 (July 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  7. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson (i), Christie Scheele (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit 4 of 7: Swiss Timing" The Punisher, vol. 2, no. 67 (August 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  8. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson (i), Christie Scheele (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit 5 of 7: Seeing Red" The Punisher, vol. 2, no. 68 (August 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  9. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson (i), Christie Scheele (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit 6 of 7: Capital Punishment" The Punisher, vol. 2, no. 69 (September 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  10. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson (i), Christie Scheele (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit 7 of 7: Tunnel Vision" The Punisher, vol. 2, no. 70 (September 1992). United States: Marvel Comics.
  11. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), Gary Kwapisz (p), Gary Kwapisz (i), Joe Andreani (col), Janice Chiang (let), Don Daley (ed). "Terminal Objectives Pt. 1" The Punisher War Journal, vol. 1, no. 61 (1 December 1993). United States: Marvel Comics.
  12. ↑ Larry Hama (w), John Buscema (p), Art Nichols, Val Mayerik, and Jimmy Palmiotti (i), Ericka Moran and Kevin Tinsley (col), Michael Higgins (let), Don Daley (ed). "Bringing Down the House Pt. 2" The Punisher War Zone, vol. 1, no. 23 (January 1994). United States: Marvel Comics.
  13. ↑ Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (w), Doug Braithwaite (p), Al Williamson and Fred Fredericks (i), Art Nichols and Christie Scheele (col), Ken Lopez (let), Don Daley (ed). "Eurohit '94" The Punisher Annual, vol. 2, no. 7 (1994). United States: Marvel Comics.
  14. ↑ Ronald Byrd and Anthony Flamini (w), Scott Kolins (p), Scott Kolins (i), Jeff Youngquist, Jennifer Grunwald, Mark D. Beazley, and Tom Brevoort (ed). "International Reaction" Civil War: Battle Damage Report, vol. 1, no. 1 (21 March 2007). United States: Marvel Comics.
  15. ↑ Cullen Bunn (w), Peter Nguyen (p), Peter Nguyen (i), Veronica Gandini (col), VC's Clayton Cowles (let), Charlie Beckerman (ed). Fear Itself: The Black Widow, vol. 1, no. 1 (29 June 2011). United States: Marvel Comics.
  16. ↑ Cullen Bunn (w), Barry Kitson (p), Barry Kitson (i), Javier Tartaglia (col), VC's Joe Caramagna (let), Lauren Sankovitch (ed). "One Night in Madripoor...!" Captain America and Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 633 (27 June 2012). United States: Marvel Comics.
  17. ↑ Cullen Bunn (w), Jay Leisten and Barry Kitson (p), Jay Leistein and Barry Kitson (i), Javier Tartaglia (col), VC's Joe Sabino (let), Lauren Sankovitch (ed). "Battle Royale!" Captain America and Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 634 (25 July 2012). United States: Marvel Comics.
  18. ↑ Cullen Bunn (w), Barry Kitson (p), Barry Kitson (i), Javier Tartaglia (col), VC's Joe Caramagna (let), Lauren Sankovitch (ed). "M.A.D.A.K. Attack!" Captain America and Iron Man, vol. 1, no. 635 (8 August 2012). United States: Marvel Comics.
  19. ↑ Peterson, Matthew (11 August 2012). "REVIEW: Captain America & Iron Man #635". majorspoilers.com. Major Spoilers. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  20. ↑ Robbie Thompson (w), Matt Horak, Elmo Bóndoc and Flaviano (p), Matt Horak, Elmo Bóndoc and Flaviano (i), Brian Reber (col), VC's Joe Sabino (let), Jordan D. White and Nick Lowe (ed). "Arms Race" Spider-Man vs. Deadpool, vol. 1, no. 31 (11 April 2018). United States: Marvel Comics.
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