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    Crossfire

    Character » Crossfire appears in 186 issues.

    A former CIA Agent who became a criminal and organized an army of mercenaries, Crossfire lost his left eye and left ear in an explosion, replacing them with cybernetic implants. He primarily antagonizes Hawkeye, and by extension Mockingbird and the Avengers. However, he ultimately goes where the money is.

    Short summary describing this character.

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    Current Events

    Crossfire recently appeared operating with Misty Knight's Heroes for Hire team. He acts as the teams field leader and notably he was the only team member who refused to defect to Purple Man's gang when offered more money.

    Origin

    Crossfire- former CIA agent
    Crossfire- former CIA agent

    William Cross was a former Central Intelligence Agent who specialized in information gathering and extracting. Cross was one of the CIA's best brainwashers using ultrasonics but his interest began to veer sharply from his former organization. He would quit the CIA and use his resources and contacts to organize a private army of mercenaries. His mission was to foment disorder for profit. Cross was involved with drugs, payoffs and even assassinations but he would eventually get hit by one of his enemies. One of his enemies booby-trapped his headquarters and Cross lost his left eye and and left ear in an explosion. He used his wealth to undergo some surgeries and replaced his eye and ear with cybernetic implants.

    Crossfire was born and he had plans to prevent future opposition from all costumed superhumans. Cross created a machine he called the sonic mind-warper which would kill his enemies with a swift and painful effect when unleashed at high intensity. His plan however was thwarted by the Thing and Moon Knight. Crossfire managed to escape and would appear sometime later. He hired a number of agents including Oddball, Bombshell and Silencer to take out Hawkeye. His plan was to kill Hawkeye and attack the superhero community when they would appear at his funeral. He was going to unleash his Undertaker weapon that would send subliminal messages for all of those that attended and the sonic frequencies was devised to directly stimulate the rage centers of living brains. The mourners would then lash out at each other and the super-types would kill each other in the pandemonium. However Hawkeye with the assistance of Mockingbird was able to take down Crossfire.

    Creation

    Crossfire was created by Steven Grant and Jim Craig in 1979 and first appeared in Marvel Two-In-One issue 52.

    Mayor Story Arcs

    Free or Not

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    A team of criminal jugglers called the Death Throws helped free Crossfire from police custody as he was being escorted to trial where Hawkeye and Mockingbird had been subpoenaed to testify against him. Crossfire was pleased that Oddball received his message and was very impressed with his new associates. The Death Throws decide to ransom off Crossfire because he lied about the payment he promised for the rescue operation. Hawkeye receives a message from the Death Throws stating they had Crossfire and were willing to sell or trade for him. Captain America comes with Hawkeye to the abandoned railroad terminal and gives Barton his shield. Hawkeye enters the station and sees Crossfire tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Ringleader spots Captain America as he enters the room and the super soldier uses a flare arrow to reveal the Death Throws' trap. Tenpin activates a switch that drops a large net made out of steel cables but it fails to snare any of the Avengers. The Death Throws were defeated and Oddball revealed to Barton their plans to use Crossfire as bait to nab an Avenger where they could get at least a million dollars for his release.

    Crossfire would later hire a number of costume criminals and mercenaries and place a bounty on Hawkeye's arm. Some of these criminals included Razor Fist, Mad Dog, Bobcat, Bullet Biker, the Brothers Grimm and the Death Throws. Crossfire wanted Hawkeye to suffer for beating him on two separate occassions and literally wanted one of his arms. Hawkeye's butt was saved by Mockingbird and Trick Shot. The trio managed to take down Crossfire and his crew.

    Breakout

    Crossfire would be sent to the Raft super prison but manages to escape along with numerous super criminals during Electro's mass breakout. Crossfire and his crew of mind controlling buddies that include Mandrill, Corruptor, Mr. Fear and Controller would have a feud with the U-Foes. Cross was made to look like he snitched on the U-Foes attempted prison escape by Vault Program Director named Rozalyn Backus and the two factions went to war with each other after the mass breakout. Backus and Cross use to work together in the CIA and even had a romantic relationship. Cross would steal their brainwashing equipment and set up Backus to take the fall. Backus would set up her revenge on Cross during his stay at the Vault. Crossfire and his mind control mafia would come after Backus and all hell breaks loose when the U-Foes enter the fray. Backus is saved by Spider Man, Captain America and Iron Man while Crossfire and the rest of his crew are apprehended.

    London Falling

    Crossfire would join a terrorist organization called RAID with other super criminals and strategically strike numerous locations in London. Crossfire and the Death Throws are defeated by the combined forces of Union Jack, Contessa Fontaine, Sabra and the Arabian Knight.

    Secret Invasion/Dark Reign

    Cross would eventually join the Hood's syndicate and battle the Avengers on a few occasions. Cross was later seen with the Hood's alliance battling the Skrulls during the Secret Invasion Crisis.

    Dark Reign and Siege

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    Crossfire later joined the Hood's gang owning the streets in a secret alliance with Norman Osborn and his Dark Avengers. They were used as a brute squad to hunt down the New Avengers. After many attempts to bring down the New Avengers Loki offers the Hood's gang a chance for some power. Loki gives The Hood the Norn Stones and the Hood powers up the whole gang enhancing their powers. Norman called on the Gang for one massive attack on Asgard and the Siege of Asgard began. After taking down Balder Crossfire turns his attention to the two heroes he hated the most. Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse. Losing the fight with Clint and Bobbi Crossfire runs away and moves to one of his many safe houses.

    Heroic Age

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    Crossfire had started up a new weapon smuggling ring through a very rich investor. In this he hired many street gangs to deliver his goods to buyers near and abroad. Hawkeye and Mockingbird with their new formed W.C.A were hunting down Crossfire and the Investor that was funding his operation. A few Days later Crossfire is approached by woman who claims to be the New Phantom Rider and offers to help Crossfire rid of Hawkeye and Mockingbird. There he reveals to Phantom Rider (Jaime Slade) his new Death T.H.R.O.W.S (Which was apply named after the gang that worked for him.) and his plans for Hawkeye and Mockingbird.

    After sometime Crossfire finds out about Mockingbirds mother and tries to assassinate her in her hotel room. Enraged Mockingbird heads to Crossfires many warehouses with Hawkeye and Dominic Fortune to confront him only to walk into a trap set by Crossfire and Jaime Slade. Crossfire set the warehouse to explode in two minutes. Thinking that Hawkeye and Mockingbird are dead they start to work on the rest of the plan. But the Phantom Rider does not feel Mockingbirds soul in Hell, then all of a sudden Mockingbird sends a telepathic message to Phantom Rider saying where they where and where to find them. Crossfire assembles all his Death T.H.R.O.W.S and heads to the museum where Hawkeye and Mockingbird set a trap for Crossfire and the Phantom Rider. Using the pym particles Hawkeye and Mockingbird bring Crossfire and Phantom Rider to Spirit Mountain . Where they ambush them with the Real Phantom Rider and preformed and exorcism on Jaime Slade. Crossfire duels with Hawkeye and Hawkeye loses himself in the fight ripping out Crossfires cybernetic eye. After being sent to Shields top secret prison Crossfire tells Hawkeye how good it must have felt to have someones life in his hands and that they were two sides of the same coin. Hawkeye says nothing and leaves and it drives Crossfire into a mad rage.

    Heroes for Hire

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    Misty Knight recruited Crossfire for her team of Heroes for Hire following Spider-Island. The team; filled with super-villains and mercenaries was mainly used to undermine Misty's enemy Purple Man and his gang. When the two teams came face-to-face, Misty found most of her team abandoning her when they were offered more money to join Purple Man. Crossfire was the only Hero for Hire who did not abandon Misty, citing professionalism and honor, and his prize for this was being shot and left for dead by Scourge. It was later revealed that Crossfire was alive and living in Bagalia as a prison guard. Nick Fury later contacted Crossfire and offered him a lot of cash to give them access to the imprisoned super mercanary Taskmaster. While initally helpful, Crossfire turned on Fury stating that he wouldn't allow Taskmaster's freedom before being incapacitated.

    Powers & Abilities

    Cross is a master subversive, brainwasher and entrepreneur. He was highly trained by the CIA in unarmed combat and is an excellent marksman. He possesses sufficient technical ability to develop and modify sophisticated computer technology and specializes in applied ultrasonics.

    Paraphernalia

    Crossfire's left eye has been replaced by an infrared imaging device which allows him sight even in total darkness. His left ear has been replaced by an audio sensor that is far more sensitive than the human ear. His costume is composed of bullet-proof, flame retardant fabric and has hidden compartments containing miniature surveillance devices, compressed oxygen tank and single-shot weaponry.

    Other Media

    Television

    The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

    He appeared in the fifth episode of season two of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, titled "To Catch an Ant-Man". He is voiced by Neil Ross. Here, it's revealed that Scott Lang got involved with Crossfire's gang (made up of a group of obscure Luke Cage and Iron Fist villains, namely Big Ben Donovan, Gideon Mace, "Cockroach" Hamilton, "Piranha" Jones, Mangler, Scythe, Spear, and Senor Muerte) in order to get the money he needed to pay for his daughter Cassie's operation. Crossfire (who in this show goes simply by "Cross") has his men, years later, kidnap Cassie and hold her ransom, forcing Scott to steal Henry Pym's Ant-Man gear in order to make quick robberies from banks fronted by HYDRA. After Scott shows up with the money while still in costume, Cross reneges on the earlier deal and threatens to harm Cassie unless Scott becomes his personal thief. He and his gang are defeated by Scott, Pym, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist.

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