Penance mainly for the looks, don't know much about the story of the character thou.

i like both equally it's just character evolution for Robbie, and both are good in their own rights.

I like him as Penance more.

" i like both equally it's just character evolution for Robbie, and both are good in their own rights. "

 
@xerox-kitty: so true. His transformation to Penance was done in such a flippant way. What was wrong with just having a fun character?  
 
Paul Jenkins told about how his change about in this CBR article 

That idea was literally created as Joe Quesada and I walked about six blocks in New York from his home to a pub where we were meeting with a few comic creators. Joe asked me if I felt I could do anything with Speedball. Apparently he had been teasing a few fans for a couple of years, saying he was going to kill Speedball. Naturally, I told him, “yes.” Then I asked him who the hell Speedball was.

I pitched the story within about three minutes and he and I hammered it out by the time we got to the pub. Then we got drunk and forgot everything. What you read was the result of our drinking.     

"Paul Jenkins told about how his change about in this CBR article 

That idea was literally created as Joe Quesada and I walked about six blocks in New York from his home to a pub where we were meeting with a few comic creators. Joe asked me if I felt I could do anything with Speedball. Apparently he had been teasing a few fans for a couple of years, saying he was going to kill Speedball. Naturally, I told him, “yes.” Then I asked him who the hell Speedball was.

I pitched the story within about three minutes and he and I hammered it out by the time we got to the pub. Then we got drunk and forgot everything. What you read was the result of our drinking.     

Christos Gage has done a fantastic job on recovering Robbie's character through Thunderbolts and Avengers: Initiative. "

Penance is what got me into comics, sucks that he is going back to stupid speedball

Speedball.

" Speedball.  There's nothing wrong with being a light-hearted comedy character.  If you look deeper into his history, there's plenty of drama & human emotion to stop him from being just a bouncing baffoon... Only bad writers can't see that. "

Penance

  I go with Speedball. He is nimble, joyful, and its funny when he gets hit. I laugh when the Einstein robot said that only his genius can be a match for him.

Speedball, definitely.
 
Penance is an altogether idiotic idea for a character, and frankly you have to be braindead to think otherwise.  It was just sloppy, painfully retarded writing all around.
 
In the last issue of New Warriors before Civil War, their reality show had been canceled. What's more, Speedball wasn't the leader, Night Thrasher was. So to begin with, it doesn't make a lick of sense they'd still be filming the show in Stamford.
 
Beyond that, Speedball wasn't anywhere near Nitro when he blew up, Namorita tackled him. It's not even Namorita's fault he did what he did. That Speedball would be arrested for surviving the whole thing, and blamed for it is a level of stupidity I've previously never heard of.
 
So what's the pay off? An emo character who's power is to wound himself to fire ambiguous blasts of energy from his hands? How does he not bleed to death? It's idiotic. Particularly in that Quesada essentially did it because he felt no character but Spider-Man could be happy, right before he had Aunt May get shot and Peter go back to his black costume for a while, right before making a deal with Mephisto.  Quesada's marriage angst is besides the point though.
 
Let me encapsulate why I like Speedball. There's a moment in the Infinity Crusade, it wasn't the first time I saw Speedball, but it was the moment I became a fan of him. He's bouncingfrom roof to roof and he runs into Spider-Man. Spider-Man asks him "So what's the deal with all this?" and Speedball replies essentially "You know as much as I do man, they sent me out for donuts." I loved that little exchange.
 
Plus he was an underrated powerhouse. He was virtually immune to harm, could bounce hundreds of feet through the air, and could fire off his spheres as projectiles, all while his enemies aren't taking him seriously.
 
Penance is just an unoriginal S&M freak meant to appeal to the emo crowd with vaguely defined, uninteresting powers that trigger in a way that makes not a lick of sense. On top of that, when he's attacked in prison he states he enjoys the pain, and he continues to cut himself of his own volition. How is it "penance" if he's essentially getting off on it?
 
On top of all that, Squirrel Girl is in love with Speedball, not Penance. Do you really want to make Squirrel Girl Cry?

I vote for Penance.
Maybe we'll see Penance again after Fear Itself (I've read Homefront #1, and looks like he is going to go through hell again).

Its more likely that Gage will complete Speedballs restoration. Penance was created as a joke over a beer by Quesda and Jenkins. Jenkins had never even heard of Robbie Baldwin before.  Gage has more respect for the characters

Definitely Speedball, although the only comics I read with Penance were at the end of Civil War when he became Penance. Speedball is just such a ridiculous character that they should never get rid of him.  Marvel should embrace the ridiculousness.

Penance

I dislike both. I thought the blaming of Robbie and the others for Nitro's actions in Stamford was ridiculous to begin with.

I dislike both. I thought the blaming of Robbie and the others for Nitro's actions in Stamford was ridiculous to begin with.

Penance he is more Bad@zz

penance is too deep for squirrel girl

penance i hate the speedball persona i found the penance persona to be more interesting

Penance of course. It's damn lame he has become Speedball again. Return Penance!!

Penance if only because it was funny.

Penance beats all.

Penance. Way deeper and just more interesting. It's an evolution of the character. It's rude to say someone is an idiot for liking one more than the other. Shows just how ****** the users on this site can be.

Nothing wrong with having a character be darker from guilt, but when take a concept from of edgy teen's notebook you just end up with something as ridiculous as Speedball himself