Battlestar (comics)

Superherobox|


caption=Battlestar in Civil War Frontline #3, art by Raymond Sachs.
comic_color=background:#ff8080
character_name=Battlestar
real_name=Lemar Hoskins
publisher=Marvel Comics
debut="Captain America" #323 (November 1986)
creators=Mark Gruenwald
Paul Neary
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
alliances=Bold Urban Commandos CSA
partners = U.S. Agent
aliases=Bucky
powers=Superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility and reflexes|

Battlestar (Lemar Hoskins), who was also the fifth Bucky, is a fictional character, who is a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary in "Captain America" #323 (November 1986).

Fictional character biography

Lemar Hoskins was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was once a soldier who, along with his his army buddies John Walker, Hector Lennox, and Jerome Johnson was given superhuman strength by Dr. Karl Malus on behalf of the Power Broker, and they all became wrestlers. The four later formed the Bold Urban Commandos (also known as the "BUCkies"), and were employed by John Walker, now known as the Super-Patriot. The Buckies staged a fake attack on the Super-Patriot for publicity, and battle Captain America. ["Captain America" #323 (November 1986); "Super-Patriot is Here"] As a Bucky, Lemar also attacked a group of foreign students. ["Captain America" #327]

Bucky

When the federal Commission on Superhuman Activities eventually selected Walker to replace Steve Rogers as the fifth Captain America, Lemar was the only one in his group allowed to accompany the new Captain America. Lemar took the identity of Bucky, after the original Bucky Barnes, Captain America’s original partner, and underwent a rigorous training under the supervision of the Commission. The pair went on their first mission, where they fought the Watchdogs. ["Captain America" #334 (October 1987); "Basic Training"] They next battled Professor Power's troops and Gargantua. ["Captain America" #338]

Battlestar

Lemar soon took on the identity of Battlestar, wearing a new costume and wielding a shield patterned on the one Captain America originally carried, after another black man convinced him that Bucky was a demeaning title. ["Captain America" #341 (May 1988); "Free Speech"] Captain America and Battlestar captured Quill but were defeated in combat by his team, the Resistants. They then fought and defeated Demolition Man. ["Captain America" #343-344] Battlestar witnessed the Flag-Smasher's capture of Captain America. Battlestar persuaded Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, to help him rescue Walker from the Flag-Smaher, and they battled ULTIMATUM. ["Captain America" #348-349] Battlestar then witnessed the faked assassination of John Walker, and left the Commission's employ. He confronted Dr. Valerie Cooper and learned that Walker was still alive. Battlestar met the Falcon and aided him in battling Coachwhip, Puff Adder, and Rock Python of the Serpent Society. ["Captain America" #351 & #352 (April 1989); "Refuge"]

Battlestar then confronted and fought the U.S. Agent. Battlestar fought the Power Tools, who captured him. Dr. Karl Malus employed the Power Tools to collect previous clients of Power Broker, Inc., so that Malus could perform tests upon them. Malus subjected Battlestar to the de-augmentation process. Lemar then fought the Power Broker, and his superhuman strength was restored by Malus. Lemar then reconciled with the U.S. Agent. ["Captain America" #372-378 (July 1990-October 1990)]

When Steve Rogers resumed the identity of Captain America, Battlestar left federal employment and returned to his native Chicago. He became a member of Silver Sable's Wild Pack for some time, ["Silver Sable and the Wild Pack" #3 (August 1992); "The Corrupt Pulpit"] even serving as the Wild Pack's field leader during Silver's absence. ["Silver Sable and the Wild Pack" #34-35 (March 1995-April 1995)] He eventually returns to the United States.

Civil War

Battlestar allies himself with many opposed to the Superhuman Registration Act. ["" #3] His group includes, but are not limited to, Typeface, Gladiatrix and Solo. During a visit by reporter Sally Floyd, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents operating alongside Iron Man attack and capture many of the group. Floyd and a few others escape. ["Civil War: Front Line" #4]

The Initiative

After Captain America surrenders to the authorities, the superhero "civil war" is over. With Captain America's urging many heroes including Lemar decide to comply with the Superhuman Registration Act. Lemar is recruited in the Fifty State Initiative. As a registered hero he is assigned to Vermont along with his former teammates from the Wild Pack the Fin and Man-Eater. ["'Penance: Relentless" #3]

Powers, abilities, and equipment

*As a result of the experimental mutagenic process conducted on him by Karl Malus on behalf of the Power Broker, Lemar Hoskins has superhuman strength. His endurance is also heightened albeit to a lesser degree. His agility and reflexes are of the order of a superior Olympic athlete. Additionally, he possesses superhuman durability and resilience, enabling him to survive high impacts and blows, and in one instance to survive being hanged by the Watchdogs (a Red Skull front group).
*Battlestar is highly trained in gymnastics and acrobatics. He is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, and received rigorous training in unarmed combat and the use of his shield in a style similar to the original Captain America, from the Taskmaster.
*He carries a near indestructible blunt-end triangular adamantium shield in combat, and is capable of using it defensively against kinetic and energy based attacks, and offensively as a missile weapon.

Notes

*Battlestar's name change came about due to fans writing to Marvel and telling them that Buck or Bucky was considered a derogatory term among African-Americans. Mark Gruenwald, who hadn't known this, worked it into the plot and gave Hoskins his new name, thus deepening the character.Fact|date=February 2007
*In his early appearances, despite a hitch in the U.S. Army, Lemar Hoskins was portrayed as functionally illiterate. His learning to read and bettering his education was to be a major part of his growth as a character, but later writers quickly brushed this aspect under the rug.Fact|date=February 2007

In other media

Battlestar appeared (along with the rest of Wildpack) in the 1994 Spider-Man animated series Season 5 episodes known as Six Forgotten Warriors, Chapters I, II, IV & V.

References

External links

* [http://www.marvel.com/universe/Battlestar Battlestar entry on Marvel Universe]
* [http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/b/battlestar.htm Battlestar entry on Marvel Directory]