The Crimson Cowl is an identity used by several characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Contents
Publication history
The first incarnation of Crimson Cowl, created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, first appeared in The Avengers #54 (July 1968).
The second incarnation of Crimson Cowl, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, debuted in Thunderbolts #3 (June 1997). Her true identity was revealed in Thunderbolts #67 (September 2002) by Fabian Nicieza.
Fictional character biographies
Ultron
Ultron posed as the original Crimson Cowl in order to lead his own version of the Masters of Evil with Edwin Jarvis as a brainwashed body double, and merged himself as leader of the Phalanx.
Justine Hammer
Justine Hammer is daughter of Justin Hammer who dealt with disapproval from her own father so she constantly tries to prove her worthiness and uses the supervillain community to accumulate power for herself as the second Crimson Cowl. Shortly after the Avengers' and Fantastic Four's apparent deaths, the Crimson Cowl forms her own version of the Masters of Evil while working for Hydra to win New York City's crime families' favor which enrages the Thunderbolts led by Baron Helmut Zemo as Citizen V. When the Thunderbolts face the Masters of Evil in battle, the Crimson Cowl and her team escape when her teleportation ability creates a blinding flash in the first fight and she escapes for the second fight.
After the Thunderbolts turn on Zemo and Techno which caused villains and heroes alike to hate, the Crimson Cowl attempts to induct the group into the Masters of Evil. She sends Cyclone to bait the Thunderbolts into an ambush. After defeating the Thunderbolts, she attempts to blackmail the group into joining her, threatening to turn the group over to enemies. The Thunderbolts decline her offer and are saved by Hawkeye disguised as Dreadknight.
The Masters of Evil, outnumbering the Thunderbolts with 25 members, then plan to use a weather machine to blackmail world leaders for one billion dollars. Hawkeye infiltrates the group, using Moonstone's reputation as a traitor for attempting to unmask the Crimson Cowl who teleported Dallas Riordan into her Crimson Cowl costume before her so-called unmasking. During a battle between the V-Battalion and the Thunderbolts, the Crimson Cowl teleports Riordan to her hideout on the border of Symkaria and Latveria as a prisoner. The female Citizen V fights the Crimson Cowl, culminating in Riordan falling off a bridge while unmasking her.
Silver Sable allows Hammer to stay in Symkaria after inheriting her father's fortune, initially unaware that she is a supervillain. The Crimson Cowl creates a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil. Hawkeye, Songbird and Plantman defeat most members and convince several that the Crimson Cowl would kill the group with her father's biotoxin, inducting several members of the Masters of Evil into the Thunderbolts. She is defeated when Skein deconstructs her Crimson Cowl costume, leaving Hammer naked and allowing the Thunderbolts to place her in a cell. Hammer remained in custody while her Crimson Cowl cloak gets utilized by her ex-colleague.
Powers and abilities
Justine Hammer is an adept athlete, unarmed combatant, a shrewd businesswoman and negotiator, making her a formidable leader and criminal organizer.
Equipment
Hammer's main equipment is her prehensile Crimson Cowl cloak. Her equipment's many billows seem capable of elongating, strangling and grappling, and pummeling as well as even forming sharp edges with its corners. Her Crimson Cowl cloak also contains devices enabling her to levitate and to teleport herself and her teammates away from the scene, with a brilliant, debilitating flash of light just prior to the effect.
Justine later utilized her own Iron Monger armor via a special broach.
Other versions
Ultimate Marvel
The Ultimate Marvel version of Justine Hammer is a tech-based enhanced individual and the daughter of Justin Hammer Jr. In Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars, she suffered from a sickness from her enhancements as she assists Iron Man. It is revealed that Hammer had been working for Howard Stark Sr. which culminated in a technological disruption device that killed her.
Ultimate Universe
An alternate universe version of Justine Hammer appears in The Ultimates. This version is the CEO of Hammer Weapons. Hammer and her business partners are later killed by Emma Frost.
In other media
The Ultron incarnation of Crimson Cowl appears in the Avengers Assemble episode "Inhumans Among Us", voiced by Jim Meskimen.
The Justine Hammer incarnation of Crimson Cowl appears as a boss in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
An original incarnation of the Crimson Cowl appears as an unlockable skin for Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.