Falcon And The Winter Soldier: 10 Things Only Comics Fans Know About Batroc The Leaper

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is a direct continuation of the story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Captain America films, and that includes the villain Batroc The Leaper. Batroc first appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and returns in the Disney+ series, echoing his comic book tradition of always been a thorn in Cap’s side.

Batroc The Leaper probably wouldn’t be considered one of Captain America’s greatest villains by most, but the French supervillain has a long, interesting history in the original Marvel Comics that many fans of the movies and now streaming series may not be familiar with.

10 Member Of The French Foreign Legion

Batroc The Leaper started out as Georges Batroc, a member of the French Foreign Legion. The FFL is a military service branch of the French Army dating back to the 19th century that is unique in that it permits the membership of those of non-French origins. Batroc himself is French, from Marseille.

He made his comics debut in Tales of Suspense #75 in March 1966 fighting against Captain America and Iron Man. He was co-created by the iconic comic book team of writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. It’s arguable his MCU version looks better than the original comics costume, which was very ’60s in its design.

9 The Art Of Savate

Batroc is unusual among most Captain America villains in that he doesn’t have any superpowers at all. His name comes from his extreme proficiency in savate, a French form of kickboxing. Also known in France as Boxe Française, this fighting style emphasizes acrobatic skills like leaping and jumping which Batroc made his primary method of attack.

Fighters in this style can only use their feet in combat. Batroc is also highly trained in other forms of martial arts as well, including Krav Maga. The MCU put all of this on display in some of the best action scenes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

8 Mercenary

After he left the French Foreign Legion, Batroc became an international mercenary who sold his talents to the highest bidder. His talents were such that his reputation preceded him. Captain America had already heard of Batroc when they first crossed paths in Tales Of Suspense.

Batroc had been hired by Them (later A.I.M, or Advanced Idea Mechanics) to steal a highly powerful incendiary element known as Inferno-42. Though Cap saved the day, they would continue to confront each other again and again.

7 Code Of Honor

Batroc is basically in his line of work for the manner and the thrill of the fight. But he does have a code of honor which has on occasion made him an ally of Captain America. The best example is from an early encounter where HYDRA had Batroc kidnap Sharon Carter to lure Captain America into a trap.

The deal was HYDRA stayed out of the fight so Batroc could beat Rogers fair and square. When they didn’t honor the agreement and tried killing both men, he sided with Captain America to defeat them and free Sharon Carter.

6 Batroc’s Brigade

Batroc generally operates solo, but he has been part of teams over the years. One of the most significant is his own group of villains, Batroc’s Brigade. Batroc put together the squad of mercenaries to carry out larger and more complex schemes. The first iteration of the team featured Batroc, Swordsman, and the Living Laser.

Later versions added Machete, Whirlwind, and the Porcupine. None of these teams were very successful in their ambitions, running into interference from the Thunderbolts, among others.

5 Ultimate Comics Version

Like many classic Marvel superheroes and supervillains, Batroc the Leaper was reimagined for the Ultimate Comics line that debuted from Marvel in the early 2000s. This line was meant to update the characters for new audiences without the burden of decades of continuity.

This version of Batroc debuted fairly late in the line, though, as a French jewelry thief who runs afoul of the new Miles Morales Spider-Man in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #13. He didn’t quite rank among the most dangerous villains from Miles Morales’ universe though.

4 Seige Of Wakanda

Batroc also was a member of a supervillain team led by Klaw that had the audacious plan to invade Wakanda. Batroc teamed up with the Rhino, the Radioactive Man, the Cannibal, and the Vatican Black Knight in 2005’s Black Panther series, written by Reginald Hudlin (who is helming the upcoming Static Shock movie for DC) and drawn by John Romita Jr.

The story retells the origin of Black Panther from a new perspective. The invasion is felled in the end by the Dora Milaje, the royal guard of Wakanda.

3 The Zemo Connection

Batroc has another connection to a major villain of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Baron Zemo. In the ’80s, Zemo hired Batroc’s Brigade to find fragments of the Bloodstone, a fragment of a meteor that crashed on Earth in prehistoric times. The stone grants the person who wields it superhuman powers.

Zemo intended to use the stone to bring his father back to life. Heinrich Zemo was the original Baron Zemo in the comics and an enemy of Captain America during World War II. The plan failed, disrupted by Captain America and Diamondback.

2 Day Of The Defenders

Baron Zemo was part of a superhero team briefly, but it was really a group of villains in disguise. The original comic book Defenders team could potentially show up in the MCU, though a version has appeared in the Netflix Marvel streaming series.

In The Defenders #63, Batroc impersonates the team along with a number of other villains including Sagittarius, Beetle, Electro, the Looter, Plantman, and the Blob. Their main objective is to steal diamonds in New York City and tar the good name of the true Defenders.

1 Fighting The Tarantula

A Spider-Man villain who bears a strong resemblance to Batroc in appearance and ability is Tarantula. The two share a similar-looking mask, thin mustache, and tendency to leap at their victims.

The two finally squared off in the comics in the early 90s. The battle took place in The Punisher #69, during a storyline called Eurohit. This story saw Frank Castle travel to Europe to take on organized crime there. Tarantula fought alongside the Punisher, putting him into conflict with Batroc The Leaper.

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