"RIGGER" RUIZ

Real Name: Margarita Allegra Ruiz

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Police officer, armory specialist

Group Membership: Code: Blue

Affiliations: Annex, Susan Austin, Black Panther, Cloak, Code: Gray, Dagger, Daredevil, Alex DePaul, Earth Force (Earth Lord, Skyhawk, Wind Warrior), Excalibur, Fantastic Force, Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch/Noble Kale), Gods of Asgard, Hermod, Jose Hidalgo, Kevin Masterson, New Warriors, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, Thomas Rizzo, S.H.I.E.L.D., Sif, Spider-Man, Stellaris, Thor, Thunderstrike, Warriors Three, Yancy Street Gang

Enemies: Absorbing Man, Battlestar, Beetle, Bloodaxe, Cadre, Cardiac, Carjack, Chloe, Leila Davis, Darkhawk, Demogoblin, Doombot, D'Spayre, Evilhawk, Glump, Grey Gargoyle, Hobgoblin (Macendale), Kai-Ra, Klaw, Kronin Krask, Loki, Man-Eater, Officer Z.E.R.O., Pandara, Peacekeepers, Armand Pelps, Steven Polk, Ren-Tech, Resistants, Rock Trolls, St. Johnny, Sandman, She-Hulk (Earth-A), Silver Sable, Thermal Man, Thornn, Titania, Ulik, Uroc, Wrecking Crew

Known Relatives: Roberto Ruiz (younger brother)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Code: Blue Headquarters, NYPD precinct, Metro Division, Manhattan, New York

First Appearance: Thor I#426 (November, 1990)

Powers/Abilities: Rigger wields a variety of conventional police weapons, often carrying large plasma guns, exploding shells, a super taser, or bazookas, but she is also equipped with grenades and handguns. She also wears a SWAT uniform which provides body armor, and wears a headset to communicate with the rest of the team. Rigger is also a bodybuilder, and is the physically strongest member of Code: Blue. Rigger is also a minor inventor, and designed a "port-a-pulley" for transporting Code: Blue members up elevator shafts, and a stasis field.

History: (Fantastic Four I#361 (fb, BTS))- When Margarita Ruiz became a police officer, her younger brother Roberto was so stunned that he stopped talking.

(Thor I#426)- Rigger Ruiz joined Code: Blue for their first mission, to rescue a hostage from the Wrecking Crew. Although the Wrecking Crew were immune to her weapons, she was able to distract them long enough for Fireworks Fielstein to get the hostage to safety.

(Thor I#427)- Rigger participated in a training session alongside Code: Blue. Later, they set out the site of a battle between Excalibur, Thor and the Wrecking Crew.

(Thor I#428)- During a rematch with the Wrecking Crew, Rigger managed to fend off Bulldozer with a super taser that electrocuted him. She later participated in his arrest.

(Thor I#429)- Rassitano and Ruiz were assigned to transport Bulldozer to Kennedy Airport so that he could transferred to The Vault. Along the way, they drove through Cypress Cemetary and were attacked by the rest of the Wrecking Crew, but were saved from them by Ghost Rider.

(Deadly Foes of Spider-Man#2)- Rigger joined with Code: Blue in attempting to capture the Beetle and Leila Davis after they tried to break Boomerang out of the Tombs prison, but the two villains escaped.

(Thor I#432)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in raiding Loki's building and rescuing Kevin Masterson from him. Along the way, she employed a "port-a-pulley" of her own design to allow the team to travel up an elevator shaft.

(Thor I#433)- Soon after, Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling Ulik, and nearly had him contained within a stasis field she had designed when the new Thor, Eric Masterson, arrived. Thor ruined their efforts, and it became clear to them immediately that he was not the original Thor. Ultimately, Thor was able to help them defeat Ulik by fighting dirty.

(Cloak and Dagger III#19)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in attempting to bring down D'Spayre as he fought Cloak and Dagger, but D'Spayre cast them all aside with a wave of his hand. After Cloak and Dagger defeated D'Spayre, their friend Detective Rebecca Niles had Code: Blue assist Cloak and Dagger in bringing down a warehouse where the drug "D'Lite" was being shipped from.

(Thor I#447)- Ruiz joined Lt. Stone in investigating the scene of a robbery committed by Titania.

(Thor I#448)- Ruiz joined Code: Blue in battling the Absorbing Man and Titania at a construction site alongside Spider-Man and Thor. Ruiz and Rassitano managed to bind Titania with steel ribbons, but the Absorbing Man broke her out. The battle finally ended when the Absorbing Man feigned defeat, wanting to spare Titania further carnage.

(Thor I#449)- Just as they were cleaning up after the Absorbing Man and Titania, Code: Blue learned that Uroc was breaking Ulik out of Ryker's Island. Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling them, but was outmatched. After gravely wounding Majowski, Ulik and Uroc fled with the arrival of Thor.

(Thor I#450)- Rigger joined Code: Blue on their mission to Asgard to arrest Ulik, and with Thor and Fandral, fought Kai-Ra, Glump and the Rock Trolls that were attacking Asgard. Fandral led Code: Blue to the Well of Eternal Tears, where Ulik and Uroc were holding Hogun and Volstagg captive. Rigger went undercover as an Asgardian slave because she was the only team member with a physique similiar to that of an Asgardian. Code: Blue was able to save Fandral and Hogun, and Rassitano destroyed Uroc's left hand in battle. Afterward, when Code: Blue was honored in Asgard, Rigger donned a dress and romanced Fandral. She told him stories about Robin Hood, which Fandral said he found familiar.

(Thor I#451)- After the festivities ended, Rigger joined Code: Blue in returning to Earth with Thor's aid, and said goodbye to Fandral, who promised to see her again.

(Marvel Comics Presents#112/4)- Rigger joined with Code: Blue in battling the Demogoblin in Riverside Park, and managed to arrest him.

(Thor I#456)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling Bloodaxe alongside Earth Force to rescue Susan Austin from him. After Bloodaxe's defeat, Rassitano joined Rassitano in escorting Austin home. Along the way she postulated that Bloodaxe might actually be a woman, not a man.

(Fantastic Four I#372)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in their mission to arrest the Human Torch at Four Freedoms Plaza after he set fire to Empire State University. The Invisible Woman fought back against them, but the Torch surrendered himself into their custody. As they brought him the precinct, the Torch was attacked by his enemies Lyja and Paibok, disguised as people in the crowd, and he broke free from Code: Blue to avoid being killed.

(Darkhawk#23)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling St. Johnny as he fought Darkhawk, and tried to bring down St. Johnny with her bazooka, but it was ineffective. After Darkhawk seemingly killed St. Johnny, they tried to arrest him, but were prevented by the arrival of Evilhawk.

(Darkhawk#24)- Ruiz assisted Code: Blue against Evilhawk, firing her bazooka at him, but Evilhawk easily shrugged off the attacks and departed.

(Web of Spider-Man Annual#9)- Rigger joined with Code: Blue in battling the Cadre when they ran wild in New York. Rigger was affected by the powers of the Cadre member Dementia, causing her to run wild, even shooting at her fellow officers. The Cadre finally escaped with the Knight Templar Chloe, abetted by Spider-Man, who slowed Code: Blue down.

(Spider-Man Unlimited I#1/3)- Rigger joined Code: Blue against Cardiac, to prevent him killing white-collar criminal Steven Polk. They managed to save Polk's life, but Cardiac escaped.

(Thunderstrike#1)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in arresting Carjack and several of his men, and first encountered the new Thor in his identity as Thunderstrike.

(Spider-Man Unlimited I#3)- Rigger participated in the arrest of Dr. Octopus after he surrendered to Spider-Man.

(Spider-Man Unlimited I#3/3)- Fielstein participated in the arrest of Ren-Tech following their defeat by Annex.

(Thunderstrike#3)- Rigger assisted in the arrest of Armand Pelps, a member of a child pornography ring.

(Silver Sable#27)- Rigger joined Code: Blue at Central Park in an attempt to capture the Man-Eater after he ran amock. They found themselves at odds with the Man-Eater's employer, Silver Sable, and she sabotaged their efforts to capture him.

(Captain America I#426)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in arresting members of the Resistants after they had been defeated by the Super-Patriot (disguised as Captain America). Believing the Super-Patriot to be the real Captain America, they did not suspect that the Super-Patriot had attempted to rob an armored car.

(Thunderstrike#5)- As Rigger took a statement from Mary Jane Watson-Parker on the killer Pandara, the precinct was invaded by S.H.I.E.L.D., who took Code: Blue and Mary Jane captive because Majowski had accessed sealed files on Tantalus. They were brought to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

(Thunderstrike#6)- Rigger aided Code: Blue in making a break-out from the Helicarrier, and they were finally allowed to depart by Nick Fury. Using information Majowski still possessed, Rigger joined Code: Blue, Thunderstrike and Stellaris in searching for Pandara in New York's sewers, battling Tantalus' Peacekeepers. They finally took her captive thanks to the efforts of Blackwulf.

(Thunderstrike#7)- After Pandara was freed from her cell, she unleashed her demons upon the precinct, and Rigger joined Code: Blue against the creatures. During the battle, "Jock" Jackson lost his life.

(Thunderstrike#8)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in a field test of the robot Officer Z.E.R.O., and fought back at it when it attacked them. Ultimately, the robot was halted by the sacrifice of its creator, Thomas Rizzo.

(New Warriors Annual#4)- Rigger joined Code: Blue and the mayor of New York in monitoring the confrontation between Psionex and the New Warriors.

(Night Thrasher II#15)- Rigger stood guard with Code: Blue over an AIDS research lab which was being threatened with eviction, but had fallen under the protection of the Hulk. Ultimately, the situation was diffused by Night Thrasher, who paid off the landlord.

(Thunderstrike#13/2)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling a malfunctioning Doombot alongside the Yancy Street Gang, which included her brother Roberto. She helped Ruiz tie it down in an adamantium net after Fielstein set off explosives which damaged it. She then took off to make sure Roberto was all right, but Lt. Stone forgave her for bolting.

(Thunderstrike#14/2)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling the Wrecker, but was called off the field with the rest of Code: Blue by Jim Young, who wanted Thor to battle the Wrecker for them, but Code: Blue returned to action when Thor departed. Rigger helped stall the Wrecker while they prepared to set up a meeting between him and his father. After losing his concentration on the earthly plane, the Wrecker was cast back into the dimension he had escaped from.

(Thunderstrike#15/2)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in battle against the Thermal Man, but her liquid nitrogen gun was ineffective. The Thermal Man was finally destroyed by Thunderstrike and Rassitano, using adamantium wire to slice it to pieces. However, Code: Blue was then shut down for going on a mission without authorization.

(Thunderstrike#16/2)- Reactivated by the mayor, Rigger joined Code: Blue and Daredevil against Kronin Krask, and wielded energy disruptors from Redfield Electronics at him, but they were ineffective. Ultimately, Krask was defeated by Code: Gray and trapped within a CD. Code: Blue was officially reinstated, and Rigger joined Code: Blue and Code: Gray in celebrating.

(X-Force I#40)- Rigger accompanied Rassitano, Lt. Stone and Jose Hidalgo in apprehending the mutant villain Thornn, whom they found in the sewers of New York. Hidalgo was able to tranquilize her, and Rigger joined Lt. Stone in guarding her while she was in custody.

(Fantastic Force#1)- Lt. Stone and Rigger took Klaw into custody after his defeat at the hands of the Black Panther and Fantastic Force.

(Fantastic Force#6)- Rigger participated in the arrest of the Grey Gargoyle following his defeat by Fantastic Force.

(Thunderstrike#22)- Rigger came upon Rassitano playing with Code: Blue action figures of himself and her, which had been playing at making out, and made fun of him. Ruiz joined Code: Blue at the scene of a battle between Thunderstrike, Bloodaxe, Quicksand and Mongoose.

(Thunderstrike#23)- Ruiz witnessed Thunderstrike's possession by the Bloodaxe, and watched as he set off to deal with Seth.

(Journey Into Mystery I#505)- Rigger joined Code: Blue in battling the Wrecking Crew alongside Spider-Man and the Lost Gods Ericka Velez and Howie Barker (Sif and Hermod). With the aid of those heroes, the Wrecking Crew was defeated.

(Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives#1) - Code: Blue (Fielstein, Rassitano, Ruiz, Stone) led Hobgoblin (Macendale) to the court.

(Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives#3)- Rigger and Lt. Stone investigated the site of Betty Leeds' capture by the Hobgoblin, and passed their information along to Spider-Man.

(She-Hulk II#21) - Code: Blue apprehended the She-Hulk of Earth-A, who had been impersonating her Earth-616 counterpart. Mr. Fantastic helped Code: Blue return all such Earth-A invaders back to their home planet.

Comments: Created by Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Joe Sinnott and Dan Panosian.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
"Rigger" Ruiz should not be confused with:

• Riger, of the Godpack, @ Thor I#475
• Gil Ruiz of Ultraverse, climber killed by Rafferty, @ Firearm I#12

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

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