DOUGLAS ROCKWELL

Real Name: Douglas Rockwell

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: Chairman of the Commission on Superhuman Activities

Group Membership: Commission on Superhuman Activities

Affiliations: Battlestar/Bucky, Captain America (John Walker), Red Skull

Enemies: Captain America (Steve Rogers), D-Man, Diamondback, Nomad

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Miles (see comments)

Base of Operations: Mobile

First Appearance: (in shadow) Captain America I#331 (July, 1987); (fully seen) Captain America I#332 (August, 1987)

Powers/Abilities: None

History: (Captain America I#346 (fb, BTS)) - At some point in time, Douglas Rockwell became affiliated with the Red Skull, who had survived his seeming death by being cloned into a new body. The Red Skull convinced Rockwell to sabotage the career of Captain America by driving Steve Rogers out of his uniform.

(Captain America I#331) - Rockwell joined with the Commission in demanding that Captain America appear before them in Washington to determine his current status with the U.S. government.

(Captain America I#332) - Rockwell chaired the Commission as they confronted Captain America, revealing to him that the Captain America identity was the property of the government, and demanded that he either become their operative, or surrender his shield and uniform. After considering their offer for an evening, Steve Rogers chose to turn over the costume and uniform, and walked out.

(Captain America I#333) - Rockwell joined the Commission in searching for a replacement Captain America, and ultimately chose John Walker, the Super-Patriot, with his friend Lemar Hoskins as his sidekick Bucky, but rejected Walker's agent Ethan Thurm and Walker's other sidekicks Hector Lennox and Jerome Johnson.

(Captain America I#334) - Rockwell and General Haywerth met with Dr. Cooper to be assured that Walker's training would be completed on time.

(Captain America I#335) - Rockwell congratulated Walker and Hoskins upon the successful completion of their training, and swore Walker in as the new Captain America. He assigned Adrian Sammish to provide them with their field missions.

(Captain America I#341 (BTS)) - Rockwell met with Lemar Hoskins, who was concerned about his using the alias "Bucky." With Rockwell's approval, Hoskins became Battlestar.

(Captain America I#344) - Rockwell learned from Sikorski of the threat posed by the Viper's snake venom to Washington's water supply, and ordered Walker and Hoskins to deal with the matter rather than the Avengers. Later, he joined the Commission in confronting D-Man, Diamondback and Nomad, who had all been taken captive by Walker and Hoskins. Rockwell planned to use Rogers' friends to draw him out.

(Captain America I#345) - When Steve Rogers turned himself over to the Commission, Rockwell charged him with conspiracy to comit sedition, breaking and entering the White House, assault and battery against the President, aiding and abetting known felons, and failure to pay back taxes, and had him thrown into prison.

(Captain America I#346) - Rockwell led Dr. Cooper and Sikorski in interrogating D-Man, but D-Man refused to surrender information on Steve Rogers to them. Rockwell then dressed down Walker, who had recently murdered nine Watchdogs for having killed his parents. Rockwell placed him on probation, but in a meeting with the Red Skull, was told to reactivate him, as the Red Skull wanted Walker to tarnish Captain America's reputation. He also asked Rockwell to release the Taskmaster from prison so that his schools could be reopened. Rockwell lifted Walker's probation, and sent him out to assist Battlestar and Freedom Force on a mission against the Resistants.

(Captain America I#347) - Rockwell confronted Rogers in his cell, and Rogers began to suspect that Rockwell had a personal reason for wanting him stripped of his costume. Rockwell met with the Red Skull to voice his concern that his co-workers were becoming suspicious, and asked what the Skull's plans for Rogers were, but the Skull refused to answer.

(Captain America I#348) - Rockwell led the Commission in dressing down Walker for his many errors, but the President confronted the Commission, and convinced them to both allow Walker to continue as Captain America, and to set Steve Rogers free. Rockwell informed the Red Skull of these incidents, and the Skull ordered him to place a bug on Rogers so that they could keep track of him. When Dr. Cooper informed Rockwell that the Flag-Smasher was seeking to challenge Captain America, Rockwell decided that they would send Walker, hoping that he might get himself killed. When Walker was defeated by the Flag-Smasher, who demanded that the real Captain America come to face him, Rockwell denied Battlestar's request that they involve Rogers.

(Captain America I#350) - Rockwell confronted Walker in the hospital after his return from battling Flag-Smasher, and expressed his disapproval that Steve Rogers had saved him. The rest of the Commission attempted again to strip Walker of the costume, but Rockwell stonewalled their efforts.

Steve Rogers, as the Captain, came to the Commission to return Walker's shield to them, and caught a glimpse of Rockwell meeting with the Red Skull on a viewscreen. As he began to question Rockwell's motives, the Red Skull phoned Rockwell. When Rockwell picked up the phone, the Red Skull's "Dust of Death" was emitted from the speaker, and it killed him.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald, Tom Morgan and Dave Hunt.

Rockwell was only referred to as "the commissioner" in his early appearances. Adrian Sammish called him "Miles" in Captain America I#335, but later stories established his name as being Douglas Rockwell.

Rockwell probably didn't even know that the Red Skull was his employer, since I can't see the Skull sharing such vital information to a lackey.

by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Douglas Rockwell should not be confused with:

• The Rockville Bank Bandit, Mary Collins, foe of Miss America, @ Sun Girl#1

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