BLUE STREAK
Real Name: Jonathan Swift
Identity/Class: Human mutate technology user
Occupation: Criminal for hire
Group Membership: Fast Five (Gold Rush, Green Light, Redline, Silver Ghost);
formerly Ricadonna's Rogues (Ferocia, Flame, Kingsize, Celia Ricadonna)
Affiliations: Baron Zemo (Helmut Zemo), the Corporation (Simon (last name unknown), Veil), Mr. Hyde (Calvin Zabo), Plunderer (Parnival Plunder), Wrecking Crew (Bulldozer/Henry Camp, Piledriver/Brian Calusky, Thunderball/Eliot Franklin, Wrecker/Dirk Garthwaite)
Enemies: Daredevil (Elektra Natchios), Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Heroes for Hire (Black Cat/Felicia Hardy, Humbug/Buck Mitty, Misty Knight/Mercedes Knight, Orka, Shang-Chi, Colleen Wing), Ironheart (Riri Williams), Kobik, Dr. Charlene McGowan, Mighty Avengers (Blue Marvel/Adam Brashear, Kaluu, Power Man/Vic Alvarez, She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, Spectrum/Monica Rambeau, White Tiger/Ava Ayala), Pod (Aikku Jokinen), S.H.I.E.L.D. (Avril Kincaid, Wendell Vaughn), Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green), Tigra (Greer Nelson), Valkyrie (Jane Foster), several unidentified guards at Sing Sing prison
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile;
formerly the Corporation's Hart Island base
First Appearance: Heroes for Hire II#3 (December, 2006)
Powers/Abilities: Wearing the same suit
worn by the original Blue Streak, Swift controls jet-propelled
rocket-skates able to reach speeds of 125 miles per hour. Blue Streak's
aerodynamic suit is equipped with protection and an oxygen supply,
allowing him to breath at high speeds.
Skrull organs transplanted into his body by the Corporation allowed him to shapeshift.
History: (Heroes for Hire II#3/Civil War: Battle Damage Report (fb) - BTS) - Jonathan Swift assumed the mantle of the Blue Streak after "inheriting" the equipment previously used by the late Don Thomas. After a period of activity under the employ of criminal publishing mogul Celia Ricodonna, Swift found himself a wanted criminal in the early days of the Superhuman Registration Act.
(Heroes for Hire II#3 (fb) - BTS) - Along with other criminals employed by Ricadonna (including Ferocia, Flame, and Kingsize), Blue Streak allied himself with the Corporation to avoid imprisonment and the SHRA. He had Skrull organs implanted in his body by the Corporation's biologists, giving him shape-shifting abilities. (Heroes for Hire II#3) - After being introduced to Veil by Corporation scientist Simon, Blue Streak and the other transplantees were sent to break Ricadonna out of Sing Sing prison. (Heroes for Hire II#4) - Espied by a fly in mental contact with Humbug, Blue Streak waited with the others in the Corporation's base of operations for Ricadonna to receive a similar Skrull organ transplant. When completed, Ricadonna called her "rogues" into action. (Heroes for Hire II#5) - Confronting the Heroes for Hire, Blue Streak met a quick defeat after being thrown into a wall by Misty Knight. As the Corporation's headquarters began detonating from explosive charges set by the Heroes for Hire, Orka carried an unconscious Blue Streak and Kingsize to safety through an underground tunnel.(Mighty Avengers II#1) - After committing a robbery Blue Streak the police chased Blue Streak, but they were too slow and he easily jumped over a roadblock. Spectrum hit him explosively and Blue Streak was arrested after falling on a car's windshield. The windshield's destruction was added to his damage charges by the police even though it wasn't actually his fault.
(Captain America and the Mighty Avengers#2) - Blue Streak formed a team of criminals, outfitted them with roller-bladed power suits like his own, and dubbed them the Fast Five. They committed a high-speed robbery that netted them several large bags of cash, but as they escaped, they ran afoul of Spectrum, who had foiled Blue Streak before. They split up, only to run afoul of Spectrum's Mighty Avengers teammates. Blue Streak had his armor shredded by White Tiger.
(Captain America: Sam Wilson#8 (fb) ) - After they were arrested, the Fast Five were transported to Pleasant Hill, a SHIELD prison where super villains were transformed by Kobik, a sentient Cosmic Cube, into innocuous civilians and used to populate an idyllic small town; the Five were transformed into skateboarding kids.
(Captain America: Sam Wilson#8) - Reverted to their original forms by Baron Zemo, the Fast Five began looting the town museum as they prepared to escape. They were discovered by SHIELD Agent Avril Kincaid, who defeated Gold Rush, Green Light, Redline, and Silver Ghost, as they were stuck in close quarters and unable to reach full speed. Blue Streak got the drop on her, but SHIELD Agent Wendell Vaughn, masquerading as the town librarian, hit him over the head with a book before he could seriously hurt her.
(U.S.Avengers#5) - Blue Streak joined forces with the Wrecking Crew and Mister Hyde to participate in an assault on Manhattan.
(U.S.Avengers#10) - Blue Streak allied with the Plunderer in an attack on Project: PEGASUS, but they quickly ran into Squirrel Girl and Pod.
(Valkyrie: Jane Foster#1) - In the wake of the War of the Realms the Fast Five attacked a Damage Control truck to steal left behind Asgardian weapons for clout on the Internet. Valkyrie interrupted the robbery and quickly knocked out Blue Streak, who charged at her with an axe. He was later arrested with the rest of his team.
(Amazing Spider-Man V#37) - The Fast Five robbed a bank, but were stopped by Spider-Man.
(Marvel's Voices: Legacy I#1/2) - The Fast Five (actually four at this point) tried to rob the 1st Secure Bank of America, but Ironheart stopped them.
(Marvel's Voices: Pride I#1) - The Fast Five broke into an abandoned Mutant Growth Hormone lab in New York formerly run by Wilson Fisk to steal the M.G.H. stash. They encountered Daredevil (Elektra) and Dr. Charlene McGowan. The latter told them that they place had already been cleaned out, but Blue Streak ignored her and told his teammates to find what they were looking for while he dealt with Daredevil (Elektra). McGowan mixed some industrial-grade detergent, poured it on the floor and the wheels of the Fast Five seized up. Daredevil left them tied up at the lab.
(Moon Knight IX#22) - Hawkeye and Tigra beat up the Fast Five after they committed a crime.
Comments: Created by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Francis Portela & Billy Tucci.
It's unrevealed if the Blue Streak that later arranged his capture by the Thunderbolts (and was seemingly killed by Bullseye while in custody) was intended to be Jonathan Swift. It's been suggested that the psychic operating under that name used it for the purposes of his plot to destroy the Thunderbolts and is not connected to either Thomas or Swift. (Personally I'd prefer the psychic Blue Streak be Swift, although I understand the rational for the difference. That said, the first Blue Streak was lame enough to be a Scourge Victim, and then in the span of a year -- twenty years later no less -- two new guys pop up? Come on!)
As evidenced in the images of Blue Streak, he apparently enjoys his beverages. Coincidence, or quirky character trait for a second generation d-list villain about whom we otherwise know nothing? You be the judge.
I believe Blue Streak had dyed his hair blond in his original Heroes for Hire appearances.
Blue Streak received a profile as part of "Ricadonna's Rogues" in the Civil War: Battle Damage Report. His real name was revealed in this profile (as was the real name of his predecessor, for those keeping score).
Profile by G Morrow. Updates by Minor Irritant & Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS: Blue Streak should not be confused with
CLARIFICATIONS: Blue Streak has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
Heroes for Hire II#4, p21, pan2 (main image)
Heroes for Hire II#3, p14, pan3 (unmasked)
Heroes for Hire II#3, p14, pan4 (detail)
Valkyrie: Jane Foster#1, p9, pan1 (with beard, unmasked)
Appearances:
Heroes for Hire II#3 (December, 2006) - Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti (writers), Francis Portela and Billy Tucci (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Heroes for Hire II#4 (January, 2007) - Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti (writers), Francis Portela and Billy Tucci (pencils), Tom Palmer and Terry Pallot (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Heroes for Hire II#5 (February, 2007) - Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti (writers), Francis Portela (pencils), Terry Pallot (inks), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) - Anthony Flamini (head writer), Ronald Byrd (writer), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Mighty Avengers II#1 (November, 2013) - Al Ewing (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Tom Brevoort & Lauren Sankovitch (editors)
Captain America & the Mighty Avengers#2 (January, 2015) - Al Ewing (writer), Luke Ross & Iban Coello (art), Tom Brevoort & Wil Moss (editors)
Captain America: Sam Wilson#8 (June, 2016) - Nick Spencer (writer), Paul Renaud (art), Tom Brevoort (editor)
U.S.Avengers#5 (June, 2017) - Al Ewing (writer), Paco Diaz (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
U.S.Avengers#10 (November, 2017) - Al Ewing (writer), Paco Diaz (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Valkyrie: Jane Foster#1 (September, 2019) - Jason Aaron & Al Ewing (writers), CAFU (artist), Wil Moss (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man V#37 (March, 2020) - Nick Spencer (writer), Ryan Ottley (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
Marvel's Voices: Legacy I#1/2 (April, 2021) - Mohale Mashigo (writer), Chris Allen (artist), Sarah Brunstad & Wil Moss (editors)
Marvel's Voices: Pride I#1/5 (August, 2021) - Lilah Sturges (writer), Derek Charm (artist), Sarah Brunstad (editor)
Moon Knight IX#22 (June, 2023) - Jed MacKay (writer), Alessandro Cappuccio (artist), Tom Brevoort (editor)
First Posted: 05/02/2009
Last updated: 10/01/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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