BRUTE FORCE
Membership: Fieldstone, Fizgig, Hoarfrost, Hoopsnake, Ingot, Loblolly, Scarum, Watchfire;
formerly Charcoal
Purpose: To enforce the will of the Secret Empire
Affiliations: Secret Empire (Cheer Chadwick, Hesperus Chadwick, William Taurey, Shocktroopers), Arnim Zola
Enemies: Jury (Bomblast, Firearm, Ramshot, Sentry/Curtis Elkins, USAgent/John Walker, Wysper/Jenny Stewart), Thunderbolts (Atlas/Erik Josten, Charcoal/Charlie Burlingame, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Jolt/Hallie Takahama, Moonstone/Karla Sofen, Songbird/Melissa Gold)
Base of Operations: Cornwallis Base, deep in the Rocky Mountains
First Appearance: Thunderbolts I#31 (October, 1999)
History: (Thunderbolts I#31 - fb) ) - People, enticed from their poor, rural communities by the Secret Empire to abandon democracy and work for them as their serfs, were screened for superhuman potential. Those possessing it were genetically altered by Nazi bio-fanatic Arnim Zola; successful experiments became part of Brute Force, while the failures were relegated to becoming labor zombies. At some point, Brute Force member Charcoal left the team.
(Thunderbolts I#31) - The Thunderbolts, looking for their missing teammate Charcoal, infiltrated Cornwallis Base as potential recruits; the Secret Empire's scanners identified them as superhumans, so Cheer Chadwick led them on a tour of the base culminating in Brute Force. The T-Bolts soon overwhelmed them, but Cheer set off a trap in the room, knocking both teams out.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - With the staff of Cornwallis Base watching, Brute Force and the Secret Empire's Shocktroopers were sent into a massive arena to battle the Thunderbolts. Secret Empire leader William Taurey promised that if Brute Force killed the last Thunderbolt, they would be granted "proto-Elite" status and ten thousand worker credits; if the Shocktroopers did so, they would be given the same. If any Thunderbolt survived, they would both receive "correctional treatment". They and the Shocktroopers got the better of the Thunderbolts until USAgent and the mercenary Jury arrived, searching for the fugitive T-Bolts. As the spectators fled, the Shocktroopers brought out a sonic cannon to take out everyone in the arena, but the T-Bolts and the Jury kept the Secret Empire forces away from it, allowing Songbird to overload it, damaging Cornwallis Base and knocking out Brute Force. The Thunderbolts fled while the Jury turned the Imperials, including Brute Force, over to the authorities.
Comments: Created by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley & Scott Hanna.
A lot of Brute Force members seem to have archaic, old-fashioned names - was Busiek trying to call back to their rural origins and the Secret Empire's archaic values, or did he just get one of those Word-A-Day calendars for Christmas that year?
Charcoal is never explicitly referred to as a member of Brute Force, but he makes a pointed reference to Fieldstone being his friend, and Brute Force seems to be where this incarnation of the Secret Empire put all their successfully-mutated guys.
Charcoal possesses the ability to transform back into human form, but we never see any other members of Brute Force do so. It's possible that they can't.
Hoopsnake and Ingot really don't like each other.
Profile by Minor Irritant.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Brute Force has no known connections to
Fieldstone has no known connections to
Fizgig has no known connections to
Hoarfrost has no known connections to
Hoopsnake has no known connections to
Ingot has no known connections to
Loblolly has no known connections to
Scarum has no known connections to
Watchfire has no known connections to
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Fieldstone and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; Fieldstone and Ingot took on Atlas until Cheer Chadwick incapacitated all of them with a sonic cannon.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Fieldstone entered the arena with his teammates and took on Charcoal. Although Fieldstone briefly got the upper hand, Charcoal apparently took advantage of the distraction provided by the Jury and defeated him.
Fieldstone is seemingly composed of a rock-like substance, and has superhuman strength and durability.
Fieldstone refers to any large stone found in a farmer's field.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Fizgig and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; Fizgig snuck up behind Jolt, but Charcoal took her out of the fight.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Fizgig entered the arena with her teammates and attacked Jolt from behind, shocking her. Jolt immediately retaliated with an energy bolt of her own. Later, Figzig and Hoarfrost battled the Jury's Bomblast, and were taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
(X-Men Unlimited III#20 - BTS) - At an unrevealed point in time, the Warden of superhuman prison the Dungeon acquired a genetic sample of Fizgig which he later used amongst other samples to become the Human Adaptoid. While invading Krakoa, the Human Adaptoid activated Fizgig's powers along with those of Arclight, Solarr, Vibro and others to combat Juggernaut and Deadpool.
Fizgig is only a few inches tall, and can fly and project electricity. Her intelligence has apparently been impaired, as she can only speak in broken sentences, i.e. "Girl not watching! Fizgig hurt her!".
A fizgig is a type of firework.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Hoarfrost and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; he attacked Moonstone and martially encased her in ice until she steered him into Watchfire, causing a massive explosion of steam and knocking both Brutes out.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Hoarfrost entered the arena with his teammates and attacked the Thunderbolts. Later, Hoarfrost and Figzig battled the Jury's Bomblast, and were taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
Hoarfrost can encase his opponents in ice.
Hoarfrost is a covering of tiny ice needles, composed of frozen dew, which forms on objects.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Hoopsnake and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; he attacked Hawkeye, but the archer tied him up. He ordered Loblolly to take him out instead.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Hoopsnake entered the arena with his teammates and attacked Moonstone, ensnaring her in his coils while Shocktroopers assaulted her. Later, he was taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
Hoopsnake has a long, limbless serpentine body with which he can constrict his foes; he wears a harness with two tentacle-like mechanical arms.
A hoopsnake is a fictional snake that forms itself into a loop (by biting its tail), and then rolling itself down an incline. It is said to possess a poisonous sting.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Ingot and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; Ingot and Fieldstone took on Atlas until Cheer Chadwick incapacitated all of them with a sonic cannon.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Ingot entered the arena with her teammates and attacked the Thunderbolts. She was taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
Ingot has a strong and durable metallic body.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Loblolly and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; incapacitated, Hoopsnake ordered Loblolly to attack Hawkeye, but Songbird crushed her with a sonic construct.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Loblolly entered the arena with her teammates and attacked Atlas, choking him while Scarum attacked him. She was taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
Loblolly is an amorphous blob, capable of using her body like a battering ram or to choke enemies. She is apparently mute.
Loblolly is a thick porridge or gruel.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Scarum and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; Scarum attacked Jolt, but she blasted him through Charcoal's containment chamber, freeing him and knocking Scarum out.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Scarum entered the arena with his teammates and attacked Moonstone until Hawkeye shot him with an electric arrow. He changed tactics and went after Atlas, striking him while Loblolly restrained him; he continued to batter Atlas until he was taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
The bestial Scarum has retractable claws on his hands, as well as superhuman strength and durability.
Scarum's name is probably derived from "harum scarum", which means "recklessly, or wildly".
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
(Thunderbolts I#31) - Watchfire and Brute Force ambushed the Thunderbolts; Watchfire took on Songbird until Moonstone steered Hoarfrost into him, causing a massive explosion of steam and knocking both Brutes out.
(Thunderbolts I#32) - Watchfire entered the arena with his teammates and was soon entrapped in a sonic sphere by Songbird, although he broke free when she tried to blast through the force field surrounding the arena. He was taken out of the fight by Songbird's sonic blast with the rest of Brute Force.
Watchfire's body is constantly ablaze; he can project streams of fire.
A watch fire is a fire that is kept burning through the night as a signal.
--Thunderbolts I#31 (31-32
images: (without ads)
Thunderbolts I#31, p15, pan1 (main image)
Thunderbolts I#31, p18, pan6 (Fieldstone)
Thunderbolts I#32, p4, pan1 (Fizgig)
Thunderbolts I#32, p4, pan1 (Hoarfrost)
Thunderbolts I#31, p18, pan6 (Hoopsnake)
Thunderbolts I#31, p19, pan6 (Ingot)
Thunderbolts I#31, p20, pan1 (Loblolly)
Thunderbolts I#32, p4, pan1 (Scarum)
Thunderbolts I#32, p4, pan1 (Watchfire)
Appearances:
Thunderbolts I#31-32 (October-November, 1999) - Kurt Busiek (writer), Mark Bagley (pencils), Scott Hanna (inker), Tom Brevoort (editor)
X-Men Unlimited III#20 (January, 2022) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Matt Horak (pencils, inks), Jordan D. White (editor)
First Posted: 02/08/2011
Last Updated: 11/06/2023
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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