DIAMONDBACK
Real Name: Deborah "Debbie" Bertrand
Identity/Class: Human technology user
Occupation: Mercenary; former college student, athlete, waitress
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Boomerang (Fred Myers), Constrictor (Frank Payne), Crimson Dynamo, Crossfire (William Cross), Eel (Edward Lavell), Goldbug, Grim Reaper (Eric Williams), Hobgoblin, King Cobra (Klaus Voorhees), Lady Octopus (Carolyn Trainer), Mentallo (Marvin Flumm), Mr. Fear (Alan Fagan), Scorcher, Scorpion (Mac Gargan), Shocker (Herman Schultz), Spider-Slayer Mark 20, Tinkerer (Phineas Mason), Trapster (Peter Petruski), Lucia von Bardas, Wizard (Bentley Wittman)
Enemies: Luke Cage, Captain America (Steve Rogers), Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Fantastic Four (Human Torch/Johnny Storm, Invisible Woman/Susan Richards, Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards, Thing/Ben Grimm), Nick Fury LMD, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)
Known Relatives: David Betrand (father), Kristy Betrand (mother)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Greenville, North Carolina
First Appearance: Secret War#3 (October, 2004)
Powers/Abilities: Diamondback wore an armored suit with jetpack. She uses 4-inch diamond-shaped throwing spikes, which are sometimes filled with explosives, corrosives and other substances. She is an Olympic-level athlete excelling in gymnastics, an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant and an expert knife thrower.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown (red highlights)
History:
(All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Premiere HC#3 - Diamondback) - Debbie got into college on an athletic scholarship where she became an All-American Olympic athlete and gymnast.
(Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury (fb) - BTS) - During her freshman year one of Debbie's professor was Dr. Lucia von Bardas.
One time Debbie took her mother Kirsty to one of Dr. Bardas' seminars on Parents Weekend and they even went to lunch afterward. Lucia told Mrs. Betrand that she saw much potential in Debbie.
Debbie told her parents that Dr. Bardas was elected Prime Minister of Latveria and her parents were proud of Debbie's former professor.
Debbie worked as a waitress at Chimichuchu's in Charleston, North Carolina.
Lucia invited Debbie to a job interview.
After the job interview Debbie showed up at her job at Chimichuchu on Friday to pick up her paycheck and then never returned.
(Secret War#3 (fb) - BTS) - Equipped by the Tinkerer Debbie adopted the codename Diamondback.
(Secret War#3) - Debbie's former professor Lucia von Bardas sent Diamondback, alongside Scorcher, to ambush Daredevil in Harlem as one of Diamondback's first jobs. Diamondback got pissed at Scorcher, when he kept calling her by her real first name. After Scorcher blew up the roof Daredevil had been on the criminals were surprised when Spider-Man was present as well. Though unprepared to deal with both heroes Diamondback tried her best against Daredevil, but Scorcher abandoned her when his equipment got webbed up by Spider-Man. Shocked that Scorcher would just leave her behind Diamondback retreated as well.
(Secret War#4 - BTS) - Diamondback joined the other mercenaries working for von Bardas at Mt. Sinai Hospital and lost consciousness when von Bardas activated secret circuitry within her armored suit, turning her into one part of a chain reaction that would turn her and the other mercenaries into a giant bomb. The heroes tried everything to break the chain reaction.
(Secret War#5 - BTS) - Daisy Johnson broke the chain reaction when she used her seismic powers to destroy the power source inside von Bardas, which surged the chain reaction, saving all the criminals, including Diamondback.
Comments: Created by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) & Gabrielle Dell'Otto (artist).
Diamondback was not seen in Secret War#4-5, but her handbook profile revealed that she was present in the chaos. She probably showed up late after taking a wrong turn to the hospital. She was a rookie after all.
In Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury SHIELD agent Jasper Sitwell assumed that Rachel Leighton, the other Diamondback active at the time, would kick Debbie's rookie butt for using her identity.
Profile by Markus Raymond.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Diamondback should not be confused with:
images:
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe HC#3, Diamondback (Betrand) profile (main image) (original source: Secret War#3, p13, pan1)
Appearances:
Secret War#3 (October, 2004) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Gabrielle Dell'Otto (artist), Andy Schmidt (editor)
Secret War#4 (May, 2005) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Gabrielle Dell'Otto (artist), Andy Schmidt (editor)
Secret War#5 (December, 2005) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Gabrielle Dell'Otto (artist), Andy Schmidt (editor)
Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury (2005) - Mike Raicht (writer), Gabrielle Dell'Otto (artist), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
First Posted: 06/22/2015
Last updated: 06/22/2015
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and
© 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you
like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!