BERTRAND CRAWLEY
Real Name: Bertrand Crawley
Identity/Class: Human
Occupation: Vagrant, informant of Moon Knight; former salesman
Group Membership: None
Affiliations: Marlene Alraune, Frenchie (Jean-Paul Duchamp), Jeremiah, Iron Fist (Daniel Rand), Khonshu, Gena Landers, Ray Landers, Ricky Landers, Moon Knight (Marc Spector), Nedda, the Profile, Power Man (Luke Cage), Redshirt, Reno Eddie, Rob Silverman, Samuels, Manny Zilko, various unidentified informants
Enemies: Raoul Bushman, Commodore Donny Planet, Papa Doc (Vidal), Simon, Eric & Fox, Skid-Row Slasher (Jimmy Crawley), Stained Glass Scarlet (Scarlet Fasinera)
Known Relatives: Jimmy Crawley (son), unidentified wife
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile throughout New York City, New York;
formerly Gena's Diner, New York City;
formerly a Bowery apartment, New York City;
formerly Trenton, New Jersey
First Appearance: Marvel Spotlight I#28 (June, 1976)
Powers/Abilities: Bertrand Crawley possesses no
known superhuman abilities. Crawley has a knack for quickly gathering
reliable intelligence on the comings and goings of the New York
underworld. Verbose and erudite to a fault, Crawley prefers to use
flowery language and gallant behavior to charm, confuse and corral. Due
to a lack of personal hygiene, Bertrand is often surrounded by flies and
exudes an off-putting odor. Crawley carries around a single teabag he
tends to reuse a lot. Crawley is a recovering alcoholic and avid
gambler.
Height: 6'2" (by approximation)
Weight: 140 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
History:
(Moon Knight I#2 (fb) ) - Bertrand Crawley worked as a New Jersey
salesman, living in suburban bliss with his wife. However, over time the
lonely life of a salesman drove him to drink. Addicted to alcohol, his
sales started to slide and he could no longer afford to live in Trenton.
The Crawleys moved back to New York City where his wife became pregnant,
yet he continued to drink. Four years after their son Jimmy was born,
Bertrand had deteriorated to such a degree his wife took Jimmy and left
him. For the next twenty years, Crawley lost himself in the bottle and
started to live on the streets where he befriended several derelicts,
bums and vagrants including a man named Reno Eddie who became his best
friend as time went by.
(Moon Knight I#2 (fb) - BTS) - Over time, Crawley overcame his
alcoholism and even found a modest room to rent in the Bowery. However,
he never managed to find steady work or move on to a better station,
often suffering from money problems he tried to remedy by betting on
horses. More often than not, this caused him to lose more money. Crawley
would often visit Gena's Diner where he befriended the owner Gena
Landers. They struck up a friendly rapport.
(Marvel Spotlight I#28 (fb) - BTS) - Crawley gained a reputation for
being well connected and informed about the activities of the various
criminal and illegal elements in New York City.
(Moon Knight I#26/2 (fb) - BTS) - Crawley eventually gained the trust of
several New York crime bosses including Manny Zilko. He was invited to
attend their weekly poker night in an abandoned mausoleum in Queens
Cemetary. There, he would discreetly learn all kinds of useful news.
(Spectacular Spider-Man II#22) - Crawley was at Gena's Diner when several masked, armed Maggia members held up the place, looking for Jake Lockley (as a result of information gleaned from Conquer-Lord's files). Crawley kept out of harm's way while Spider-Man and Lockley arrived to handle the goons.
(Marvel Spotlight I#28) - Crawley visited Gena's Diner in
time to give Moon Knight, disguised as cabbie Jake Lockley, information
on the Conquer-Lord, who was planning to manipulate the mayoral election
in his favor. Lockley was so grateful for Crawley's intel that he paid
for his steak dinner.
(Hulk Magazine I#13/2) - Crawley was spending the night at Gena's Diner,
enjoying his 18th cup of hot water with the same tea bag when Jake
Lockley dropped by to see him. Lockley wanted to know if he'd heard
anything about an upcoming international robbery. Crawley supplied
Lockley with some essential leads and demanded to be recompensed for his
aid. Gena looked on in dismay as Crawley admired the stack of bills he'd
been given.
(Hulk Magazine I#17/2) - When a mysterious serial killer started killing
New York nurses with an axe, Lockley once again turned to Crawley at
Gena's to see if he had any information the papers didn't mention.
Crawley was a little apprehensive at first, wondering if Lockley wasn't
an undercover cop. The cabbie flashed a 50 dollar bill and assured the
moth-riddled vagrant he was simply a benefactor. Crawley took the money,
stuffed it in his hat and told Jake about a note the murderer had left
on the body of his ninth victim which said he would strike every night
from now on "until he gets Lisa and her lover". Though Crawley didn't
know it, that made a horrified Lockley realize his personal stake in the
matter.
(Moon Knight I#1) - When Marc Spector's old adversary Bushman came to
New York City, Crawley learned vital information about the new crime
boss' whereabouts and activities. When Spector approached Crawley at
Gena's Diner in his Lockley identity, the old bum happily shared all
he'd learned, telling Lockley that Bushman was now running most of the
drug and gambling rings in the city from his headquarters in a burlesque
club in Harlem.
(Moon Knight I#2) - A mysterious serial killer started targeting bums
and vagrants in New York City, killing Crawley's good friend Reno Eddie.
Distraught, Crawley visited Gena's Diner where Lockley also happened to
be. Concerned for their friend and associate, Lockley and Gena asked
Crawley to go to his apartment and stay inside for his own safety. When
Crawley returned to his place in the Bowery, he found the landlord had
replaced the locks because he still owed him three months back rent.
Forced to wander the streets until nightfall, Crawley ran into another
vagrant Jeremiah who was unable to put him up. Moments later, he tripped
over the Slasher's latest victim and ran off into the night screaming.
Some time later, in an abandoned alley, the terrified Crawley was
approached by a stranger who asked him for a light. The man turned out
to be the Slasher and instantly tore into him with his sickle. Bertrand
managed to get away and made his way to Gena's Diner, bleeding heavily
as he collapsed. She made sure he got to a hospital where the gashes on
his arms were treated.
(Moon Knight I#2 - BTS) - Crawley's near fatal encounter with the
Slasher made Moon Knight extra dedicated to bring the killer to justice.
To do so, he decided to reveal his true identity to Crawley, Gena and
her kids Ricky and Ray.
(Moon Knight I#2) - Much to their surprise, Crawley and Gena were
invited to the mansion of Wall Street millionaire Steven Grant. There,
they were stunned to learn the secret of their cabbie friend Jake
Lockley: he was actually Steven Grant, Marc Spector and Moon Knight.
Spector then asked Crawley and Gena to work for him as his agents, to
gather intelligence for a modest fee. Gena refused, offering her kids'
services on a freelance basis after school. Crawley accepted, telling
"Jake or Steve" that he'd always wanted a chance to earn his way again,
recounting his origins to his friends. With tears in his eyes, Bertrand
admitted it would be nice to get a new place and some new clothes.
However, Spector explained Crawley would have to continue on as a
derelict if he was to be of any use to him. Crawley accepted this,
realizing he was asked to play a role.
(Moon Knight I#2 - BTS) - The following week, Crawley spent searching
the city for information or leads on the Slasher but came up empty,
forcing Moon Knight to try a more direct and dangerous approach.
(Moon Knight I#2) - Moon Knight
disguised himself as a bum to draw out the Slasher, with a little help
from Crawley. Once Moon Knight faced the murderer, he made short work of
him. The Slasher was arrested and brought up for trial. Later at his
Bowery apartment (accessible after Spector paid the back rent),
Crawley rummaged through old photos and realized the Slasher was
actually his long-lost son. Crawley testified at
the Slasher's trial a month later, eventually breaking down and
admitting he was his son. This sent the Slasher into a blind rage: the
reason he was randomly killing vagrants was to find his father and take
his revenge for abandoning the family. Moon Knight beat him back and
chased after the Slasher who tried to escape via the roof. After a brief
fight, the Slasher lost his balance, fell off the rooftop and died from
the impact. Bertrand sat down next to his son's dead body, stammering to
the apologetic Moon Knight that at least they'd saved the state the
expense of rehabilitating him. He then broke down sobbing, claiming this
whole situation was his fault for failing back in Trenton, two decades
ago.
(Moon Knight I#3) - Lockley sought out Crawley at Gena's Diner to see if
he had any leads on the Midnight Man, an art thief who had stolen
several priceless paintings. To loosen his lips, Lockley brought the
vagrant a new hat, along with 20 bucks. That was enough for Crawley to
take Lockley to a nearby pool hall where he convinced several
disreputable pool hustlers to meet with Lockley outside in 15 minutes to
trade their intel for cash. However, when the men went outside they
didn't find an inquisitive cabbie waiting for them, but Moon Knight who
beat the information out of them.
(Moon Knight I#4) - When Moon Knight was targeted by five professional
assassins who made up the
Committee, he asked Crawley for any information on them. The bum
informed him that five hitmen had recently come to town, though he could
only name three: Ice, Dragon and Razor. He promised that he'd ask around
for the two missing names, Gena's boys promised to do the same as well.
However, even though Crawley and Gena's kids came up empty, Moon Knight
managed to locate and defeat the Committee. Afterwards, he had Crawley
and the gang over at Grant Mansion for a celebratory dinner during which
the assassins' bounty was split among Crawley and the others. Toasting
to their success, Crawley suggested they spent part of the money to go
on holiday together.
(Moon Knight I#6) -
Marc Spector took Crawley, Frenchie, Gena, her kids and Marlene on a
holiday trip to the island of St. Lucien. He was summoned there by
Joshua Mendossi, an old mercenary friend who was now chief of police on
the island and struggling with a large scale missing persons case
involving a voodun houngan named Papa Doc, or Le Ange Blanc. Crawley was
unaware of all this and enjoyed the trip, stunning a stewardess by only
ordering a cup of hot water for his teabag...to go. On St. Lucien, he
went exploring with Frenchie and discovered a massive, hidden field of
poppies ready to be harvested for the heroin trade. There, they also
realized Papa Doc was turning people into zuvembies to have cheap slave
labor for the harvest. Moon Knight ultimately rescued Crawley and
Frenchie and defeated the houngan who was revealed to be Vidal, the
owner of the covert poppies plantation. Moon Knight defeated him and
Vidal was crushed to death by several bags of heroin. Crawley and the
others returned to enjoying their holiday.
(Moon Knight I#7) - Crawley learned from his fellow bum Redshirt that
criminals were planning a major terrorist attack in Chicago by the next
full moon. Desperate to tell Moon Knight, he almost got himself run over
by Lockley's cab. After telling him the news, Crawley accompanied
Spector, Marlene and Frenchie to Chicago where they began an
investigation. They soon learned someone was poisoning the water supply
with a madness inducing chemical agent. The culprits were three
criminals called Simon, Eric and Fox who demanded 25 million dollars
from the government. Crawley decided to brave the maddened mobs to look
for information with the local vagrants while Moon Knight tried to do
crowd control only to be subjected to the gas as well.
(Moon Knight I#8) - Crawley befriended a local Chicago
bum, sharing a bottle of cheap wine in the sewers. The man told him one
Ernie was responsible for the current crisis, even giving him his
address. Just then, a hallucinating Moon Knight came stumbling in.
Crawley managed to get through to him and shared his information. While
Moon Knight struck out on his own to try and prevent the 25 million
dollar ransom from falling into the wrong hands, Crawley followed the
bum's lead and went to Ernie's home where he discovered the lab used to
create the toxin. He defeated all but Fox who tried to escape with the
money, only to be stopped when he opened the money bag to find it
contained paralyzing nerve gas. Crawley, Frenchie, Moon Knight and
Marlene looked at the devastation caused by the incident, but were
hopeful to see repairs had already begun.
(Moon Knight I#10) - Following a disastrous fight against Bushman and
the Midnight Man that ended with the statue of Khonshu shattered beyond
repair, Moon Knight lost confidence in himself and began to wander,
shifting in and out of his various personalities. Worried for her
lover's safety, Marlene informed Crawley and their other associates,
telling them to be on the look out for him. Crawley made the rounds and
ultimately he and Gena located Spector in the heart of Central Park
babbling incoherently while holding Khonshu's severed head. They brought
him back to Grant Mansion where he was doted on by Nedda and his butler.
But all hope of recovery seemed dim until Marlene reluctantly revealed
she had the Khonshu statue discreetly replicated, unveiling the
original. His confidence somewhat restored, he sent out Crawley and the
others to gain intel on Bushman so he could strike back. Five nights
later, Crawley called in from Nitchy's Place on 8th Avenue to tell
Spector that Bushman and his thugs were "congregating at a house in
Brooklyn". Thanks to Crawley's information Moon Knight defeated Bushman.
(Moon Knight I#11) - When Frenchie's old lover Isabelle was murdered
after leaving him a package containing 250.000 dollars, Moon Knight went
out to investigate the case. As Lockley, he met up with Crawley at
Gena's to pick Bertrand's brain. He told him the killer was a
professional from New Orleans called Cajun Creed, describing him as a
particularly nasty killer whose weapon of choice was an icepick. Crawley
speculated that Isabelle was murdered because she failed to deliver
goods she promised to an unknown source. Using this lead, Moon Knight
and Frenchie made their way to New Orleans to deal with Cajun Creed.
(Moon Knight I#13) - Moon Knight was concerned when he learned Ace
Taggert was released from prison, remembering Ace's vow to kill him as
soon as he got out. As Lockley, he spent the day tracking him down with
little success. At Gena's Diner, he spoke with Crawley who mentioned
that a man matching Ace's description was seen getting drunk on Sixth
Avenue the night before. He had been overheard bragging about meeting
the Jester tonight on Times Square. Crawley advised Lockley to simply
locate the Jester and follow him to Taggert. Elated, Lockley patted the
old bum on the back, which made him drop his tea.
(Moon Knight I#15) -
When a visiting Japanese dignitary was almost assassinated at JFK
Airport by a man resembling Moon Knight (in reality the
eco-terrorist Xenos), the police set out to arrest Moon Knight.
Escaping arrest, Moon Knight changed into Jake Lockley and went to
Gena's Diner to find out who was framing him. Crawley told him the
shooter was seen wearing a white sheet, resembling a Klansman. Already
having a a bad day, Lockley complained about a splitting headache before
realizing he was late for a charity gala he was supposed to be hosting
at Grant Mansion. Lockley stormed off, leaving Gena and Crawley to
chuckle and comment that Lockley was almost as strange as their mutual
acquaintance Moon Knight.
(Iron Man I#161) - Crawley was instrumental in helping to locate Daryll
Flowers, an inventor recently fired by Cross Technologies for being a
junkie. Flowers was the only one who knew how to override the electronic
systems on the undersea base called Project Neptune that A.I.M. had
hijacked. Crawley managed to get Moon Knight the address of Daryll's
dealer.
(Moon Knight I#22) - Morpheus tormented his old enemy Moon Knight
through his dream manipulating pawn Peter Alraune. Upset by the
nightmarish visions he'd had, he visited Gena's Diner as Lockley but that
didn't make him feel any better. Crawley related stories about how some
cultures view nightmares as part of actual reality, reminiscing about a
missionary killed by a member of a South American Indian tribe after the
native had dreamed the man mistreated him. Shook up as it was, Lockley
left before Gena could bring him his breakfast.
(Power Man &
Iron Fist I#87) - When Moon Knight went missing on a sweltering Summer
day (during a case shortly after the death of Peter Alraune),
Marlene and Frenchie were concerned for his safety and hired Power Man
and Iron Fist to locate him. As a lead, they told the duo to seek out
Bertrand Crawley. They met up with him just as the vagrant was being
robbed by a street gang who promised to beat him if he didn't pay up.
The heroes chased the thugs away and Crawley told them he'd learned that
the "miscreants Moon Knight was pursuing" were scheduled to meet at the
Jersey Piers that night. He then asked if they could spare 3.50, which
Cage gave figuring the bum was going to buy a meal. Crawley explained he
was going to use it to buy a ticket to see a movie in an air-conditioned
theater because he found the heat absolutely egregious.
(Moon Knight I#25) - When war veteran Carson Knowles ran for New York
City mayor, his candidacy was supported by the mysterious, new vigilante
Black Spectre forcing the underworld to back Carson (secretly
Spectre was Knowles, patterning himself after Moon Knight). After
an initial, near fatal encounter with Spectre, Moon Knight sought out
Crawley as Lockley for more information. Bertrand had very few details
to share, only that Carson seemed a shoe in. Some time later, Moon
Knight sent Frenchie to locate Crawley to check in with him. Frenchie
found Crawley having tea at a shady billiards club. When MK's aide
brought up Carson Knowles or the Black Spectre, the patrons of the club
turned and beat him senseless as a warning. Crawley took the injured
Frenchie to Manhattan's Metropolitan Hospital and stayed with him until
a horrified Lockley showed up to visit. More determined than ever, he
went out to take down Black Spectre.
(Moon Knight I#26/2 - BTS) - When Jake Lockley almost became the victim
of Commodore Donny Planet's revenge scheme against New York cab drivers,
Crawley told him of the New York underground's weekly poker game where
he might get some information on the motives and location of the killer.
(Moon Knight I#26/2) - To protect his covert identity as Moon Knight's
informant, Crawley attended the poker game as usual and even pulled a
gun on the hero to come to the crime bosses' defense. Aware of all this,
Moon Knight carefully took Crawley out without hurting him too much
before turning his attention to Zilko and the others. Thanks to
Crawley's ploy, Moon Knight tracked down and defeated Commodore Donny
Planet.
(Moon Knight I#29) - Crawley was enjoying his usual cup of tea at Gena's
Diner on the eve of a full moon. Lockley came in to check the latest
leads, casually mentioning the city had been remarkably quiet. Crawley
pointed out that crime rates could rise 13 percent during a full moon,
which Lockley didn't exactly take serious. Not long after that, Moon
Knight was attacked by a crazed Jack Russell.
(Moon Knight I#30) - After Moon Knight had freed Russell from the
influence of satanic cult leader Morning Star (Schuyler Belial), he and
Marlene took him to Gena's Diner in broad daylight to conduct a little
experiment. Crawley watched in amazement as Marlene borrowed Gena's
single pearl necklace and used it as a pendulum to hypnotize Russell.
Marlene planted a posthypnotic suggestion in Jack's mind, convincing
the werewolf that Moon Knight was his friend. This would prevent the
transformed Russell from savagely attacking the hero.
(Moon Knight I#31/2) - Crawley learned that five exotic, female
assassins were hired to disable the Ark II, the new dirigible
constructed at Brenner Airship works. Worried about the implications or
a possible Hindenburg-style disaster, he collected as much intel as he
could before passing it on to Jake Lockley at Gena's Diner. A little
later, Moon Knight foiled the scheme and found out Iron Rose was the
organization behind the planned hit.
(Moon Knight I#33) - When Daily News reporter Joy Mercado wrote an
unflattering article exposing the infamous street thug Druid Walsh as a
fraud, she feared for her life. Mercado contacted Gena's Diner and asked
for Moon Knight's protection. Bertrand Crawley had just read Mercado's
column and filled Jake Lockley in about the particulars of the case,
convincing him he'd better take Mercado's plea seriously.
(Moon Knight I#34) - Bertrand
Crawley was bringing Jake Lockley up to speed about the trouble a local
gang called the Raiders was causing. According to Crawley, even the
police seemed afraid of them. As if on cue, the gang burst into Gena's
Diner and assaulted everyone there. Crawley didn't get hurt, but was
unable to prevent Gena from being beat up by Frank, a gang member she'd
once treated as a member of her own family. Gena was taken to the
hospital for treatment but soon returned to work, kindly passing on
Crawley's offer to stay around and keep an eye on things as she closed
up at the end of her first day. Later, after Moon Knight had taken down
the Raiders and their leader Alcaide (who was enhanced after exposure to
toxic waste), Crawley and Lockley went to Gena's to fill her in on what
had happened. They could do very little to console her.
(Moon Knight I#35) - After a near fatal encounter with the Human Fly
left Moon Knight paralyzed with severe spinal cord injuries, Crawley and
Gena visited him at Grant Mansion. Gena revealed she was planning on
selling the diner and moving to work for her cousin following her recent
assault. Crawley then chimed in, wondering if his services as an
informant would be needed any time soon: he had lost substantially at
the race track and could use some money. Marlene offered to put him on
retainer, but Crawley kindly refused because he prefered to work for his
money. He took his leave, telling a dispirited Moon Knight that if and
when he was needed, he could be reached at Gena's Diner. All this made
Moon Knight feel guilty: he realized his friends were suffering because
he was in their lives and seriously considered quitting.
(Moon Knight I#35 - BTS) - Moon Knight eventually fought himself back to
health and, after defeating the wind manipulating Russian mutant Bora,
decided to resume his duties.
(Moon Knight I#37/2) - Eager to make some money, Crawley
offered passersby to "regale them with tales of heinous crimes" he had a
hand in solving. For a dollar, he'd tell them of the times he'd been of
assistance to Moon Knight. In his usual flowery, slightly self-aggrandizing way he recounted the time he allowed a knife-wielding assailant
to knock him out so Moon Knight could attack. He then told of the day he
let an angry mob chase him for 14 blocks just so he could lead them to
Moon Knight. In his final story, he helped Moon Knight take down a
killer with a gun, simply by pointing the vigilante in the right
direction (see comments).
(Marvel Team-Up I#144) - Upon Moon Knight's request,
Crawley investigated who was responsible for arranging the release of
the White Dragon who had been terrorizing New York's China Town. Crawley
couldn't get any specifics, but informed Jake Lockley that a very
influential crime syndicate was involved.
(Marc Spector: Moon
Knight I#26) - Crawley was out late one night drinking on the streets of
New York. Feeling good and more than a little inebriated, he gallantly
greeted a woman in red who passed him by. The woman turned out to be
Stained Glass Scarlet, the mentally disturbed, crossbow-wielding nun
Moon Knight had tangled with before. Smelling the booze on Crawley's
breath reminded Scarlet of her deadbeat husband and she shot Crawley
with the bow she carried with her. Wounded and afraid, Crawley ran to
Gena's Diner, crashing in through the door. Scarlet followed him, firing
off several more arrows. The terrified Crawley watched as she approached
him, drawing a signature red "S" with his blood on the floor before
blowing up the diner's stove with her crossbow. As she left, Gena and
Crawley overheard her saying her name: Scarlet.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight I#26 - BTS) - Gena made sure Crawley got to
the hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
(Marc Spector: Moon Knight I#31) - After dealing with the threat of
Stained Glass Scarlet, Moon Knight went to check on the still comatose
Crawley in the hospital. He was heartened to learn doctors predicted he
would eventually make a full recovery. Gena promised to take Bertrand in
and even give him a job at the diner, once it'd been rebuilt.
(Marvel Comics Presents I#152/4) - Crawley caught up with Moon Knight in
the East Village to supply the vigilante with information on three
members of the Pretorians, a criminal white supremacist group he had
recently tangled with, putting three behind bars. Crawley had overheard people discussing the
case who were convinced the gang need not fear incarceration, alluding
to corruption in the justice system. Moon Knight set out to investigate.
(Moon Knight: Resurrection War#2) - Crawley was at
Gena's Diner, arguing with the hostess about overusing his already
moldy, single tea bag when they were both surprised to see the recently
resurrected Jake Lockley. Crawley quickly filled his old ally in on the
latest dirt on a power shift in the city, pointing him to a Pier 23
warehouse, but warning him the new players were dangerous.
(Moon Knight: Resurrection War#4) - Lockley returned to Gena's Diner
to ask her boys to stake out Pier 23. Crawley pointed the vigilante to
an odd add in the personals column of the morning paper that read
"Welcome back to moon madness - Jack Russell". Crawley joked it could be
a message from an actual, yappy rugrat dog but Lockley concluded it was
Werewolf by Night.
(Moon Knight: High Strangers#1) - After surviving a hit on Spector's
life, Moon Knight visited Gena's as Jake Lockley to catch up with
Crawley. He spotted the vagrant a fresh tea bag in return for
information on the underworld. Crawley told him of recent, troubling
developments. Numerous homeless people had vanished after agreeing to
participate in lucrative, unspecified medical experiments by Lin Rose
Research. Crawley revealed he had been approached himself and gave Jake
the contact information.
(Moon Knight: High Strangers#1 - BTS) - Posing as Crawley, Moon Knight
infiltrated the Lin Rose Research facility.
(Moon Knight V#2 (fb) - BTS) - After Marc Spector was injured and
confined to a wheelchair (following a near fatal encounter with a
Khonshu-possessed Bushman), he retired from active superheroing.
Bertrand Crawley returned to his side to run errands for him, often
picking up Spector's addictive pain medication.
(Moon Knight V#2 - BTS) - Crawley got possessed by the spirit of the
Egyptian god Khonshu who had his own plans for Marc Spector. Eager to
get his avatar active again, Khonshu had Crawley arrange a meeting with
Spector's old associate Frenchie.
(Moon Knight V#2) - Unbeknownst of what was going on, Crawley picked up
and dropped off Spector's latest batch of pain killers, subtly
mentioning that Frenchie wanted to meet with him.
(Moon Knight V#6) -
Meeting Frenchie pushed Moon Knight back into action (fighting Bushman
and the New Committee). In the aftermath, Crawley met up with Spector
who wanted to apologize to Bertrand for his terrible behavior. He even
thanked him for secretly setting up the meeting with Frenchie, since it
helped him get back on track. Crawley confessed he had no memory of
doing any of that, leading Moon Knight to conclude Bertrand's actions
were Khonshu's handiwork.
(Moon Knight V#9) - Moon Knight contacted Crawley for information on the
recently returned Midnight. Humble as always, Crawley offered his
services for free but gladly accepted the monetary compensation he was
offered for his services. Before heading out, Bertrand inquired on the
ponies.
(Moon Knight V#10) - Bertrand
located the man known as the Profile at a New York bar and quietly
shadowed the criminal informant as he was trying to chat up a lady (secretly Lynn Connors). Crawley contacted Moon Knight who soon
confronted Profile in the restroom of the bar, forcing him to offer up
all the intel he had gathered on Midnight. Before leaving in shame,
Profile turned to Crawley and, using his observational powers, hurt the
old man by confirming his long-held suspicions that all the tragedies
that befell his family were his fault.
(Moon Knight V#18) - Crawley came to visit Moon Knight, shocked to find
him wounded and demoralized in a wheelchair, retreated into his Jake
Lockley persona. Bertrand wanted to get his friend to a doctor, but Jake
demanded he get him his pain killers. When Bertrand refused, Jake got
belligerent, threatening the old man, even mocking him for his own
personal pitfalls. Crawley kept his calm, reminding his friend he had to
hang in there and fight his own despair and darkness. When words failed,
Bertrand resorted to slapping sense into Lockley, in a desperate attempt
to rouse his fighting spirit and turn him into the hero they all needed
him to be. The repeated punches made Lockley mad enough to hurt Bertrand
until he saw the light. Smiling, he thanked his friend before donning
his Moon Knight costume again.
(Moon Knight V#19) - Crawley realized Moon Knight was
clearly in no condition to go out and face Black Spectre. Nevertheless,
he was persuaded by the vigilante to inject him with novocain. After
administering the painkiller directly into his carotid artery, Crawley
drove Moon Knight to Black Spectre's headquarters in Downtown New York.
There, he watched as Spectre allowed himself to be pushed off the roof
by Moon Knight, falling to his death to end his own suffering and
destroy his enemy's reputation. After the incident, Crawley made sure
Moon Knight quickly left the scene of the crime.
(Moon Knight V#20 - BTS) - Following Moon Knight's accidental killing of
Black Spectre, the authorities launched a public search for the
vigilante. To keep his friend safe, Crawley took the still injured MK to
an underground labyrinth unknown to most.
(Moon Knight V#20) - Crawley dropped by to visit a recuperating Moon
Knight, still locked in his Lockley persona. Bertrand brought groceries
and told the confused hero he'd been asleep for two days following his
encounter with Black Spectre.
(Moon Knight V#22) - Crawley followed Duchamp and his boyfriend Rob
Silverman home from their bistro. As soon as Rob left them alone to
talk, Crawley begged Frenchie to help their old friend only to be
brusquely turned away. Crawley next sought out Marlene who sensed she
was being followed and quickly lashed out at the shadow chasing her.
Shocked to find she had actually kicked Crawley in the groin, the two
had a coffee to catch up. However, even Marlene refused to help when she
realized Moon Knight hadn't asked Crawley to reach out to her.
(Moon Knight V#23) - Frenchie begged Crawley for help
locating Oliver Finn after he and his Whyos Gang had trashed Frenchie's
cafe leaving Rob hospitalized. Bertrand found out where Finn was staying
and informed Frenchie, who asked him not to get Moon Knight involved.
However, Crawley made sure MK had his former companion's back in dealing
with the threat.
(Vengeance of the Moon Knight#2) - Having recently rededicated himself to a life of superheroics as part of his mission to take down Norman Osborn, Moon Knight reconnected with old friends like Marlene, Frenchie and Crawley. For old times' sake, he wanted intel from Bertrand about a pressing threat. Crawley pointed him towards the Slug and his most recent diamond heist.
(Vengeance of the Moon Knight#5) - Convinced his deceased nemesis Raoul Bushman was alive, Moon Knight sought out Crawley for intel and was on hand to save him from an attacking bum who wanted to drink his booze. Crawley had a hard time believing Bushman could be alive, but was proven wrong when the villain and his thugs showed up on the spot to fight Moon Knight.
(Vengeance of the Moon Knight#6) - Moon Knight met up with Crawley at a downtown skating rink where Bertrand could inform his ally about a recent Bushman spotting at the docks. As Moon Knight was leaving, the clumsy Crawley accidentally got knocked in the head by a flying skate board.
(Shadowland: Moon Knight#1) - Following a string of murders in Manhattan by a vigilante calling himself Shadow Knight, Crawley met up with Lockley at Gena's Diner to compare notes. Thanks to Crawley's information, Moon Knight got a take on his opponent's modus operandi and general location.
Comments: Created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin.
Doug Moench has an undeniably talent for creating colorful bit players with recognizable quirks that never become one note. Bertrand Crawley is a fascinating character, emerging fully fleshed out when he was dreamed up back in the mid 70s. No mean feat, especially when you realize he's mostly served as a convenient way to help any story along.
The stories of Crawley's remarkable heroism in Moon
Knight I#37 may or may not have happened. Without further proof
they occurred, it's safe to assume Crawley simply used his penchant for
flair and drama to give the people more bang for their buck.
Even though Crawley helped Moon Knight take down many enemies, they're not listed as his enemies unless he came in direct contact with them. The Bertrand appearing in 2017's Moon Knight VIII was not the actual Crawley, but part of an elaborate hallucination.
Profile by Norvo.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Bertrand Crawley should not be confused with:
images: (without ads)
Moon Knight I#37/2, p1, pan1 (main image)
Moon Knight I#2, p15, pan5-9 (hits the bottle)
Marvel Spotlight I#28, p14, pan2 (first appearance)
Moon Knight I#2, p22, pan7 (crying over his son's body)
Moon Knight I#6, p3, pan8 (complaining about the price of teabags)
Moon Knight I#15, p10, pans6-7 (mangy fly-magnet)
Power Man & Iron Fist I#87, p7, pans4&5 (meets Power Man & Iron Fist )
Moon Knight I#34, p4, pan2 (talking about Raiders)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight I#26, p2, pans4-5 (says hi to Stained Glass Scarlet)
Moon Knight V#6, p13, pans6-7 (doesn't recall)
Moon Knight V#10, p19 pan2-3 (smoking)
Shadowland: Moonknight#1, p32, pan1 (on Shadow Knight)
Appearances:
Marvel Spotlight I#28 (June, 1976) - Doug Moench (writer), Don Perlin (pencils & inks), Marv Wolfman (editor)
Spectacular Spider-Man II#22 (September, 1978) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Mike Zeck (pencils), Bruce D. Patterson (inks), Bob Hall (editor)
Hulk Magazine I#13 (February, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Rick Marchall (editor)
Hulk Magazine I#17 (October, 1979) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Rick Marchall (editor)
Moon Knight I#1 (November, 1980) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Frank Springer (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#2 (December, 1980) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Frank Springer (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#3 (January, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#4 (February, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#6 (April, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#7 (May, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#8 (June, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils), Frank Giacoia (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#10 (August, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#11 (September, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#13 (November, 1981) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#15 (January, 1982) - Dough Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Iron Man I#161 (August, 1982) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Luke McDonnell (pencils), Mike Esposito & Steve Mitchell (inks), Mark Gruenwald (editor)
Moon Knight I#22 (August, 1982) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Power Man & Iron Fist I#87 (November, 1982) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Denys Cowan (pencils), Carl Potts (inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Moon Knight I#25 (November, 1982) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#26 (December, 1982) - Denny O'Neil (writer), Keith Pollard (pencils & inks), Ralph Macchio (editor)
Moon Knight I#29 (March, 1983) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#30 (April, 1983) - Doug Moench (writer), Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#31 (May, 1983) - Steve Ringgenberg (writer), Michael Hernandez (pencils), Kevin Dzuban (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#33 (September, 1983) - Doug Moench (writer), Kevin Nowlan (pencils), Carl Potts, Brent Anderson, Bill Sienkiewicz (inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#34 (November, 1983) - Tony Isabella (writer), Bo Hampton (pencils & inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Moon Knight I#35 (January, 1984) - Tony Isabella (writer), Kevin Nowlan (pencils), Carl Potts & Joe Chiodo (inks), Linda Grant (editor)
Moon Knight I#37 (May, 1984) - Bill Sienkiewicz (writer, pencils, inks), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Marvel Team-Up I#144 (August, 1984) - Cary Burkett (writer), Greg Laroque (pencils), Mike Esposito (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight I#26 (May, 1991) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Marc Spector: Moon Knight I#31 (October, 1991) - J.M. DeMatteis (writer), Ron Garney (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Danny Fingeroth (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#152/4 (Late April, 1994) - Chuck Dixon (writer), J.J. Birch (pencils & inks), Richard Asford (editor)
Moon Knight: Resurrection War#2 (February, 1998) - Doug Moench (writer), Tommy Lee Edwards (pencils), Robert Campanella (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Moon Knight: Resurrection War#4 (April, 1998) - Doug Moench (writer), Tommy Lee Edwards & John Paul Leon (pencils), Robert Campanella (inks), Mark Bernardo (editor)
Moon Knight: High Strangers#1 (January, 1999) - Doug Moench (writer), Mark Texeira (pencils & inks), Glenn Greenberg (editor)
Moon Knight V#2 (July, 2006) - Charlie Huston (writer), David Finch (pencils), Danny Miki (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#6 (November, 2006) - Charlie Huston (writer), David Finch (pencils), Danny Miki & Crimelab Studios (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#9 (May, 2007) - Charlie Huston (writer), Mico Suayan (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#10 (June, 2007) - Charlie Huston (writer), Mico Suayan (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#18 (July, 2008) - Mike Benson (writer), Mark Texeira (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#19 (August, 2008) - Mike Benson (writer), Mark Texeira (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#20 (September 2008) - Mike Benson (writer), Mike Deodato Jr. (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#22 (November, 2008) - Mike Benson (writer) Mark Texeira & Javier Saltares (pencils), Mark Texeira (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Moon Knight V#23 (December, 2008) - Mike Benson (writer) Mark Texeira & Javier Saltares (pencils), Mark Texeira (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Vengeance of the Moon Knight#2 (December, 2009) - Gregg Hurwitz (writer), Jerome Opena (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Vengeance of the Moon Knight#5 (April, 2010) - Gregg Hurwitz (writer), Jerome Opena (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Vengeance of the Moon Knight#6 (May, 2010) - Gregg Hurwitz (writer), Jerome Opena (pencils & inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Shadowland: Moon Knight#1 (October, 2010) - Gregg Hurwitz (writer), Bong Dazo (pencils) Jose Pimentel (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
First Posted: 08/09/2020
Last updated: 08/09/2020
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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