IRON CROSS

Real Name: Clare Gruler

Identity/Class: Sub-species of humanity (Inhuman) mutate

Occupation: Super hero

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Atlanteans, Inhumans (Flint/Jason, Gorgon, Medusa/Medusa Amaquelin, Naja, Invaders (Captain America/Steve Rogers, Captain America/Sam Wilson, Human Torch/"Jim Hammond," Namor/Namor McKenzie, Toro/Thomas Raymond, Winter Soldier/James Barnes), Radiance (Ryoko Sabuki)

Enemies: Kurt Dagmar, Lash, Uber Alles

Known Relatives: Iron Cross (Helmut Gruler, father)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Germany

First Appearance: All-New Invaders I#9 (October, 2014)

Powers/Abilities: Clare Gruler served as the national hero, Iron Cross, in Germany, using a mechanized suit of armor that was capable of flight and concussive blasts.

After undergoing Terrigenesis, Iron Cross' power to molecularly bond with other elements revealed itself and she ended up bonding with her armor, turning her into a human cyborg with the same capabilities of flight and concussive blasts. In addition, Iron Cross can communicate with other machines and manipulate them. The full extent of her powers is unrevealed.

Height: 5'9'' (by approximation)
Weight: Unrevealed
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black

History: (All-New Invaders I#10 (fb) – BTS) – Clare Gruler, the daughter of original Iron Cross, grew up in Germany, learning stories of her father's war crimes. She learned how her father was allowed to live after the war based on testimony from Namor. Clare eventually adopted her father's armor and became a public hero in Germany, taking on her father's name.

(All-New Invaders I#11 (fb) – BTS) – Iron Cross became best known for fighting bank robbers and Neo-Nazis with technology but she was generally only called on once per month or so.

(All-New Invaders I#10 (fb) – BTS) – After the Terrigen Mists hit, Gruler developed the ability to molecularly bond with whatever she was touching. Since she was wearing her armor at the time, she fused with it, becoming an Inhuman cyborg who had all the powers of her armor. Iron Cross was swiftly apprehended by Kurt Dagmar at the same time as Toro, another new Inhuman, and he dampened their powers, prepared to lure Jim Hammond into a trap. Iron Cross realized she could now control other machines and despite her blocked powers, she got a low signal and broadcast a message and other intel to the Winter Soldier, though he didn't know who she was.

(All-New Invaders I#9) – On a mission in Germany, the Winter Soldier breeched Dagmar's base and she asked what had kept him. Just then, her gathered robots all came to life, Kurt Dagmar having activated them in a power play.

(All-New Invaders I#10) – Iron Cross and Winter Soldier fought off the robots together then they joined with Captain America and Namor, who had discovered Kurt Dagmar was actually a Martian. Iron Cross confirmed that Dagmar had only used Toro as a trap for Jim Hammond, who now lay unconscious. After Clare told Iron Cross what an honor it was to meet him, Hammond woke up and burst into flames, rushing away. Iron Cross went after him.

(All-New Invaders I#11 (fb) – BTS) – Despite Iron Cross' efforts, Hammond went missing.

(All-New Invaders I#11) – Steve Rogers (then elderly) tasked Winter Soldier, Namor, Iron Cross and Radiance (Ryoko Sabuki) (all aboard an Atlantean ship piloted by an Atlantean woman) with finding Hammond. Iron Cross commented about how swiftly the lives of the American heroes moved. She finally got to thank Namor properly for helping her father years before. Human Torch blew up the heroes' ship then he seemed to get control of himself, though he burned hot and warned he might lose control again. Iron Cross theorized he was still under the influence of the machine ray from Dagmar but she found she couldn't shut off the affects of the ray.

(All-New Invaders I#14) – In Germany, Iron Cross battled tech-enhanced Neo-Nazis. The leader, Uber Alles, had just trapped Iron Cross, who he berated for being black, when the Invaders (Captain America/Sam Wilson, Radiance, Namor, Toro, Human Torch) arrived to aid her. As the Nazis were defeated, Lash showed up to recruit the Inhumans among them.

(All-New Invaders I#15 (fb)) – Lash battled both the villains and the heroes both as he demanded Iron Cross, Toro and Uber Alles join him, revealing the latter to also be an Inhuman. A group of Inhumans (Medusa, Flint, Gorgon, Naja, Triton) showed up and defeated the Nazis but Uber Alles chose to go with Lash.

(All-New Invaders I#15) – Iron Cross remained in Germany fighting crime, ready to help her allies as needed.

Comments: Created by James Robinson and Steve Pugh.

Profile by Chadman.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Iron Cross has no known connections to:

images: (without ads)
All-New Invaders I#10, p6, pan1 (main)
All-New Invaders I#11, p4, pan4 (face)
All-New Invaders I#10, p8, pan1 (in armor, before transformation)

Appearances:
All-New Invaders I#9-11 (October-December, 2014) – James Robinson (writer), Steve Pugh (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)
All-New Invaders I#14-15 (March-April, 2015) – James Robinson (writer), Steve Pugh (artist), Mark Paniccia (editor)

First Posted: 05/23/2020
Last updated: 05/23/2020

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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