Spider-Tracer: A Rose by Many Other Names

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, as I’m sure many of you know, and what better time is there to revisit one of the most bizarre crime bosses to plague Spider-Man? That’s right, for this month’s Spider-Tracer we’ll be taking a look back at several criminals who have assumed the identity of the Rose over the years.

 

 

To understand the Rose’s origins, one really needs to go all the way back to “Amazing Spider-Man” # 83-85 (1970). It’s here that we’re first introduced to the Schemer, a rising crime boss with a particular grudge against the Kingpin. As it turns out, the Schemer is actually Kingpin’s son, Richard. Richard had become devastated when he learned his father was a criminal underworld leader, and faked his death. After faking his death, Richard set up the Schemer identity (complete with mask to appear older) to bring down Kingpin’s organization, but was, of course foiled by Spider-Man, as well as his father.

 

 

As the years would pass, Richard became involved with several other criminal ventures, including one with his father and the criminal organization known as Hydra in Las Vegas.

 

Eventually, Richard seemingly decided to give in and join his father’s criminal organization, setting up the Rose identity as an underboss; he first appeared in his Rose identity in “Amazing Spider-Man” #253.

 

 

However, it was all a deception; Richard planned to bring the organization down from the inside this time.

 

Keep in mind, writer Tom DeFalco had no real name in mind when he created the character of the Rose. In fact, with Roderick Kingsley seemingly, at that time, cleared as the Hobgoblin, DeFalco eventually planned to unveil him as the Rose character, but only after he realized fans had turned the Rose’s identity into a mystery. Unfortunately, DeFalco, along with artist Ron Frenz, was fired from the book, and the Rose’s identity was unveiled to be Richard Fisk by writer Jim Owsley (now Christopher Priest).

 

The Rose soon struck up a partnership with the Hobgoblin, however, the man he believed to be the Hobgoblin was, in fact, a dupe. Roderick Kingsley, the true Hobgoblin, had brainwashed reporter Ned Leeds into believing he was really the Hobgoblin so as to use him as a stand in when the situation demanded it. It was much safer for Kingsley to operate at a distance than to directly take a hand in matters.

 

 

Richard’s other ally was an old friend by the name of Alfredo Morelli, who would go on to cause problems for Richard later.

 

 

A gang war would eventually ruin the Rose’s entire plan. Richard ended up shooting and killing a cop; he was no longer as clean as he once was and it shattered the man. Add to that the fact that the man he believed to be his friend, Ned Leeds, was killed, and Richard ended up getting rid of his Rose identity and joined the Kingpin’s organization sans a masked identity. This would, however, not be the end of Richard’s ties to the Rose identity.

 

 

Remember Richard’s friend, Alfredo? While openly working with his father’s organization, it became harder and harder for Richard to stomach his new position. Per Richard’s new plan, Alfredo had undergone plastic surgery to impersonate the Kingpin’s son and climb through the ranks until he was high enough to bring it down (Richard reasoned that with Alfredo’s military training, this would be a much easier feat for him to accomplish). However, before they could enact their plan, Kingpin was brought down by Hydra and Daredevil, thus nullifying the need for Richard’s plan. However, Alfredo decided to keep the lie going, continuing to claim he was Richard Fisk and thus took over the Kingpin’s criminal empire.

 

Following this betrayal, Richard became a vigilante named the Blood Rose (yes, it is as bad as it sounds) and went after the very criminal element he had once, himself, been a part of. While he managed to shoot Alfredo (who managed to live and became known as Gauntlet), Blood Rose was finally caught by Spider-Man, thus mercifully ending the Blood Rose’s career.

 

 

Richard would go on to betray his father one last time, which nearly ended in Kingpin’s death. However, this time his mother Vanessa sought to end the threat he posed to her husband once and for all by mercilessly killing him (see “Daredevil” Volume 2, #31).

 

The second Rose was a cop by the name of Sergeant Blume. Blume’s brother, also a cop, had been killed for refusing a bribe from the Kingpin. Wanting revenge and hoping to bring down the Kingpin, Blume had allied himself whom he believed to be Richard Fisk; as it turned out, this was during the time when Alfredo was posing as Richard.  As the Rose, Blume committed a multitude of actual crimes, seemingly wanting to do whatever was necessary to bring down the Kingpin. Blume was eventually shot and killed by Alfredo, still pretending to be Richard.

 

 

While things grew very, very complicated towards the end of Richard’s tenure as the Rose, as well as during Blume’s reign, the third Rose was far less confusing. Jacob Conover, the same Daily Bugle reporter and writer of the famous “Kid who Collects Spider-Man” article, had been given the Rose identity as a favor from Don Fortunato for saving his life. As a result, this Rose was loyal to the Don. Conover’s Rose had quite an impact on the Spider-Man books at the time; it was he who repowered Electro and helped bring Doc Ock back from the dead following his death at the hands of Kaine. During his stint as the masked crime lord, Conover had gained a powerful enemy in the Black Tarantula. Conover was eventually brought down by Spider-Man and sent to prison.

 

 

The fourth and most recent man to take up the Rose identity was Doctor Phillip Hayes. Hayes was a chemist whose funding was cut following an accident as his lab. Hayes, using the Corruptor’s sweat glands, was able to formulate a drug called Ebony. Users of the drug were able to be mentally controlled by Hayes. After years of the name and mask being inactive, Hayes adopted the Rose identity until he was stopped by Spider-Man and Jackpot (remember her?). He was last seen in Rykers Island prison.

 

 

It’s only a matter of time before someone else either takes up the Rose identity or returns to it, but who was your favorite? Mine would have to be Conover, personally, though I am curious to hear your thoughts on the matter, dear reader. Let me know in the comments section below, and happy (early) Valentine’s Day!