CROSSBONES READING ORDER: Brock Rumlow (1989-2015)

PATREON supporter and voiceover powerhouse Rambling Rob sponsored this spotlight on Crossbones! Rob's been a long-time supporter of the Marvel Comics Guide (and even had me as a guest on his YouTube channel, the trickster!). Now, I was expecting him to ask for the second part of the Darkhawk Reading Order as I know he's a fan, but instead he's asked for a spotlight on the bloodthirsty hand man to the Red Skull. So, I hope this brings a little sunshine to his day!

It's hard to believe someone didn't introduce a similar character earlier - y'know, what with the 'skull & crossbones' reference - but the mercenary who became one of the Red Skull's most trusted agents didn't show up until 1989. Mark Gruenwald and Kieron Dwyer introduced Crossbones gradually, initially appearing in shadow, sneaking around in the background of the epic 'Bloodstone Hunt' story arc in Captain America's ongoing series. Cap and Crossbones would briefly clash in a two-parter, but we wouldn't see their knock-down drag-out fight until the following year during STREETS OF POISON. After that, we'd learn Brock Rumlow's origin and it wouldn't be long before he'd almost completely phase out. 

But Crossbones made an incredibly impactful comeback in the early 2000s, bringing the Skull's daughter Sin to the fore and becoming renowned as the assassin who fired that shot at the end of CIVIL WAR. Mainstream audiences would also get their introduction to the live-action of Brock Rumlow, though this version is very different, starting out as a SHIELD/Hydra double-agent in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' before becoming Crossbones in 'Captain America: Civil War' (though he wouldn't last long).

But, as always, this is all about the comics! So take a dive into his history and, if you're a fan of the character, thank Rambling Rob for this reading order.

MCG Notes:

• Issue listings in blue & black: The must-read Crossbones stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
• Issue listings in grey: Cameo appearances or stories that are non-essential, not as strong or no longer considered 'required reading'.
• Chronology: Every appearance of Crossbones from this period is included in chronological order, mapping out their timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
• Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
• WANT TO KEEP IT SIMPLE? Scroll down to THE CORE LIST to see a version of this reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns or less important appearances - just a list of the essentials.

Captain America #383[4/4] (1991)

Believing they'd been sent by the Red Skrull (presumably Albert Malik), three mercenaries attempt to infiltrate Castle Zola, the Switzerland home of Arnim Zola; one of the mercenaries peaks the real Red Skull's interests and is captured made to spar with the Skull to test his new body, cloned from Steve Rogers; the mercenary realises this is the real Red Skull and is taken on by him as his right-hand man; the Red Skull grants him the name Crossbones.

Captain America #359[1/2] (1989)

First cameo appearance of Crossbones, in shadow & unnamed; Crossbones observes Captain America & Diamondback leaving the Amazon in pursuit of Baron Zemo.

Captain America #360[1/2]-361[1/2] (1989)

First appearances of Crossbones, unnamed, cameos; Crossbones continues to observe Captain America and prepares to take out Cap's pilot, John Jameson.

Captain America #363[1/2]-364[1/2] (1989)

First full, named appearances of Crossbones; Diamondback is kidnapped by Crossbones who uses her as bait to lure Captain America to Madripoor in an effort to retrieve the Bloodstones; the Red Skull orders Crossbones to abandon the conflict with the Captain.

Captain America #365[1/2]-368[1/2] (1989-1990)

Crossbones is sent to investigate the rise in costumed criminal activity and witnesses Thor's battle with the Juggernaut; Crossbones recruits the Voice and the Controller during ACTS OF VENGEANCE.

Captain America #369[1/2]-370[1/2] (1990)

First appearance of the Skeleton Crew; Mother Night, Machinesmith (in a Sleeper body) and the Voice join Crossbones' Skeleton Crew who clash with Selene - the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club - who they believe to be responsible for the Red Skull's disappearance; the team eventually locate the Red Skull.

Quasar #9 (1990)

Crossbones cameo; Crossbones attends an auction held by AIM who reveal their new bio-weapon, MODAM.

Captain America #375[1/2]-378[1/2] (1990)

Crossbones pursues Bullseye when he tries to assassinate the Red Skull; while the Red Skull engages in hand-to-hand combat with the Kingpin, Captain America and Crossbones have their long-awaited showdown during STREETS OF POISON.

Captain America #387[2/2], 289[2/2]-391[2/2] (1991)

First appearance of the Hauptmann Deutschland/Vormund/Markus Ettlinger and the Schutz Heiligruppe; Crossbones and the Skeleton Crew give chase when the Red Skull is apprehended by Hauptmann Deutschland for war crimes; the Skeleton Crew are captured by the Schutz Heiligruppe (Hauptmann Deutschland, Blitzkrieg & Zeitgeist).

Captain America #393, 394[1/2]-395[1/2] (pp.1-6) (1991)

Captain America #395[1/2] (p.7) / Captain America #395[2/2] (1991)

Captain America #395[1/2] (pp.8-17)-397[1/2] (1991-1992)

First appearance of Jack O'Lantern/Steven Levins; Armin Zola's Bioplastoids disguise themselves as the Avengers and rescue the Red Skull and the Skeleton Crew; the Red Skull, Mother Night and Crossbones are apparently slain by the Scourge of the Underworld; the real Red Skull sends Crossbones on a mission to free the Viper from prison, but he refuses; Red Skull fires Crossbones who decides to take a holiday; Crossbones kidnaps Diamondback and hints of their shared past are revealed.

NFL SuperPro #8 (1992)

Crossbones takes a job with drug-lord Sanction, pitting him against Captain America and SuperPro.

Captain America #399[2/2]-400[3/4] (1992)

Diamondback recalls her and Crossbones's shared past; Crossbones real name - Brock 'Bingo' Rumlow - is revealed; as a member of a New York gang, Rumlow brutally assaulted Rachel Leighton (Diamondback); when her two brothers sought payback, Rumlow killed them boths.

Captain America #401 (1992)

After keeping her prisoner for weeks, Crossbones finally uses Diamondback as bait to draw out Captain America during OPERATION: GALACTIC STORM.

Captain America #402[2/2]-408[2/2] (1992)

Diamondback continues to recall her shared past with Crossbones, specifically when she joined one of the Taskmaster's training schools and found out Brock Rumlow was a teacher; in the present Crossbones trains Diamondback, gives her a new costume and sends her to infiltrate Avengers Headquarters and steal a sample of Captain America's blood; Crossbones & Diamondback battle the Skeleton Crew when they return to the Red Skull; Cutthroat - Crossbones' replacement - is revealed to be Diamondback's surviving brother; Crossbones kills Cutthroat when he tries to assassinate him.

Captain America #409-410 (1992)

Captain America finally finds out Diamondback is Crossbones' prisoner and comes to her rescue, convincing her not to kill Crossbones when she gets the opportunity; Crossbones is captured and the Skeleton Crew disband.

Sleepwalker #20 (1993)
Crossbones (or someone pretending to be him) is seen in the Bar With No Name.

Marvel Comics Presents #129[2/4] (1992)

Crossbones attends a therapy session outside the Vault super-prison; when the hospital comes under siege from terrorist group Fortress, Crossbones frees himself and stops them, but opts to escape at a later date.

Captain America #443 (1995)

Captain America visits Crossbones in prison to try and find out the whereabouts of the Red Skull and to find out if Crossbones is capable of good.

Captain America #24 (1999)

Free and seeking employment, Crossbones takes a job with Hydra, working alongside the Absorbing Man in a plot to blow up Embassy Row; the duo are defeated by Captain America.

Gambit #18-19 (2000)

Crossbones joins forces with Batroc the Leaper and Zaran in an attempt to claim the price on Gambit's head before a number of other killers-for-hire get to him first during X-MEN REVOLUTION.

Captain America #2, 4, 9 (2005)

First appearance of the Kronas Corporation; Crossbones learns the Red Skull has been assassinated; Crossbones battles Captain America, passing up a chance to kill him; Crossbones springs Sin - the Red Skull's daughter - from a US Government Re-Education Facility in Nevada.

Captain America #15 (2006)

Crossbones tortures Sin until she remembers who she really is during RED MENACE.

New Avengers #1-3 (2005)

First appearance of 'Edwin Jarvis', 'Spider-Woman'/'Jessica Drew' and the New Avengers; having somehow been apprehended, Crossbones is among the criminals who escape the Raft when Electro stages a breakout; Crossbones is among those who avoid being brought in by the new line-up of the Avengers during BREAKOUT.

Captain America #16-21 (2006)

First appearance of Master Man/Max Lohmer and the Master Race; Crossbones and Sin continue the plans the Red Skull had set in motion before his death; Captain America and Union Jack thwart their attempt to blow up London; Crossbones and Sin learn the Red Skull survived and joins the Kronas Corporation during RED MENACE.

Captain America #25 (2007)

Crossbones assassinates Captain America on the steps of the Civic Centre in New York; the Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) catches up with Crossbones and aids in his capture during CIVIL WAR.

Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America - Wolverine #1 (2007)

Wolverine and Daredevil sneak aboard the SHIELD Helicarrier to find out if Captain America is truly dead; when Wolverine questions Crossbones and tries to kill him, Daredevil realises this was Wolverine's intention from the beginning during FALLEN SON: THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Captain America #28-30 (2007)

First appearance of Viper/Leon Murtaugh and the Serpent Squad; after Professor X probes Crossbones' mind, but can't glean any more details on Captain America's assassination; Sin's new Serpent Squad break Crossbones out of a prison transport on his way to the Raft; Crossbones has a brief rematch with the Winter Soldier during THE INITIATIVE.

Captain America #36 (2008)

The Winter Soldier has become the new Captain America and takes down the Serpent Squad when they invade the White House; Crossbones becomes enraged when Bucky shoots Sin and the two engage in bloody battle; Bucky defeats Crossbones in a way that Steve Rogers never would.

Captain America #600[2/4] (2009)

Captain America Reborn #2-6 (2009-2010)

Crossbones is publicly revealed to be the man who shot Captain America; Norman Osborn agrees to release Crossbones and Sin if they can help give him a Captain America he can control using Steve Rogers' body; Steve Rogers returns to his body instead during CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN.

Thunderbolts #144-146 (2010)

First appearance of Gunna; first appearance of Mach-IV/Abner Jenkins as Mach-V; Crossbones is drafted into Luke Cage's Thunderbolts squad made up of costumed criminals given the chance of redemption; after the group's loyalties are tested, they face Magzi trolls and SHIELD agents mutated by Terrigen Crystals during THE HEROIC AGE / CAGED.

Thunderbolts #147(pp.1-9) (2010)

Avengers Academy #3 (2010)

Thunderbolts #147(pp.10-21) (2010)

Crossbones is exposed to Terrigen Crystals during SCARED STRAIGHT.

Thunderbolts #148-149 (2011)

Luke Cage sends the Thunderbolts on an unauthorised mission to Daredevil's Shadowland to rescue the son of one of Cage's friends; the team encounter the Underhand - the Hand's superhuman ninja squad - and the team's nano-chains malfunction; Crossbones displays new abilities granted by the Terrigen Crystals and defies the mission parameters for his own twisted amusement during SHADOWLAND.

Thunderbolts #150-151 (2011)

Steve Rogers goes on a mission with the Thunderbolts, giving Crossbones the chance to kill him again; Luke Cage learns the truth about Crossbones' actions under Shadowland and kicks him off the team.

Captain America & Crossbones #1 (2011)

Despite being removed from the Thunderbolts, Crossbones is selected for a special mission to rescue the one person immune to a mutating virus unleashed in Russia during ALLIES & ENEMIES.

Thunderbolts #159[4/4] (pp.1-7) (2011)

Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #2 (2011)

Thunderbolts #159[4/4] (pp.8-10) (2011)

Fear Itself: The Fearless #1-12 (2011-2012)

First appearance of the Gargoyle Brothers and the Harkspur Brood; Crossbones escapes the Raft when the Juggernaut is transformed into Kuurth; he encounters young 50-State Initiative heroes, then hides out in Canada; Crossbones joins the Department of Occult Armaments (DOA) led by Sin and travel the world searching for the hammers lost by the Worthy; Crossbones' battle with Wolverine almost costs him his life during FEAR ITSELF.

Amazing Spider-Man #685 (2012)

Amazing Spider-Man: Ends of the Earth #1 (2012)

Crossbones cameo; Crossbones shoots Sabra while defending one of Doctor Octopus' missile silos during ENDS OF THE EARTH.

Nova #7 (2013)

Crossbones cameo; Captain America's latest battle with Crossbones is televised.

Venom #40-42 (2013)

Still allied with the DOA, Crossbones searches for bearers of the Hell-Mark who could potentially become a Hell-Lord, bringing him into conflict with Venom (Flash Thompson) and Mania.

Deadpool #21-24 (2014)

Crossbones is among the costumed mercenaries hired by Agent Gorman of SHIELD to kill Deadpool; after he's accidentally humiliated by Deadpool, Crossbones walks into the bar Deadpool is drinking in.

Deadpool #25.NOW (2014)

Deadpool and Crossbones brutally fight it out in the streets of Manhattan during ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW!

Thunderbolts #28 (2014)

Crossbones cameo; Crossbones breaks into Deadpool's apartment but is rendered unconscious by a kiss from Shiklah during ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW!

Punisher #7-8 (2014)

Punisher #9 / Black Widow #9 (2014)

The Punisher tries to free America soldiers held prisoner by a South American drug-lord, but falls foul of his enforcers - Crossbones and his Skrull Squad during FRIEND FROM FOE / ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW!

Elektra #6, 11 (2014-2015)

Crossbones is revealed to be working for the Assassins' Guild.

Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1 (2014)

Shang-Chi swifty captures Crossbones during ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW!

All-New Captain America #1-4 (2015)

Crossbones joins Baron Zemo's new High Sect of Hydra; Captain America (Sam Wilson) and Nomad (Ian Rogers) work together to shut down the group; Captain America is almost defeated by Crossbones during AVENGERS NOW!

Amazing X-Men #16-17 (2015)

First appearance of the Living Monolith/Ahmet Abdol as the Juggernaut; Cyttorak considers Crossbones as a possible host for the power of the Juggernaut, pitting him against the X-Men.

A version of this reading order without story descriptions, page-by-page breakdowns or less important appearances - just the primary Crossbones stories:

• Captain America #383[fourth story]
• Captain America #359-370
• Captain America #375-378
• Captain America #443
• Captain America #2, 4, 9, 15-21, 25
• Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America - Wolverine #1
• Captain America #28-30, 36, 600
• Captain America Reborn #2-6
• Thunderbolts #144-151
• Captain America and Crossbones #1
• Thunderbolts #159
• Fear Itself: The Fearless #1-12
• Venom #40-42
• Deadpool #25.NOW
• Punisher #7-9
• Black Widow #9
• All-New Captain America #1-4

Notable versions of Crossbones from around the multiverse:

EARTH-1610
All-New Ultimates #2, 5-6, 11-12 (2014-2015)

Crossbones is a member of King Cobra's Serpent Skulls gang who deal in drugs that give superhuman powers, but often kill the user; the team clash with the teenage Ultimates during ULTIMATE MARVEL NOW!

EARTH-15513

Secret Wars Journal #2 (2015)

MODOK Assassin #5 (2015)

Marvel Zombies #4 (2015)

Red Skull #1, 3 (2015)

Various versions of Crossbones are seen on God Emperor Doom's Battleworld; Earth-1131's Crossbones resides in Killville and tries to kill MODOK; the undead Crossbones of Earth-13264 wanders the Deadlands; a Crossbones from an undetermined reality is ordered by Sheriff Strange to find proof of the death of the Red Skull of Earth-18191;  

EARTH-58163

House of M: Masters of Evil #1-4 (2009-2010)

Crossbones is a member of the Hood's gang, the Masters of Evil; when Magneto takes gains power, the team relocates to Santa Rico.

Captain America Epic Collection: The Bloodstone Hunt

Captain America #351-371

Captain America Epic Collection: Streets of Poison

Captain America #372-386

Captain America Annual #9-10

Captain America by Ed Brubaker Omnibus

Captain America #1-25