| Swordsman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Avengers #19 (August 1965) |
| Created by | Stan Lee (writer) Don Heck (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jacques Duquesne |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Avengers Emissaries of Evil Legion of the Unliving Lethal Legion Circus of Crime |
| Partnerships | Erik Josten (Power Man) |
| Abilities |
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Swordsman (Jacques Duquesne) is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byStan Lee andDon Heck, the characterfirst appeared inThe Avengers #19 (August 1965).[1][2][3] Although Swordsman was first introduced as an enemy ofHawkeye and the Avengers, the character has since appeared as both a supervillain and a superhero.[4][5]
Tony Dalton portrays a variation of the character, renamedJack Duquesne, in theMarvel Cinematic Universe /Disney+ seriesHawkeye (2021) andDaredevil: Born Again (2025).
Swordsman first appeared as a supervillain inThe Avengers #19 (1965).[6] He went on to appear inThe Avengers #20, 30, 38, 65, 78 and 79 (1965–1970). Swordsman changed his ways and became a superhero inThe Avengers #100 (1972) and later became a member of the Avengers inThe Avengers #112–130 (1973–1974),Defenders #9–11 (1973),Captain Marvel #32–33 (1974),Fantastic Four #150 (1974),Giant-Size Avengers #2 (1974) andAvengers Spotlight #22 (1989). Later, theCotati-possessed Swordsman appeared inThe Avengers #134, 135, 157, 160 (1975–1977),Giant-Size Avengers #4 (1975) andWest Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #39 (1988).
Swordsman has been a member of various supervillain groups, including theLethal Legion inThe Avengers #78–79 (1970) andIron Man Annual #7 (1984), theEmissaries of Evil inAlpha Flight Special (vol. 2) #1 (1992), and theLegion of the Unliving inThe Avengers Annual #16 (1987),Avengers West Coast #61 (1990) andAvengers (vol. 3) #10–11 (1998).
Introduced as a villainous counterpart toHawkeye in the pages ofThe Avengers, Swordsman went on to appear inHawkeye #1 (1983),Solo Avengers #2 (1988),Hawkeye (vol. 3) #3 (2004) andHawkeye: Blindspot #1 (2011) as part of Hawkeye's origins. Swordsman also battledCaptain America inTales of Suspense #88 (1967) andCaptain America #105 (1968).
The 2010–2011 crossover storylineChaos War saw the return of Swordsman. He was one of the central characters in the tie-in seriesChaos War: Dead Avengers (2010–2011). Swordsman also featured inChaos War #2 & 4–5 (2010–2011) andChaos War:Ares #1 (2010).
Jacques Duquesne grows up as a privileged youth in the fictionalSoutheast Asian nation of Siancong, then under French rule.[7] Unlike his father and other European residents, Duquesne holds no prejudice against the Siancongese natives, and after performing an act of kindness for a native servant, he is invited to join acommunist rebellion against French rule. As the costumed Swordsman, Duquesne, fancying himself aswashbucklingfreedom fighter, helps liberate Siancong, only to learn that the rebel leader Wong Chu killed Duquesne's father.[8] Devastated and disillusioned, Duquesne departs Siancong to seek adventure.[9] Nothing else is known of Duquesne's early career, but he eventually joins the Carson Carnival of Traveling Wonders; although his swordplay makes him one of the carnival's star attractions, he gradually descends into gambling and drunkenness, his youthful idealism long behind him.
Eventually Duquesne, by now in his thirties or older, takes a young runaway namedClint Barton under his wing and teaches him how to use bladed weapons, while another performer,Trick Shot, teaches Barton archery, at which he proves to be a master.[10][11] The young Clint stumbles upon Duquesne stealing money from the carnival's paymaster to pay a gambling debt. Clint attempts to turn his mentor over to the law, but is pursued by Duquesne and badly beaten. Before Duquesne can deliver the fatal blow, Trick Shot steps in to save the young boy. Duquesne then flees the carnival and adapts his swordsplay act to become a costumed supervillain.[12]
Years later, Swordsman attempts to join theAvengers (whose members include Clint Barton, now known as the superheroHawkeye) to take advantage of the benefits that go with an Avenger ID. He is refused entry into the team, largely due to Hawkeye's protests and the fact that he is wanted in different states, and threatens to kill Captain America after capturing him, but the rest manage to rescue him.[10] After failing the first time around, he is accepted into the Avengers. However, he is secretly an agent of theMandarin, who teleported him to his castle before the Avengers can capture him, and creates a pseudo-image ofIron Man to recommend Swordsman to the Avengers.[13] The Mandarin also fits Swordsman's sword with extra powers, such as firing artificial lightning bolts, though he warns Swordsman that if they are ever pointed at him they will reverse. After joining the Avengers, Swordsman reveals his true intentions and betrays the team, planting a bomb on the control panels which can be activated by remote-control. He soon has a change of heart and betrays the Mandarin to save the Avengers. Despite his heroics, Swordsman leaves the Avengers, knowing that the Mandarin will now be against him.[14] Swordsman goes on to join theLethal Legion and battle the Avengers.[15]
Swordsman briefly rejoins the Avengers in a war againstAres in Olympus.[16] Later, he meets withMantis, an ally of the Avengers,[17] and then rejoins the Avengers after he secretly falls in love with her.[18] He subsequently participates in the Avengers/Defenders war.[19]
In his last mission, Duquesne aids the Avengers in the conflict that involvesKang's quest for the "Celestial Madonna". To facilitate his plans, Kang captures the Avengers, but leaves Swordsman behind, considering him useless. Humiliated, Swordsman tracks the captive Avengers to Kang's pyramid base inGizeh, where he encountersRama-Tut, Kang's alternate self. With Rama-Tut's help and the assistance of Hawkeye, Swordsman frees his fellow Avengers. It is later revealed that Mantis is in fact the "Celestial Madonna", who will mate with aCotati and become the mother of the Celestial Messiah. After Kang's plans are foiled and he decides not to leave the Madonna to anyone else, Swordsman sacrifices himself to protect Mantis from Kang.[20][21]
Mantis soon after marries the eldest of Earth's alien Cotati, who resurrects and possesses Swordsman's corpse.[22] Mantis and Swordsman go on to have a son together calledSequoia, who becomes the Celestial Messiah.[23] After battling the Avengers, the Cotati-possessed Swordsman crumbles to dust.[24]
During theChaos War storyline, Swordsman is among the deceased heroes released byPluto to defend the Underworld fromAmatsu-Mikaboshi.[25] Returning to Earth, Swordsman joins a team of "dead" Avengers, led byMar-Vell, who take it upon themselves to protect their unconscious teammates from theGrim Reaper.[26]
In the "Empyre" storyline, the eldest of Earth's Cotati possesses Swordsman's body and allies with Sequoia. The two request the Avengers' help to avoid another Cotati massacre by the Kree/Skrull alliance.[27] However, it quickly transpires that the Cotati are deceiving the Avengers and seek to exterminate all non-plant life, starting with humanity. The Cotati Swordsman is confronted byBlack Panther, who destroys him.[28]
The Swordsman has no superhuman powers, but is an Olympic-level athlete and cunning strategist with phenomenal reflexes and highly adept at unarmed combat. The Swordsman is a master in the uses of bladed weapons, especially swords and knives.
His main weapon is a sword modified by the super-villainMandarin fromMakluan technology.[29] By pressing one of the buttons on the sword's hilt, the Swordsman can project a concussive force beam, a disintegrating ray, a large jet of flame, electrical energy in a form resembling lightning, or a stream of nerve gas that induced temporary unconsciousness.[30] He also carries various throwing knives and daggers as needed.
Sideshow asserted, "Jacques 'Jack' Duquesne, AKA the Swordsman, has led an interesting life both in the comics and on the screen, forging connections to important characters and pushing their heroic development."[31] Rob Bricken ofGizmodo ranked Swordsman 4th in their "12 Marvel Villains Who Should Have Been in Thunderbolts" list.[32]CBR.com ranked Swordsman 7th in their "10 Greatest Swordsmen & Women In DC & Marvel Comics" list,[33] and 15th in their "15 Strongest Swordfighters In Marvel Comics" list.[34]
Philip Javert, a Swordsman from an alternate universe, is a member of the Gatherers. The Gatherers are brought together byProctor (an alternate version of the Black Knight) to hunt down everySersi throughout the multiverse. Proctor and the Gatherers travel to the mainstreamMarvel Universe (Earth-616) to kill its version of Sersi. The Swordsman, along with fellow Gatherers memberMagdalene, turns against Proctor and briefly joins the mainstream Avengers.[35]
A new heroine named Swordswoman appears as a member of the European superhero team known as Euroforce.[36] She is later revealed to be Marjorie, Swordsman's illegitimate teenage daughter from Paris.[37]
A new Swordsman later appears, wielding avibranium alloykatana and claiming to have inherited the mantle of Jacques Duquesne. He attempts to extort money from the town of Sauga River by threatening to flood it, but is defeated by Captain America.[38]
An alternate universe version of the Swordsman appears in "Heroes Reborn". This version wields theBlack Knight's Ebony Blade, possesses his Earth-616 counterpart's memories, and adopted the guise ofDeadpool.[39][40][41]
An alternate universe version of the Swordsman appears inHouse of M: Avengers. This version is a member ofShang-Chi's Dragons criminal organization before he is killed by Bullseye.[42][43]
A zombified Swordsman appears inMarvel Zombies.[volume & issue needed]
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