SWORDSMAN I

 

SWORDSMAN I

Real Name: Jacques Duquesne

First Appearance: Avengers (Vol. 1) #19, June 1965

Powers: A baseline human with no superhuman powers, Jacques "Jack" Duquesne was a master of swordsmanship, knife-throwing and the combat use of bladed weapons in general, the Swordsman was an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant, acrobat and strategist, with far more combat experience than most other Avengers.

He could even mesmerize or at least distract unwary opponents using the motions of his swinging blade and flashes of reflected light off its metal. He was a skilled pilot of the Avengers' supersonic Quinjets. An experienced thief, he accumulated knowledge of both ancient and modern architecture via many break-ins. During his pre-Avengers career, he wielded two traditional swords, one over a half-century old, but durable enough to slice through most metals; he later wielded a sword equipped with Makluan-based technology operated by buttons on its handle and hilt. This blade could project a concussive force beam, a disintegrating ray, a flame jet, heat rays, electrical bolts, ultra-sonic shockwaves, a ray which disrupted electrical impulses, or nerve gas which induced temporary unconsciousness. The Swordsman occasionally used other bladed weapons as necessary. He was a recovering alcoholic.