Hardball
Roger Brokeridge
| Fighting |
Excellent |
| Agility |
Excellent |
| Strength |
Typical |
| Endurance |
Excellent |
| Reason |
Excellent |
| Intuition |
Typical |
| Psyche |
Typical |
| Health |
235 |
| Karma |
36 |
| Resources |
Typical |
| Popularity |
-2 |
Powers
- The full extent of his powers is unrevealed. He appears to be able to create balls of "solidified" energy that he can use as a defensive shield; he can also use them in hand-to-hand combat by maintaining energy spheres around his fists, increasing the impact of his punches and protecting his hands from damage. These energy balls can be quite powerful, since they managed to deflect energy blasts from Armory (which previously had pierced through Ultimo's armor). He can also create electro-magnetic balls of energy that can momentarily scramble electronic locks and cameras. He has not told The Initiative the full extent of his powers.
Talents
Espionage
Contacts
The Initative, Hydra
History
Roger Brokeridge (a.k.a. Hardball) is one of the new Initiative recruits who arrives with Cloud 9, MVP, Trauma, Komodo, and others. He appears to have a very outgoing personality, hitting on Thor Girl on the bus ride in and cracking a joke about not having a cape when receiving his fatigues. He also tries to convince Komodo and Cloud 9 to go out to a bar with him, even though he is two weeks short of his 21st birthday[3]. During the training mishap with Armory he exhibits the ability to create an energy ball that deflects the lethal blasts from Armory's Tactigon. He attempts to capitalize on his new position by wearing a costume and flaunting his abilities at a bar in Stamford. Understandably, the patrons are less than happy to see a "grandstanding kid superhero", and are on the verge of attacking him, until a man in a suit rescues him. In return, the suited man has Hardball steal a S.P.I.N. Tech dart magazine from the weapon stores for him and replace it with a facsimile. Ironically, that same magazine is the one Iron Man attempts to use to defeat the Hulk during the events of World War Hulk. Upon realizing what he has done, Hardball is overcome with guilt.
It is later revealed that Roger was given his powers by the Power Broker. Hardball was then forced to work for the Power Broker, and was ordered to rob an armored car. He used his new powers to knock the car down while coincidentally a little girl entered the street at that time, in the path of the car. Wonder Man, who just happened to be flying by misinterpreted this as an act of heroism, and swiftly recruits him into the Initiative. The Power Broker then sold his "contract" to HYDRA, whose commander is the man who saved him in the bar, Congressman Woodman, which means HYDRA has a double-agent within the Initiative.
When he completed his training, Hardball was assigned to Nevada's Initiative team. He appears with the Heavy Hitters, including Gravity, Nonstop, and Telemetry, helping the Skrull Kill Krew and 3-D Man deal with a Skrull posing as an unnamed team member during the Secret Invasion. He then leaves with Komodo, 3-D Man, and the Krew to help the other Initiative teams. After Secret Invasion, Hardball's status as an agent for HYDRA led to a confrontation against the rest of the Heavy Hitters and a visiting Komodo. Hardball kills Congressman Woodman, effectively becoming the new leader of Woodman's HYDRA cell. This ends his relationship to the Initiative and to a saddened Komodo as well. Hardball is revealed to be running a HYDRA training camp in Madripoor.
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