Rook

Background / History

The last member to join The Punishers, Rook had only acted as a superhero for a short time. Before his transformation into Rook, Ryan Bustos was a New Jersey firefighter decorated many times over for his acts of heroism. He was also known, however, for his temper and had, on more than one occasion, gotten into brawls with people he disagreed with or didn't respect.

Responding to a call for additional support to quell a fire in an abandoned quarry, Bustos found several of his fellow firefighters trapped in a pit, surrounded by flame and smoke. Displaying his typical fearlessness, Bustos rushed in to try to rescue his comrades. At that moment an explosion threw him to the quarry floor.

When he awoke in the hospital he found that he had changed. His body was no longer flesh, but made of solid stone. He learned that the fire in the quarry had been started by the ignition of toxic chemicals dumped there by an unscrupulous chemical company.

For many months, Bustos lingered in a deep depression over his condition. Finally, he decided to return to work. He soon discovered that his new resistance to damage, leaping power, and superhuman strength made him a major asset to his unit. Bustos's regional celebrity only increased with images of him leaping from ten story windows carrying a trapped person in each arm, trailing flames and smoke. Bustos encountered Harbinger while the vigilante and his new team were on the trail of the serial arsonist Blowtorch. To Harbinger's chagrin, Blowtorch was eventually captured and turned over to police by The Invincibles.

As bright as Bustos's firefighting career had been, it came to an end when, one night at his station, he seriously injured three other firefighters in a flare of temper over a remark about his "freakish" condition. Bustos was dismissed and brought up on charges. Bustos felt both a deep sense of guilt for what he had done, but also harbored anger towards the force, feeling that elements of the administration and some of his fellow firefighters had betrayed him, jealous of his new powers.

Out on bail and determined not to go to jail, he began making plans to flee the country. It was at this point that he was approached by Harbinger and invited to join the Punishers as "Rook," an offer he gladly accepted. On his own, Rook still often responds to fires in the city, engaging in daring rescues. He clearly relishes his outlaw status as well as the opportunity to embarrass the city's fire administration. Harbinger does not object to these activities, as it generates goodwill for his team.

Powers / Abilities

Rook is very resistant to damage, superhumanly strong, and a powerful leaper. His formidable skills in brawling are augmented by his ability to make minor changes to his rocky form--making his arms longer or fists bigger to strike a troublesome opponent.