I don't care if you shoot lasers outta your eyes and lightning from your @#%*! The only power that matters here is your super-ability to do every mother-loving thing I say! 
- —Gauntlet[src]
History
Early years
Sergeant Joseph Green was a highly decorated US military member. After two aliens battled each other abover Earth, using immensely destructive weapons an killing each other by falling to earth, burning up in the process, they left their weapons intact but scattered around the world. US satellites immediately began tracking these objects, following one as it landed in the Sudanese desert. Discovering Hydra had also tracked the objects, a special team was dispatched by the government to attempt to get to the item before the terrorists. Among the troops tasked with the item's retrieval was Joseph Green, a highly-decorated army sergeant. Arriving at the crash site, Green's group immediately came under fire by Hydra forces, immediately suffering casualties. Knowing that the item's retrieval was the main objective, Green left his associates to handle the terrorists while he went after the item.
Arriving at the crash site and finding not one, but two items (a gauntlet and a sword), Green was also met by a Hydra agent. Drawing their guns to fire, the two of them found those jammed with sand, leading to a physical confrontation between the two. When the two got momentarily separated, the Hydra agent went for the more powerful (and heavier) of the objects, while Green went for the large gauntlet-like object. Putting it on, Green made short work of the Hydra agent, then discovered he was incapable of removing the gauntlet. He then returned to his government with the gauntlet and the other alien object.[5] Unable to remove the device from his arm, he was dubbed the Gauntlet. Eventually, Green was stationed protecting troops in the Middle East,[1] and notably in Iraq.[2]
The Initiative
Green served there until transferred by Secretary Gyrich to join the Initiative and work as a drill sergeant.[6] Gauntlet disapproved this choice, feeling he was more needed in the field, but Gyrich explained to him that since M-Day, the majority of metahumans were located in the US, and with Gauntlet's training an army of super heroes.[2]
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There, he began training a new batch of recruits consisting of Trauma, Cloud 9, Bengal, Ultragirl, Slapstick, Hardball, Thor Girl, Rage, Komodo and Armory. Green was monitoring the first training exercise of Armory and then Trauma, along with Gyrich and Baron von Blitzschlag, when Trauma evoked Armory's greatest fear. Armory lost control and fired her Tactigon wildly around the training room. Green got the panicked Armory under control but not before she had shot MVP in the head, killing him instantly. Armory was washed out of the Initiative, and the Tactigon was removed from her arm. The team was informed by Gyrich that the entire incident never happened.[2]
Green led the trainees' into their first combat against the Terror-Carrier when Hydra threatened the US President in Texas.[7] He later assisted in attempts to reuse the Tactigon, which were called off after fifty men tried without success to activate the weapon.[8]
Using the name of the New Warriors as a pejorative and derogatory term to designate poor-skilled and irresponsible super-humans, he soon earned the ire of former members, both part of the Initiative staff (such as Justice),[2][7] or trainees (like Rage).[9] He pushed them even harder on that subject after the cadets' disobedience during the invasion of New York by the Hulk.[10]
Coma
Justice had originally brought MVP into the Initiative, and was shocked to discover MVP still alive at his home in Kentucky.[9] As witness of MVP's accident, Justice concluded that Gauntlet was responsible for MVP's death. The two almost fought, as Green again insulted the baby-killing New Warriors to Justice's face. The two were restrained by their cadets Ultragirl, Thor Girl and Debrii. Later, Rage answered a similar insult by telling Green to "shut [his] freakin' hole", leading Green to explain to him that he was one step from washing out.[10]
Beaten into a coma
The day after, Gauntlet received a severe beating at the hands of Slapstick, leaving him in a coma.[10] He was found by Tigra and "Yellowjacket". Consequently, all New Warriors on base (Slapstick, Rage, Debrii, Ultra Girl, and even staff member Justice) were put in the Brig and two S.H.I.E.L.D. Cape-Killers were sent to act as Military Police: Special Agent Marquez and Agent McAllister.[10]
As the Cape-Killers were heading to discover some of the base's secrets (including MVP's related ones), Gyrich chose to awake Green using a powerful stimulant injected by Hank Pym, who made him tell his "official record" on how he had been assaulted by Tony Stark's enemy The Ghost, allowing Gyrich to dismiss the investigators.[10] In order to render the Gauntlet armor usable once again, Congressman Woodman proposed to Gyrich to remove the item from its wielder, but the Secretary reminded him of the similar fiasco of the Armory/Tactigon situation.[5]
When MVP's clone KIA went on a rampage with the Tactigon, killing everyone involved in his original's death, the Gauntlet took control of Green's body and broke into the Omega Weapons Cache to wield the sword that had fallen along with the gauntlet.[11] The two alien-powered soldiers found each other and battled, but KIA used the Tactigon to awaken Green and disable the Gauntlet's control over him. He was saved by the timely interference of the Scarlet Spiders.[12] Surviving, he attended both the viewing of Trauma's coffin (witnessing his resurrection) and the ceremony for the first graduating class.[13]
Secret Invasion
During an invasion of Earth by the Skrull Empire, Gauntlet witnessed the arrival of a panicked 3-D Man at Camp Hammond.[14] Following the shut-down of every bit of Starktech due to an alien virus, he and Taskmaster attempted to ensure the safety of the cadets at Camp Hammond by locking down the facility. However, "Yellowjacket" (a Skrull infiltrator, Criti Noll) ordered to Gauntlet to send the Initiative cadets to help fight the Skrulls in New York City.[15][16]
The Initiative arrived in Times Square, rescuing the Young Avengers,[16][17][15] but were soon taken down by the Super-Skrulls, Gauntlet being knocked out. The invaders then started to execute the cadets, starting with Proton.[18] Both Young Avengers and Initiative were then saved by the timely arrival of Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors, who repelled the Skrulls enough time for the speedster Yo Yo to pick up the heroes, including Gauntlet, and to leave[19] to hide in one of Fury's secret bases.[20]
Eventually, the joint forces of Gauntlet's Initiative team, the Young Avengers and the Secret Warriors teleported at Central Park, coinciding with the return of Thor and of a new Captain America, and the arrival of Reed Richards, Agent Brand of S.W.O.R.D. and both New and Mighty Avengers from the Savage Land. As the Skrull Empress Veranke and "Pym" were gathering their troops, the heroes, joined by Hood and his army of super-criminals and Norman Osborn and his Thunderbolts, all assembling past their conflicts to take down the invaders.[21] Once the battle won, he was among the heroes to welcome the returned kidnapped humans, but had to temper the enthusiasm of Prodigy, as joy couldn't fit with the loss of Wasp, a founding Avenger, in the battle.[22]
Dark Reign
Commander of Camp Hammond
Following the end of the Invasion, Gauntlet had to deal with the protesters manifesting around Camp Hammond, who he dismissed using his device. As Hardball's loyalty to Hydra was confirmed, and as he was on Madripoor, a foreign country with bad relations with the new administration of Norman Osborn, Gauntlet needed to deploy the Shadow Initiative, to grant deniability to the Initiative. Asking who was in charge of their mission, Gauntlet happened to be in charge of both the Hammond facility and of the strike team, as Gyrich had been expelled by Iron Man long time ago, War Machine resigned from the Initiative, "Pym" was a Skrull and Gauntlet refused that Blitzschlag became commander. His first act was to assemble the Shadow Initiative, now led by Taskmaster and joined by Komodo, the most intimate person to Hardball as she was her girlfriend. He confronted Mutant Zero, canceling the deal she had with Gyrich to stay at the Zero Room instead of attending briefings, and Komodo about her want of revenge towards Hardball.[4]
Along Stingray and Hellcat, he tried to convince the real Henry Pym to stay but this one declined to be part of the Initiative, as he was never really there in the first place, leaving Gauntlet to reluctantly assume the position.[4] Once Pym gone, Gauntlet was put in charge. He tried to keep as most as experienced staff on base but many of the other instructors left, unwilling to place themselves under Norman Osborn's control: Stingray finally got his dreamed assignment as leader of the Point Men in Hawaii, Hellcat took back her post as the only Alaskan-based Initiative agent, Gargoyle left, having fought for his country since World War I, and Tigra stood as leader of the Arkansas' Battalion Initiative team to train Razorback who wanted to replace his Skrull impersonator, and needed training. Gauntlet reluctlantly accepted the charge, rather than letting ex-Nazi Blitzschlag take the lead.[23]
Gauntlet vs. Ragnarok
Ragnarok (Thor's clone/cyborg) awoke due to Skrull Pym's machinations: "Pym" had planted a failsafe that would reconstruct the clone if he didn't return to enter an idle code).[4] Ragnarok started to rampage in the Camp, forcing Gauntlet and the Initiative (graduates, quitters, cadets and staff) into a fight. They were quickly rejoined by the newly reassembled New Warriors.[23] Protecting the civilians, Gauntlet then led the charge against the cyborg, removing him from the town to stop his rampage. Ultimately, Patrick and Blitzschlag proved the truth about his origin to Ragnarok, making him leave the town.[24]
Once the fight was over, Gauntlet announced to the Warriors their status of fugitives, but stood watching them reveal the unethical processes of the Initiative to the world.[24] Interrogated by reporters about his own knowledge in those affairs, he preferred to elude the question and went help the town. He was soon asked the same question by his teammates, and revealed he indeed knew. An argument then broke between the staff (especially Tigra and Samson) and Green, with the last accepting the responsibility for MVP's death hiding, although Trauma backed him up, while Blitzschlag and the military were blamed for Ragnarok.[25]
Camp Hammond Closure
Norman Osborn arrived during this discussion, closing down Camp Hammond and announcing S.H.I.E.L.D. dissolution, H.A.M.M.E.R. establishment among other plans. As Gautlet tried to have more information about how deal with the staff present here, Osborn dismissed him, asking him to leave the camp for a motel with his family and to wait for new orders. Osborn then left the place, letting an angry mob demolish the camp.[25] Leaving the camp with his family, he was asked help by Mrs. Tranh (Bengal's wife) who was without any news from her husband, as he was still in mission with the Shadow Initiative when S.H.I.E.L.D. (who was supposed to pick them up) was dissolved. Gauntlet went to Norman Osborn and Victoria Hand, refusing to leave until Osborn gave him (fake) assurances about the S.I. status. That visit made Osborn ask for Green's file, finding him "annoying".[26]
Along with Blitzschlag, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four and other Initiative scientists, Gauntlet met with Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy, who warned them about Blastaar's army, his takeover of the Prison 42 and his attempts to invade Earth. They took Quill's advice seriously but were all really septic about the team they were facing, having never heard of them.[27]
Gauntlet was later convened to the Avengers Tower along Tigra and assumed that their meetings were either about them being fired or reassigned. Green was partly right for his own case, as Osborn removed him from his drill instructor status and relocated him to the middle east back to his former unit. His joy was short-lived, as Osborn wanted to keep the Gauntlet, having no trouble with it being bounded to Green and tasking Ares to do what necessary. Gauntlet shattered the window of the Tower and escaped, giving also Tigra a distraction to escape Ms. Marvel (Karla Sofen) who was tasked to "escort" her, Tigra carrying a human/Skrull hybrid that Osborn wanted to acquire. Immediately, Osborn wanted to dispatch his Avengers to track them down, but Hood, now part of the Initiative along with his gang, chose to send Living Laser, Griffin, Razor-Fist and Scorcher. Gauntlet reunited with Tigra in the sewers, and proposed to split while Tigra insisted to stay together. Trapped by the four trackers, they were saved by the timely intervention of the New Warriors who wanted to make amend for being partially responsible of Camp Hammond closure and to take down Osborn. The two fugitives joined the team but Tigra thought that with Osborn corrupting the name of "Avengers", and with the Warriors including herself, Justice and Rage, all past Avengers, the team had to evolve, the Warriors becoming the Avengers Resistance.[28]
New Warrior
Gauntlet then started the fight against the Dark Reign of Osborn, opposing the U-Foes at Charlotte, North Carolina to give Night Trasher enough time to access the criminals' databases. Unfortunately, their status of fugitives, opposed to the U-Foes being the Initiative team of North Carolina made them being also attacked by the police forces, and forcing them to retreat rather than fight back. Gauntlet's energy powers proved useful in those fights, as well as his leading qualities helped to knock down the tensions between Rage and Night Trasher, and boosting the Warriors' motivation.[29] He was also part of the rescue of the Heavy Hitters after they seceded from the Initiative.[30]
Following this mission and the capture of Night Trasher by the H.A.M.M.E.R., the Warriors performed an expedition on Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. in order to free him, and Gauntlet was tasked to cause maximum damage to the installations and disorientation among the enemies agents, along other New Warriors powerhouses.[31] They were soon stopped by Penance, and Nightmare quickly overcame Trauma and confronted both New Warriors and H.A.M.M.E.R.'s Initiative. Once Thrasher was taken back and the Warriors retreated (thanks to a ruptured gas main blocking them from Hood's men), Gauntlet made contact with their mole into Camp H.A.M.M.E.R., Diamondback, just before she was surprised by Constrictor who discovered her true allegiance.[32]
As the Mighty Avengers were in Tibet battling the exiled and vengeful Inhuman king known as the Unspoken along the People's Defense Force China super-team, they tried to recruit any Avengers teams available. The Mighty Avengers (also Young Avengers) Stature and Vision came to the Avengers Resistance headquarters, they found Tigra, Rage, Gauntlet and Justice who offered their help, Gauntlet highlighting the fact that they were the only ones of the team available. After attending a briefing at the Infinite Avengers Mansion, the reunion of Mighty, Young, New and Resistance Avengers transported themselves from the Mansion to Tibet though an Infinite door, forcing the Unspoken to rush into the battle.[33] Although most of the Avengers and Chinese heroes were turned into Alpha Primitives due to the action of the Xerogen,[33][34] Gauntlet was able to stay free for a time, fighting back to back with Radioactive Man, but was presumably transformed as well when Xerogen Gas was spilled all over the battlefield and then reversed to normal by Henry Pym.[34]
Siege
As Osborn launched an assault on Asgard, Justice decided to attack Camp H.A.M.M.E.R.[35] Part of the raid, Gauntlet battled Outback (Boomerang) and the Living Laser before being taken down by Hood using his new Norn Stones powers.[36] Rising again, he had to battle the magically enhanced Living Laser but refused to stand down, while Penance, Bengal, Batwing and Butterball joined them. Once a massive part of Hood's trainees and fellow criminals were sent to Asgard, the Avengers Resistance took the opportunity to win the battle, and Gauntlet confronted ???.[37]
At some point in the battle, Loki took back the Norn Stones power from Hood to enhance the heroes, seemingly affecting the Avengers Resistance and the Initiative deserters. Taking the advantage, Gauntlet rushed on Scorcher, exploding his armor. Along with Justice, he accepted the surrender of some reluctant H.A.M.M.E.R. agents and rejoiced with Ultragirl of the end of Osborn's reign, and was seen at the party at the Stark Tower.[38]
Back in service
In the aftermath of Osborn's fall, Gauntlet asked to be deployed to Afghanistan to serve along with his former Army unit.[1] He was instead stationed at the Camp Leatherneck, in Helmand Province, he was asked by fellow soldiers why he refused to join the Avengers, as those soldiers were admiring of Captain America, Thor or Iron Man's returns. He answered critically that the real heroes never left.[39] Later, Gauntlet was pushed away from the army, seemingly by their attempts to acquire his glove.[40]
Baintronics
Gauntlet started working at security for Baintronics Incorporated. During the demonstration (where an army general again tried to negotiate the Gantlet with him) of a new multi-purpose tank named the Manticore, the company was interrupted by Iron Man and War Machine, since the vehicle had been developed using illegally-appropriated Stark tech. Gauntlet, unaware of such illegality, took on Stark and managed to subdue him, with his glove draining the power of the hero's armor. Sergant Green was knocked out by War Machine, who had taken control of the Manticore.[40]Attributes
 |
Powers
Joseph wears a technologically advanced alien glove. The device being permanently bonded to his nervous system,[5] it cannot be removed.[1]
Joseph gained the ability to generate and project a hand made of energy,[2][4] who can be extended on an energy tether to at least 500 feet. The hand has also superhuman strength[1] and can disrupt power flows.[40]Abilities
Weaknesses
Paraphernalia
Equipment
Weapons
Transportation
Notes
Trivia
See Also
- 50 appearance(s) of Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 8 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 3 minor appearance(s) of Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) of Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 2 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 28 image(s) of Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Joseph Green (Earth-616)
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Joseph Green (Earth-616)
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Avengers Assemble #1
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Avengers: The Initiative #1
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Avengers: The Initiative #20
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1
- ↑ Civil War Battle Damage Report #1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Avengers: The Initiative #2
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #5
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Avengers: The Initiative #4
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Avengers: The Initiative #6
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Avengers: The Initiative #9
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Avengers: The Initiative #10
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #12
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #14
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Avengers: The Initiative #15
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Secret Invasion #3
- ↑ Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #16
- ↑ Secret Invasion #4
- ↑ Secret Invasion #5
- ↑ Secret Invasion #6
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #19
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Avengers: The Initiative #21
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Avengers: The Initiative #22
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Avengers: The Initiative #23
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #24
- ↑ Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #25
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #26
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #28
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #29
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #30
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Mighty Avengers #30
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Mighty Avengers #31
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #32
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #33
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #34
- ↑ Avengers: The Initiative #35
- ↑ Age of Heroes #2
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Tony Stark: Iron Man #2
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Heroic Age: Heroes #1
- ↑ Avengers Assemble #1
- ↑ Avengers Assemble Vol 1 1