Alias

Penance II

Speedball
Nick Name
|
Civilian ID
Robert "Robbie" Baldwin
Occupation
Adventurer
Legal Status
Citizen of the United States with a pardoned criminal record.
Nation or Planet of Origin
Springdale, Connecticut
Group Affiliation

Speedball

New Warriors

Penance II

Thunderbolts
Base of Operations
New York, New York
Height
6'
Weight
195 lbs.
Eye Color
Blue
Hair Color
Blonde
Skin Tone
Caucasian
Known Powers
Normal human altered by an extra-dimensional energy which allows him to absorb and control kinetic energy.
Accessories

Penance II

Penance Uniform:  Masochistic uniform intended to inflict pain upon the wearer, and in Robert Baldwin's case allowing him to build reserves of kinetic energy from the wounds inflicted.
Common Enemies
|
Regularly Appearing

Speedball

New Warriors Vol. 1 & 2

Speedball

Penance II

Thunderbolts Vol. 1
First Appearance

Speedball

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 An. #22 (1988)

Penance II

Civil War: Front Line #10 (Dec. 2006)
Creator

Speedball

Steve Ditko & Tom DeFalco

Penance II

Paul Jenkins & Steve Lieber
Origin
As an intern at a research laboratory, Robert Baldwin was accidentally bombarded by energy bubbles from another dimension.  When one of a gang of thieves attempting to steal a rare metal from the lab struck Baldwin it activated his powers causing him to ricochet around the room knocking the crooks unconscious.  After learning to control his powers Baldwin became the masked adventurer known as Speedball.

As Speedball, Baldwin joined with other young heroes in a group known as the New Warriors.  While Speedball was a member, the New Warriors participated in a reality television program documenting their adventures.  When the New Warriors discovered a group of superhuman criminals hiding in the suburban city of Stamford, Connecticut things went horribly wrong.  The villain Nitro released his power and the insuring explosion killed most of the members of the New Warriors and 612 citizens - including 60 children at an elementary school playground.  Apparently the only surviving member of the New Warriors to be held responsible, Baldwin was publicly scapegoated and incarcerated.  While in prison he was given the option of submitting to the new Superhuman Registration Act and joining a government team of pardoned criminals known as the Thunderbolts.  No longer the happy-go-lucky hero he once was, Baldwin sought not only redemption but punishment for the deaths of the innocent - contracting the construction of a uniform that would activate his powers through excruciating pain while causing him to pay his Penance.