Diamondback (Willis Harold Stryker) is a fictional character appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...

s published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. He is primarily an enemy of

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...

and is notable for being the first major supervillain that he faced. The character was portrayed by Erik LaRay Harvey in the first season of the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...

television series ''

''.

Publication history

Willis Stryker was created by Archie Goodwin and

George Tuska George Tuska (; April 26, 1916 – October 16, 2009),George Tuska
at the Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972). After 45 years, Stryker returned to comics in ''All-New Guardians of the Galaxy: Free Comic Book Day'' (July 2017).

Fictional character biography

Willis Stryker, one of Luke's childhood friends, first appeared in ''Luke Cage: Hero for Hire'' #1. He is known as Diamondback for his mastery of knives including specially-gimmicked knives that explode, release toxic gases or create sonic waves. Willis Stryker was born and raised in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He grew up on the street alongside Carl Lucas, his best friend and future partner. He was recruited into one of the local gangs, The Rivals. The gang consisted mostly of Carl Lucas, Stryker, Shades and

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

. They engaged in many gang fights with The Diablos, a rival gang. He also committed petty crimes and worked for a crime lord named Sonny Caputo. Carl changed his life and found an honest job while Willis became a skilled gangster but they remained good friends. A girl named Reva Connors loved them both but was more attracted to Carl. Willis, devastated by jealousy, framed him by hiding drugs where Carl lived, causing Carl Lucas to be sent to prison. The drugs belonged to the Maggia so they hunted Willis but ended up killing Reva. Carl changed his name to Luke Cage and escaped from prison thanks to his bulletproof skin and searched for revenge. Luke Cage was attacked by hitmen hired by Diamondback. When the attack failed, Diamondback has his inventor Gadget-Man create new gimmicked switch blades to deal with Cage and kidnapped Claire Temple. Tracking Diamondback to his lair, Luke was surprised to find that it was his old friend Stryker. Diamondback battled Cage who hoped to clear his name. During the fight, Diamondback fell through a skylight and was blown up by one of his own trick switchblades, ruining any hope Luke had that Stryker could clear his name. Just then Claire arrived with

Noah Burstein Bagheera Bagheera is a black panther, based upon ''The Jungle Book'' character of the same name. Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend ...

(the man who conducted the prison experiments) and the police, and Luke wonders if Burstein will turn him over to the authorities. Diamondback later turned up alive. He then began to make plans to become a crime lord where he will start in Harlem and then rule the crime on the Eastern Seaboard. Upon having his men arrange for a meeting with the crime lords at Club Ultimate, Diamondback planned to have waving network of influence. The meeting was crashed by Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil. After the fight, Diamondback managed to injure

Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones-Cage, professionally known as Jessica Jones, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appea ...

at her apartment by shooting her. Diamondback later had a meeting with

Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...

which is crashed by Luke Cage. Using toxic dust, Diamondback struck Luke Cage and proceeded to beat him up. Unbeknownst to Diamondback, Black Cat dropped Luke Cage off at Night Nurse's location and she was able to cure him. After recuperation, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and their allies went after Diamondback and attacked him at Club Ultimate. Diamondback demonstrated his new abilities like superhuman strength and speed. Although he was injured in the fight, Diamondback got away.''The Defenders'' vol. 5 #2. Marvel Comics. During their stakeout of Club Ultimate, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones were ambushed by Diamondback, where he knocked over Jessica Jones' car and broke Iron Fist's back. While gloating over Iron Fist, Diamondback was caught off guard when Jessica Jones attacked him. After being defeated by Jessica Jones and Iron Fist, Diamondback was arrested by the police and transferred to a prison, as he was deemed too dangerous to be placed in the county lockup. He's placed along with the

Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher ma ...

, who was captured by Daredevil and Luke Cage. During the ride, Diamondback taunts the Punisher, causing the truck to crash and enabling them to escape. He later shows up at Black Cat's apartment, where he shoots her multiple times in retaliation for Cat saving Luke Cage. While battling a wounded Black Cat, Diamondback is defeated by the Defenders and brought into custody. During the trial, Stryker's lawyer manages to get him out on parole. It's later revealed that the lawyer was hired by Wilson Fisk. He then takes over Club Ultimate, killing Hammerhead in the process. Diamondback later crashes a meeting between Fixer, Moonstone and Titania where he recruits them to attack the Defenders. When the Defenders arrive at the nightclub to arrest him, Diamondback calls on Fixer, Moonstone and Titania and they begin to fight. In the middle of the fight, Diamondback gets shot by Black Cat and they get captured by the Defenders and their allies. Diamondback is among the crime lords that compete with

Mister Negative Mister Negative is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man, the Punisher, Shang-Chi, and Cloak and Dagger. The character was created by Dan Slott and ...

to obtain the Tablet of Life and Destiny in order to win the favor of Mayor Wilson Fisk. Diamondback is among the crime lords that attend the wedding of

Randy Robertson Randolph "Randy" Robertson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a supporting character in Marvel's Spider-Man series and is depicted as the son of Robbie Robertson, and the husband of Janic ...

and Janice Lincoln. When

Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...

crashes the wedding and shoots

Tombstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The us ...

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

goes after Shotgun as the crime lords blame each other for calling the hit. During the " Gang War" storyline, Diamondback attends a crime lord meeting at Arthur Avenue. He states that he has his own plans for

Madame Masque Madame Masque (birth name Giulietta Nefaria but legally renamed Whitney Frost) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, the character first appeared in ''Tales of Suspens ...

's territory and that he is backed by Hydra. As Diamondback visits a secret Hydra facility, he is contacted by

Viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...

who states that Hydra knows of the upcoming gang war where they would like to back him. As Diamondback speaks to a bunch of thugs at a nightclub in the Financial District, it is crashed by

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew (and later impersonated by Veranke), the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third m ...

who tries to get answers on why Hydra is backing him. Diamondback is then aided in fighting Spider-Woman by Hydra member Green Mamba. They managed to subdue Spider-Woman before getting away. Diamondback later had a meeting with Madame Hydra. When Spider-Woman raided a building that was one of their fronts, she pursued Diamondback, Viper, and Green Mamba to a helicopter demanding answers on where her son Gerry Drew is. Spider-Woman was knocked off it by Green Mamba. Luckily for Spider-Woman,

Madame Web Madame Web (Cassandra Webb) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' No. 210, published November 1980, and was created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist John ...

caught her with her webs. Spider-Woman went on to disrupt every criminal activities done by Diamondback's gang enough that Diamondback gave orders to have Green Mamba withdraw from targeting

. When Spider-Woman arrived on a ship that was being used as a front for Hydra, Diamondback and Green Mamba attacked her. Diamondback stated that Hydra has been keeping tabs on "gifted" children and had enlisted some "eggheads" to get the children passed the "ankle biter" stage. To Spider-Woman's surprise, Green Mamba is revealed to be an aged Gerry.

Powers and abilities

Willis Stryker is an expert knife fighter and hand-to-hand combatant. Outside of conventional knives, Willis Stryker uses trick knives that were modified by Gadget where they can emit gas, contain sonic disruptors, and cause explosions. Following his return from the dead, Diamondback appeared to possess some degree of superhuman strength, being able to throw a person across a room, catch a punch from Jessica Jones and lift her up with one hand, as well as having some degree of superhuman speed. It's later revealed that his super-strength and speed come from consuming drugs.

Other versions

House of M

An alternate universe variant of Willis Stryker / Diamondback from Earth-58163 makes a minor appearance in '' House of M: Avengers'' #1. This version is a

mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It i ...

with reptilian features.

Marvel Noir

An alternate universe variant of Willis Stryker from Earth-90214 appears in '' Luke Cage Noir''. This version is a former friend of Luke Cage and a Harlem crime boss.

In other media

Willis Stryker / Diamondback Willis may refer to: Places United States * Willis, Florida, an unincorporated community * Willis, Kansas, a city * Willis, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Willis, Nebraska, an unincorporated community * Willis, Oklahoma, an unincor ...

appears in ''

'', portrayed by Erik LaRay Harvey as an adult and by Jared Kemp as a teenager. This version is the older half-brother and former best friend of

who was born from an affair that Cage's father Reverend James Lucas had with his secretary Dana Stryker. As youths, Willis and Cage were arrested for grand theft auto, resulting in the latter joining the

Marines Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...

while the former served in juvenile detention, later jail, where he was forced to kill in self-defense. This, coupled with Dana being abandoned by Lucas and dying from cancer led to Willis swearing revenge on Cage, who he successfully framed and sent to Seagate Prison. By the present, Willis went on to become an arms dealer, trafficking Hammer Industries weapons to

crime boss

Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since ...

and his cousin Mariah Dillard. Following a botched arms deal, Stryker sends his associate Hernan "Shades" Alvarez to assist the pair. Upon learning Cage is alive, Willis comes out of hiding and utilizes Judas bullets, exploding hollow-point bullets developed by Hammer Industries from salvaged alien metal that can penetrate Cage's impenetrable skin, in a failed attempt to kill him, though his partnership with Stokes and Dillard falls through and Shades defects to them. Willis dons a Hammer Industries battle-suit and challenges Cage to a street fight, only to be defeated and arrested by

Misty Knight Mercedes "Misty" Knight is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Jenny Blake Isabella and Arvell Jones, the character was first mentioned in '' Marvel Premiere'' #20 (January 1975) and first appear ...

References

External links

Diamondback (Willis Stryker)
at the Marvel Wiki
Diamondback (Willis Stryker)
at Comic Vine * {{Spider-Woman Characters created by Archie Goodwin (comics) Characters created by George Tuska Marvel Comics supervillains Comics characters introduced in 1972 Fictional gangsters African-American characters in comics Fictional characters from Manhattan Fictional knife-fighters Marvel Comics male supervillains Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Luke Cage African-American characters in television