Rap Sheet
Tombstone sets his sights on the New York City organized crime scene, working for the Kingpin, via Oswald P. Silkworth, AKA Arranger, first to kidnap mutant Wall Street broker Roland Rayburn, AKA Persuader.
Robertson, harboring guilt over his past silence, confronted Tombstone in Battery Park to make a citizen’s arrest. Tombstone nearly paralyzed Robertson in response, compressing his spinal cord. Robertson left a recorded confession for Peter Parker of his involvement with Tombstone, but then requested the tape be burned after threats against his family. Frank Castle, AKA Punisher, learned of the tape, and joined the hunt against Tombstone. After Tombstone harassed and injured Parker’s wife, Mary Jane Watson, in search of the tape, Peter (as Spider-Man) confronted Tombstone in Atlanta, where he overpowered him and turned him over to federal marshals.
Robertson recovered and turned State’s evidence, facing trial for misprision of a felony. Tombstone confessed to Kipper’s murder, testifying that “his friend” Robertson was present at the killing. Robertson was found guilty and sentenced to the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary—where Tombstone arranged to be transferred as well. In prison, Robertson was protected from Tombstone’s death threats by huge fellow inmate Bruiser until Tombstone and his gang ambushed and killed Bruiser. Tombstone then coerced Robertson to summon Spider-Man to the prison, where he injected Spider-Man with a virus, chained him to a wall and beat him, then used him as a hostage while escaping in a helicopter, forcing Robertson along. Robertson fought back, but the two fell from the sky, landing in the Susquehanna River. Arriving at the Amish farm of Aaron DeWeiss, the two convicts rested for several weeks while Robertson’s leg healed. Tombstone finally attacked, but Robertson stabbed Tombstone with a pitchfork and escaped from his captivity.
Robertson was later pardoned, while Tombstone sought work under Hammerhead. Tombstone resented Hammerhead for hiring the Hobgoblin to kill Robertson, since Tombstone felt entitled to the kill, and interfered with the Hobgoblin’s attempt. As head enforcer for Hammerhead, Tombstone pressured the Mark Raxton, AKA Molten Man, into betraying Harry Osborn, his new employer, to help obtain a new chemical designed as an agricultural preservative, Diox-3, for the cocaine trade. Though Molten Man double-crossed him by informing Spider-Man. While the sting operation proceeded at Osborn Chemicals, Robertson tried to stop Tombstone but accidentally trapped his nemesis in a chamber where he was exposed to the Diox-3. Tombstone had a mutagenic reaction to the gas absorbed into his bloodstream, and emerged heavier, stronger and faster, with petrified skin Robertson described as “cold as ice, hard as marble.” Tombstone called off his vendetta against Robertson in gratitude for his newfound powers, and proceeded to beat up Hammerhead to assume leadership of his men until Hammerhead caught Tombstone in an explosion.
Tombstone survived and later competed against the Taskmaster in an assassination game sponsored by the Hand ninja cult. Daredevil tried to stop the two while preventing the Punisher from murdering them. The Taskmaster, left hospitalized by the Punisher, informed on Tombstone, who next planned to pose as a clown and kill the City Cultural Affairs Commissioner, Christine Harris. Daredevil foiled Tombstone, who fled from his arrest.
Tombstone was left distraught, having thought Hand membership would have given him some feeling of purpose and belonging. Hungry for more power, he attacked Chris Powell, AKA Darkhawk, ripping his amulet out of his chest. As Darkhawk began to die, Tombstone searched for answers on how to access the amulet’s powers, but Darkhawk electrocuted Tombstone and reclaimed the amulet.
In Chicago, Tombstone next teamed with Nitro and Kickback to form the short-lived a, hired by Hardcore to capture Dakota North in a plot to obtain information against Luke Cage. With Nitro, they blew up the Chicago Spectator building leaving a message for North. Though Tombstone delivered North to Hardcore, the team’s plans had unraveled as they battled the Punisher and Cage, and they booted the unstable Nitro off the team while Kickback grew sympathetic to and protective of North; however, Hardcore got the information he wanted and released North.
In the aftermath of the Kingpin’s fall, Tombstone, representing the Maggia, met with the remaining mob bosses to divide the spoils of Wilson Fisk. Tombstone was disgusted by their new ways of doing business with false civility. Infighting and collusion wreaked havoc on the meeting, while Daredevil, the Punisher and Jack Munroe, AKA Nomad, sought justice. Daredevil appealed to Tombstone’s professionalism, stopping him from murdering the Hand warrior Izanami, a spirit who possessed an innocent named Naomi Chu. Tombstone fled to Lake Tahoe with Hammerhead after the meetings were left in ruins.
Following a trip to the Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) Weapons Expo on Boca Caliente, Tombstone returned to New York to assist Marc Spector, AKA Moon Knight, against a common foe, the vengeful fanatic Deadzone. Tombstone’s underworld power plays served as bait to lure Deadzone into capture by Moon Knight.
Full of confidence, a re-outfitted Tombstone made a hostile takeover of Hammerhead’s operations. The local New York council of bosses, led by Nick Kaska, rejected Tombstone’s application for a council seat. Tombstone stormed Club Kaska and broke a gas main, causing a massive explosion. He escaped in an ambulance he forcibly took from Flash Thompson. The council again rejected Tombstone, explaining that threats do not earn a seat. Tasked with killing Spider-Man, Tombstone returned with Spider-Man’s mask, which had floated to the surface in an apparent drowning. Accused of lying, Tombstone lost control, throwing Kaska out a window. Spider-Man saved Kaska and hit Tombstone so hard he passed out and was taken into custody.
hough Tombstone broke out of State Penitentiary, and attempted a payroll heist to finance a fresh start at becoming a crime boss but Ben Reilly, AKA Scarlet Spider, foiled him. During this time, the Punisher worked for the Geraci crime family, which Tombstone targeted in another attempt to secure a foothold in his efforts to become a crime boss. With Spider-Man’s meddling, Tombstone’s plan to assassinate the mayor of New York failed. The Punisher fired heavy ordnance into Tombstone, who once again fled. The Punisher and Tombstone helped each other escape after Rosalie Carbone violently ambushed a gang lord meeting; however, Tombstone and Billy Russo, AKA Jigsaw, led the charge to kill Don Geraci, leveling the family estate and leaving Punisher for dead.
Spider-Man (Reilly) teamed up with Remy LeBeau, AKA Gambit, at the N’awlins Cajun Club to tackle Tombstone and corrupt former New Orleans cop Creaux, who were pressuring the club owner to help traffic a Haitian voodoo dust as a narcotic. Evading capture once again, Tombstone was hired to lead a direct assault against gang lord Don Vincente Fortunato, who had allied himself with the terrorist organization Hydra. Fortunato halted the home invasion by electrocuting the floors, stunning Spider-Man (Reilly) and Tombstone. Fortunato sought to make an example of Tombstone by publicly executing him along with Spider-Man and random innocents taken from the other gang lords’ territories; however, Spider-Man and Daredevil rescued everyone, including Tombstone. Tombstone showed no gratitude towards Daredevil as he later blew up his Marvel Knights team of heroes in Weehawkin, New Jersey. Tandy Bowen, AKA Dagger, using Tyrone Johnson, AKA Cloak’s powers, vanished Tombstone into the Darkforce.
In the middle of a subsequent bank robbery, Tombstone suffered a heart attack. Arrested by federal authorities, he was taken to the Cage ultra-security prison, where his powers were negated within a field surrounding the island. Tombstone and his gang—including Robert Farrell, AKA Rocket Racer, Hypno-Hustler and “Big” Ben Donovan–clashed with Brian Hibbs, AKA Kangaroo. Tombstone trapped Kangaroo to be raped, while he escaped prison aided by the paroled teleporter the Jonathan Ohn, AKA Spot. Tombstone thanked Spot by breaking his neck.
Tombstone was hired by Norman Osborn, AKA Green Goblin, to join the Sinister Twelve in a plot to extract Osborn from incarceration while seeking revenge against Spider-Man (Parker). The Twelve were defeated by various Super Heroes who came to Spider-Man’s aid.
In Europe, involved with Vanessa Fisk in a vengeful conspiracy against Daredevil and her own father, manipulative heiress Lily Lucca hired Tombstone to pretend to kidnap her, summoning Daredevil for aid. Though Daredevil took the bait, he defeated Tombstone.
Back in New York, Tombstone joined the Hood’s army of criminals. He then made a double-or-nothing bet with Conrad O’Shea, a young man who owed him money, that the mercenary Wade Wilson, AKA Deadpool, would be dead within a day. Deadpool was lured to Tombstone’s apartment, which exploded, killing many innocents. The Punisher and Spider-Man responded when a doctored video appeared in the news, framing Deadpool for the explosion. However, learning the truth, Daredevil, Punisher, and Spider-Man helped Deadpool send Tombstone to prison, after overcoming Tombstone’s bodyguards, the Wrecking Crew.
Hired by Doc Ock to kidnap the unborn son of Harry Osborn and Lily Hollister, and in the process of chasing Lily down, the stress caused her to give birth. Doc Ock attempted to steal the newborn but Spider-Man intervened. Meanwhile, Lily used a glider to take down Tombstone. But nothing can keep him down for long. Tombstone was back at it until his suspect operations were soon the target of Martin Li, AKA Mr. Negative, who tipped off his location to NYPD Detective Teddy Rangel. Tombstone was stopped yet again by Spider-Man (Parker) and though arrested, he was set free by a judge he had in his pocket. Though Mr. Negative gave police detective Yuri Watanabe, AKA Wraith, enough evidence to put them both away. In his absence, a turf war broke out and the cat burglar Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat, joined the chaos. looking to claim new territory, she broke Tombstone out of prison and took control of his gang.
When Danny Rand, AKA Iron Fist, and Luke Cage accused Tombstone of being a jewel thief, Tombstone absconded as his minions did the fighting for him. But the pair of Heroes for Hire captured him and swore he’d take his vengeance.
In helping the Mayor of New York, former crime boss Kingpin, track down a bounty, Tombstone accidentally learns that his daughter Janice was dating Robertson’s son, Randy. Both fathers attempted to keep their kids apart until their kids were kidnapped by Whitney Frost, AKA Madame Masque, and Crime Master, who were attempting to take over Tombstone’s territories. Theyworked together to save their kids and chose to support their kids’ decisions.
Tombstone was in the middle of an arms deal with another gang, led by Richard Fisk, AKA The Rose, when it was interrupted by Spider-Man. The web-head’s interference drew Tombstone’s strength and territory into question, making him look weak to the rest of the criminal underworld. But Tombstone took matters into his own hands and took out Crime Master and his gang. Meanwhile, Tombstone learned that his daughter Janice was engaged to Randy. Tombstone shared the good news with his old frenemy Robertson by showing up unannounced and inside at his house. When their kids arrived, Janice yelled at her dad to not hurt him and Tombstone claimed that he didn’t do that anymore, leaving his war with The Rose to be cleaned up and won by Spider-Man.
When a new crime boss rolled up to Janice and Randy’s wedding, he shot Tombstone, and to everyone’s surprise, he was no longer bulletproof. Spider-Man, having been in attendance as Randy’s best friend, Peter Parker, leapt to action and prevented Tombstone’s death. Taken to Harlem Hospital Center to get the care he needed. Though Spider-Man unplugged his life support while Norman Osborn’s sins were coursing through his body. Tombstone’s doctors resuscitated him, saving his life.
