Roxxon Energy Corporation (also known as Roxxon, formerly known as Roxxon Oil Company) is the name of a fictional massive petroleum corporation run by Dario Agger. The company appears in comic book stories published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Captain America #180 (December 1974), created by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema.
Fictional company history
Roxxon is the world's largest conglomerate. Roxxon is notorious for its determination to make massive profits regardless of any laws or moral principles, and continually covertly uses unethical and illegal means to increase its profits. As such, it is involved in numerous criminal plots that require the opposition of the various superheroes to stop. The name of the company resembles that of Exxon, an American petroleum company often criticized for its profiteering at the expense of the environment.
While this fictional company has encountered numerous superheroes, it has most notably been at odds with Iron Man, as in a storyline called "The Iron Age" where it was revealed that agents of Roxxon Oil (then known as Republic Oil and Gas) killed Tony Stark's parents. Roxxon has also regularly been at odds with Project Pegasus regarding energy sources as the latter has been involved with alternative energy research that could hurt Roxxon's oil profitability.
The central division of the Roxxon conglomerate is Roxxon Oil. The company is currently a wholly owned Subsidiaries of the Kronas Corporation, the Metrobank, and the Brand Corporation. Brand is another for-profit company that has specialized in creating superhumans. While Brand is usually considered a Roxxon subsidiary, it has sometimes made its own decisions and acted independently.
Roxxon has its own army-like security task force, and has employed a number of special agents, many of whom it has given superhuman abilities.
The former head of the company Hugh Jones had been arrested several times but has never been convicted to date.
In the mini-series Great Lakes Avengers, a character named the Grasshopper was introduced. Real name Douglas Taggert, he was an employee of Roxxon, wearing a suit of cybernetic armor themed like a grasshopper developed by them to defend the company. Seconds after accepting an invitation to join the GLA he was killed by a villain named Zaran.
In the following GLX-Mas Special, Killer Shrike (himself a former employee of Roxxon) attempts to steal "Project Z" from the company, but he is stopped by a new Grasshopper, who defeats the villain. He dies mere minutes later after activating the suit's maximum jump, which launched him into space.
Since then the Red Skull, inside the body of former Soviet General Aleksander Lukin, has used Lukin's powerful Kronas Corporation and the Cosmic Cube in order to buy out Roxxon.
In Dark Reign: New Nation, Roxxon Oil operative Anton Aubuisson massacres a tribe of Anuquit natives in order to build an oil pipeline, but their efforts are thwarted by War Machine.
Roxxon Energy is shown to previously have a mining operation on Mars, but due to unexplained circumstances, halted the operation and erased all traces of everyone involved.
Subsidiaries
- Brand Corporation - A scientific research and development firm which has conducted many projects for the federal government. The Brand Corporation also worked in robotics and interdimensional exploration.
- Cybertek Systems Inc. - A cybernetic research division of Roxxon that serves as it's prosthetic and robotics facility. It was later enhanced to reverse-engineer the Deathlok cyborg.
- Kronas Corporation - A company that was founded by Aleksander Lukin.
- Metrobank -
Members
Executives
- Pierce Benedict - Director of seagoing operations.
- Douglas Bravner - Sunturion Project executive.
- August D'Angelo - Chairman of the Board.
- Jonas "Jonah" Hale - Director of Research. He is also the former chief operations director of Republic Oil and Natural Gas.
- Samuel Higgins - The Facility Director in Denver. He utilized James Hudson as a power source following his return from Quwrlln, he later recruited Madison Jeffries to assist Windshear on a mission and also presided over the facility developing Omega-32, which was raided by the Beetle.
- Henry Mason - Vice-President of Roxxon Energy Corporation.
- Carrington Pax - Executive in Roxxon Energy Corporation's West Coast division.
- Huck Petrie - Negotiator of the Roxxon Energy Corporation.
- Brian Sagar - Vice-President of the Roxxon Energy Corporation.
- Mike Tappan - Associate director of Roxxon Energy Corporation's Los Angeles division.
- Dario Agger/The Minotaur - New CEO of Roxxon. His ultimate goal is to use Roxxon to bleed Earth dry of its natural resources, and then move on to other worlds.
Former Executives
- Clayton Burr - Vice President for Roxxon's international development. He supervised Cybertek.
- Brandon Chambers - Executive of Roxxon. He sponsored his brother Phillip's DNA experiments not realizing that their other brother Mitchell was the subject.
- Mr. Clarkson - Vice President of Roxxon's Texas division. He was killed by Crossbones.
- Ian Forbes - Director of Roxxon's Belfast facility.
- Calvin Halderman - President of Roxxon.
- Curtis Henshaw - Executive of the R&D section at Roxxon's Bolivian facility.
- Jerome K. "Jerry" Jaxon - Associate Vice President of Special Developments.
- Hugh Jones - Owner, President, & CEO of Roxxon Energy Corporation.
- John T. Gamelin - Director of Foreign Operations. He was later the President of Roxxon Energy Corporation.
- Don Kaminski - President of Roxxon Energy Corporation.
- Simon Krieger - Vice President of Roxxon's Republic Oil & Natural Gas.
- Linden Laswell - Executive of Roxxon's Latveria project.
- Jonathan Darque (Magma) - Project head of Roxxon's division in Temple Corners, VA.
- Terence Gerard -
- Michael Brady - Executive of Roxxon's Chemical Division.
- Reuben Kincaid - Executive of Roxxon Energy Corporation. He was murdered by Michael Brady.
- Aleksander Lukin - Owner of Roxxon Energy Corporation. Killed by Sharon Carter.
Staff
- Bill - Helicopter pilot for Roxxon's Long Island division.
- Carson - A security operative.
- Chester - A floating oil refinery worker for Roxxon Oil.
- Chief Compton - Supervisor of Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Larry Curtiss - A security operative.
- Davis - A scientist who is an assistant to Jonas Harrow.
- Delvecchio - Member of Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Jim Dworman - Former Cybertek programmer. He was in charge of Cybertek's shutdown.
- Gail - Secretary to Carrington Pax.
- Gordon - Member of Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Grist - Member of Roxxon's underground NYC facility security.
- Jake - A security guard at Roxxon's Denver division.
- Joe - A floating oil refinery worker.
- Juan - An executive assistant to Hale in Roxxon's San Francisco division.
- Ms. Loring - A scientist under Hale and participator in the Nuform project.
- Missy - A Roxxon agent.
- Patrick Nestor - Roxxon's company spokesman.
- Dr. Malachi Oz - A scientist.
- Riki - A boardroom chair at One Roxxon Plaza.
- Cindy Shelton - Roxxon's lead researcher.
- "Agger" - An assistant to Huck Petrie.
- Raymond Sikorski - A recruiter with Roxxon Blackridge.
- Miss Simpkins - A secretary at Hydropolis.
- Walter - An executive assistant to President Gamelin.
- Jillan Woods (Sepulchre) - An agent for Roxxon Blackridge.
- Chief Wyngard - Roxxon's underground NYC facility supervisor.
- Michael Thomas - A sleeper agent working at Stark International.
- Alvie Walton - Member at Roxxon's Snow Valley service station.
- Ulik - Originally hired by Dario Agger to help level Broxton, hired to be a consultant on the "Inter-Realm Investment Division"
Former staff
- Cary Albertson - A scientist on the bio-chip project at Roxxon's Sault Ste. Marie facility.
- Babs Bendix - A secretary.
- Blair - An agent of Roxxon.
- Kenneth H. Bradley - A covert operative and former Brand security member.
- Phillip Chambers - A Roxxon scientist.
- Abner Doolittle - An Nth Command scientist.
- Roberta "Bobbie" Haggert - A scientist on Roxxon's Omega-32 project. She was assassinated by Scourge.
- Seth Hanks - A child savant and unwilling employee of Roxxon.
- Paul Hazlett - A scientist.
- Dan Jermain (Danger Man) - A former security inspector for Roxxon.
- Kelly - A security guard at Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Kristy - An assistant to Mr. Clarkson. She was murdered by Sin & Crossbones.
- Lewis - A security guard at Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Alexander Lipton - A scientist. He was murdered.
- Mischa and Yuri - Roxxon's biochemists.
- Moyer - An agent of Roxxon.
- Duncan O'Neill - A mole within MI-5: British Secret Agent 003.
- Dr. Gerald Roth -
- Schroeder - A security guard at Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Jack Rollins - A sleeper agent for Nick Fury.
- Steve - A security guard at Long Island Research Complex.
Super-operatives
- Delphine Courtney - An assistant to Jerry Jaxon.
- Cypress - An assassin. He targeted Mikhail and Yuri, but was opposed by Meggan and Shadowcat.
- Dogs of War - Agents of Simon Krueger who assisted in the attempted defamation of Tony Stark.
- Afghan -
- Bulldog -
- Doberman -
- Greyhound -
- Labrador -
- Mastiff -
- Rottweiler -
- Shepherd -
- Wolfhound -
- Douglas Taggert (Grasshopper) - Armored security
- Neil Shelton (Grasshopper) - Armored security.
- Simon Maddicks (Killer Shrike) - Bodyguard of Brand's Jersey branch leader James Melvin.
- Manticore - He original worked under Brand Corp.
- Jason Quartermaster - A superhuman scientist. He worked for Rand-Meachum and was a double agent for Roxxon. He was knocked into own universal solvent by Luke Cage.
- Saboteur - An armored agent. She acted as an agent of Republic Oil and Natural Gas in an attempt to sabotage Stark Industries but she was defeated by Iron Man. She would later be killed by Grim Reaper.
- Serpent Squad -
- Blanche "Blondie" Sitznski (Anaconda) -
- Tanya Sealy (Black Mamba) -
- Roland Burroughs (Death Adder) - He would later be killed by the Scourge of the Underworld.
- Seth Voelker (Sidewinder) -
- S.H.I.E.L.D. Mandroids -
- Sandy Vincent (Stratosfire) - Roxxon's superhuman secretary. She was empowered in a similar manner to Sunturion but acted as a hero to improve Roxxon’s public image. She was killed by Sunturion who activated Roxxon’s Zed Control Unit within her armour.
- Colin Ashworthe Hume (Windshear) - An enhanced mutant.
- Ogre, Razor Wire and Lightning Fist - 3 costumed operatives protecting the company's interests on the island nation of Taino in the Caribbean Sea. They are consumed and destroyed by a mutated zombie virus, and the airborne virus reconstructs their bodies into a skeletal being which is later destroyed by the Man-Thing.
Hired agents
- Thomas Agar -
- Assault & Battery -
- Anton Aubuisson -
- Coldblood-7 -
- Firebolt -
- Fixer -
- Flag-Smasher - A mind-controlled operative
- Dr. Jonas Harrow - scientist at Rye Research Facility & Roxxon's underground NYC facility.
- Hellrazor -
- Ivory -
- Col. Buzz Baxter (Mad Dog) -
- Mycroft -
- Omega Flight I -
- Overrider -
- Smokescream -
- Spymaster I - He was hired by Roxxon to kill the Ghost but ended up being killed by Ghost. He later turned up alive.
- Voice -
- Jennifer Walters - An attorney.
- Ghost - He was hired to sabotage Acutech Research and Development, which was bought by Tony Stark. He has had many encounters with Iron Man.
- The Grapplers - They made an attempt to ransack Project Pegasus.
- Modular Man - A physicist at Roxxon's Brand Corporation.
- Nth Man - He was about to destroy what remained of the Project. He was also halted.
- Orka - He battled the Avengers in Jamaica, Queens.
- Squadron Supreme -
- Arthur Dearborn (Sunturion) -
- Mutated Tarantula (Anton Miguel Rodriguez) - His transformation into a super-being went wrong after it was disturbed by Will o' the Wisp.
- Will o' the Wisp - He had his molecules torn apart after Brand's experiment went haywire and put together by Spider-Man and Dr. Marla Madison. He's still seeking revenge on Brand.
- Firebolt - He was hired to destroy experiments at Project: PEGASUS.
Other versions
Amalgam Comics
Roxxon exists in the Amalgam universe and is similar to the main Roxxon.
Roxxon 2099
Roxxon is still going strong in the alternate future of 2099 and is one of the major corporations.
Ultimate Roxxon
The Ultimate Marvel version of the Roxxon Corporation is also responsible for creating supervillains but its owner Donald Roxxon seems to have little idea what the company actually does. Targeted by superpowered mercenaries (Killer Shrike, Omega Red, the Spot and the Vulture (Blackie Drago)), Donald hires Silver Sable to track down Spider-Man due to believing the hero knew who was responsible. He also wants to know why Spider-Man seemed to be looking out for Roxxon. In actuarially, Spider-Man had actually not been but a series of coincidences led to the appearance otherwise and it's a former employee responsible. Silver Sable captures and brings Spider-Man to Roxxon, unmasking and interrogating Spider-Man. Spider-Man escapes and ends up saving Roxxon from the Vulture. During this incident, a flashback reveals Roxxon is trying to run a decent company as best as he knows how, despite being almost in over his head.
During a confrontation between Spider-Man and the Shocker (Herman Schultz), it is revealed that Schultz was also a former employee of Roxxon Corporation until Roxxon got Schultz's design weapons before terminating his employment at the company, leading him to a life of crime. Schultz also stated that even if Spider-Man was able to bring down Roxxon, "two more would grow in its place" (a similar motto to the fictional terrorist organization HYDRA).
Following the events of Ultimate Enemy and Ultimate Mystery, Roxxon Corporation assembles a Roxxon Brain Trust consisting of Doctor Octopus, Dr. Arnim Zola III, Dr. Layla Miller, Misty Knight, Dr. Samuel Sterns and Dr. Nathaniel Essex.
The company's new owner Philip R. Roxxon later has Roxxon secretly assembles several teens to use as guinea pigs in their experiments to create super-soldiers (i.e. Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Bombshell (Lana Baumgartner) and Cloak & Dagger), restoring the Venom symbiote, and is indirectly responsible for the new Spider-Man.
In other media
Television
- In the Iron Man episode "Fire and Rain", War Machine and Iron Man try to take out Firebrand at a Roxxon Oil facility.
- In the Iron Man: Armored Adventures episode "Line of Fire," it is mentioned by Justin Hammer's Hammer Multinational company owns Roxxon Oil Refinery.
- Roxxon was featured in the television shows taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
- In the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Repairs," a Roxxon-branded gas station is briefly visible in the opening scene. It was destroyed by Tobias Ford when the owner threatened Hannah Hutchins (a StatiCorp safety inspector who was blamed for the explosion at StatiCorp's Particle Acceleration Complex that Tobias had caused). In "T.R.A.C.K.S.," Roxxon's Cybertek division is featured where the company supplied Ian Quinn the Project Deathlok leg to be placed on Mike Peterson. In "Ragtag", Roxxon subsidiaries the Brand Corporation and the Metrobank are name-dropped in the filing cabinets maintained by Cybertek through which Agent Coulson is browsing. It was shown that Cybertek was behind Project Deathlok where John Garrett was classified in the Project Deathlok files as "Subject 0." Phil Coulson and Melinda May end up stealing the entire file cabinet filled with information on Project Deathlok. In "The Beginning of the End," the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility's director Kyle Zeller introduces a new employee to his job at the Cybertek systems showing him their control over the team of soldiers ready to take on Coulson’s team in Havana, Cuba. Following the Deathlok soldiers' defeat, John Garrett and Hydra push ahead with their plans causing Phil Coulson's team to storm the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility. While Phil Coulson and Antoine Triplett fight the Deathlok soldiers in an armored truck, Skye and Melinda May infiltrate the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility and take Kyle Zeller hostage using the intended effect of which gives the super-soldiers new orders to abandon Coulson and protect Garrett. Skye later finds Hydra's hold on Kyle Zeller where there is a holding area where Hydra is holding Kyle Zeller's wife as well as Mike Peterson's son Ace whom Skye manages to free.
- In the Agent Carter episode "Now Is Not the End," a refinery owned by Roxxon Oil Corporation is shown as the location an destructive chemical called Nitramene created by Howard Stark is being made by servants of Leviathan in collaboration with Roxxon employee Miles Van Ert. Peggy Carter managed to infiltrate the building where she got her first hint about Leviathan from Leviathan operative Leet Brannis. The Roxxon Refinery was destroyed by the Nitramene's implosion where the vacuum that followed left the building, some vehicles, and parts of the road into a large ball. In "Bridge and Tunnel," Roxxon Oil Corporation's president Hugh Jones had a meeting with Deputy Director Roger Dooley and Agent Jack Thompson of the Strategic Scientific Reserve regarding the explosion. They concluded that whoever was responsible would emit Vita-Rays as Jones knew about the Nitramene formula through corporate espionage in Stark Industries. They scanned the Roxxon employees which led to the arrest of Van Ert after Peggy Carter intercepted him during Dooley and Thompson's chase on him.
Film
- Roxxon was featured in the films that take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
- The Roxxon logo appears briefly on a background building in the 2008 Iron Man film during the climactic fight scene.
- In Iron Man 2, one of the cars at the Monaco Grand Prix is sponsored by Roxxon.
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, a Marvel One-Shot from the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray release, takes place at a Roxxon Gas Station with Phil Coulson in Nevada.
- Roxxon is featured in Iron Man 3. A Roxxon Oil accountant named Thomas Richards is held captive and later executed by The Mandarin. However, Trevor Slattery (the actor playing the Mandarin) tells Tony Stark that the execution was staged (this can be seen in the end credits). The film's climax also takes place upon an impounded Roxxon tanker ("Roxxon Norco") that was responsible for an oil spill. Aldrich Killian cites President Ellis's leniency and lack of action taken against Roxxon for the disaster as an excuse to kill him (which he had planned on doing anyway).
Video games
- The Roxxon building appears in the background of the 2000 Spider-Man video game.
- The Roxxon building appears in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. One of its buildings is shown to be near Stark Tower.
- The Roxxon Corporation appears in the Iron Man 2 video game. They are shown working with General Valentin Shatalov who is allied with Kearson DeWitt and A.I.M.
- The Roxxon Corporation is featured in the Earth-616 levels of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. They are shown to own a quarry where Spider-Man fights Sandman. A poster for Roxxon Energy Corporation is shown on a building near a construction site when Spider-Man fights Juggernaut and Silver Sable's Wild Pack.
- The Roxxon Corporation is mentioned in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
- Ultimate Roxxon appear as minor villains in Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem. They had moles in the Triskelion which caused a super villain breakout by trying to fuse the Oz Serum with the venom symbiote and released robots to protect citizens but it is implied it was for other reasons.
- Roxxon Guards and trucks appear in Lego Marvel Super Heroes. The Roxxon Power Station is shown to be on the shore of Manhattan that is near Liberty Island, and the first part of the level "Taking Liberties" takes place in that Power Station.
References
External links
- Roxxon at Marvel.com
- Roxxon Energy Corporation at Marvel Wiki
- Cybertek Systems Inc. at Marvel Wiki
- Roxxon Corporation (Ultimate Marvel) at Marvel Wiki
- Roxxon at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Roxxon's Brand Corporation at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- Cybertek Systems Inc. at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe