Rocket (Milestone)
Rocket is a female comic superhero who features in Milestone Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Raquel Ervin was a female human born in the modern age as the daughter of Robert Ervin and Sandra Ervin.
She was born in Paris Island in the poorest and most crime-ridden neighbourhood in Dakota. (Icon v1 #1)
Ervin made her groundbreaking debut as a spirited high school student and aspiring writer living in Paris Island, the poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhood in Dakota City. While running with a rough local crowd, she was persuaded by her ex-boyfriend, Noble, and his friends to participate in a late-night break-in at a wealthy, secluded estate. While ransacking the residence, the amateur thieves were suddenly caught off guard when the home's affluent owner, corporate lawyer Augustus Freeman IV, confronted them. When her companions panicked and pulled out firearms, Augustus Freeman seamlessly displayed monumental superhuman physical properties, effortlessly shrugging off a point-blank gunshot to the chest and leaping high into the air. Rather than being terrified by the otherworldly display, Raquel Ervin was deeply moved and conceptually inspired. She returned to the residence completely alone the following day, explicitly using her sharp literary eloquence and idealistic sociological arguments to break through his isolation. She successfully convinced the stranded alien traveler that he had a profound moral responsibility to use his vast capabilities to serve as a beacon of hope and defend the oppressed. Augustus Freeman agreed to her visionary layout, forging a lifelong partnership and manufacturing a specialized technological arsenal from his crashed escape pod components to officially appoint her as his premier field sidekick, Rocket. (Icon v1 #1)
Raquel initiated her rookie superheroic deployment alongside Icon by launching an emergency containment intervention at City Hall in Dakota City, testing her freshly integrated alien technology. Operating as Rocket, the ambitious teenager adjusted to the heavy tactical constraints of her inertia belt—fashioned from the energy-manipulating winder of Icon's original escape pod—during their very first night out on patrol. Their formal debut into the public arena dissolved into a high-friction standoff when they stepped directly into an ongoing hostage crisis, encountering local law enforcement authorities who aggressively pointed firearms at the newly arrived metahuman vanguard. The battlefield baseline shifted into an open conflict against the radical superhuman Payback (Kevin Franklin), a survivor of the 'Big Bang' gang war chemical incident who sought violent retribution against the city's corrupt mayoral administration. When Icon was heavily incapacitated by the villain's brute kinetic output, Rocket stepped forward into a primary defense loop, successfully weaponising her kinetic barrier arrays to absorb, redirect, and completely neutralize Payback's momentum. Her decisive counter-offensive secured the parameter and preserved civilian lives, establishing her foundational utility as a co-equal partner rather than a passive sidekick. (Icon v1 #2)
Shortly after she began adventuring with Icon, Raquel discovered that she was pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, Noble. (Icon v1 #3)
While both Noble and her mother had wanted her to abort the baby, she decided to keep it, becoming a single teenage mother. (Icon v1 #7)
She gave birth to a son, whom she named Amistad Augustus Ervin. "Amistad" was in honor of the famous ship that brought slaves over from Africa to America, and "Augustus" after Icon's human alias. (Icon v1 #24)
Her pregnancy caused her to give up adventuring for a time, and so her best friend Darnice temporarily took on the role of Rocket. Not too long following her decision to go on a maternity leave, Icon left Earth to return home. (Icon v1 #21)
DC
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Raquel Ervin was a human African-American female teenager with a slender, highly athletic build and dark brown skin. She possessed straight, shoulder-length black hair that she frequently wore styled in a neat, layered cut with casual front bangs, paired with prominent dark eyes and highly resilient facial features. Her specialized crime-fighting uniform consisted of a vibrant, custom-designed bodysuit optimized for maximum physical mobility and aerial maneuvering. This wardrobe featured a form-fitting, sleeveless bright red top layered over a dark blue bodysuit, accented by a distinctive gold star emblem embroidered across the center of her chest. Around her waist, she wore a thick blue utility sash that housed the control mechanism for her alien hardware, and she wore a matching pair of blue gloves over her hands. Her footwear consisted of practical, calf-high blue leather combat boots designed for high-impact landings. She did not utilize heavy military plate armor, high-tech tactical helmets, or a traditional facial mask, maintaining a highly polished, youthful, and distinct presentation. (Icon v1 #1)
She was noted for being a gifted writer and loved reading. (Icon v1 #1)
Powers and abilities
Raquel Ervin was born a member of the human race and possessed no innate genetic mutations, sorcerous curses, or alien biological enhancements in her base form. On a basic feats level, her standard human biology was developed to peak physical condition through independent gymnastic drilling, providing her with excellent agility, balance, and spatial coordination. However, she was a highly exceptional member of her species due to her profound human intellect, creative drive, and absolute mastery over a piece of highly complex, extra-terrestrial hardware known as the Inertia Winder. (Icon v1 #1)
Raquel herself did not have any superpowers but rather derived her abilities from an inertia winder that was installed in her belt buckle. When activated, the device surrounded the user with an 'inertia field' that absorbed, stored and redirected any kinetic energy that was used against her. Normally, the field extended only a few inches from her body. Her primary power relied on this alien kinetic energy belt, which enabled her to manipulate ambient physics and gravitational fields around her body. By absorbing the kinetic energy of incoming physical impacts, gravity currents, or ballistic projectiles, her device could redirect the force to generate impenetrable defensive shields, project concussive energy blasts, and achieve spatial flight. She possessed an exceptional, highly adaptive human intellect with a natural aptitude for tactical problem-solving, allowing her to manipulate the density of her kinetic bubbles to trap multiple opponents simultaneously or cushion falling structures without splitting her focus. (Icon v1 #2)
The force field generated from the inertia winder was able to protect her from anything with kinetic energy such as physical blows. (Icon 1 #2)
This device is one of two from Icon's crashpod, the other is installed in Hardware's suit of armor. (Hardware v1 #16) When activated, the inertia winder surrounds Rocket in an "inertia field," which absorbs and stores any kinetic energy used against it. Due to Hardware's tinkering on Rocket's inertia winder, the device is unique since it enables her to manipulate the kinetic energy stored in the inertia field. (Icon v1 #8)
Rocket can hit with superhuman force by releasing kinetic energy as she throws a punch. (Icon v1 #2)
This field's kinetic energy nullifies the energy of anything trapped within down to the molecular level. As a result, Rocket can use the inertialess field to effectively immobilize her opponents. In fact, some opponents can fall unconscious in as much as the field prevents oxygen molecules from reaching their lungs. The inertialess field consumes enormous amounts of energy and collapses after a few seconds. (Icon v1 #39)
Notes
- Rocket was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan where she made her first appearance in Icon v1 #1 (May, 1993).
In other media
Television
- In Young Justice, Rocket made her first appearance in the animated television series starting in the episode "Usual Suspects" where she was voiced by actress Kali Troy. Raquel Ervin was inspired by several sidekicks, such as Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash and Artemis. She convinced Icon to become a superhero, him taking her as his sidekick. He accepted and the two became heroes. She and Icon helped the Justice League fight off the plants Poison Ivy had unleashed. While helping Icon and the Justice League, she saved two civilians, grabbing both by the arms. She later was brought up in a Justice League meeting, as a possible new member for the team. Wonder Woman proposed the team needed more female members, to which both Black Canary and Hawkwoman agreed. Raquel was brought to join the team when Icon joined the Justice League. She stayed with her new team in the Watchtower, angry over the fact that she had to be restrained indoors while the Justice League 'got to celebrate'. She and the rest of the team fought against the mind-controlled Justice League. She saved Robin from a hit by Wonder Woman, trapping her in one of her force fields. She and Robin were then attacked by Batman. She dodged it and continued to restrain Wonder Woman for the rest of the fight. After defeating the Justice League she kissed Aqualad's cheek. In the second season, Invasion, an adult Rocket joined the Justice League and gets engaged. She later mourned the death of Artemis with the rest of her team and later had a bridal shower. At the bridal shower, she expressed remorse in having it right after Artemis' death, only to be comforted by the other female members of the Team. While with the others, she was encased in ice by Captain Cold. She and the others got out of it thanks to Zatanna. When asked by Captain Cold if he was 'doomed', she responded by saying '100%' before charging at him with Miss Martian, Zatanna, Black Canary, Wonder Girl, Bumblebee and Zatanna. As of the third season, Outsiders, she has given birth to a son named Amistad. During the fourth season, Phantoms, Rocket grapples with balancing her duties to the League and raising the autistic Amistad on her own.
Video games
- In Young Justice: Legacy, Rocket appeared as a playable character in the video game where she was voiced by actress Cree Summer. Before joining the Team, Raquel convinced Icon to become a super-hero and became his protege Rocket. She always looked up to the young sidekicks, which kept her inspired as she protected her hometown of Dakota City.
Appearances
- Icon v1: (1993)
- Hardware v1:
- Justice League of America v2:
External Links
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