Rocket Racer

The Rocket Racer is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Robert Farrell was a male human born in Brooklyn as the eldest of seven children with his parents relocating to Harlem. When his father left the family, Bob helped to support his family. Bob worked while in high school, but still excelled in his science classes. To get a higher education he joined the Air Force, but when his mother became sick and was unable to support the family or pay her medical bills, Bob made the decision to turn to crime. Bob got the raw materials for his inventions from a junk yard near his neighborhood. (Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #104)

Bob spent months working on his board, until it became like an extension of himself, and developed other devices before going public. After stealing a briefcase full of bonds and securities from a courier on Wall Street, Bob tried to escape, but was captured by Spider-Man, who left him webbed up on the hood of a police car. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #172) After getting out of jail, Bob had the Tinkerer upgrade his board's micro-rockets and redesign his gyro-skates, greatly increasing his performance. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #182) The Tinkerer's deal with the Racer was that the Tinkerer would get 25% of the take from crimes. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #183) Jackson Weele offered to pay the Rocket Racer ten thousand dollars in cash if he retrieved a briefcase full of evidence that proved Weele was guilty of embezzling. Having stolen the briefcase, the Rocket Racer encountered Spider-Man again, though he escaped the hero this time. Racer took the case to Weele, but kept the most damning evidence and refused to give it over unless Weele paid twenty thousand. Out of costume, Bob visited his mother in the hospital, unaware that he was near Peter Parker who was visiting his own aunt. After escaping some police officers, Racer again attracted the notice of Spider-Man. They fought until the Racer escaped by hiding in a smokestack. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #182) At the hospital where his mother was sharing a room with May Parker, Bob assured his mother that their need for money to pay bills outweighed the risk he may go back to jail. The arrival of Peter Parker led to a fight that continued outside the hospital, where Weele, now as the Big Wheel and using technology from the Tinkerer, attacked the Racer. The fight ended when the Big Wheel careened into the Hudson River and Spider-Man attempted to save him, allowing the Racer time to escape. (Amazing Spider-Man v1 #183)

Henry Sleeman was hired by an unnamed employer to befriend Robert Farrell and steal the Rocket Racer gear. He did so, taking the name "Troy" and posing as Farrell's friend for months. When Farrell finally showed him where the gear was kept, "Troy" tied Farrell up and stole it, pursuing Spider-Man with the intention of fighting, only to be defeated when restaurateur Harry Sloane opened a door at just the right time for 'Troy' to run into the door and knock himself unconscious. (Amazing Spider-Man v2 #13)

Overview

Powers and abilities

Robert Farrell does not possess superhuman powers but has a gifted intellect. He wears gauntlets furnished with explosive mini-rockets, and utilizes a cybernetically-controlled, rocket-powered magnetic skateboard, which he designed and was later redesigned by Tinkerer.

Notes

• The Rocket Racer was created by Len Wein and Ross Andru where he made his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man v1 #172 (September, 1977).

Alternate Versions

• In Marvel Adventures Spider-Man v1 #21 (2006), an alternate version of Rocket Racer appeared in the Marvel Adventures reality that was designated as Earth-20051 in the Multiverse.

In other media

Television

• In Spider-Man, Rocket Racer appeared in the setting of the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Billy Atmore. This version was a teenager living in a crime-ridden neighborhood who was in constant trouble with the police and lives with a single mother whose store is constantly harassed by criminals demanding protection money. Despite this, Farrell worked at the Science Center and studies under Peter Parker to develop his skill in gyro mechanisms. Using these and stolen technology from Jackson Weele, Farrell created a cybernetically controlled, rocket-powered, magnetic skateboard to help his mother as the Rocket Racer. After being framed for a crime he did not commit however, Farrell is pursued by Spider-Man before they are both attacked by Weele. Spider-Man and Farrell join forces to defeat Weele before Farrell vows to use his scientific skills to help his mother instead.

Appearances

• Amazing Spider-Man v1: (1977)

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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