Roughouse

Roughouse
Roughouse from Wolverine (vol. 2) #4. Art by John Buscema.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Wolverine vol. 2, #4 (Feb 1989)
Created by	Chris Claremont (story) and John Buscema (art)
In-story information
Species	Asgardian
Place of origin	Asgard
Abilities	Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability due to his Rock Troll heritage Formidable hand to hand combatant Many criminal underworld connections

Roughouse is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe and the occasional enemy of Wolverine. His first appearance was in Wolverine vol. 2, #4. The character was created by Chris Claremont and John Buscema.

Roughouse is one of the most mysterious opponents that Wolverine has come across. Little is known of his past beyond the fact that Roughouse is descended from one of the races that inhabit the dimension of Asgard, the mythical home of the Asgardian "gods." In Wolverine vol. 2, #6, Roughouse provides the first clue to his origin by uttering the phrase, "Ymir's icy breath." This is a reference to the giant Ymir, said to be the father of the race of beings known as the Frost Giants, the primary enemies of the Asgardian "gods." He is also known to have been systematically abused by his father as a boy. Some writers have suggested that the reason Roughouse wears long hair and a full beard is to hide scars received at the hands of his father.

In recent years, Roughouse has come to the island nation of Madripoor along with his partner, the "pseudo-vampire" Bloodscream. They have found employment under General Coy, one of the island's most powerful crime lords, as special enforcers used to eliminate any threats to his operations. They are sent after the woman called Tyger Tiger, Coy's primary rival as the supreme crime boss of Madripoor. This brings the two mercenaries into a number of conflicts with Wolverine. The duo are never able to defeat him.

General Coy grows tired of Roughouse's failures and literally sells him to Geist ("Ghost"), a former high ranking agent of Nazi Germany in the United Kingdom and a cyborg. By the time Roughouse meets him, Geist is financing himself through illegal drug trade and needs a guinea pig on which to experiment a new drug. Geist's men give Roughouse a dose of this experimental version of cocaine which temporarily drives him mad.