Bushmaster (Marvel Comics)

John McIver was a powerful crime boss, criminal financier and organizer, and the brother of Quincy McIver. As a teenager, John and Quincy grew up on an unidentified island in the Caribbean Sea. Unlike Quincy, John was quick and savvy enough to stay out of trouble, despite stealing from local merchants. After John found out that Quincy blurted out that they were brothers to a shopkeeper who had caught him, John gave Quincy a beating. A few nights later, John beat the shopkeeper to death. Years later, John was in the employ of Herve Argosy where he worked as his muscle man in his gun-extorting business. John got Quincy in with Herve Argosy, but Quincy got all four limbs chopped off by a motorboat propeller on the first mission. John visited Quincy in the hospital to mock his misfortune. John McIver then took on the name John Bushmaster and headed off to Europe to run some of Argosy's trade there.^[3]

Several years later, John Bushmaster managed to take over the European branch of the Maggia. As he began to show interest into expanding into the United States starting with New York, he attracted the attention of the FBI, CIA, and Interpol where they have failed to infiltrate his organization. New York's district attorney sent Misty Knight to take a stab at it under the alias of Maya Korday. She did so successfully. Bushmaster returned early from his press conference and warmly greeted Maya at the Cutlass Bay resort on the Caribbean island of Ste. Emile.^[4]

Bushmaster agreed to put a hit out on

Bushmaster survived and his body continued to mutate, transforming into unliving metal. While he still could move, Bushmaster had his agents capture Noah Burnstein's wife Emma to force Noah to reverse the process. His agents also captured Power Man and brought him to Seagate to be used as a guinea pig. Virtually immobile, Bushmaster watched as Noah Burnstein began the process. When Iron Fist arrived and shattered the tank to rescue Power Man, Bushmaster reached for a signal switch to order his men to kill Emma Burnstein, but as he did, his transformation accelerated and left him in an immobile inert steel form less than an inch from the switch. His body then began to crumble leaving only a metal skeleton.[8]

Bushmaster's son Cruz Bushmaster had his father's remains taken to an island fortress off the coast of St. Croix so that he can have Noah Burnstein resolve the safety issues in the "Power Man" process. Cruz Bushmaster had his father's remains and Luke Cage placed in a chamber to absorb the negative effects of the "Power Man" process. John Bushmaster was revived by the energies and took over Cruz's body. John Bushmaster in Cruz' body goes by the name Power Master and attacks Luke Cage. In the nick of time, Iron Fist arrived and freed Luke Cage from Power Master's grip. Luke Cage then puts a power cable into Power Master who ends up soaking up the energy like a sponge. As Power Master started absorbing too much energy, Luke Cage and Iron Fist escaped while Cruz Bushmaster's fortress exploded.^[9]

Quincy McIver

Bushmaster
Bushmaster, from Avengers vs. X-Men #0 (May 2012). Art by Frank Cho.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Captain America #310 (October 1985)
Created by	Mark Gruenwald Paul Neary
In-story information
Alter ego	Quincy McIver
Team affiliations	Thunderbolts Serpent Society
Abilities	Bionic arms 14-foot-long (4.3 m) super strong snake-like tail 6-inch (150 mm) "fangs" strapped to his hands with sharp needles that contain a fast-acting poison derived from snake venom

Quincy McIver was born on a Caribbean island and is the younger brother of the first Bushmaster. He became a quadruple amputee when he lost his arms and legs in a boating accident while trying to evade the police underwater.^[3]

Shortly later, the

In his first mission with the Serpent Society, he was hired by AIM to hunt down MODOK. MODOK severed Bushmaster's artificial appendages, and Diamondback saved Bushmaster's life.^[11] He soon received new bionic arms.^[12]

After the Viper took over the Society, Bushmaster remained loyal to Sidewinder. He was poisoned by the Viper, but was saved by Captain America and Diamondback.^[13] He then participated in the Serpent Society's mission to recover mystic objects for Ghaur and Llyra. He withdrew from combat against the X-Men to repay his debt to Diamondback.^[14]

Sidewinder, disillusioned by the betrayals of some of the Serpents, had turned over control of the guild to the

Later, several Serpent Society members including Anaconda, Black Mamba, Bushmaster and Cottonmouth, fought members of the New Avengers in a semi-tropical locale. He was defeated by Ronin and Luke Cage.^[21]

During the "

As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative, Bushmaster appears as a member of Viper's Serpent Society under its new name of Serpent Solutions.^[23]

Bushmaster appears in the 2017 "Secret Empire" storyline where he and the rest of the Serpent Society are members of the Army of Evil.^[24] He alongside Puff Adder and Viper attack a woman in the woods when she is saved by a bearded haggard man in a World War II uniform that introduced himself as Steve Rogers.^[25]

Bushmaster then participated in a bank robbery with his teammates Sidewinder, Cottonmouth, and Anaconda, though it was quickly thwarted by the X-Men.^[26] He was later seen staying at the Owl's hideout among several other criminals with visual oddities.^[27]

In a prelude to the "

The first Bushmaster had street-fighting skills. He later went through the same process that gave Luke Cage his powers which gave him superhuman strength and durability. As Power Master, he can absorb energies from other people.^[volume & issue needed]

The second Bushmaster was given bionic prosthetic limbs and a tail attached through surgery courtesy of the Roxxon Oil Company and Brand Corporation. His long, snake-like, superhumanly strong bionic tail enables him to move and strike at superhuman speed. He has two 6-inch (150 mm) "fangs" strapped to the back of each of his hands, which are needle sharp at the tips and contain a fast-acting poison derived from snake venom.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Other versions

Ultimate Marvel

• In the Ultimate universe, Bushmaster is a member of the gang called the Serpent Skulls. He served as a lieutenant of the group until he was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld.^[29]

Secret Wars (2015)

• During the 2015 "
  Janet van Dyne of the Valley of Doom.^[30]

• The Quincy McIver incarnation of Bushmaster appears in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes as a member of the Serpent Society with a snake-like appearance.
• The John McIver incarnation of Bushmaster appears in
  Tilda Johnson to heal him. Learning Anansi was killed by Dillard,^[33] John attempts to kill her once more until he is defeated by Cage and forced to return to Jamaica to give Anansi a proper burial.^[40][41]