AMERICOP

Real Name: Bartholomew "Bart" Gallows

Identity/Class: Human using conventional weaponry

Occupation: Vigilante; former police officer

Group Membership: None; formerly Houston Police Department

Affiliations: Captain America (Steve Rogers), numerous unidentified people he helped

Enemies: Damon Dran, Golddigger (Angela Golden), Mickey, Jake Reinhold, Kono Sanada, Thunderbolts (Bullseye, Penance/Robert Baldwin), numerous unidentified criminals

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Place of Birth: Sugar Land, Texas

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout USA

Extent of Education: Police academy training

First Appearance: Captain America I#428 (June, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Americop possesses near (if not) superhuman strength, as well as relentless determination. He wears a modified police uniform incorporating bulletproof body armor and a face shield. His hat is hard and has pointed edges, enabling him to use it as a throwing weapon. He is skilled with conventional police weaponry, especially firearms and a baton.

    In his later appearance, he could store and transmit energy (often stating "initiate power-up" as he did so). He also used an electrified net that he could launch from his wrist.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Red

History:
(Captain America I#430 (fb)) - Bart Gallows was originally a member of the Houston Police Department who became disillusioned at the law's inability to protect society from the lawless. He eventually resigned from the force and decided to establish himself as an independent vigilante on a national level. He terminated lawbreakers with extreme prejudice. When he would break up a drug-ring or other profitable criminal organization, he would keep half of the money and donate the other half to programs such as drug rehabilitation. He used his half of the money to purchase his arsenal, truck, and living expenses.

(Captain America I#428) - While investigating the kidnapping of three children named Dilberto, Hager and Krause, Americop spotted two carjackers. They tried to get away after shooting Americop in the face, but his mask protected him and after disabling their car with a few well placed bullets, Americop shot the perpetrators dead.

   His search for the three children led him to Kentucky where he stopped for some food at a truck stop and stopped a robbery in progress, killing the three criminals without mercy. He then showed the staff and patrons of the establishment the pictures of the kidnapped children, hoping for some information on their whereabouts.

   Americop's search for the kidnapped children continued and while pulling off the highway at a rest stop to use the facilities, he ran into a group of men loading weapons from a military truck into nondescript vans. He confronted the ten men and they immediately started shooting at Americop, who tossed a grenade at them. Americop executed the gun runners, but the explosion alerted Captain America, who was nearby, and quickly realized that Americop was a mad vigilante when he tried to kill a surviving gun runner. Cap tried his best to stop Americop from killing the man, but weakened by the deterioration of the Super-Soldier serum, Cap was no match from Americop, who knocked him to the group with his baton. Americop was going to execute Cap for obstructing the law, but decided to let him get away with a warning when he heard the local police's sirens. Americop escaped in his pickup struck.

(Captain America I#429 (fb) - BTS) - Americop had a lucky break in his investigation when a cashier at a strop mall pizzeria recognized one of the children he was looking for.

(Captain America I#429) - After leaving the mall Americop witnessed four local thugs attack a gay couple. Americop beat up the perpetrators and then shot them in the kneecaps to make sure victims of their future hate crimes had plenty of time to get away from them.

   Americop was driving on the open road in Kentucky when he heard on the police band that Captain America had given the local authorities a description of his vehicle. He escaped a local state trooper by releasing oil from his pickup truck and then drove off with no concern for the other cop after the police car flipped over in an accident caused by the oil on the street.

   Americop learned that the children he was looking for where victims of a white slavery ring, which he tracked to New Orleans, Louisiana. He crashed his pickup through the wall of Damon Dran's mansion, which served as the headquarters of the child-selling operation, and in the process, he again encountered Captain America, who was looking for his friends Diamondback and Zack Moonhunter that were there as part of another investigation. They came to an agreement to work together after explaining each other's reason for being there and were eventually confronted by the head of the ring, Damon Dran, and his enhanced agents that were holding Diamondback and Moonhunter.

(Captain America I#430) - Dran threatened to have Diamondback and Moonhunter killed by Kono and Jake if Cap and Americop didn't stand down, but Americop didn't care for Cap's friends and had to be stopped by Cap from shooting at the criminals. Americop broke free and shot Dran, but his bullets just ricocheted off Dran's indestructible skin. Americop kept shooting while making his way up the stairs, but was subdued by a gas attack and captured. Americop eventually broke free and slew many of Dran's mercenaries. He shot down Dran's helicopter, and left, believing Dran to be dead. Captain America, at that time severely debilitated by a reaction to the Super-Soldier Serum, attempted to stop him, but was unable to catch up with him. Dran, virtually immortal, was unharmed by the explosion and fall, although his operation was broken up, and he was arrested.

(Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures (fb) - BTS) - Americop's killing those high on the FBI's most wanted list kept him low on that same list.

(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Tony Stark considered Americop as a potential Initiative recruit.

(Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures) - In Houston, Americop captured and electrocuted(?) drug-dealer named Mickey.
    Norman Osborn sent the Thunderbolts to capture Americop for operating without being registered, though Osborn hoped that Penance would be maimed or driven off the team (since Osborn could not control him via nanochain). Bullseye crashed his motorcycle into Americop's truck then clocked him in the head with a hubcap from Americop's Hummer, but Americop then bound him in an electrified net. He battered Penance and then shot Bullseye in the leg, but then Bullseye began attacking Penance, even breaking his arm to cause him severe pain, which caused Penance to release a massive burst of energy that overloaded Americop's power transfer and left him on the ground, bleeding from the mouth.

(Captain America: Sam Wilson I#12 (fb) - BTS) - Gallows died in the line of duty. He became the inspiration for industrialist Paul Keane, owner of Keane Industries, to create and finance the private police force known as Americops, who used equipment based on Gallows' designs.

Comments: Created by Mark Gruenwald and Dave Hoover.

    I wonder if it coincidence that Americop and the future Punisher of 2099 share the same last name.

    Americop's behavior and powers were a lot different in Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures. Maybe he was taking MGH or got hold of some remote energy-transmitting equipment.

    Thanks to Kyle Sims for correcting a few mistakes from Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures.

Americop received a handbook profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#1 (March, 2006), which was later updated in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC#1 and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z SC#1.

Captain America: Sam Wilson update, a few new images and a sub-profile by Markus Raymond.

Americop 1, a member of the Americommand and leader of the Americops, on Earth-11418 was presumably an alternate reality counterpart of Bart.

Thanks go to Loki for reattaching the tip of Americop's right foot to the main image and to Ron Fredricks for cleaning up the second full body shot and the pickup truck image.

Profile by Snood. Update by Markus Raymond.

Clarifications:
Americop should not be confused with:

Americop's pickup truck

He drives a large "monster" truck with enhanced bulletproof armor, windows, and tires. Among its modifications was a also a mechanism that could create an oil spill behind the car by releasing it from the tailpipe.

--Captain America I#428 (Captain America I#428-430, Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures

images: (without ads)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z SC#1, Americop profile (main; refurbed version of Captain America I#430, p1)
Captain America I#430, p10, pan4 (head shot, in shadows)
Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures, p19, pan4 (head shot, no shadows)
Captain America I#428, p3, pan1 (side view)
Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures, p6, pan4 (new uniform with new powers)
Captain America I#429, p10, pan1 (pickup truck)

Appearances:
Captain America I#428-430 (June-August, 1994) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Dave Hoover (pencils), Danny Bulanadi (inks), Mike Rockwitz (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007)
Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures (September, 2007) - Paul Jenkins (writer), Steve Lieber (artist), Molly Lazer (editor), Tom Brevoort (executive editor)
Captain America: Sam Wilson I#12 (October, 2016) - Nick Spencer (writer), Danuel Acuña (artist), Tom Breevort (editor)

First Posted: 12/18/2001 (the original profile had no date...maybe earlier)
Last updated: 02/14/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters