FORTRESS

Membership: Lou Mason, Leland Townsend, Marty Townsend, Nicholas Reed, Racine Wells

Purpose: Terrorism

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Crossbones (Brock Rumlow), Dr. Hardy, Dr. Carolyn Lepre

Base of Operations: Mobile
in this story: Colorado Memorial Hospital

First Appearance: Marvel Comics Presents#129/2 (June, 1993)

 

History: Nothing is known about the origin of the terrorist group known as Fortress.

(Marvel Comics Presents#129/2 (fb) - BTS) - Fortress worked on a bombing in Colorado Springs. Normally Nicholas Reed the bomb expert was responsible for the detonation, but this time he let their leader Leland Townsend handle it. The explosion of the bomb injured Leland and many other people. Leland was brought to the Colorado Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment. The Fortress, led by Leland's brother Marty, took over the hospital and demanded the top neuro-surgeon operate their leader.

(Marvel Comics Presents#129/2) - One hour after Leland was brought to the hospital they were still waiting for the top neuro-surgeon (who was actually already in the middle of an operation). With Marty Townsend getting increasingly impatient, head physician Dr.Hardy asked criminal psychiatrist Dr.Lepre to pose as the hospital's top neuro-surgeon and fake operating on Leland, who had already died. They secured her current charge, the supervillain Crossbones, then Dr.Lepre began the deception. Marty told Hardy that all patients would be killed if Leland died, unaware that he had passed away earlier. Marty called Nicholas and Racine to the operating room and met them together with Lou there. They watched their leader's operation and then wanted to get him out of the hospital. Dr. Lepre, still posing as the top neuro-surgeon, told them that he couldn't go anywhere because he was dead. Nick became angry because Marty kept them there for nothing and attacked him. Marty was still angry with Nick because he let Leland work on the bomb and fought back. Suddenly Crossbones broke through the ceiling and beat up the Fortress. He took their weapons and told them to leave the hospital. Marty wanted to know what would become of his brother and Crossbones told him that he was dead and going to be buried. Marty tried to recruit Crossbones, but he didn't want to join them and threatened them. The Fortress left through the elevator shaft.

Comments: Created by John Figueroa, Ron Wilson & Don Hudson

Members from left to the right on the top picture: Racine Wells, Lou Mason, Marty Townsend, Nicholas Reed

It wasn't shown, but the hospital was surrounded by the police and the Fortress left the building unarmed. They probably ended in prison.

Profile by Markus Raymond

Clarifications:

Fortress has no known connection to

Lou Mason has no known connection to

Leland and Marty Townsend have no known connection to

Nicholas Reed has no known connection to

Racine Wells has no known connection to

Dr. Hardy has no known connection to

Dr. Carolyn Lepre has no known connection to


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Dr. Hardy

He was the head physician of the Colorado Memorial Hospital. He didn't tell the Fortress that his top neuro-surgeon Roger Wilson was already operating on another patient when they demanded him as surgeon for their leader. He didn't tell them either that their leader Leland died forty minutes after he was brought to the hospital. He told the whole story Dr. Carolyn Lepre when she came to the hospital with Crossbones for a therapy session. He told her about the bombing, the many victims, the overfilled hospitals and showed Lepre pictures taken by the security cameras. He showed her Marty who was in contact with Hardy. He told Lepre that they hadn't met their surgeon yet when Lepre asked. She had a plan and Hardy allowed her to go with it after Crossbones was secured.

--Marvel Comics Presents#129/2


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Dr. Carolyn Lepre

She was a psychiatrist who worked with super-powered criminals to rehabilitate or even reform them. She already worked with Crossbones for six months when they returned to the Colorado Memorial Hospital for another session. Lepre was surprised by the presents of the police and learned from Dr. Hardy of the dangerous situation in the hospital. She wanted to get near the terrorists to talk them out of this situation and planned to meet them posing as the top neuro-surgeon Dr. Wilson. She locked Crossbones away in a heavily guarded room and proceeded to meet the Fortress. She pretended to operate on their already dead leader Leland and told them afterwards that he died because of complications. The Fortress members flipped, but Crossbones took them down and saved his psychiatrist Dr. Lepre.

--Marvel Comics Presents#129/2


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Leland Townsend

He was the leader of the Fortress. He was severely injured by an explosion of one of their bombs when their bomb expert Nick let him handle the detonation. Leland was brought to the Colorado Memorial Hospital and died forty minutes afterwards before surgery could commence. His team wasn't told about his death. Dr. Lepre, posing as a top neuro-surgeon, pretended to operate on Leland and told them after the operation that Leland died because of complications. The body of Leland was left behind by the Fortress after the fight with Crossbones.

--Marvel Comics Presents#129/2


images:

Marvel Comics Presents#129, p12, pan5 (Fortress)
  p9, pan1 (Dr. Hardy)
  p9, pan1 (Dr. Carolyn Lepre)
  p13, pan2 (Leland Townsend)


Appearances:
Marvel Comics Presents#129 (June, 1993) - John Figueroa (writer), Ron Wilson (pencils), Don Hudson (inks), Terry Kavanagh (editor)


Last updated: 10/25/12.

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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