BASIC BLACKBASIC BLACK
Real Name: Norman Gentry
Identity/Class: Human, manifesting abilities inherited from nonhuman ancestors (see comments)
Occupation: Author, hand-writing analyst (see comments)
Group Membership: Anti-Registration Undergound (All-Out/Unarmed
Training Automaton Attacker/Richard
Taine, Awe-Striker/Cecily Johnson, Battlestar/Lemar Hoskins, Brain Spasm/Dennis Hoxie, Canasta/Henry
Cavanaugh, Captain Kinship/Edward Randlebuck, Dahntu/Charles Luc
Phan, Freeware (Kurt Duryea), Gladiatrix/Robin
Braxton, Green Guardswoman/Natalie Bell, Harbormaster/Sean
Beckett, Haunter/Mark
Runnemyer, Human Haze/Steve Cochrane, Iguanid/Tom Boldstep, Johnny
Justice/Jonadab Megyscol, Kruzado/Dorothy Cardoza, Lawman/Leon
Frankfurt, Leather Angel/Andrew Mussawyr, Masked Rose/Josie Tyler,
Natural/Beru Addison, Network/Valerie
Martin, Orange Crusher/Andy Gardner, Panthrax/Alex Mitchell,
Peace-Lover/Barry Kanczeski, Qiblah/Jared Nelson, Saint
Hildegard/Sonya van Jagt, Scorecard/Bill Merrick, Skybolt/Zack
Zimmerman, Solo/James Bourne, Spaceheat/Charles Yaméogo,
Staten Island Star/Russell Feldman, Stone-Tough/Ted Pendleton,
Tosser/Ferris Hartke, Typeface/Gordon
Thomas, U.S. Annie/Harriet
Best, Warbug/Bernard Van Buren, Winter Woman/Angela Stover,
Xantippe/Mandy Atkinson, Zapster/Langley Saint-Margaret, others);
see comments
Affiliations: See comments
Enemies:
(At least formerly)
S.H.I.E.L.D.
and its "Cape-Killers"
see comments
Known Relatives: See comments
Aliases: See comments
Base of
Operations: Unrevealed;
previously an
unidentified Anti-Registration Underground safehouse in Manhattan,
New York
see comments
First Appearance:
(Unidentified) Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006);
(identified) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z
hardcover#14 (2010)
Powers/Abilities: See comments
Height:
Unrevealed (approximately 6'4"; see
comments)
Weight:
Unrevealed (approximately 203
lbs.; see
comments)
Eyes:
Unrevealed (see
comments)
Hair:
Unrevealed (see
comments)
History: See comments.
(Civil War: Front
Line#4 (fb) - BTS / Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z
hardcover#14: Anti-Registration Underground (fb) - BTS) - Following
the Stamford disaster, where hundreds had perished during a battle
between New Warriors and four Raft escapees, Iron Man (Tony Stark),
Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) and others worked with US officials to
develop the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), outlawing any
crimefighting activities by unregistered super heroes. 
Vigilante Typeface, although his identity was already known, resolved to fight a perceived assault on freedom, and he organized an Anti-Registration Underground, beginning with ex-government operative Battlestar and anti-terrorist Solo, to support super heroes who continued fighting crime without SHRA approval. Their ranks were soon supplemented by mystic-armored Freeware; bodysuit-enhanced Green Guardswoman; Masked Rose, leader of super-team T,J,A.W. (Truth, Justice, and the American Way), empowered by accidental mutant blood exposure; exoskeleton-empowered Network; and cyborg Skybolt. Via a covert interview with Alternative reporter Sally Floyd, ARU members publicized their perspective, and several other anti-registration heroes joined, including Basic Black.
(Civil War: Front Line#4) - Basic Black was present with the ARU when S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the ARU's safehouse and arrested most of its members.
As the ARU members debated whether to seek and join Captain America (Steve Rogers)’s Secret Avengers, a better organized and equipped anti-SHRA unit, or to remain independent, armored S.H.I.E.L.D. Cape-Killers, accompanied by Iron Man, Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers), Wonder Man (Simon Williams) and at least ten unidentified flying heroes, raided the base. Caught by surprise, few ARU members managed to effectively fight back against their more powerful and organized opponents. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. captured over 40 members, the Harbormaster, the Awe-Striker, Canasta, Dahntu, the Green Guardswoman, and the Tosser evaded capture, as did the Masked Rose, who had been absent seeking new recruits.
(Civil War: Front Line#5/2) - ARU prisoners, such as Typeface, were seen being sent to the Prison 42.
(Civil War#6 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers and the Superhuman Registration Act resistance arrived at Prison 42 to free the prisoners.
(Civil War#7 / Amazing Spider-Man I#538 / Civil War: Front Line#10-11 - BTS) - The Secret Avengers penetrated Prison 42, freeing many prisoners. When the combined anti-registration forces were confronted by Iron Man’s pro-registration forces, Secret Avenger Cloak (Tyrone Johnson) teleported both groups to Manhattan. Freed ARU prisoners took part in the battle between the pro and anti-registration heroes, spanning from the Negative Zone prison to the streets of New York. In the ensuing battle, which caused severe damage, the Thunderbolts’ Venom (Mac Gargan) apparently killed Typeface. Other fatalities may also have occurred. Following Captain America’s surrender to forestall further civilian risk, Battlestar and possibly others avoided recapture.
The government offered amnesty in return for registration. Although Gladiatrix rejected the offer, Network registered under the 50 States Initiative, while Solo also registered but pursued independent interests. Presumably additional ARU members followed Gladiatrix’s example, others followed Network’s or Solo’s, and still more remained at large.
Comments: Created by Created by Paul Jenkins and Ramon Bachs.
Codename,
real name, and nature provided by Ronald Byrd
During
the production of the Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007) writer
Paul Jenkins provided Ronald with authorization to provide
identities, real names for the various background Anti-Registration
Underground characters, and to flesh them out as much as he wanted.
Ronald provided identities and real names for the Anti-Registration
Underground entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A
to Z hardcover#14 (2010). There wasn't room to provide much more than
that in that entry. However, Ronald had backgrounds and histories in
mind for these characters when he provided their names.
While
the information is unofficial until it sees print,
here is the
full story behind Basic Black:
REAL NAME: Norman Rockne
"Norm"/"Rocky" Gentry
ALIASES: "Norrock the Barbarian," "Rocko the
Barbarian"
IDENTITY: Known to US authorities
OCCUPATION: Author, handwriting analyst
CITIZENSHIP: USA
PLACE OF BIRTH: Plainview, New Jersey
KNOWN RELATIVES: Samson Gentry (father), Ernestine Gentry (nee Chames,
mother); Clifford Gentry, George Gentry, Kelt Gentry, Paul Gentry (quintuplet
brothers); Henna Gentry (nee Franklienn, married Kelt), Lena Gentry (nee Young,
married Cliff), Mabel Gentry (nee Naught, married Paul), Reta Gentry (nee Teed,
married George) (sisters-in-law); Abel Gentry (son of Paul and Mabel), Kenny
Gentry (son of Kelt and Henna), Leroy Gentry (son of George and Reta)
(nephews); Alice "Alpha" Gentry, Betty "Beta" Gentry, Camilla
"Gamma" Gentry, Dale "Delta" Gentry, Ester
"Epsilon" Gentry (daughters of Kelt and Henna); Cleanliness
"Clen" Gentry (daughter of Clifford and Lena), Mopsy Gentry (daughter
of Paul and Mabel) (nieces)
GROUP AFFILIATION: Formerly Anti-Registration Underground
EDUCATION: College degree
SHRA CLASSIFICATION: Other (baseline human manifesting abilities
inherited from superhuman ancestors)
FIRST APPEARANCE: Civil War: Front Line#4 (2006)
HISTORY: Attending an exhibit of telephone booths at
the Manhattan Museum of Antiquities, Norm Gentry, while idly touching the
change slot of a 1980s era telephone booth, inadvertently triggered a
mechanism, installed by unidentified parties for unrevealed purposes, which
injected him with indeterminate chemicals. The injection in turn triggered
residual DNA from Eternals, Deviants, Inhumans and other such races -- which Gentry,
like many other baseline humans, had inherited as a result of humans
interbreeding with such races over a span of millennia -- causing him to
manifest superhuman powers. Upon manifesting several superhuman abilities, Gentry,
rather than risk unnecessary and potentially dangerous experimentation by
exploring the full extent of his newly developed abilities, resolved to confine
himself to the "basic" powers which had already manifested and, in
keeping with this perspective, took the codename "Basic Black."
Following the passage of Superhuman
Registration Act (SHRA), Basic Black declined to register because he was unsure
what category he fell under and failed to notice that SHRA registration forms
included the option of "Other." He was eventually recruited into
Typeface's Anti-Registration Underground and was present when SHIELD raided the
ARU's safehouse and arrested most of its members, including himself. Although
he registered shortly after his arrest, he was nonetheless erroneously detained
in the Negative Zone Prison 42 with several other ARU members. Following the
SHRA's repeal, he was released and, in turn, filed a wrongful imprisonment
lawsuit against the federal government, the results of which remain to be seen.
EYES: (Left) Hazel, (right) green
HAIR: Black
ABILITIES/ACCESSORIES: Basic Black has demonstrated
class 10 strength with corresponding speed and endurance. He can project cosmic
energy at a distance of at least three feet and exert minor molecular
transformation on at least some types of small objects. He can fly short distances
but rarely does so due to acrophobia. The full extent of his superhuman
potential remains undetermined.
Profile by Ronald Byrd, with assistance from Snood, and Multi-Tasking Mike Fichera.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Basic Black should be distinguished from:
Any
other "Basic" or "Black" characters, groups, items, events, races or
places...there are not many of the former, and tons of the latter...
images: (without ads)
Civil War Front Line #4: Page 5, Panel 2 (main)
Civil War Front Line #4: Page 29, Panel 4
(gray figure, left of center)
Civil War Front Line #5: Page 17, Panel 1
(7th figure right-most, partially obscured by the panel wall)
I took
liberties to remove the head in Inset 2 that was from the 6th figure and
demanding attention away from Basic Black.
I also
removed a bit of another character from the main that was obscuring his arm
--Mike F
Appearances:
Civil
War: Front Line#3/1 - BTS (September, 2006) - Paul Jenkins (writer),
Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Cory Sedlmeier
(editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4/1 (September, 2006) - Paul
Jenkins (writer), Ramon Bachs (penciler), John Lucas (inker), Tom
Brevoort (editor)
Civil War: Front Line#4/3 (September, 2006) -
Paul Jenkins (writer), Sean Chen (penciler), Rick Magyar (inker),
Molly Lazer, Aubrey Sitterson (assistant editors), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Civil War: Front Line#5/2 (October, 2006) - Paul Jenkins
(writer), Steve Lieber (artist), Molly Lazer, Aubrey Sitterson
(assistant editors), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#6 -BTS
(December, 2006) - Mark Millar (writer), Steve McNiven (pencils),
Dexter Vines (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Civil War#7 -BTS
(January, 2007) - Mark Millar (writer), Steve McNiven (pencils),
Dexter Vines, John Dell & Tim Townsend (inks), Tom Brevoort
(editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z
hardcover#14 (June, 2010) - Jeff Christiansen & Mike Fichera
(head writers/coordinators), Markus Raymond & Mike O'Sullivan
(coordination assistants), Stuart Vandal, Sean McQuaid, Michael
Hoskin, Ronald Byrd, Markus Raymond, Mike O'Sullivan, Madison Carter,
Kevin Garcia, Gabriel Shechter, Jacob Rougemont, Rob London, Rich
Green, Chris Biggs, David Wiltfong, Jeph York, Mark O'English, &
Mike Gagnon (writers), John Denning (associate editor), Alex Starbuck
(assistant editor), Theodore Kutt (copy editor), Mark D. Beazley
(editor, special projects), Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer
Grunwald (editor)
First posted: 07/20/2025
Last updated: 07/20/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel Copyright info
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