Real Name: Anthony Davis

Identity/Class: Human cyborg; formerly human technology user

Occupation: Vigilante;
   formerly A.I.M. agent; criminal, NASA lab technician

Group Membership: Scourge's victims;
   formerly A.I.M.

Affiliations: Cobra (Klaus Voorhees), Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley)

Enemies: Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond), Beetle (Abner Jenkins), Scourge of the Underworld, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Kris Keating, "Lethal Foes of Spider-Man" (Beetle/Abner Jenkins, Boomerang/Fred Myers, Stegron/Dr. Vincent Stegron, Vulture/Adrian Toomes)

Known Relatives: Leila Davis (wife)

Aliases: Strikeback; the Hoopster, Ringy-boy, Ringo (as called by Spider-Man); Man-Machine (as called by Stegron)

Base of Operations: New York City;
    USA, possibly worldwide for A.I.M.

Education: Masters degree in mechanical engineering, University of Nebraska

First Appearance: (Ringer) Defenders I#51 (August, 1977); {Edizione Italiana: I Difensori#11 Editoriale Corno (marzo 1980)};
    (Strikeback) Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#3 (November, 1993); {Edizione Italiana: Marvel Mix#11Marvel Italia (febbraio, 1997)}

Powers/Abilities: Anthony Davis was a normal human with a high degree of knowledge in technology, as he originally built his own costume. As the Ringer, his costume's wrist-mounted particulate-matter condensers created rings of varying sizes, durability, and thickness by condensing the soot and smog in the air around cities, giving the rings the hardness of steel (presumably, his condensers wouldn't function as well in more rural areas, where the air is cleaner). The rings could be explosive, constricting, or freezing, and he could control their flight for short distances.

He also had a "replicating ring" which could form a linked chain of interconnected rings for various uses.

As Strikeback his body was covered and composed of metallic parts. He had jets at his ankles for flying, and could fire repulsor/energy blasts from his hands; he also had superhuman strength (class 25?), and could teleport himself (and at least one other individual) an unspecified distance away.

Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Eyes: (Davis) Brown; (Strikeback) left eye: brown, right eye: glowing green
Hair: (Davis) Black, later dyed blond; (Strikeback) none

History:
(Defenders I#51 (fb) - BTS) - Anthony Davis fell in love with Leila; at some point, they were married and were very happy.

   Anthony worked as a menial laborer in NASA labs, but he was convinced that he lead an impoverished life. He became jealous of Kyle Richmond's wealth, because he believed the "no-talent" millionaire lived an easy life. With Leila's assistance, he designed and built his costume and ring weaponry, and as the Ringer, he decided to rob the mid-Manhattan offices of Richmond Enterprises.

(Defenders I#51) - Using an explosive ring, the Ringer blew open a safe at Richmond's office building and stole the money inside. He knew that the police had the building surrounded, but he was surprised by Nighthawk's arrival. He fired upon the hero with his rapid fire rings, which constricted around Nighthawk and crushed his jet-pack. After a short skirmish with the hero, the Ringer ran away, but Nighthawk reached him and punched him in the face, only to fracture his own hand on the Ringer's protective mask.

   The Ringer fled again, and hid in a darkened file-room, where he waited for Nighthawk's arrival. Using a chain of rings, he ambushed Nighthawk with the whip-like weapon and stunned him; but before he could fire another salvo at the hero, the Ringer discovered that he had run out of rings. Nighthawk followed up by kicking the Ringer in the face and broke some of his teeth. Afterward, the panicking Ringer jumped out a window to make his getaway; but Nighthawk used the criminal's chain of rings to snag the Ringer in midair, then swung and smashed him into an outer wall of the building.

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#58 (fb) - BTS) - Following his battle with Nighthawk, Davis was incarcerated, and a prison doctor had to rebuild half of his teeth; but he was eventually released on probation.

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#58 (fb) - BTS) - Davis realized he wasn't cut out for a life of crime, so he gave his costume to the Tinkerer to modify, intending to peddle it to his business contacts when it was finished.

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#53 - BTS) - But the Tinkerer was defeated by Spider-Man, and the Ringer's completed new costume remained in a crate at the Tinkerer's workshop, which was guarded by the police.

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#58) - Davis avoided the police by climbing to the roof of the Tinkerer's workshop. Using his "replicating ring," Davis climbed down an air shaft and into the building. He found his new costume boxed in a crate; after donning the outfit, he tested it and was quite pleased with the results. But before he could get away, Abner Jenkins (disguised in civilian clothing over his Beetle armor) smashed into the workshop and defeated Davis with a single punch.

   After carrying the unconscious Davis back to his hideout, Jenkins (remaining hidden in the shadows) duped the Ringer into believing that an explosive ring had been added to the mid-section of his costume, and if he (Davis) did not fight Spider-Man, then he (Jenkins) would remotely detonate the explosive--the terrified Ringer acquiesced.

   With the help of a mini-radar unit given to him by his "boss," the Ringer found Spider-Man and attacked him as the hero swung by overhead. Spider-Man mocked the Ringer for his name, avoided all his attacks, then punched him and loosened some of the Ringer's dental repairs. The Ringer succeeded in catching Spidey off guard with a freeze-ring, but before he could "wring" his neck with a contracting ring, Spider-Man punched him again. When he noticed he was late for a dinner date with Debra Whitman, Spidey resolved that since he didn't know who the Ringer was, and hadn't actually seen him committing a crime, he left the Ringer on the rooftop because he had "better things to do".

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#58 - BTS) - Scared that his "boss" would kill him with the explosive, the Ringer searched for Spider-Man for some hours.

(Spectacular Spider-Man II#58) - Following his dinner date, it was instead Spider-Man who found the Ringer, and defeated him very easily. From his hideout, Jenkins used a remote control to detonate the explosive, which was really just a trick that exploded in a muffled "fwumph," leaving both Spider-Man and the Ringer unharmed.

   Spider-Man webbed up the Ringer and took him to the police precinct; the Ringer confessed to having violated his probation and admitted to attempted assault--he also requested that the police call a good dentist for him.

(Deadly Foes of Spider-Man#4 (fb) - BTS) - Davis was sent to prison; but Jenkins was in the same prison, unaware that Davis was there, too. When Jenkins boasted of his plan involving the Ringer with his fellow inmates, Davis heard everything--although he was too scared to seek revenge, Davis told his wife Leila about it.

(Code of Honor#3) - Ringer, Hobgoblin and Cobra went on a crime spree, but were opposed by Daredevil and the Black Widow.

(Captain America I#319) - Along with other super-criminal victims, the Ringer was gunned down by Scourge in a massacre at the Bar with no Name.

(Captain America I#320) - The morning after the Scourge massacre, the Water Wizard led Captain America to the bar and showed him the bodies of the Ringer and all the other villains.

(Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#4 (fb) - BTS) - But Anthony Davis wasn't dead, only very near to death. AIM took the corpses of the Scourge victims to learn about their powers and equipment--they saved Ringer's life, performing experiments on him and transforming him into the cyborg Strikeback..

(Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#4 (fb) - BTS) - Strikeback performed some missions for AIM, after which he became an independent free agent.

(Deadly Foes of Spider-Man#4) - Leila Davis used the Ringer's gloves to entrap the Beetle (Jenkins) and used a ring to strangle him, but Spider-Man saved the criminal, captured Leila, and gave the gloves to the police.

(Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#3) - Strikeback found his wife, Leila Davis, when she was Hardshell and part of the "Lethal Foes of Spider-Man". He watched her from afar as she fought against Stegron and the Beetle (Jenkins) for possession of a nuclear gun.

   Shortly after, when Leila was in danger from Stegron's assault, Strikeback intervened in her defense and held back Stegron, equaling his strength.

(Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#4) - Strikeback helped Leila in taking back the nuclear gun. He then teleported and stunned the Vulture with his blasts, and he repelled one of Boomerang's explosive boomerangs back at him. Stopping Leila from blasting the Beetle for revenge, Strikeback tried to convince her that criminality was a false path, and that together they could have a good life and break free from the endless cycle of hate and violence.

   Then Stegron crushed Strikeback with his tail and repeatedly punched him until he began to pass out; but Strikeback's mechanical parts helped him to resist the damage, and after he came back on-line, he blasted and incapacitated Stegron. Spider-Man then took the nuclear gun from Hardshell, but Strikeback stopped his wife and forced her to teleport away with him, to start a new life--Anthony no longer wanted to strike back at those who had hurt him.

(Thunderbolts I#56 (fb)) - Anthony and Leila lived happily for a short time, but then Anthony's cybernetic systems broke down, and he passed away quietly...at peace with himself--a tearful Leila was at his bedside...

Comments: Ringer was created by David Kraft, Keith Giffen and Klaus Janson;
    Strikeback was created by Danny Fingeroth, Keith Pollard and Jim Amash.

    I dislike the idea of resurrecting Scourge victims. They seemed to be the few deaths we could actually count on.
--Snood.

Ringer was also seen among the afterlife characters in Sensational She-Hulk I#53.
--John McDonagh
  But these could all actually be hallucinations on the She-Hulk's part. I've read the brain continues functioning after the heart stops beating.
--Will U
  This is supported by the fact that the Ringer wasn't even dead.
--Markus Raymond

A Ringer was seen in JLA/Avengers#4, but since the characters in this story were pulled forward from different times, it could've been another Ringer.

Code of Honor#3 addition by John McDonagh. Captain America I#320 addition by Rick.

When Nighthawk wanted to test his new jet-pack's maneuverability, he had his technicians build the Murder Machine, and he apparently had them include similar weaponry to the Ringer's.--Ron Fredricks

New and additional images and sub-profile by Ron Fredricks.

Ringer received a hanbdook profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition#19 (December, 1987), Master Edition#19 (1992), All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#9 (November, 2006) and Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z HC#9 (2009).

Profile by Spidermay. Expansion by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Anthony Davis, aka Ringer, aka Strikeback is connected to but is different from:

...and has no known connections to

"replicating ring"

Anthony Davis, aka the Ringer, carried a single ring of approximately 12" diameter; it could duplicate itself into a series of interconnected rings.

The Ringer first used it as a whip-like weapon against Nighthawk; but moments later, the hero turned it against the Ringer and snared him as he was making his getaway.

Sometime later, Davis used it as a "ladder," so he could climb down a 75-foot air shaft and into the Tinkerer's workshop.

Presumably, this ring worked on the same principles as the Ringer's costume, and replicated itself by forming other rings using the dust motes in smog.  Its limitations were unrevealed, but Davis was known to descend 75-feet, thus it could presumably form at least 74 copies of itself.

--Defenders I#51 (Defenders I#51, Spectacular Spider-Man II#58

(Comment: This ring was never identified by any specific name.)

Images:
Spectacular Spider-Man II#58, p4, pan7 (main - new costume)
Spectacular Spider-Man II#58, p3, pan4 (headshot - Anthony Davis)
Defenders I#51, p9, pan1 (Ringer [original costume])
Defenders I#51, p10, pan1 (headshot - Ringer [original costume])
Spectacular Spider-Man II#58, p5, pan1 (Ringer tests his new Tinkerer-built suit)
Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#3, p20, pan1 (Strikeback)
Thunderbolts I#56, p14, pan5 (Anthony Davis dies; Leila Davis [right])
Spectacular Spider-Man II#58, p3, pan7-9 (Anthony Davis activating replicating ring)
Defenders I#51, p13, pan5-6 (Ringer uses replicating ring as a whip against Nighthawk)

Appearances:
Defenders I#51 (May, 1962) - David Kraft (writer), Keith Giffen (pencils), Klaus Janson (inks), Phil Rachelson (colors), Gaspar Saladino/Bruce Patterson (letters), Archie Goodwin (editors)
Spectacular Spider-Man II#58 (September, 1981) - Roger Stern (writer), John Byrne (pencils), Vince Colletta (inks), Tom DeFalco (editor)
{Edizione Italiana: L'Uomo Ragno#1 Star Comics (maggio 1987)}
Captain America I#319-320 (July-August, 1986) - Mark Gruenwald (writer), Paul Neary (pencils), Dennis Janke (inks), Michael Carlin (editor)
{Edizione Italiana: Capitan America e i Vendicatori#59 Star Comics}
Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#3 (November, 1993) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Keith Pollard & David Boller (pencils), Ian Akin, Keith Aiken & Jim Amash (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
{Edizione Italiana: Marvel Mix#11 Marvel Italia (febbraio 1997)}
Lethal Foes of Spider-Man#4 (Dicember, 1993) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), David Boller (pencils), Brad Vancata, Jim Amash, Mike DeCarlo, Keith Aiken & Ian Akin (inks), Rob Tokar (editor)
{Edizione Italiana: Marvel Mix#11 Marvel Italia (febbraio 1997)}
Code of Honor#3 (April, 1997) - Chuck Dixon (writer), Bob Wakelin, Derick Gross & Paul Lee (artists), Kelly Corvese (editor)
Thunderbolts I#56 (November, 2001) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Patrick Zircher (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)

First posted: 05/10/2005
Last updated: 08/16/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other 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