Character/Marvel

Robbie Baldwin

Speedball / Penance

Robbie Baldwin first appeared in Marvel Age Annual #4 (1988-06-07), published by Marvel. 252 appearances are indexed across 60 series.

Robert "Robbie" Baldwin was working as an intern in Hammond Labs when he was accidentally irradiated by an extra-dimensional energy source that one of the scientists was experimenting with. He found that he developed a more muscular body, a costume, and a protective kinetic energy field when a strong enough impact hit him. Rather than cause harm to him, while in "Speedball mode," impacts would cause him to bounce, a power he could use creatively to help or harm others as well. After he was denied entry into the Avengers due to his unrefined fighting style, Baldwin fought crime with Damage Control and then the New Warriors, but after Baldwin's survival of the massacre at Stamford which triggered the push for superhero registration which made up the Civil War storyline, Baldwin was put in prison by S.H.I.E.L.D. On his way to testify before Congress, Baldwin was shot. Though he recovered from his wounds, Robbie Baldwin was emotionally affected by his connection to the Stamford incident. He agreed to comply with registration and he had a new suit of armor made for himself consisting of 612 internal spikes, representing the 612 deaths in Stamford for which he felt responsible; 60 of these spikes (representative of the dead children, specifically) broke the skin inside his suit. He constantly felt their pain. In this suit, Baldwin called himself Penance, and he joined forces with the Thunderbolts.