Origin

Stuart Clarke was an idealistic inventor who refused to sell his high-tech designs to a larger company which resulted in him sinking into deep debt. After being forced to declare bankruptcy, Clarke became frustrated when Stark Industries designed armored exoskeletons which he believed were similar to his designs.

Clarke donned his own prototype armor and became the armored super-villain known as Rampage. Stealing money from banks, he was opposed by the Champions. After a crushing defeat from the superheroes, Clarke attempted to take his own life but was restrained by Iceman.

Character Creation

Rampage was created by Tony Isabella and Don Heck and first appeared in The Champions #5 in 1976.

Character Evolution

Initially a rather generic costumed villain, Stuart Clarke became a slightly more nuanced and layered character following the Civil War where he become an ally to the Punisher. Throughout his existence, the one constant trait of Stuart Clarke is is intense hatred of Iron Man.

Major Story Arcs

Divide and Conquer: Fall of the Champions

The Champions were sympathetic to Clarke's plight, however their kindness and charity was repaid with betrayal when Clarke allied with a Russian-backed tea of super-criminals who were targeting Black Widow.

After capturing the Widow, the Russians co-erced Clarke into blowing himself up inside the Champions headquarters having no further use for the supervillain.

Surviving his kamikaze, albeit crippled, Clarke began plotting revenge against the Champions. When the team broke up shortly after, Clarke kidnapped Iceman and mind-controlled him into attacking Angel and Spider-Man. The two heroes managed to free Iceman from Clarke's influence and Clarke's plan was foiled.

Machinery of War

Clarke was later hired by Baintronics and alongside Parnell Jacobs, the two began a series of attacks on Iron Man but ultimately were fired by Sunset Bain for relenting.

Breakout

Clarke was one of the many supervillains imprisoned in the Raft who managed to escape during Electro's mass breakout.

Civil War

Stuart Clarke has found himself in the unlikely and unenviable position of becoming an ally to the Punisher. Initially intimidated into assisting the vigilante, the two eventually became partners. Lying about his criminal past, Clarke claims that he was framed for murdering a cop which the Punisher comes to believe.

Goin' Out West

Clarke's girlfriend is captured by a group of neo-nazis which leads to Punisher and Clarke travelling to Mexico to free her and shut down the neo-nazi group. Infiltrating the group by going undercover, the Punisher is forced to prove his loyalty to the neo-nazis by murdering Clarke's girlfriend but which he ends up doing because he is being brainwashed by a machine that induces pure hatred in people. After doing so, Punisher lies to Clarke and says that another one of the neo-nazis killed her.

World War Hulk

Clarke and Punisher fought against the Warbound together, although Clarke spent most the time just talking about how he'd "like to bang She-Hulk".

Jigsaw

When G.W. Bridge forms a new Six Pack to apprehend the Punisher, Clarke is forced to go into hiding with another one of Punisher's allies called Diamonelle, former Lady Punisher Lynn Michaels. When the Punisher is arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D, Clarke is willing to risk his own life for the only friend he ever had who never let him down. Before he can follow through he is shot multiple times by Diamonelle who is revealed to be a double agent.

Secret Invasion

Surviving the shooting, Clarke is hiding out in one of their safehouses when he is given a video of the Punisher killing his girlfriend. After seeing the video, Clarke swears that he will kill the Punisher. During this time the Secret Invasion is going on Clarke goes out hunting down Castle as Rampage. After working with Bridge and Punisher to defend themselves from attacking Skrulls, Clarke becomes separated from the two and after killing a Skrull sniper, Clarke takes the sniper rifle and starts looking for the Punisher.

Elsewhere, Punisher learns that Clarke has killed innocent people in the past despite Clarke having lied to Punisher about his criminal past. Clarke is attacked by the Punisher who breaks in through the window Clarke is looking out from and the two of them fight. Clarke's suit winds up malfunctioning and blowing up in his face. After the Skrull invasion Bridge visits Clarke in the hospital where he finds him hideously disfigured and with revenge on his mind.

In the Blood

Having been gone some time, Clarke appears next to Punisher's long time arch nemesis Jigsaw. They now go under the title, "Jigsaw Brothers" and want only to end Punisher once and for all for the disfigurement and pain he has caused them both. Using Jigsaw's illegitimate son against the Punisher (Henry, his recent assistant), Clarke is put under the impression that Jigsaw will murder him one they are done with Punisher.

Before Punisher is captured, Clarke has a heart to heart with an insane and babbling Microchip, Punisher's long-time past assisitant, insulting him, and from then on appears to have his own agendas. But when they have Punisher under lock and key and when Jigsaw doesn't kill Henry, Clarke attempts to knife Henry only for Jigsaw to shoot him dead, stating that he was just an amateur from day one.

Powers and Abilities

Rampage's armor boosts Clarke's strength and speed and has boot jets. It is reflective somewhat of Iron Man's suit but is not as powerful or advanced.