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History

Early Life[]

Billy Bob Rackham was a prison guard at Seagate Prison, which had a reputation for being called "little Alcatraz." A mean spirited and racist man, Rackham often abused the prison's mostly African-American inmates, particularly Carl Lucas.[1]

Luke Cage[]

Lucas was an inmate who was framed for drug possession, and when he agreed to undergo an experiment conducted by prison Dr. Noah Burstein, Rackham interfered with the Electro-Biochemical System in hopes of killing Lucas for a previous transgression. Instead, the accident gave Lucas super-human strength and bulletproof skin, allowing for Lucas to escape from prison. Lucas took up the identity of Luke Cage and became a "Hero for Hire" while those at Seagate assumed that Lucas died in the waters outside of Seagate. Rackham continued to work at Seagate, abusing other prisoners -- particularly Carl's fellow inmates Comanche and Shades. Eventually Rackham's hard handed ways became privy to the administration of the prison and Warden Tyler Stuart had Rackham fired from his position.[2][3]

New Employment[]

Rackham traveled from place to place trying to find a new job, becoming even more embittered and hateful and slightly crazy. All the while unaware that Comanche and Shades had broken out of Seagate to seek revenge against him. Rackham soon established a home in New Jersey and tried to find work in Manhattan. On one such occasion he ran into Daily Bugle reported Phil Fox, who had learned of Luke Cage's criminal past and was trying to find the ideal way of blackmailing Cage into doing his bidding or making money off his information.[4]

He and Rackham conspired to kidnap Cage's girlfriend Claire Temple, a move which Rackham hoped would allow him to capture Cage and get his job at Seagate back. However, Rackham messed up and instead of capturing Temple ended up with Mrs. Jenks, a regular client of Luke Cage, who happened to be leaving Cage's office while Cage battled Big Ben Donovan. When Phil pointed out the mistake the two came to blows and Phil was shot dead by Rackham. Rackham fled Jenks' apartment with her as his hostage, leaving Claire (who was going to Jenks' apartment looking for Luke) to take the rap for Fox's murder.[5]

Learning of the whole situation, Luke teamed up with Comanche and Shades (who had also ended up in New York to start new careers as costumed criminals) and tracked Rackham to his New Jersey home. Their attack on Rackham was interrupted by the arrival of Stiletto, son of Warden Stuart, who had come to punish the three former cons. During the fight Rackham was seriously injured when his home collapsed on him. But he revived during the fight and tried to flee the scene, but was struck by an arriving ambulance and killed on impact. After his death, Claire's name was cleared thanks to testimony given by Mrs. Jenks before she herself died due to injuries sustained in the fight.[6]

Attributes

Abilities

As a prison guard of Seagate prison he was armed with a standard issue firearm, as well as a billy club. After he was fired from Seagate, he carried a handgun.

See Also

Links and References

References

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