Editing Robbie Baldwin (section)

==Publication history==

Created by artist [[Steve Ditko]] and writer [[Tom DeFalco]],  The character first appeared in ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man Annual]]'' #22 (January 1988), originally known as '''Speedball'''<ref name="The Amazing Spider-Man Annual' 1988 Page 42">"He Who Laughs", ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #22 (1988). p. 42.</ref>

Marvel Comics published ten issues of the monthly comic book series ''Speedball'' from 1988 to 1989. The series was primarily plotted and penciled by [[Steve Ditko]] who also supplied the covers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Markstein |first1=Don |website=Don Markstein's Toonopedia |access-date=2 April 2020  |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/speedbal.htm |title=Speedball, the Masked Marvel}}</ref> It was scripted by [[Roger Stern]] and inked by several different artists.

After the series' cancellation, the Speedball character primarily appeared in ''New Warriors'' and its related comics, written primarily by [[Fabian Nicieza]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brevoort |first1=Tom |last2=DeFalco |first2=Tom |last3=Manning |first3=Matthew K. |last4=Sanderson |first4=Peter |last5=Wiacek |first5=Win |title=Marvel Year By Year: A Visual History |date=2017 |publisher=DK Publishing |isbn=978-1465455505 |page=238}}</ref> Speedball continued to be the most consistent character through the second and third volumes of the ''New Warriors''. During his run on ''New Warriors'', [[Fabian Nicieza]] commented:{{blockquote|I hope everyone has realized that I ''love'' Speedball. He's one of the few spandex folks out there that really enjoys what he's doing. Through Speedball, I get to make pointed comments and references to what's going on around him, which is great fun, using his cockiness and his arrogance, but playing on his insecurity at the same time. I'm proud of the fact that I've managed to make the character that scared so many people away from ''New Warriors'' popular enough to get his own mini-series.<ref group=note>Here Nicieza is most likely referring to a Speedball/[[Rage (comics)|Rage]] miniseries which was being worked on the time, but was never published.</ref> Speedball's a major part of the book now, and that's something that I, [penciler] [[Mark Bagley]], [editor] [[Danny Fingeroth]], [penciler] [[Darick Robertson]], and [inker] Larry Mahlstedt are all really proud of. It's hard to change public opinion, but I think we've given it a good shot. [emphasis in original]<ref>{{cite journal |last=McElhatton |first=Greg |date=January 1993 |title=The Busiest Man in Comics |journal=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]] |issue=17 |pages=42–45 |publisher=[[Wizard Entertainment]]}}</ref>}}

The character is featured in [[Paul Jenkins (writer)|Paul Jenkins]]'s ''[[Civil War: Front Line]]'', after it was revealed that he was the only member of the New Warriors to survive the Stamford disaster.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=98158 Paul Jenkins on Penance], [[Newsarama]], January 19, 2007  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906091218/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=98158 |date=September 6, 2007 }}</ref> The character underwent a drastic change in this series, in which his powers alter and takes the name '''Penance''', joining the Thunderbolts.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=96554 Better Know a Thunderbolt: Penance], [[Newsarama]], January 6, 2007  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211055537/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=96554 |date=February 11, 2007 }}</ref> He would also feature in his own [[Limited series (comics)|limited series]] ''Penance: Relentless'', also written by Jenkins, which examines the background to these changes.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11376 REFLECTIONS #221: Paul Jenkins, Part 2], [[Comic Book Resources]], September 9, 2007</ref> In the ''Thunderbolts'' comics series, [[Mike Deodato]] based Baldwin's appearance on actor [[Edward Norton]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}

He appears as a supporting character in ''[[Avengers Academy]]'' #1-20 (Aug 2010-Dec 2011), back in his Speedball persona. After recruiting Sam Alexander in ''[[Nova (comics)|Nova]]'' Vol. 5 #7-9, Speedball became part of the [[New Warriors#New Warriors (vol. 5)|2014 incarnation]] of the New Warriors.