Summary:
- Tombstone is confirmed to be a villain for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
- He will be played by Marvin Jones III, who has previously voiced the character in Into the Spider-Verse.
- We have detailed everything you need to know about Tombstone’s comic origin and his role in the movie.
Tombstone is a secondary villain who has appeared in multiple Marvel movies and TV shows. The villain is now set to make his live-action debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, to brush up on what his role is in the movie and his origin in the comics, we have prepared an explainer of everything you need to know about the character.
Who is Tombstone in Marvel Comics
Tombstone is a secondary villain who usually works as a henchman for crime lords like Kingpin and Hammerhead. He made his first appearance in comics in 1988 in Web of Spider-Man #36. He was born as Alonzo Lincoln, aka Lonnie Lincoln, and had a rare skin condition called albinism, which makes your skin and hair extremely white with red eyes. Lonnie was bullied as a kid, with Joe Robertson being the only student who didn’t bully Lonnie.
To make up for his appearance, Lonnie started exercising to become strong, eventually becoming the bully himself. His intimidating appearance earned him the titular name “Tombstone.” This path of violence led him into organized crime, where he rose to become a feared mob enforcer. Robertson, now a reporter, got information that Tombstone had killed crime boss Ozzy Montana.
However, the moment Robertson was about to meet the informant who tipped him off, Tombstone killed him and threatened Robertson. Traumatized, Robertson moved to New York and joined the Daily Bugle to start fresh. Twenty years later, Tombstone reappeared in New York.
In these twenty years, he also had a daughter called Janice Lincoln, who would later become the villain Beetle (rumored to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day). Robertson saw Tombstone in New York and was overcome with an overwhelming sense of responsibility to expose him. He recorded evidence of the murder, naming Tombstone, and passed it along to Peter Parker, his colleague at the Bugle.
Tombstone came to know about the recording, threatened Mary Jane, and demanded Parker meet him, leading to Tombstone and Spider-Man’s first fateful encounter. Tombstone then became a recurring villain of Spider-Man. He even started working under Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, further cementing his name as a feared mob enforcer and a villain.
What Are Tombstone’s Powers and Abilities
Following Tombstone and Spider-Man’s first encounter, Robertson and Tombstone were jailed. But Tombstone orchestrated a breakout and escaped along with Robertson. He then started working under Hammerhead. However, Hammerhead knew Robertson was a liability. He then sent Hobgoblin to kill the reporter, but Tombstone wanted to kill Robertson in a fair fight.
He called Robertson to a chemical plant. The two fought, and Robertson accidentally locked Tombstone in a chamber full of Diox-3 gas. This gas made Robertson indestructible and bulletproof. It also gave him enhanced strength and stamina. This made Tombstone even more of a feared figure, after which he took over Hammerhead’s operations.
Who is Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvin Jones III has been confirmed to be playing Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Jones has previously lent his voice to the same character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and has even appeared as Tobias Whale, a DC villain, in Black Lightning. Needless to say, the actor is no stranger to comic book roles.
As of writing, the plot details for Spider-Man: Brand New Day are being kept under wraps, so it’s unclear if Tombstone will be a big part of the movie or just a henchman. He recently appeared in the animated series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man as well. However, he was Lonnie Lincoln in the series and only got powers by the end of the show, while still being a good guy.
Since Daredevil: Born Again connects to Brand New Day, it is possible that Tombstone could be a henchman to Kingpin yet again. Needless to say, it will definitely be fun to finally see him in live action.
