- Looking for another version of Joseph Robertson? Check out the Joseph Robertson disambiguation page.
Joseph Robertson, also known as Robbie, is the editor of the Daily Bugle and a supporter of Spider-Man.
History[]
Early life[]
Childhood[]
As a child, Joseph Robertson was friends with a boy named Lonnie Lincoln. Lonnie was a juvenile delinquent and would often mockingly call Robbie, "Straight Arrow" because he always followed the rules.
Robbie (right) with Lonnie (left)
One day, Robbie and Lonnie went to a grocery store to buy some ice cream. However, when they arrived the store was closed. Lonnie blamed Robbie for them being late because he had to finish his homework. Lonnie got so angry that he threw his basketball and it accidentally broke the store window. Lonnie convinced Robbie to help him steal some ice cream. However, the police quickly arrived. Robbie managed to escape, but Lonnie was arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center.
Cub reporter[]
As a young adult, Robbie became a cub reporter for a local newspaper. One night, Robbie received a tip that there was going to be a break in at the Spaulding Chemical Plant and he went to investigate.
When Robbie arrived at the chemical plant, he discovered that it was Lonnie Lincoln that broke in. Lonnie then revealed that he was framing Robbie as revenge for him getting sent to juvenile detention center when they were kids. Lonnie even revealed to Robbie that his fingerprints were all over the crime scene because he forgot to wear gloves. Lonnie then activated the alarm and told Robbie that when he got out of prison they could be family again. Lonnie also told Robbie that they could commit crimes together to make a living because no one else would hire Robbie after he got out of prison. However, as Lonnie attempted to escape he tripped and fell into a vat of chemicals. Robbie believed that Lonnie had perished.
As they police arrived, Robbie explained to them what happened. The people that worked at the newspaper told the police that Robbie received at tip about a break in at the Spaulding Chemical Plant and because of this Robbie wasn't arrested.
College[]
While in college, Robbie was a student of Omar Mosely who in the 1940s was superhero known as the Black Marvel and was also a member of a group of heroes called the Six American Warriors.
Robbie and Omar ended up becoming good friends and Omar revealed to him that he was once the Black Marvel.
Military career[]
Robbie later enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a soldier in Bomb Disposal Unit. While in this unit, he learned how to defuse explosives.
After his military service was over, Robbie started working for the Daily Bugle and eventually became it's editor.
When Robbie left the military, he was allowed to keep his service revolver.
Personal life[]
Robbie also met a woman named Martha and the two of them ended up getting married. Together, they had a son named Randy.
Later life[]
This world needs a hero[]
Robertson was a big supporter of Spider-Man. However, at moments there where times when Robertson would question whether or not New York City really needed Spider-Man. One time this happened was when Spider-Man failed to save Felicia Hardy from Doctor Octopus. However, those things were said out of anger and as soon as Spider-Man did save Felicia, Robbie took back everything he said.
When Robbie went out of town for work for the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man hid Mariah Crawford at his apartment because Kraven the Hunter was after her. However, Robertson came back from his trip and returned to his apartment. Mariah believed that Robertson was Kraven and escaped through the window. Sometime later, Kraven was able to track Mariah scent to Robbie's apartment. Kraven believed that Robbie was "the other man" and he kidnapped him. Kraven later tracked Spider-Man down and told him that unless he brought him Mariah he would kill Robbie. Spider-Man was able to find Kraven hiding at the Central Park Zoo where Kraven was hanging Robbie above a pool of water filled with alligators. When Spider-Man set off one of Kraven's booby traps, it also lowered Robbie into the water where the alligators went after him. However, Spider-Man was able to save him and defeat Kraven.
Tombstone[]
Several years later, Lonnie Lincoln returned as a hitman for the criminal underworld called Tombstone. Tombstone even set up his own gang called the Bandanna Gang and got Robbie's son, Randy, to join him by convincing him that his family didn't care about him. Robbie eventually learned that his son was in the gang and was furious at him.
Around this time, Robbie was also planning to run an exposé on Alisa Silvermane who had taken over her father's criminal empire. Alisa then hired Tombstone to kill the story and Tombstone decided he would get Robbie to do it.
One night, Robbie got a phone call from Tombstone, who he was surprised was still alive, and met him at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park. When Robbie got there, Tombstone threatened to harm Robbie if he didn't stop the Alisa Silvermane exposé from being printed. However, Robbie refused. At that moment, Spider-Man arrived and was able to save Robbie. However, Tombstone managed to escape.
Sometime later, Tombstone contacted Robbie again and told him that he was going to frame Randy for a crime and to come to the Spaulding Chemical Plant. As Robbie arrived at the plant, he confronted Tombstone. Tombstone said that he would not implicate Randy in the Bandana Gang's crimes if he were to stop the Alisa Silvermane exposé. However, Robbie revealed to Tombstone that he was able to rush the Alisa Silvermane story to print and that within a few hours everyone in the city would read it. Tombstone knew that there was nothing he could do now. However, Tombstone was still planning to frame Randy, so he could see the Robertson family be disgraced.
Tombstone and Robbie then fought on a scaffolding above a vat of chemicals. Tombstone nearly succeeded in throwing Robbie into the chemicals, but he was saved by Spider-Man. Spider-Man was then able to defeat Tombstone. Robbie and Randy then waited for the police and explained what happened.
Framed[]
Non-canon history[]
In Adventures of Spider-Man #2, Joseph Robertson was planning an exposé on Hammerhead and his criminal enterprise. Robbie was later visited by Hammerhead at his office at the Daily Bugle. Hammerhead then told Robbie to not publish the exposé or else he would regret it. After Hammerhead left Robbie's office, Peter, who overheard the whole conversation, told Robbie not to be bullied around by Hammerhead. Listening to Peter's words, Robbie decided to run the exposé anyways. However, Hammerhead knew of what Robbie did and sent his men to assault Robbie. They beat Robbie so bad that he ended up in the hospital. Peter felt guilty because he was the one that told Robbie to run the exposé despite Hammerhead's threats. Spider-Man later managed to run Hammerhead out of town. After some time passed, Robbie healed from his injuries and he returned to work at the Daily Bugle.
Appearances[]
- Night of the Lizard
- The Spider Slayer
- Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous
- The Sting of the Scorpion
- Kraven the Hunter
- The Alien Costume, Part I
- The Alien Costume, Part III
- The Hobgoblin, Part I
- Day of the Chameleon
- Hydro-Man (Byline on a Daily Bugle article)
- Enter the Punisher
- The Immortal Vampire
- Tablet of Time
- The Final Nightmare
- Doctor Strange
- Make a Wish
- Framed
- The Man Without Fear
- Tombstone
- Venom Returns
Trivia[]
- Brock Peters was originally cast as Joseph Robertson. However, Avi Arad felt that Brock Peters' voice was wrong for the part and was recast with Rodney Saulsberry.
- According to a computer file on Joseph Robertson in the episode, Guilty, Robbie's full name is Joseph R. Robertson and he was born on March 20, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York.
- In Spider-Man Adventures and Adventures of Spider-Man, Joseph Robertson was designed with gray hair which made him look much older than his counterpart in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.