The Roxxon Energy Corporation (otherwise known as the Roxxon Oil Company, Roxxon Oil Corporation, Roxxon Corporation or simply Roxxon) is a fictional massive petroleum industrial conglomerate in the Marvel Universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The company is depicted as having been run by various executives who are typically ready and eager to use any underhanded and illegal option to secure profits, up to and including violent crimes. As such, Roxxon is a consistent opponent of various superheroes. The company has appeared in various media adaptations as well as many television shows and films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Publication history

The Roxxon Energy Corporation first appeared in Captain America #180 (December 1974), and was created by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema. The name was inspired by oil company Exxon, which comics writer Ed Brubaker says is part of Marvel's policy of referencing the real world but "one step removed", similar to their re-naming the real-world crime syndicate Mafia as the Maggia.

Fictional company history

Originating sometime during the early 20th century as Republic Oil & Gas Co. and having rebranded itself at various times, Roxxon has been run by various executives who are ready and eager to use underhanded and illegal option to secure profits, has its own army-like security task force, and has employed a number of special agents. Roxxon has encountered numerous superheroes, such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Black Panther. The Roxxon conglomerate's central division is Roxxon Oil. The company currently wholly owns the Kronas Corporation and the Metrobank while the Brand Corporation is another for-profit company that has specialized in creating superhumans and is usually considered a subsidiary that has sometimes made its own decisions and acted independently. Roxxon has also regularly been at odds regarding energy sources with Project Pegasus, which has been involved in alternative energy research that could hurt Roxxon's oil profitability. Roxxon is also shown to have previously had a mining operation on Mars, but (due to unexplained circumstances) halted the operation and erased all traces of everyone involved. Roxxon Energy Corporation (alongside Alchemax and Hammer Industries) was mentioned to have once tried to bid on the renovated Baxter Building only to be outbid by Parker Industries. Roxxon is revealed to be orchestrating the young superheroes being falsely outlawed by the public. Having acquired the dragons from War of the Realms event, their first step was to get rid of the high schooler Aliana Kabua. Although Kamala Khan got injured from saving Aliana, Roxxon begin to shift the blame to the Champions for the damage they never started. While forming a partnership with Senator Geoffrey Patrick and C.R.A.D.L.E., Roxxon manipulates them into unknowingly furthering their shady businesses, such as permanent imprisonment, brainwashing and unethical experimentation, as well as possibly kidnapping of the kids who oppose the unjust law. Viv Vision, who survived Roxxon's assault on Aliana, had been monitoring her fellow younger superheroes, but discovers that she is unintentionally selling her friends to C.R.A.D.L.E. and Roxxon. Once the Champions reveals Roxxon's conspiracy to Senator Patrick and the public, the senator finally begins to repeal the unjust law, ending the partnership with Roxxon, and clearing Kamala's name while re-evaluating his business dealings. Later, Miles Morales and Sam Alexander go undercover as interns, prior to being suggested to hire Kamala Kahn. While Roxxon attempts to cover up their illegal activity by releasing a social app called "Roxx-On", a Champion and a former prisoner of C.R.A.D.L.E.'s harassment, Snowguard rallies a group of mobs because they still openly do not trust Roxxon for their previous activities. Much worst, Roxxon already hired Ironheart's nemesis from Stark Unlimited, Andre Sims, in an attempt to collect data to dispose of those who are deemed threats to its business. He replaced young superheroes with his Chaperon robots to ensure the unjust Kamala's Law remains active. During Roxx-On concert, Roxxon lost its public trust thanks to Kamala's public speech about the company's ongoing shady business, thus repealing Kamala's Law and disbanding C.R.A.D.L.E.. However, Roxxon's reputation becomes worst when Andre attempts to dispose of young people like the Champions because of his personal issues, but is immediately stopped by Roxxon's higher-up Miriam Blakemoore. After that, Roxxon finally makes a public speech to apologize for their actions and takes responsibility for Andre's crime. Enchantress and Executioner later allied with Minotaur after Roxxon bought the fictional version of Marvel Comics. They provided him with the magic needed to write out his comic book that enabled Enchantress' ally Keep to become Roxxon's version of Thor while using the alias of Chad Hammer. The comics that are made starts to badly affect Thor and poison Gaea. As Keep fought Thor which ended with Thor slaying Keep, Enchantress had Executioner kill Minotaur and usurps his position as CEO of Roxxon. At the start of the "Stark-Roxxon War" arc, Roxxon collaborates with A.I.M. in a plot to take over Stark Unlimited. They even have a resurrected Justine Hammer on their side. Using a combination of a machine and a blood sacrfice, Roxxon scientist Dr. Lamarr revives Dario Agger back in his normal appearance. As he was killed by a god, Dario plans to kill the gods. He starts by preventing Thor from mending his relationship with Midgard by enlisting Grey Gargoyle, King Cobra, Mister Hyde, and Radioactive Man to attack Thor. After Thor made a comeback, Dario teleports the villains away. As King Cobra left surveillance behind that proved that their defeat was partially caused by Enchantress, Dario plans to use it to leak the footage of Enchantress being Roxxon's new CEO. After mentioning Iron Man's upcoming war with Roxxon, Dario tells the villains that they will have their rematch with Thor by drawing him to them.

Subsidiaries

Members

Executives

Former executives

Staff

Former staff

Super-operatives

Hired agents

Other versions

Amalgam Comics

Roxxon exists in the Amalgam Universe and is similar to the main Roxxon.

Roxxon 2099

In the Marvel 2099 future, Roxxon is still one of the major corporations alongside such as Alchemax.

Transformers UK

Roxxon exists in the Transformers 120185 reality. Professor Peter Anthony Morris was working for them in Oregon, where he came up with the theory that the Transformers were controlled by oil tycoon G.B. Blackrock. He accidentally kills a Roxxon security guard.

Ultimate Marvel

The Ultimate Marvel version of the Roxxon Corporation is responsible for various immoral activities and is led by inept heir Donald Roxxon. Elijah Stern discovered a way to use vibranium as a power source for the company, but gets fired so Roxxon could take all the credit. This led to villains Vulture, Killer Shrike and Omega Red being sent to harass Donald. Herman Schultz had gotten a hold of design weapons for Roxxon before employment was terminated. The Roxxon Corporation later got a hold to a sample of the Venom Symbiote which was targeted by the Beetle. When the original Spider-Man fought the Beetle and the vial containing the sample broke, the sample was rendered worthless. During the Ultimate Enemy storyline, Roxxon Corporation's compound was destroyed by a bio-mass that was secretly created by Reed Richards. Following the Ultimate Mystery storyline, Roxxon Corporation assembles their personal Roxxon Brain Trust consisting of Doctor Octopus, Dr. Arnim Zola III, Layla Miller, Misty Knight, Samuel Sterns and Nathaniel Essex. The Roxxon Brain Trust was charged with the duty of figuring out the attack that was done to the Baxter Building. Roxxon Corporation was then attacked by the same entity that crushed the entire building. The Roxxon Corporation secretly used guinea pigs in experiments as super-soldiers (i.e. Bombshell, Spider-Woman, and Cloak and Dagger), as well as an experiment to restore the Venom Symbiote, which gets stolen by Roxxon's biochemist Dr. Conrad Markus. When the new Spider-Man and a group of amateur superheroes all realize they're guinea pigs/super-soldiers, Donald is defeated by Spider-Man and was arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Ultimate Universe

In Earth-6160, a world in which history was altered by the inferference of the Maker, Roxxon Energy Partners is shown as one of the North American Union's largest corporations and having taken control of the Savage Land, contributing to the deterioration of its local fauna and prehistoric species while utilizing it as an industrial base as seen in the footage that Captain America sees, which is later stated to be the result of a violent takeover in the 1970s. Hawkeye becomes an enemy of the corporation as he starts attacking some of their facilities, which attracts the attention of Captain America. After a brief fight, both notice the arrival of Roxxon's "Cleanup Crew". stated to be a group of mercenaries that was responsible for putting down the "Savage Land Revolt" decades earlier. Captain America and Hawkeye defeat them and leave hurriedly. It's shown that Emmanuel da Costa plays at least an investing role in the company, as he talks about what happened with its locations with Hulk, another member of the Maker's Council.

In other media

Television

Roxxon appears in Avengers Assemble, with Roxxon guards voiced by David Kaye, Fred Tatasciore and Jim Meskimen.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Roxxon Corporation appears in live-action media set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Video games