George Washington “G.W.” Bridge is a character that first appeared in Marvel Comics’ mutant heyday of the ‘90s, although he’s a regular non-superpowered human. But who is this gray-haired badass who can hold multiple gigantic guns just like Cable does? Here’s the Marvel Comics history of G.W. Bridge.
G.W. Bridge Debuts in X-Force #1
G.W. Bridge has the distinction of debuting in X-Force #1, which is still the second biggest-selling comic book of all time, behind only 1991’s X-Men #1. Artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza co-created Bridge. They portrayed him as an African-American man, a bit on the older side, who was a Vietnam War veteran. In that first appearance, he had since become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, with the rank of Commander. Bridge preferred the name “G.W.” or just “George,” thanks to the fact that his full name George Washington Bridge embarrassed him since childhood.
Bridge Is Both Ally and Enemy of the Mutant Cable
When Cable took command of the New Mutants and turned them into X-Force, S.H.I.E.L.D. tasked G.W. Bridge with keeping tabs on them. This was due to a somewhat complicated past that Bridge had with X-Force’s leader Cable. Years earlier, G.W. Bridge was a member of the mercenary team that went by the name the Six Pack. This team was put together by a time-traveling Cable. He not only hired Bridge for the team, but also future X-Men like Domino.
The Six Pack took on all kinds of jobs, but their primary goal was to stop Stryfe, Cable’s clone who had followed him into the past. Although the Six Pack broke up with many members at odds, Bridge eventually patched things up with Cable, and was an unofficial liaison between X-Force and S.H.I.E.L.D. In the years after S.H.I.E.L.D., he also battled the urban vigilante Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher. Bridge was married, but the supervillain Basilisk tragically murdered his wife Sandy. Fridging is a real dick.
G.W. Bridge’s Powers and Abilities
George Washington Bridge has no known super powers to speak of. However, he has formidable combat skills and is a military strategist of incredible efficiency. However, it’s possible he might have some kind of power that we’ve been unaware of until now. A villain named Microchip killed him, and he later returned to life, with his mysterious resurrection unexplained. Is he a mutant too? Or was the Bridge that died merely a Life Model Decoy? Seeing as Bridge worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., we’re leaning towards Life Model Decoy.
G.W. Bridge in The MCU
We’re not entirely sure what role G.W. Bridge will play in the larger MCU going forward. Rumors circulated that Giancarlo Esposito was playing him, but that’s since been debunked. He might take over Nick Fury’s role in S.H.I.E.L.D., now that Fury is off in space. Since he has much comics history with mutants, it’s also possible he has a role in the upcoming MCU X-Men movie. Bridge is both an ally to Marvel’s heroes as much as he’s an opponent, so it’s anyone’s guess. Regardless, we have a feeling this is a character we’ll eventually see on the big or small screen at some point down the line.