"It makes perfect sense that she would be hostile. She likely feels displaced by me, and she's testing our new dynamic. She both desires my approval, yet wants to set firm boundaries. She feels threatened by me, and you know what? I can understand why."
Jacques "Jack" Duquesne is a wealthy socialite and talented swordsman who became engaged to Eleanor Bishop. In December 2024, Jack was suspected by Eleanor's daughter Kate Bishop when his uncle Armand Duquesne III was murdered. However, Eleanor did it and framed Jack for his death, and also pinned his name to a shell corporation that laundered money for the Tracksuit Mafia. Although Duquesne was quickly released and proven innocent, he learned Eleanor had deceived him and joined Kate, Hawkeye and their allies in fighting off the Tracksuits during the Battle at Rockefeller Center.
In 2027, Duquesne came across someone in need of help and used his swordsmanship to rescue them, being dubbed Swordsman by the public. He continued his activities as a member of New York City's elite, attending fundraisers and balls held by mayor Wilson Fisk. Duquesne was skeptical of Fisk's involvement in the Red Hook Port Revitalization Project, although Fisk threatened to out Duquesne as Swordsman, leading him to support the project. Later, when Fisk passed his Safer Streets Initiative, Duquesne was detained by the Anti-Vigilante Task Force and imprisoned.
Jack Duquesne was born to the wealthy Duquesne family, descendants of the ancient European aristocracy.[5] As he has always had money, Duquesne never had to work a day in his life.[6] Duquesne developed a fascination with swords, accumulating a large collection of them over the course of his life, as well as training with them and becoming a talented swordsman.[2][5] While in Palm Beach, Florida, Duquesne met and dated a woman named Sloan, whom he found to be a nightmare. Duquesne later broke up with Sloan.[6] Duquesne went on vacation with his family to Palm Beach, where one of his relatives, Armand Duquesne VII, wet himself. Duquesne remembered the moment as a time Armand was embarrassed.[7]
Duquesne began dating Eleanor Bishop, and eventually became engaged to her, unbeknownst to Eleanor's daughter, Kate, who was away at college.[2] A precautious Duquesne decided to buy a book on being a step-father to impress her daughter, whom he already knew but ceased to impress.[5] In December 2024, Jack Duquesne was at the Bishop Residence with Eleanor Bishop, preparing for the charity gala, when Kate Bishop returned.
Kate was surprised, unaware of the relationship between the two. Duquesne left with Eleanor as she told Kate they would talk more at the gala. During the charity gala, Duquesne and Eleanor were speaking with other socialites when Kate approached them, having learned about their relationship. Duquesne left the two to talk, knowing that the conversation was too awkward for him to be there for.[2]
Later that night, Duquesne decided to attend the black market auction in the hotel's cellar, sitting next to Armand Duquesne III despite his uncle's protests. The auctioneer was auctioning off items recovered from the Avengers Compound, such as Ronin's suit and sword. Deeply interested in adding the sword to his collection, he decided to bid on it.
Despite his efforts, his uncle managed to outbid him for the sword. However, the auction was interrupted when the Tracksuit Mafia bombed their way into the cellar, seeking to steal the valuable merchandise the auction was selling. Seeking an advantage within the chaos, Duquesne found the sword in the mess, before rejoining with his uncle to escape the cellar.
They were momentarily stopped by a Tracksuit member, until Kate Bishop, who was disguised in the Ronin Suit, knocked out the criminal, allowing the Duquesnes to escape. Once back up to the charity gala, Duquesne rejoined Eleanor Bishop, who was looking for her daughter amidst the chaos.[2]
The next day, Duquesne went with Eleanor Bishop to the Bishop Security Headquarters and sat down in her office. They were met by Kate, who offered her condolences to Duquesne for his uncle's death. She began to press Duquesne about his inheritance before being interrupted by her mother.
Duquesne discusses being a step father
As Eleanor asked about the fire in Kate's apartment, Kate requested that they continue the conversation without Duquesne's presence. However, he analyzed that Kate likely just felt displaced by Duquesne's new role in the family and that it makes sense that Kate would be hostile towards him, things he learned in a book about being a stepfather that he had purchased.[5]
Eleanor invited Kate to come to dinner that night with her and Duquesne to continue their conversations. At dinner that night, the Bishops and Duquesne ate a meal that he had prepared. Kate complimented him on the risotto before the two began discussing his affinity for swords.
Kate challenged Duquesne to a fencing match, and despite Eleanor's disapproval, Duquesne accepted. After changing into fencing gear, the two proceeded to duel. Duquesne let Kate win and she became upset due to Duquesne hiding his expert swordsmanship. Kate became desperate trying to get her mother to see that Duquesne was lying.
When Duquesne briefly took his helmet off and turned away from Kate, she attempted to stab him in the face, resulting in Duquesne skillfully parrying her despite not looking at her, proving he was a much more talented swordsman than he was letting on. After the duel, Duquesne changed out of the fencing outfit and tried to ease Kate's concerns about him. When she did not believe him, he offered her a butterscotch with his uncle's emblem. When Kate saw this, she immediately left the house.[5]
Kate rushed into the room to stop Duquesne, just as Eleanor entered the room as well. Duquesne then set the sword down against the wall. After Eleanor called Barton an Avenger, Duquesne recognized Barton as a superhero, albeit misremembering his codename.
The four then sat down at the kitchen table, so Eleanor could ask them why they were sneaking into the penthouse. Kate explained that she was working with Barton on a mission and needed to access the Bishop Security database to obtain information. When Kate stood up to leave, Eleanor requested that Barton leave instead and that Kate stay to further discuss matters.
Duquesne entered the living room and joined Eleanor, Kate, and Lucky there. After hearing Eleanor tell Kate about helping set up a Christmas party, Duquesne got excited, requesting that there would be dancing. Kate replied that Eleanor didn't dance, but Duquesne requested a dance with his fiancée anyways, serenading her in the process. As they danced, he sang along to a Christmas song.
Duquesne shares a laugh with the Bishops
Afterwards, Eleanor and Kate laughed at Duquesne's tendency to misquote aphorisms, to which Duquesne declared he would rather be laughed at by them than to be alone for the holidays.[9]
Once Kate Bishop's investigation into Duquesne unveiled that he was the CEO for a shell corporation, she revealed the information to her mother, who verified the information and called the NYPD on Duquesne. Detectives Caudle and Rivera showed up at the Bishops' penthouse to arrest Duquesne. Duquesne remained calm, claiming that he is likely being framed, as he had no knowledge of Sloan Limited. He reassured his fiancée that he would get the situation cleared up and be out of police custody in just a short while.[6]
As he promised he would be, Duquesne was freed from NYPD custody within the next day, having his bail paid for by the father of Armand Duquesne VII. On Christmas Eve, Duquesne attended the Bishop Christmas Party, to the surprise of Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, and Armand Duquesne VII, who all believed Duquesne to still be in jail. Duquesne was greeted by Armand VII, who inquired about his freedom.
Duquesne explained that Armand VII's father had paid his bail, to Armand VII's disappointment as his mother had promised him Duquesne's wine collection. When Armand VII expressed his desire for Duquesne to go back to jail so he can obtain his wine collection, Duquesne embarrassed his relative by reminding him of the time he peed in his pants at The Hamptons.
Duquesne later found Eleanor Bishop while she was talking to her daughter, seeking to have a conversation with his fiancée over the events that had transpired over the last day, but was dismissed as she was busy with her argument with her daughter.[7]
Duquesne and the Bishops heard shots fired from elsewhere in the building. Kate Bishop told Duquesne and her mother to stay where they were as she left. Duquesne turned around to realize that his fiancée had also left, leaving Duquesne alone. Hearing the chaos that was ensuing in the building, Duquesne drew his sword and prepared for battle.
Outside the center, Duquesne arrived in time to disarm and knock out Enrique, who was approaching Kate Bishop with a gun. Bishop apologized for her mother framing him and having him arrested, and asked if Duquesne was doing okay. Duquesne stated he had never been better and continued to fight off the assailing Tracksuit Mafia members as he told Bishop that he had lost track of her mother. Duquesne continued to fight off the Tracksuits. When Bishop was delegating to the NYC LARPers to clear the area of civilians, Wendy Conrad asked if Duquesne was included in that group. Bishop responded that despite Duquesne fighting on their side, they should probably evacuate him as well.
In the conclusion of the battle, Eleanor Bishop was arrested for the murder of Armand Duquesne III, clearing Duquesne's name of the allegations relating to the murder and any connection to Tracksuit Mafia. As the first responders took over the scene of the battle, Duquesne sat next to Conrad. Conrad, having noticed Duquesne's skill with swords during the battle, asked Duquesne if he had ever heard of LARPing. Duquesne asked if LARPing was a sort of leisure activity, and Conrad tried to invite him to her guild, but Duquesne interrupted her when he got distracted by blood on his tie.[7]
Vigilante Exploits[]
Becoming Swordsman[]
Swordsman stops a group of attackers
"Bro, look how crazy that is. Like, where do you learn that? Kinda looks like a swordsman. Swordsman, if you're watching this, keep doing the good work, because our cops here... they don't really do much, so..."
In March 2027, Duquesne started to gain public awareness as he fought publicly with swords. His rescue of a woman from a group of attackers was recorded and shown on The BB Report, where one New Yorker dubbed him as Swordsman.[3]
"Underestimate the people in this room at your own peril. They may not use garrotes or cement shoes. One phone call to the right person, and well... Bye-bye, Gracie Mansion."
Duquesne was invited to an event with the rest of New York's elite to meet with Mayor Wilson Fisk. Duquesne spoke with Fisk, telling him that he did not agree with the changes he was making to the NYPD or his stance against vigilantes. Duquesne also noted that Fisk's Red Hook Pier project did not align with the interests of the elite. Fisk defended his choices, but Duquesne warned Fisk of the elite's influence, stating that they could easily take away Fisk's mayorship.[3]
"Shall I call you Swordsman, the vigilante?" "Even if I knew what you were talking about, that sort of thing would be an isolated incident." "Hmm. Yet still probable cause for a visit from my Task Force."
Duquesne was invited to Wilson Fisk's Black & White Ball, where he encountered Artemis Sledge. Duquesne asked about her husband's whereabouts, but she did not know, leaving Duquesne confused as she walked away.
Duquesne met with Fisk again and was asked to speak privately with the mayor in another room. Duquesne commented on him underestimating Fisk and his Red Hook Port Revitalization Project, leading Fisk to ask how much support Duquesne would be offering for it. Duquesne went to refuse, but Fisk revealed he knew Duquesne was Swordsman and threatened to have his Anti-Vigilante Task Force go after him. Duquesne was forced to comply with Fisk and then left the event.[4]
When Wilson Fisk passed his Safer Streets Initiative, Duquesne, having become an enemy of Fisk, both as a civilian and a vigilante, was arrested by the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. Duquesne was taken to Fisk's dungeon, where he was imprisoned in a cage along with several other enemies to the mayor. While in his cage, Duquesne watched as Fisk and his wife walked past them.[10]
Personality[]
"To be fair, I did downplay my skill and repeatedly lie about it."
Jack Duquesne is an aloof but well-meaning individual, often presenting himself as modest and mild-mannered. When he became Eleanor Bishop's fiancée and Kate Bishop's soon-to-be stepfather, he did everything he could to impress Kate, including buying a book on how to be a good stepfather.
Duquesne also enjoys the thrill of fighting, joining the LARPers and fighting against the Tracksuit Mafia at Rockefeller Center.
Emboldened by getting to stand against criminals, Duquesne secretly operate as a sword-wielding vigilante while continuing to hide behind his mild-mannered persona. However, he was also not afraid of challenging figures within his high-society life, dismissing Wilson Fisk's plans as mayor to his face.
Abilities[]
"When I tried to stab his face to prove he was lying, he parried like a pro."
Duquesne is extremely skilled at using a sword in combat. He initially held back during his duel with Kate Bishop in fencing, a two-time state champion, but then he was able to parry a thrust to his face and disarm her without even looking. Bishop later admitted that he was like a professional. During the Battle at Rockefeller Center, he used his sabre to fend off several members of the Tracksuit Mafia, even when they were carrying small arms. Afterwards, he was offered a position with the New York City Live Action Role Players for his skill.
After his uncle bid on Ronin's retractable sword at the black market auction, Duquesne stole the item after the event was disrupted. He later used it to threaten Clint Barton in Eleanor's penthouse, but he lowered his guard once he realized he was a friend of his future stepdaughter. The sword was later covertly reclaimed by Barton.
Fencing Sword: Duquesne owns a fencing sword which he used during his sparring match with Kate Bishop.
Sabre: Jack used a sabre to fight off many members of the Tracksuit Mafia. He also uses it during his ventures as the vigilante Swordsman.
Other Equipment[]
Fencing Uniform: Duquesne wore a fencing uniform during his match with Kate Bishop, including a mask, jacket, breeches, and a single glove.
Bishop Residence: Since beginning his relationship with Eleanor Bishop, Duquesne spends a lot of time at the Bishops' penthouse, having moved some of his sword collection to the building.
In the comics, Jacques Duquesne is a former carnival performer and criminal, who trained Clint Barton in his junior year. Once reformed, he joined the Avengers with the name of Swordsman.
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